Yakima Canutt, the most famous stuntman in Hollywood and a trailblazer in the second unit director area, was born on a ranch in the Snake River Hills, 16 miles from Colfax, on Penewawa Creek. 
Canutt rode and roped as a child. He entered his first rodeo at 16 and proved to be a natural bucking-bronc rider and bulldogger. He continued his record-breaking career as a saddle-bronc rider after serving a brief time in the US navy during the first World War. He also adopted the nickname "Yakima," which, despite being Native American, actually refers to the town he was born in at the time and was not given because he was Native American, as has been incorrectly stated elsewhere. His ancestry is exclusively European. 
He met Tom Mix at a Los Angeles rodeo, and Tom helped him land a job as a cowboy extra. Canutt's prowess as a stunt combatant and rider earned him a role as the star of several western silent films. But a bout of the illness had injured his vocal cords, and his scratchy voice was not appropriate for the heroics of sound-film cowboys when sound became popular. Despite continuing to perform roles as a heavie, he concentrated on stunt work and became renowned as Hollywood's top stuntman in the 1930s. Together with John Wayne, he invented a new method for filming screen fights that looked more realistic, and Canutt spent years developing or perfecting the majority of the stunts seen in westerns and action movies.
After suffering serious injuries while performing stunts for Boom Town and In Old Oklahoma, Canutt stopped doing stunts professionally and focused on directing second units—crews that filmed action scenes, stunts, and other scenes that didn't necessarily need the main cast members. He directed some of the most exciting and iconic action scenes in movie history, which culminated in Ben-Hur's renowned chariot race. In 1966, he received a special Oscar for his contributions to cinema. Joe Canutt and Tap Canutt, two of his children, followed him into the stunt industry. Yakima Canutt, the most renowned and esteemed stuntman in history, passed away in 1986.
Listen now to learn more about this famous Evergreen State born stuntman!

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