Buddy Van Horn obit

Buddy Van Horn, Clint Eastwood’s Stunt Double and Director, Dies at 92

He collaborated with the actor-filmmaker on dozens of features, from 'Coogan's Bluff' and 'Dirty Harry' to 'Million Dollar Baby' and 'J. Edgar. 

He was not on the list.

Buddy Van Horn, a stuntman who often doubled for Clint Eastwood and directed the actor in the films Any Which Way You Can, The Dead Pool and Pink Cadillac, died May 11, his family announced. He was 92.

Van Horn worked with Eastwood and his Malpaso Productions on nearly three dozen movies over more than four decades.

A charter member of the Stuntmen’s Association of Motion Pictures and member of the Stuntmen’s Hall of Fame, Van Horn began as Eastwood’s stunt double on Don Siegel’s Coogan’s Bluff (1968).

They were paired on other Siegel-helmed films like Two Mules for Sister Sara (1970), The Beguiled (1971) and Dirty Harry (1971) before Eastwood hired him for a film he was also directing, High Plains Drifter (1973).

About Eastwood, “He’s a pretty physical guy and likes to do his own stunts. Some of the things he does were pretty easy to get banged up,” Van Horn said in a 2011 interview. “I’ve tried to talk him out of it sometimes, but not very successfully most of the time. He went and did ’em anyway, several of ’em. He’s been banged up a few times.”

Van Horn served as second unit director on the Eastwood-starring Magnum Force (1973), then took the reins on Any Which Way You Can (1980), The Dead Pool (1988) and Pink Cadillac (1989), the only three movies he ever helmed.

In a 1988 interview, Eastwood said he and Van Horn “share the same tastes, in terms of getting the story out there before the camera. Taste is an elusive kind of thing you really can’t explain to someone. It’s just there or it isn’t.”

Van Horn also was the stunt coordinator on many Eastwood features, including The Gauntlet (1977), Sudden Impact (1983), Pale Rider (1985), In the Line of Fire (1993), Space Cowboys (2000), Mystic River (2003), Million Dollar Baby (2004), Letters From Iwo Jima (2006) and J. Edgar (2011), his final credit.

Wayne Van Horn was born on Aug. 20, 1928, on the backlot of Universal Studios, where his father was a veterinarian. He started out in the movies as an extra riding horses, then returned to the business in the early 1950s after serving two years in Germany with the U.S. Army.

Van Horn worked as a stuntman on such films as Prince Valiant (1954), Lady Godiva of Coventry (1955) — Eastwood had a small role in that — and Around the World in 80 Days (1956), then doubled for Guy Williams in 1957-58 on the ABC series Zorro, where he demonstrated his fencing and horse-riding skills.

His credits also included It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963), Our Man Flint (1966), The Deer Hunter (1978), Heaven’s Gate (1980), Barfly (1987) and The Stars Fell on Henrietta (1995).

Survivors include his wife, Konne; daughters Erika and Jennifer; and grandchildren Morgan, Cade, Hayden, Cole and Landon.

Stunts

Leonardo DiCaprio in J. Edgar (2011)

J. Edgar

6.5

stunt coordinator

2011

 

Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino (2008)

Gran Torino

8.1

stunt coordinator (uncredited)

2008

 

Angelina Jolie and Gattlin Griffith in Changeling (2008)

Changeling

7.7

stunt coordinator

2008

 

Kevin Bacon and Marcia Gay Harden in Rails & Ties (2007)

Rails & Ties

6.7

stunt coordinator

2007

 

Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)

Letters from Iwo Jima

7.8

stunt coordinator

2006

 

Flags of Our Fathers (2006)

Flags of Our Fathers

7.1

stunt coordinator

2006

 

Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, and Hilary Swank in Million Dollar Baby (2004)

Million Dollar Baby

8.1

stunt coordinator

2004

 

Kevin Bacon, Tim Robbins, and Sean Penn in Mystic River (2003)

Mystic River

7.9

stunt coordinator

2003

 

Charlize Theron, Patrick Swayze, Billy Bob Thornton, Natasha Richardson, and Panagiotis Golfis in Waking Up in Reno (2002)

Waking Up in Reno

5.5

stunt coordinator

2002

 

Clint Eastwood in Blood Work (2002)

Blood Work

6.4

stunt coordinator

2002

 

Matt Damon and Penélope Cruz in All the Pretty Horses (2000)

All the Pretty Horses

5.8

stunt coordinator

2000

 

Promo Poster

Space Cowboys

6.5

stunt coordinator

2000

 

Clint Eastwood in True Crime (1999)

True Crime

6.6

stunt coordinator

1999

 

Clint Eastwood and Melora Hardin in Absolute Power (1997)

Absolute Power

6.7

stunt coordinator

1997

 

The Net (1995)

The Net

6.0

stunt coordinator

1995

 

The Stars Fell on Henrietta (1995)

The Stars Fell on Henrietta

6.4

stunt coordinator

stunts

1995

 

Morgan Freeman, Dustin Hoffman, and Rene Russo in Outbreak (1995)

Outbreak

6.6

stunt coordinator

1995

 

Kevin Costner, Clint Eastwood, and T.J. Lowther in A Perfect World (1993)

A Perfect World

7.5

stunt coordinator

1993

 

Clint Eastwood in In the Line of Fire (1993)

In the Line of Fire

7.2

stunt coordinator

1993

 

Diplomatic Immunity (1991)

Diplomatic Immunity

4.5

stunts

1991

 

Clint Eastwood and Charlie Sheen in The Rookie (1990)

The Rookie

5.9

stunts

1990

 

Paul Hogan and Linda Kozlowski in Crocodile Dundee II (1988)

Crocodile Dundee II

5.7

stunts: New York

1988

 

Sam Elliott and Peter Weller in Shakedown (1988)

Shakedown

6.0

stunts

1988

 

Off Limits (1988)

Off Limits

6.2

stunt coordinator

1988

 

Casey Siemaszko in Three O'Clock High (1987)

Three O'Clock High

7.1

stunt coordinator

stunts

1987

 

Big Shots (1987)

Big Shots

5.7

stunts

1987

 

Kim Basinger and Jeff Bridges in Nadine (1987)

Nadine

5.5

stunts

1987

 

Mickey Rourke and Faye Dunaway in Barfly (1987)

Barfly

7.1

stunts

1987

 

A Smoky Mountain Christmas (1986)

A Smoky Mountain Christmas

6.9

TV Movie

stunt coordinator

1986

 

Clint Eastwood in Heartbreak Ridge (1986)

Heartbreak Ridge

6.8

stunt coordinator (as Wayne Van Horn)

1986

 

Ellen Barkin and Dennis Quaid in The Big Easy (1986)

The Big Easy

6.5

stunts

1986

 

Ratboy (1986)

Ratboy

3.9

stunt coordinator

stunts (as Wayne Van Horn)

1986

 

The Night Stalker (1986)

The Night Stalker

5.1

stunts

1986

 

Daryl Hannah, Robert Redford, and Debra Winger in Legal Eagles (1986)

Legal Eagles

6.0

stunts (as Wayne Van Horn)

1986

 

Mickey Rourke in Year of the Dragon (1985)

Year of the Dragon

6.8

stunt coordinator

1985

 

Clint Eastwood in Pale Rider (1985)

Pale Rider

7.3

stunt coordinator (as Wayne Van Horn)

1985

 

Wildside (1985)

Wildside

7.9

TV Series

stunts

stunt coordinator (as Wayne Van Horn)

1985

4 episodes

 

Clint Eastwood and Burt Reynolds in City Heat (1984)

City Heat

5.5

stunt coordinator

stunts (as Wayne Van Horn)

1984

 

Clint Eastwood in Tightrope (1984)

Tightrope

6.3

stunt coordinator

stunt double

stunts (uncredited)

1984

 

Clint Eastwood in Sudden Impact (1983)

Sudden Impact

6.6

stunt coordinator (as Wayne VanHorn)

1983

 

Yellowbeard (1983)

Yellowbeard

5.9

stunt coordinator: American crew

stunts

1983

 

The Beastmaster (1982)

The Beastmaster

6.2

stunts

1982

 

The Sword and the Sorcerer (1982)

The Sword and the Sorcerer

5.5

stunts

1982

 

Christopher Walken, Isabelle Huppert, and Kris Kristofferson in Heaven's Gate (1980)

Heaven's Gate

6.7

stunt coordinator

stunts (uncredited)

1980

 

The Fantastic Seven (1979)

The Fantastic Seven

5.4

TV Movie

stunts

1979

 

Clint Eastwood in Every Which Way But Loose (1978)

Every Which Way But Loose

6.3

stunt coordinator

stunt double Clint Eastwood (as Wayne Van Horn, uncredited)

1978

 

Robert De Niro and Christopher Walken in The Deer Hunter (1978)

The Deer Hunter

8.1

stunt coordinator: Thailand

1978

 

FM (1978)

FM

6.3

stunt policeman

1978

 

Clint Eastwood and Sondra Locke in The Gauntlet (1977)

The Gauntlet

6.4

stunt coordinator

stunts (as Wayne Van Horn, uncredited)

1977

 

Ann-Margret, Marty Feldman, and Michael York in The Last Remake of Beau Geste (1977)

The Last Remake of Beau Geste

6.0

stunt coordinator

1977

 

Clint Eastwood in The Enforcer (1976)

The Enforcer

6.7

stunt coordinator

stunts (as Wayne Van Horn, uncredited)

1976

 

Swashbuckler (1976)

Swashbuckler

6.0

stunt coordinator

stunts

1976

 

Tom Laughlin in The Master Gunfighter (1975)

The Master Gunfighter

4.5

stunts

1975

 

The Eiger Sanction (1975)

The Eiger Sanction

6.4

stunts (uncredited)

1975

 

Candice Bergen, James Coburn, and Gene Hackman in Bite the Bullet (1975)

Bite the Bullet

6.6

stunts (uncredited)

1975

 

The Great Waldo Pepper (1975)

The Great Waldo Pepper

6.7

stunts (uncredited)

1975

 

Clint Eastwood, Jeff Bridges, and George Kennedy in Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974)

Thunderbolt and Lightfoot

7.0

stunt coordinator

stunt double (uncredited)

1974

 

Clint Eastwood in Magnum Force (1973)

Magnum Force

7.2

stunts (uncredited)

1973

 

Clint Eastwood in High Plains Drifter (1973)

High Plains Drifter

7.4

stunt coordinator

stunt double (uncredited)

1973

 

Clint Eastwood in Joe Kidd (1972)

Joe Kidd

6.4

stunt coordinator

stunt double (uncredited)

1972

 

Gene Hackman, Sissy Spacek, and Lee Marvin in Prime Cut (1972)

Prime Cut

6.7

stunts (uncredited)

1972

 

The Cowboys (1972)

The Cowboys

7.4

stunts (uncredited)

1972

 

Clint Eastwood in Dirty Harry (1971)

Dirty Harry

7.7

stunt coordinator

stunt double (uncredited)

1971

 

Fools' Parade (1971)

Fools' Parade

6.4

stunt double (uncredited)

1971

 

Big Jake (1971)

Big Jake

7.1

stunts (uncredited)

1971

 

The Beguiled (1971)

The Beguiled

7.2

stunt coordinator

stunt double (uncredited)

1971

 

I Walk the Line (1970)

I Walk the Line

6.5

stunt double (uncredited)

1970

 

Henry Fonda, James Stewart, Sharon DeBord, Elaine Devry, Shirley Jones, Jackie Joseph, Sue Ane Langdon, Jackie Russell, and Jean Willes in The Cheyenne Social Club (1970)

The Cheyenne Social Club

6.8

stunt double: Henry Fonda

stunts (uncredited)

1970

 

Clint Eastwood and Shirley MacLaine in Two Mules for Sister Sara (1970)

Two Mules for Sister Sara

7.0

stunt coordinator

stunt double (uncredited)

1970

 

Gregory Peck, Gene Hackman, Richard Crenna, James Franciscus, Lee Grant, Mariette Hartley, David Janssen, and Nancy Kovack in Marooned (1969)

Marooned

5.9

stunt double (uncredited)

1969

 

Clint Eastwood, Lee Marvin, and Jean Seberg in Paint Your Wagon (1969)

Paint Your Wagon

6.6

stunt double (uncredited)

1969

 

Gregory Peck, Telly Savalas, Omar Sharif, Ted Cassidy, Julie Newmar, Camilla Sparv, and Keenan Wynn in Mackenna's Gold (1969)

Mackenna's Gold

6.7

stunt double

stunts (uncredited)

1969

 

Gregory Peck and Eva Marie Saint in The Stalking Moon (1968)

The Stalking Moon

6.6

stunt double: Varner (uncredited)

1968

 

Clint Eastwood in Coogan's Bluff (1968)

Coogan's Bluff

6.4

stunt double (uncredited)

1968

 

Bandolero! (1968)

Bandolero!

6.5

stunts (uncredited)

1968

 

Firecreek (1968)

Firecreek

6.8

stunt double: James Stewart

stunts (uncredited)

1968

 

Henry Fonda and Dan Duryea in Stranger on the Run (1967)

Stranger on the Run

6.3

TV Movie

stunts (uncredited)

1967

 

Code Name: Heraclitus

7.4

TV Movie

stunt double

1967

 

William Holden, Richard Widmark, Janice Rule, and Victoria Shaw in Alvarez Kelly (1966)

Alvarez Kelly

6.3

stunts (uncredited)

1966

 

Chamber of Horrors (1966)

Chamber of Horrors

6.0

stunts (uncredited)

1966

 

The Rare Breed (1966)

The Rare Breed

6.3

stunts (uncredited)

1966

 

Our Man Flint (1966)

Our Man Flint

6.4

stunts (uncredited)

1966

 

The War Lord (1965)

The War Lord

6.6

stunts (uncredited)

1965

 

Laredo (1965)

Laredo

7.6

TV Series

stunt double: William Smith

1965–1967

 

Gregory Peck, Walter Matthau, and Diane Baker in Mirage (1965)

Mirage

7.2

stunt double (uncredited)

1965

 

Charlton Heston, James Coburn, Senta Berger, Richard Harris, Jim Hutton, and Michael Anderson Jr. in Major Dundee (1965)

Major Dundee

6.7

stunts (uncredited)

1965

 

Bonanza (1959)

Bonanza

7.3

TV Series

stunt double: Guy Williams

stunt double: 'Carl Reindel' (qv (uncredited)

1962–1964

2 episodes

 

Kings of the Sun (1963)

Kings of the Sun

6.1

stunts (uncredited)

1963

 

It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963)

It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World

7.5

stunts (uncredited)

1963

 

Swordsman of Siena (1962)

Swordsman of Siena

5.8

stunt double (uncredited)

1962

 

Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier, Tony Curtis, John Gavin, Charles Laughton, Jean Simmons, and Peter Ustinov in Spartacus (1960)

Spartacus

7.9

stunts (uncredited)

1960

 

Henry Calvin, Britt Lomond, and Guy Williams in The Sign of Zorro (1958)

The Sign of Zorro

6.9

stunts (uncredited)

1958

 

Guy Williams in Zorro (1957)

Zorro

8.2

TV Series

Stunt Double Guy Williams (uncredited)

1957–1958

39 episodes

 

James Best, Douglas Kennedy, Keith Larsen, and George Montgomery in Last of the Badmen (1957)

Last of the Badmen

5.7

stunts (uncredited)

1957

 

David Niven and Cantinflas in Around the World in 80 Days (1956)

Around the World in 80 Days

6.7

stunts (uncredited)

1956

 

Lady Godiva of Coventry (1955)

Lady Godiva of Coventry

5.5

stunts (uncredited)

1955

 

Victor Mature, Suzan Ball, and John Lund in Chief Crazy Horse (1955)

Chief Crazy Horse

6.1

stunts (uncredited)

1955

 

Lex Barker, Mara Corday, and Stephen McNally in The Man from Bitter Ridge (1955)

The Man from Bitter Ridge

6.0

stunt double (uncredited)

1955

 

Barbara Stanwyck and Robert Ryan in Escape to Burma (1955)

Escape to Burma

5.5

stunts (uncredited)

1955

 

Audie Murphy and Mari Blanchard in Destry (1954)

Destry

6.6

stunts (uncredited)

1954

 

Prince Valiant (1954)

Prince Valiant

6.2

stunts (uncredited)

1954

 

Rock Hudson and Barbara Rush in Taza, Son of Cochise (1954)

Taza, Son of Cochise

5.6

stunts (uncredited)

1954

 

Audie Murphy, Dan Duryea, and Susan Cabot in Ride Clear of Diablo (1954)

Ride Clear of Diablo

6.8

stunts (uncredited)

1954

 

Audie Murphy and Susan Cabot in Gunsmoke (1953)

Gunsmoke

6.6

stunts (uncredited)

1953

 

Jane Russell, Bob Hope, Roy Rogers, and Trigger in Son of Paleface (1952)

Son of Paleface

6.8

stunts (uncredited)

1952

 

Yvonne De Carlo, Barry Fitzgerald, and Edmond O'Brien in Silver City (1951)

Silver City

5.9

stunts (uncredited)

1951

 

Macdonald Carey, Victor Jory, and Alexis Smith in Cave of Outlaws (1951)

Cave of Outlaws

5.9

stunts (uncredited)

1951

 

Polly Bergen, Harry Carey Jr., Dean Jagger, James Millican, Edmond O'Brien, and Forrest Tucker in Warpath (1951)

Warpath

6.1

stunts (uncredited)

1951

 

James Ellison in I Killed Geronimo (1950)

I Killed Geronimo

6.3

stunts (uncredited)

1950

 

Actor

Sam Elliott and Peter Weller in Shakedown (1988)

Shakedown

6.0

Police Officer

1988

 

Falcon Crest (1981)

Falcon Crest

6.2

TV Series

Deputy (as Wayne Van Horn)

1986

2 episodes

 

Clint Eastwood in Pale Rider (1985)

Pale Rider

7.3

Stage Driver (as Wayne Van Horn)

1985

 

Wildside (1985)

Wildside

7.9

TV Series

Floyd Thorndike

Gil Rawlings (as Wayne Van Horn)

1985

2 episodes

 

Tom Selleck in Magnum, P.I. (1980)

Magnum, P.I.

7.5

TV Series

Jack (as Wayne Van Horn)

1984

1 episode

 

James Garner in Bret Maverick (1981)

Bret Maverick

7.5

TV Series

Zeke (as Wayne Van Horn)

1981

1 episode

 

The Return of the Beverly Hillbillies (1981)

The Return of the Beverly Hillbillies

4.7

TV Movie

Townsman

1981

 

Clint Eastwood and Sondra Locke in The Gauntlet (1977)

The Gauntlet

6.4

Cop (uncredited)

1977

 

Candice Bergen, James Coburn, and Gene Hackman in Bite the Bullet (1975)

Bite the Bullet

6.6

Slim

1975

 

Lee Majors in The Six Million Dollar Man (1973)

The Six Million Dollar Man

7.1

TV Series

Thug #1 (uncredited)

1975

1 episode

 

Clint Eastwood in High Plains Drifter (1973)

High Plains Drifter

7.4

Marshall Jim Duncan

1973

 

The Beguiled (1971)

The Beguiled

7.2

Soldier (as Wayne 'Buddy' Van Horn)

1971

 

Clint Eastwood, Lee Marvin, and Jean Seberg in Paint Your Wagon (1969)

Paint Your Wagon

6.6

Miner (uncredited)

1969

 

James Arness, Amanda Blake, Milburn Stone, and Dennis Weaver in Gunsmoke (1955)

Gunsmoke

8.1

TV Series

Brawler (uncredited)

1968

1 episode

 

Laredo (1965)

Laredo

7.6

TV Series

Hutch

1966

1 episode

 

Bruce Lee and Van Williams in The Green Hornet (1966)

The Green Hornet

7.4

TV Series

Unnamed henchman (uncredited)

1966

1 episode

 

Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier, Tony Curtis, John Gavin, Charles Laughton, Jean Simmons, and Peter Ustinov in Spartacus (1960)

Spartacus

7.9

Soldier (uncredited)

1960

 

Barbara Stanwyck and Robert Ryan in Escape to Burma (1955)

Escape to Burma

5.5

(uncredited)

1955

 

Audie Murphy and Mari Blanchard in Destry (1954)

Destry

6.6

Townsman (uncredited)

1954

 

Second Unit or Assistant Director

Clint Eastwood and Melora Hardin in Absolute Power (1997)

Absolute Power

6.7

second unit director (uncredited)

1997

 

Morgan Freeman, Dustin Hoffman, and Rene Russo in Outbreak (1995)

Outbreak

6.6

second unit director

1995

 

Clint Eastwood and Charlie Sheen in The Rookie (1990)

The Rookie

5.9

second unit director

1990

 

Clint Eastwood in Magnum Force (1973)

Magnum Force

7.2

second unit director

1973