Cliff Lyons
Cliff Lyons
Biography
Cliff Lyons was an American actor, stuntman and second-unit director, primarily of Westerns, particularly the films of John Ford and John Wayne. Lyons, the son of Garrett Thomas Lyons and Wilhamena Johnson Lyons, was raised on a South Dakota farm, though his family lived for a time in Memphis, TN, where he attended business school. An expert horseman, he gave up the notion of a business career and opted for the rodeo arena instead, touring the country;y and eventually reaching Los Angeles at the age of 21. With accomplished cowboys in great demand, Lyons quickly became involved in movies, working both as a stuntman and an actor. After only a couple of bit parts, he was signed by producer Bud Barsky to do seven inexpensive Westerns directed by Paul Hurst, with Lyons and Al Hoxie alternating as the hero and the heavy. Lyons and Hoxie alternated in another Western series produced by Morris R. Schlank, and, as Cliff 'Tex' Lyons, he seemed headed for minor stardom as a B-Western lead. However, Lyons' voice was not well-suited for sound and the talkie revolution confined him to small roles. As his small shot at stardom faded, however, his career as a stunt double for stars big and small was on the rise. He doubled such cowboy stars as Tom Mix, Ken Maynard, Buck Jones and Johnny Mack Brown. In 1936 he worked with John Wayne for the first and struck up a personal and business relationship that would remain strong for three decades. Wayne was influential in getting Lyons his first work as a second-unit director and in introducing Lyons to John Ford, for whom Lyons would do some of his finest work. Lyons' reputation as a stunt coordinator is comparable to that of acknowledged master Yakima Canutt, with whom Lyons partnered on numerous occasions. Perhaps Lyons' most impressive work was the massive and dynamic battle sequences of Wayne's The Alamo (1960). He was married from 1938 to 1955 to actress Beth Marion, with whom he had two sons. Cliff Lyons died in 1974 at 72, not long after coordinating stunts for Wayne's The Train Robbers (1973). Date of Birth 4 July 1901, near Clarno Township, Lake County, South Dakota Date of Death 6 January 1974, Los Angeles, California
Known For
Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Known Credits
141
Gender
Male
Birthday
1901-07-05 (124 years old)
Place of Birth
Clarno Township, Lake County, South Dakota, USA
Acting

1970

Chisum as Wrangler (uncredited)

1968

The Green Berets as Hugh Parkinson (uncredited)

1967

The War Wagon as Outrider (uncredited)

1965

Major Dundee as Trooper (uncredited)

1965

Genghis Khan as (uncredited)

1961

Two Rode Together as William McCandless (uncredited)

1960

Spartacus as Soldier (uncredited)

1960

Sergeant Rutledge as Sam Beecher (uncredited)

1959

Ben-Hur as The Lubian (uncredited)

1959

The Horse Soldiers as Union Sergeant (uncredited)

1959

The Young Land as Reynolds - Jury Foreman (uncredited)

1959

The Young Land as Jury Foreman

1957

Wagon Train as Creel Weatherby

1957

Apache Warrior as Trooper (uncredited)

1957

The Abductors as Secret Service Agent

1956

Seven Men from Now as Henchman

1952

Bend of the River as Willie

1951

The Red Badge of Courage as Soldier (uncredited)

1950

Rio Grande as Soldier (uncredited)

1950

Wagon Master as Marshal of Crystal City

1950

When Willie Comes Marching Home as Churchgoer (uncredited)

1949

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon as Trooper Cliff (uncredited)

1948

3 Godfathers as Guard at Mojave Tanks (uncredited)

1943

Colt Comrades as Rancher

1943

Wagon Tracks West as Henchman Matt

1942

The Silver Bullet as Barfly

1942

The Silver Bullet as Stage Driver

1940

Winners of the West as Indian / Henchman

1939

Renegade Trail as Henchman

1937

Black Aces as Rider

1937

Hollywood Round-Up as Saloon Set Brawler

1936

The Lawless Nineties as Henchman Davis

1936

Trailin' West as Gambler (uncredited)

1935

The Last Days of Pompeii as Ostorius - a Gladiator (uncredited)

1935

Stormy as Cowhand (uncredited)

1935

The Eagle's Brood as Cowhand

1935

The Crimson Trail as Barroom Cowhand

1933

Gordon of Ghost City as Rider

1932

The Rainbow Trail as Horseman

1932

The Devil Horse as Cowhand (uncredited)

1932

The Night Rider as Bert Logan

1931

The Painted Desert as Rider

1931

Red Fork Range as 'Skeeter' Beldon

1930

The Man from Nowhere as Not available

1930

The Hunted Men as Henchman Red (uncredited)

1930

The Oklahoma Cyclone as Henchman

1930

Near the Rainbow's End as Lefty - Henchman

1930

The Last of the Duanes as Henchman

1930

Western Honor as Not available

1930

Under Texas Skies as Mustang - Henchman (uncredited)

1930

Breezy Bill as Bandit

1930

Call of the Desert as Nate Thomas

1930

Canyon Hawks as Tom Hardy

1930

Firebrand Jordan as Pete

1930

The Oklahoma Sheriff as Not available

1930

The Cheyenne Kid as Cowhand (uncredited)

1930

The Canyon of Missing Men as Brill Lonegran

1930

Covered Wagon Trails as Not available

1930

O'Malley Rides Alone as Henchman

1929

Code of the West as Leary Henchman

1929

The Cowboy and the Outlaw as Slim Saxon

1929

The Voice from the Sky as Henchman 'Humpy'

1929

The Arizona Kid as Red Hank

1929

Law of the Plains as Henchman

1929

The Last Roundup as Jimmy Blyth

1929

Headin' Westward as Pat Carle

1929

The Fighting Terror as Not available

1929

Bullets and Justice as Red Barton

1928

Across the Plains as Chuck Lang

1928

Manhattan Cowboy as Tex Spaulding

1927

Hell Hounds of the Plains as Henchman (uncredited)

1927

Outlaw's Paradise as Sheriff

1927

Western Courage as Henchman Cliff

1926

Blue Streak O'Neil as Not available

1926

Desert Greed as Gillis - Henchman (uncredited)

1926

The Fighting Ranger as Not available

1925

Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ as Charioteer (uncredited)

1925

Wild Horse Canyon as Ranch Hand

1925

The Road Agent as Not available
Crew

1973

The Train Robbers Second Unit Director

1973

The Train Robbers Stunt Coordinator

1967

The War Wagon Stunts

1967

The War Wagon Second Unit Director

1965

Genghis Khan Second Unit Director

1965

Major Dundee Stunts

1965

Major Dundee Second Unit Director

1964

Cheyenne Autumn Stunts

1963

McLintock! Stunt Coordinator

1963

McLintock! Technical Advisor

1962

Taras Bulba Second Unit Director

1961

Two Rode Together Stunts

1960

Sergeant Rutledge Stunts

1959

The Horse Soldiers Stunts

1956

The Conqueror Second Unit Director

1956

The Searchers Stunts

1952

Bend of the River Stunts

1950

Wagon Master Stunts

1950

Wagon Master Second Unit Director

1950

Rio Grande Second Unit Director

1950

Rio Grande Stunts

1949

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon Second Unit Director

1948

3 Godfathers Stunts

1948

Fort Apache Second Unit Director

1948

Fort Apache Stunts

1948

Red River Stunts

1946

The Phantom Rider Stunts

1939

Three Texas Steers Stunts

1939

Renegade Trail Stunts

1939

Dodge City Stunts

1939

Destry Rides Again Stunts

1938

Cassidy of Bar 20 Stunts

1936

The Phantom Rider Stunts

1936

Three Godfathers Stunts

1936

Three on the Trail Stunts

1935

The Miracle Rider Stunts

1935

Bar 20 Rides Again Stunts

1934

The Red Rider Stunts

1934

Love Time Stunts

1932

The Devil Horse Stunts

1932

Mystery Ranch Stunts

1932

Robbers' Roost Stunt Double

1930

Fighting Thru Stunts

1926

The Border Sheriff Stunts