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Cliff Lyons

Cliff Lyons

Known For Acting
Birthday Jul 05, 1901
Died Jan 06, 1974 (72)
Birthplace Clarno Township, Lake County, South Dakota, USA
Popularity 0.2 (history)
Updated Aug 05, 2024
Entry Date Apr 14, 2024
Links TMDb IMDb
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, w ... here 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

Filmography

Chisum

Chisum

1970

as Wrangler (uncredited)

The Green Berets

The Green Berets

1968

as Hugh Parkinson (uncredited)

The War Wagon

The War Wagon

1967

as Outrider (uncredited)

Major Dundee

Major Dundee

1965

as Trooper (uncredited)

Genghis Khan

Genghis Khan

1965

as (uncredited)

Two Rode Together

Two Rode Together

1961

as William McCandless (uncredited)

Sergeant Rutledge

Sergeant Rutledge

1960

as Sam Beecher (uncredited)

Spartacus

Spartacus

1960

as Soldier (uncredited)

The Young Land

The Young Land

1959

as Jury Foreman

The Young Land

The Young Land

1959

as Reynolds - Jury Foreman (uncredited)

Ben-Hur

Ben-Hur

1959

as The Lubian (uncredited)

The Horse Soldiers

The Horse Soldiers

1959

as Union Sergeant (uncredited)

The Abductors

The Abductors

1957

as Secret Service Agent

Apache Warrior

Apache Warrior

1957

as Trooper (uncredited)

7 Men from Now

7 Men from Now

1956

as Henchman

Bend of the River

Bend of the River

1952

as Willie

The Red Badge of Courage

The Red Badge of Courage

1951

as Soldier (uncredited)

Wagon Master

Wagon Master

1950

as Marshal of Crystal City

Rio Grande

Rio Grande

1950

as Soldier (uncredited)

When Willie Comes Marching Home

When Willie Comes Marching Home

1950

as Churchgoer (uncredited)

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon

1949

as Trooper Cliff (uncredited)

3 Godfathers

3 Godfathers

1948

as Guard at Mojave Tanks (uncredited)

Wagon Tracks West

Wagon Tracks West

1943

as Henchman Matt

Colt Comrades

Colt Comrades

1943

as Rancher

The Silver Bullet

The Silver Bullet

1942

as Stage Driver

The Silver Bullet

The Silver Bullet

1942

as Barfly

Winners of the West

Winners of the West

1940

as Indian / Henchman

Renegade Trail

Renegade Trail

1939

as Henchman

Black Aces

Black Aces

1937

as Rider

Hollywood Round-Up

Hollywood Round-Up

1937

as Saloon Set Brawler

North of the Rio Grande

North of the Rio Grande

1937

as Barfly

The Lawless Nineties

The Lawless Nineties

1936

as Henchman Davis

Trailin' West

Trailin' West

1936

as Gambler (uncredited)

The Crimson Trail

The Crimson Trail

1935

as Barroom Cowhand

The Eagle's Brood

The Eagle's Brood

1935

as Cowhand

Stormy

Stormy

1935

as Cowhand (uncredited)

The Last Days of Pompeii

The Last Days of Pompeii

1935

as Ostorius - a Gladiator (uncredited)

Gordon of Ghost City

Gordon of Ghost City

1933

as Rider

The Night Rider

The Night Rider

1932

as Bert Logan

The Rainbow Trail

The Rainbow Trail

1932

as Horseman

The Devil Horse

The Devil Horse

1932

as Cowhand (uncredited)

Red Fork Range

Red Fork Range

1931

as 'Skeeter' Beldon

The Painted Desert

The Painted Desert

1931

as Rider

The Oklahoma Cyclone

The Oklahoma Cyclone

1930

as Henchman

O'Malley Rides Alone

O'Malley Rides Alone

1930

as Henchman

Canyon Hawks

Canyon Hawks

1930

as Tom Hardy

The Hunted Men

The Hunted Men

1930

as Henchman Red (uncredited)

Breezy Bill

Breezy Bill

1930

as Bandit

Under Texas Skies

Under Texas Skies

1930

as Mustang - Henchman (uncredited)

Near the Rainbow's End

Near the Rainbow's End

1930

as Lefty - Henchman

The Cheyenne Kid

The Cheyenne Kid

1930

as Cowhand (uncredited)

Firebrand Jordan

Firebrand Jordan

1930

as Pete

The Last of the Duanes

The Last of the Duanes

1930

as Henchman

The Arizona Kid

The Arizona Kid

1929

as Red Hank

Bullets and Justice

Bullets and Justice

1929

as Red Barton

Code of the West

Code of the West

1929

as Leary Henchman

Headin' Westward

Headin' Westward

1929

as Pat Carle

The Voice from the Sky

The Voice from the Sky

1929

as Henchman 'Humpy'

Law of the Plains

Law of the Plains

1929

as Henchman

The Last Roundup

The Last Roundup

1929

as Jimmy Blyth

Across the Plains

Across the Plains

1928

as Chuck Lang

Manhattan Cowboy

Manhattan Cowboy

1928

as Tex Spaulding

Outlaw's Paradise

Outlaw's Paradise

1927

as Sheriff

Hell Hounds of the Plains

Hell Hounds of the Plains

1927

as Henchman (uncredited)

Desert Greed

Desert Greed

1926

as Gillis - Henchman (uncredited)

Wild Horse Canyon

Wild Horse Canyon

1925

as Ranch Hand

Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ

Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ

1925

as Charioteer (uncredited)

The Train Robbers

The Train Robbers

1973

Second Unit Director, Stunt Coordinator

The War Wagon

The War Wagon

1967

Stunts, Second Unit Director

Major Dundee

Major Dundee

1965

Stunts, Second Unit Director

Genghis Khan

Genghis Khan

1965

Second Unit Director

Cheyenne Autumn

Cheyenne Autumn

1964

Stunts

McLintock!

McLintock!

1963

Stunt Coordinator, Technical Advisor

Taras Bulba

Taras Bulba

1962

Second Unit Director

How the West Was Won

How the West Was Won

1962

Stunts

Two Rode Together

Two Rode Together

1961

Stunts

Sergeant Rutledge

Sergeant Rutledge

1960

Stunts

The Horse Soldiers

The Horse Soldiers

1959

Stunts

The Missouri Traveler

The Missouri Traveler

1958

Stunts

The Conqueror

The Conqueror

1956

Second Unit Director

The Searchers

The Searchers

1956

Stunts

Bend of the River

Bend of the River

1952

Stunts

Wagon Master

Wagon Master

1950

Stunts, Second Unit Director

Rio Grande

Rio Grande

1950

Stunts, Second Unit Director

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon

1949

Stunts, Second Unit Director

Red River

Red River

1948

Stunts

Fort Apache

Fort Apache

1948

Stunts, Second Unit Director

3 Godfathers

3 Godfathers

1948

Stunts

The Phantom Rider

The Phantom Rider

1946

Stunts

Death Valley Manhunt

Death Valley Manhunt

1943

Stunts

The Old Chisholm Trail

The Old Chisholm Trail

1942

Stand In

They Died with Their Boots On

They Died with Their Boots On

1941

Stunt Double

Winners of the West

Winners of the West

1940

Stunts

Renegade Trail

Renegade Trail

1939

Stunts

The Light That Failed

The Light That Failed

1939

Stunts

Three Texas Steers

Three Texas Steers

1939

Stunts

Destry Rides Again

Destry Rides Again

1939

Stunts

Dodge City

Dodge City

1939

Stunts

Cassidy of Bar 20

Cassidy of Bar 20

1938

Stunts

Three Godfathers

Three Godfathers

1936

Stunts

Three on the Trail

Three on the Trail

1936

Stunts

The Phantom Rider

The Phantom Rider

1936

Stunts

The Miracle Rider

The Miracle Rider

1935

Stunts

Bar 20 Rides Again

Bar 20 Rides Again

1935

Stunts

The Singing Vagabond

The Singing Vagabond

1935

Stunts

Love Time

Love Time

1934

Stunts

The Red Rider

The Red Rider

1934

Stunts

Robbers' Roost

Robbers' Roost

1932

Stunt Double

Mystery Ranch

Mystery Ranch

1932

Stunts

The Devil Horse

The Devil Horse

1932

Stunts

The Vanishing Legion

The Vanishing Legion

1931

Stunts

Fighting Thru

Fighting Thru

1930

Stunts

The Border Sheriff

The Border Sheriff

1926

Stunts

No data available

No data available

Organization Category Movie
Television Credits

Wagon Train

as Creel Weatherby

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 18, 1957

No data available

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