20 Loren Janes try. AswedroveouttoPlaceritaCanyon to rollingtree-linedhillswheretheairwas makes someonealegend?” thinking, “HowdoIwritethisarticle?What into AngelesNationalForest, Ifoundmyself and thencontinuedonseveralmilesmore one ofthetruelegendsstuntindus and pleasureofinterviewingLoren Janes, main event Photos courtesyofLoren JanesLibrary Written byCarlCiarfalio Rounding yetanothercurve,theroadled John Ross andIrecentlyhadthehonor Inside Stunts Winter 2008 - haired, tan,strong,fit,withanAmerican a fewmorecurves,therehewas.Silver thinking it’snoordinaryperson.Aroundjust pine trees,birds,deer, freshair— thoughts ofthedayslipaway. Hikingtrails, of heaven,themoreIfeltstrained finest. Thefartherwetraveledintothisslice gone, andweweretreatedtonatureatits filled withthescentofpine.Thecitywas Who wouldchoosetolivehere?I’m Living Life nice . to Its stunts andfilmmaking,butalsowithlessons noon fillednotjustwithreminiscencesof mix namedCindy, welcomedustoanafter by hisloyalcompanion,ahusky-shepherd flag pinnedtohisshirt.Loren Janes,flanked license plate reading MEAN PNO. Loren Fi sticker in the window and a personalized out his vehicles. His wife’s car has a Semper in livinglifetoitsfullest. As we walked up the drive, Loren pointed Fullest - main house?”I asked myself. Iwas about to not in the beautiful nowhere to put it. “Why but he hasthreemoreboxesof“stuff” most recognizablefacesinour industry. stills andpersonalphotosofsome ofthe hat!) wereondisplay, alongsideproduction Reagan (wearingaStuntmen’s Association McQueen, JohnWayne andPresident pianist. PhotosofDorisDay, Steve long andcelebratedcareerasaconcert Loren’s fiftyyearsintheindustryandJan’s walls coveredwithmemorabiliafrom us aroundtheroomandintopastvia Loren ishandsome.Together theywalked where wemetJan,whoisaslovely of who this man is. the Marines. I was beginning to get a picture of American eagles and banners honoring signed. Reaching the garage, we saw photos 1789 . . . the year the constitution was to his truck. Loren’s license plate reads USA wife, Jan, is a concert pianist. Then we came was full of pride when he explained that his As wewalkedout,Loren mentionedthat We tookashortwalktohisguesthouse, mounted aboveLoren’s GoldenBootAward. Swords fromthemovie Scaramouche (1952) stunt profes stunt and directors actresses, actors, Deserving industries. music and television film, ern this distin this of recipients been have alike sionals and Erik Cord. Erik and Clark Roydon sworth, stuntmen Rich stuntmen Palance,and Jack and Garner James Reynolds, Burt actors ary likes of legend of likes the with along stands Loren recipient, a As award. guished ments have blazed new trails in the Westthe in trails new blazed have ments ard Farnard those men and women whose achieve whose women and men those

- - - an honor bestowed upon bestowed honor an Loren’sAward, is Spur Silver find out.Steppingthroughthe who madesignificantcontribu as thosebehindthescenes, heroes andheroines,aswell achievements ofcowboy Fund Foundation tohonorthe Motion Picture &Television gious awardpresentedbythe Golden BootAward,apresti On themantlerests earned throughouttheyears. awards Loren hassorightfully plaques, commendationsand rated homebrimmingwith a warmandtastefullydeco arched frontdoorweentered Horn andTerry Leonard. Yakima Canutt,BuddyVan Clint Eastwood,JohnFord, such honoreesasJohnWayne, illustrious club,Loren joins Westerns. Asamemberofthis tions infilmandtelevision - - Displayed on a nearby wall nearby a on Displayed Loren posesfor - - - - Inside StuntsinhisAngelesNational Forest office. - Streets Streets of San Francisco. Here I am with (the Here I’m doubling his son, Michael, on , Spartacus where I doubled . saying things like: “Here’s a picture from in front of us. Loren was very matter of factly discovered pyramid. opened andexploredasifitwereanewly 2,000 televisionshows,alljustwaitingtobe history, over500filmsandmorethan archived: 50yearsoffilmandtelevision the industry. Inthosepages,hisworkis couple ofvolumeshisongoinghistory It’s alsothespotwhereLoren laidouta piano Janusesforworkandentertaining. by extremelytalentedstuntprofessionals. hard-nosed actiondesignedandperformed films—no wires,noCGI,justunforgettable, and thenbesuretoseethoseclassic look attheWesterns onhisIMDblisting, genre oftheAmericanWestern. Take a of Fame forLoren’s contributionstothe Hennessey andourownJohnRoss. Doug Coleman,DarRobinson, Leigh legend. Hekeepscompanytherewith inducting himintotheirHallofFame asa to Loren fromtheWorld AcrobaticSociety, John and I could only stare at the treasures In thecenterofroomisababygrand The nexthonorisfromtheWestern Hall Another wallfeaturesaplaqueawarded Winter 2008 Inside Stunts

The The 21 main event main 22 was speakinginthewayProfessor plishments, hewasn’t boasting.Rather, he his career. He spokewithsteadyconfi and Gilligan.Theseweresimply thefactsof would explainradiowavestothe Skipper pointing outhisvariousawardsandaccom McQueen from great) Jock Mahoney. Here’s one with Steve with dedication andhardwork.Itwas dence, knowing thatthisiswhatcomes know today. Hollywoodland into the Hollywood we ing themselves, their craft and transforming Heston back when they were all busy creat man worked with Gable, Cooper and with. John and I were overwhelmed. This heard of and wished we could have worked tors, producers and stuntpeople we’ve all him.” It was a virtual “Who’s Who” of Holly one of the Duke. I did fourteen pictures with with Candice Bergen—I dated her. Here’s of praise and gratitude from actors, direc volumes feature personal photos and letters wood’s hey-day. These and several more main event As Loren tookusaroundtheroom, Inside Stunts Winter 2008 The The Sand Pebbles. This is me - - Twenty-three-foot broadjumponTheF.B.I. - - - hike ontheJohnMuirTrail. Hediditthree ripe oldageofeleven,Loren madehisfirst wanting tobeanadventurer. Then,atthe to-cover. This, hesays,wasthestartofhis tion ofTarzan booksandreadthemcover- ing naturalathlete. Loren laterqualified for not one,buttwo Olympicteamsinthe walk. Seeyouinaweekorso.” Got yourknife?Allrightthen,have anice sleepy Californiafoothills?“G’morning, son. Janes householdoftheearly1940s inthe ence youngminds?Canyouimaginethe Who saysreadingtheclassicsdoesn’t influ wearing aloinclothandlivingofftheland. time, Loren diditalone,carryingaknife, six passesinexcessof11,000feet.Each seldom dipsbelow8,000feetandcrosses mile trailthroughtheSierraMountainsthat so youknow, we’renottalkingaboutpuff more timesbeforeheturnedeighteen.Just was achild.Andyouknowwhat?Hedid. almost asifhehadalifevisionsince ing upFryman Canyonhere.Thisisa222- That wasjustthebeginningfor thisamaz When hewasakid,Loren foundacollec televisionseries(1965-1974). - - - - popular episodic program of the time. Not in an episode of unnoticed. He was soon cast as a lead actor water flat and were knocked unconscious. “stuntmen” because they had both hit the but Loren ended up saving the two other other young men. All three made the dive, introduction and took the job, as did two on Catalina Island for a film. Loren got an athlete todoso.Thatmakesfiveeventsin pentathlon, becomingthefirstnon-military could and producer and was looking for three guys who was still teaching. A student’s father was a into themoviebusiness. high schoolcalculus.allbeforehegot Poly SanLuis Obispoandwentontoteach in WWII),squeezedgraduatingfromCal father waskilledatthebattleofGuadalcanal served asasecond-generationMarine(his studied tobeanoperasinger(tenor), swimming, ridingandrunning.Healso which heisanexpert:shooting,fencing, Loren’s good looks and talent didn’t go Loren’s start as a stuntman came while he would dive from an eighty-foot cliff The The Cisco , Kid a hugely straight right that sent him back over the over back him sent that right straight youranswer?” corner ofthedesk.“What’s no onewilleverknowit.” from nowontotheCommunist Party, but can givetwenty-five percentofyoursalary You canjointhe Communist frontoryou you’re gonnamakemeastar?” CiscoThe Kid had donesuchawonderfuljobactingin in theroom.Oneofthemtoldhimthathe office on the lot. business, was invited to meet them in their Loren, young, handsome and fresh into the noticed by the suits from Warner Bros. thirty-six pages of dialogue, and was quickly surprisingly, Loren did a great job with his make himastar. His answer? Loren caught the guy with a with guy the caught Loren answer? His “Yeah,” saidthesuited mansittingonthe “Are youserious?”Janesasked. “Well, thereareacoupleoflittlethings. “And, there’snothingelse?”Loren asked. “You justleavethattous,”hewastold. He tellsustherewerethree“studioguys” Loren said to them, “What doyoumean, Loren saidtothem,“What thattheyhaddecidedto Doubling SteveMcQueenon The Hunter with himdoingafireburnfrom theNicolas ing shortofspectacular. Thereelopens on the lot. the on else anyone than better Banner Spangled Star the sing could who someone and Olympian two-time a Marine, generation second- a with: messing were they who idea no had guys these Clearly table. the curtains,to the tableandfinally apartment hewas in,fromthecouch,to during whichheneededtoignite thewhole and tensecondsworthoffullbody burn Cage movieWild Heart at shared hisactionreelwithus,andit’snoth legendary careerinthefilmindustry. He him. there?” day, heasked,“Hey, who’s thatguyover Bros. Walking onthelotwithafriendone found himself once again working at Warner from thestudio(gofigure),Loren finally From there,Loren wentontobuilda theguyIknockedover table!” “That’s Warner,”L. Jack “Oh,that’s told friend his After alongperiodofbeingbanned (1980). . Itwasaminute - talented stuntman. When is the last time that his face on currency.today’s and Janes Trail, and we’d probably be seeing have been learning about the Lewis, Clark in south Texas. In grade school we might wearing a coonskin cap with Danny at a fort boys in Philly signing documents, or perhaps hanging out with Thomas J., Ben F. and the in history we would have read about him I think if Loren had lived during another time American Eagle Films Productions—appears. flight of a soaring eagle and then the title— tube underhisdrivingsuit. stunt, so he got his air by running a breather didn’t wanttofallonanairbottleduringthe chair. Thiswasalmosttwentyyearsago!He Loren is clearly a very special person and a Next on the reel is thirty seconds of the Winter 2008 Inside Stunts

23 main event main 24 determination and he did was strength, brought to everything CGI. What he harness, no clips, no for three days. No handed, and they shot mph in Chicago—free train traveling at 55 from the top of an “L” at a 90-degree angle of a ladder swung out McQueen, hangs off Hunter. Janes, as look at the movie production. Take a disappointed him or and Loren never throughout his career, star, called on Loren low-budget movie Steve McQueen, no twenty-eight years? same actor for man doubling for the down the embank the cactus and roll smack face-first into moving train in time to the timing of leaving a and then worked out burned off the thorns the cactus tree, and cut the roots of himself. He dug down and performed gag wonderfully calculated and prepped this Won. Loren set up in a sixteen-foot cactus moving train and into flying off the top of a famous photo of him career is based on the surrounding Loren’s talent. you knew of a stunt ment of desert sand main event Some of the folklore How How the West Was Inside Stunts Winter 2008 The The - - A highfallfrom The OtherSideoftheMountain (1975). workings of the indus was privy to the inner after stuntman, Loren those days. valuable commodity in Indians with ease—a play both cowboys and archery he was able to ship, shooting and with a select group of Dick Geary and along Loren, partnered with ple could be hired. mastery of horseman and 60s. With his Westerns of the 1950s the glut of television was also a perfect fit for Debbie Reynolds. He Connors and even Newman, Chuck Kirk Douglas, Paul as Steve McQueen, to stunt for such stars him the perfect choice professionalism made unlimited talent and lessly. His physicality, professional stuntpeo nucleus from which with as well as a for producers to deal become a strong force realized that they could fied stuntpeople. He organization of quali and set out to create an from heeded a suggestion try, so in 1961, he ovation from the audi it received a standing went off perfectly, and and rock. As usual, it thing, he moved effort such demand? For one France. ence at its premier in As a highly sought- Why was Loren in ------before becoming one of the industry’s top before becoming oneoftheindustry’s comes fromyears asacircusperformer Waugh. Freddy’s physicalityandstuntsense those days we had to be all around.” you’ve ever met. Great sense of humor! In A great horse backer and the sweetest man body control, unreal coordination and ability. extremely talented. He had tremendous hesitation in his answer either: “Loren was thoughts were on Loren. There was no I gave him a call and asked him what his to have ever come along in our industry. So, the best talents and most loved gentlemen popular opinion famous celebrities, it’s because they’re his famous celebrities,it’sbecausethey’re his highfalls.Whenhespeaksofknowing add anextrafootortenwhentalkingabout learned from.Hedoesn’t spinhisstoriesor does, Loren isamantobestudiedand professional excellence and integrity. day, we all benefit from their commitment to of stunts and action in the industry. To this changed the face, the politics and the future organization of its kind. By doing so, they Association of Motion Pictures, the first stunt stunt professionals, created the Stuntmen’s I thenturnedmyattentiontoFred Ronnie Rondell, or Big Ronnie, is one of A consummateproineverythinghe Loren enjoysthemusicplayedbyhiswife,concernpianistJanSanborn. hundreds we have in our business today. stunt people then, compared to the Remember, there were only a handful of after day. It was a much different time. and that took working closely together day perfect the way gags today’s are performed because they were some of the first to other is tremendous. I’m guessing it’s camaraderie these gentlemen have for each incredibly talented peers. The respect and stuntman ofhistime.” man. Heprobablywasthebestall-around good intheair, andareallygoodhorse Loren alot.He’sgreatacrobatictalent, same querytohim,andFreddy said,“Ilike stuntmen andactiondirectors.Iposedthe He swims, hikes, runs, practices archery and who are lucky and smart enough to listen. poline at Bob Yerkes’ as he helps train those ule of workouts and still jumps on the tram friends, not because it’s cool for us to know. but not from life. He keeps a rigorous sched (Jeez, whatagangoftalent!) Royden Clarkwithoutasecondthought. Rondell, MickeyGilbert,Freddy Waugh and hesitate, rattlingoffthenamesofRonnie of thebeststuntmenhisday, Loren didn’t High praise from just two of several Today, Loren may be retired from stunts, When askedwhohethoughtweresome - - - Father. Innovator. Leader. Speaker. Ameri Stuntman. Stunt Coordinator. Husband. that greatness recognizes greatness. by her beauty and her art. It was apparent Loren, a calm smile on his face, mesmerized nary talent. Throughout the tune, there was industry if he wanted to. could most likely still out-stunt most of the along theway, areallbetteroffforit. all thestudentsandfanshehastouched we inthestuntandfilmindustry, alongwith less, haslefthisimprintonourworld,and is unique, powerful and timeless.” imprint on the world, and like the cowboy, it “This true American art form has left its is inscribed on Loren’s Golden Boot Award: legend? The most concise answer I’ve found original question: What makes someone a can. Legend. This circles me back to my and a true appreciation for Jan’s extraordi song that filled the room with good feelings she had written. It was a take on a Christmas treated to a wonderful original composition to play for us on the baby grand. We were his entire life. that Loren’s been practicing this philosophy put your thoughts into action. It’s obvious and determination, believe in yourself and lesson in particular is evident: Have foresight from rehearsal to finished product. then) and explains how a production goes he had the presence of mind to shoot film back he shot on the set of half-a-dozen movies (yes, behind-the-scenes and rehearsal footage that filmmaking. He cuts into his discussions colleges and private firms about movies and ing. He lectures to grade schools, high schools, Explorer. Marine. Olympian. Teacher. Loren also still spends part of his time teach Loren Janes,unique,powerfulandtime Before we left for the day, Loren asked Jan There’s so much to learn here. One Winter 2008 818/980-2123. Answering Service at reached throughJoni’s over 25years.Hecanbe entertainment industryfor active memberofthe Carl Ciarfaliohasbeenan Inside Stunts

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