 Introducing Caravans of Hollywood! They shoot him! Now, Al, you know what to do. You're doubling the bandage, so just speed this truck down the road. And when you get to the marker, we'll set off the explosion. Yeah, yeah, I got it. I think I can handle it all right. Yeah, that's right. Go and do a couple of flip-files to watch your step, and I'll be careful. Sure, sure, I will. Don't worry about me. That's a boy. Okay, everybody. This is a take. Fire, please. Okay, Al, get started and take it off. From Hollywood, the motion picture capital of the world, we bring you the thrilling, true life experiences of those men behind the scenes. Those daring, unsung heroes whose breathtaking adventures on the screen have thrilled millions. Whose daily jobs bring them face-to-face with death. Those men who comprise the strangest fraternity on earth. The Suicide Squad, the movie Stuntman, the daredevil of Hollywood. Ladies and gentlemen, in bringing you this copyrighted radio feature, we are privileged to have as our guest one of the most daring stuntmen of Hollywood, Mr. Yakomar Knutt. It is through his cooperation that we are able to re-enact some of the highlights of his dangerous professions. The thrilling scenes you are about to hear are his own actual experiences. Yakomar Knutt is here in the studio right now, and later in the program we will bring him to the microphone. But first, let us learn something of his everyday job. It is the day in early spring, just a few years ago. The scene is an executive office in the mascot motion picture studios in North Hollywood. Seated at a desk and nervously puffing a cigar as he scans the papers before him, sits a tall, middle-aged man. He leans forward, flicks a switch on his auto-phone, and sits waiting for an answer. Sam Davis from the production department in here. Yes, sir. How do I... Ah, this business of producing pictures. It's enough to drive a man crazy. Come in. You want to see me, Mr. Roberts? Yeah, yeah, sit down. There's something in this script that I want you to help me with. These writers seem to think we can get by with murder. Why, what's the trouble? Well, this automobile will crash here in the story. One man that car is supposed to run off a cliff 300 feet high. We can't use a dummy on account of the close-up shot. Well, why not use a stuntman? Well, I don't think we could get even a stuntman to do that. It's suicide. I wouldn't do it for a million dollars. Well, don't worry. I think I know a man who'll do it. And he won't charge a million dollars either. Well, for the love of Mike, get him. And so it was that another routine called who Yakima Kanas brought him into one of the most difficult situations of his long and dangerous career. A situation that almost cost his life. It is now Tuesday morning. The beautiful city of Hollywood nestles far down at the foot of the mountain on which we stand. The air is sharp and cold. Technicians are setting up gold and silver reflectors. Cameraman are busy with their apparatus. The highway has been blocked off for a mile and a half in each direction. Time for the big thrilling scene is drawing near. The ending beside an old, dilapidated car is Yakima Kanas, giving the car a final check-up. The director walks over to him. Well, Yak, we'll get that dolly track finished. We'll be ready to shoot. Well, it can't be too soon for me. This mountain air cuts like a night. Now you've got your safety devices figured out, haven't you? Yep, I have them all set. Had the boy stretch his little net down about 30 feet from the top of the cliff. I plan to leave this tub in mid-air and land in the net. Well, you won't have much time, you know. You'll have to get out of that car in a hurry. Yeah, I know. I took the door off the other side. Won't show on the camera, you know. I think I can make it all right. How fast are you going over it? Well, I figure I'll be making about 25 when I get to the edge. Oh, by the way, I wonder if there are any brakes on this heat. Well, you've got me there. I can tell you, though, he brought the thing out from town. Now, from the looks of this hell, brakes couldn't stop me anyway. Okay, Mr. Roberts, everything's ready. That's fine. All right, I'll give you the signal to start, Jack. Take it away. All right. Now, Mr. Roberts, I'd rather be an assistant director. Even I'd be an assistant before I'd do that. All right, you boys with the cameras on your toes and keep grinding no matter what happens. Okay, Jack, come ahead. Gaining speed every second. He must not have any brakes. Here he comes. He's almost to the edge. Keep grinding those cameras, man. Here he goes. He's going over. Hey, look. Look, your pocket's caught on the door. Ladies and gentlemen, it is our pleasure to present the courageous man who made that scene, whose business it is to make such scenes for motion pictures. Yakima Kanat, interviewed by Glenn Hardy. Well, Jack, that was a close shave. You certainly were in a tight place, weren't you? Yeah, I certainly was. When I started to jump, my coat pocket caught on the edge of the door opening. Had to work pretty fast and, well, I just made it. Well, I guess luck was with you 100%. Now, although your profession is very dangerous, Jack, I'd say it's also interesting. You like it, don't you? Yeah, I like it all right. You never know what the studio's going to ask you to do. Now, tell me, Yak, you'll do any kind of a stunt, won't you? Yeah, almost. There is any stunt except those with animals. Oh, you mean wild animals? Yeah, you know, bears, lions and things like that. You can never tell what they're going to do. I suppose not. You're running into some unusual situations, don't you? There's a lot of things happening in this business. Some tragic, some funny, sometimes a little annoying. The gag goes through as it's planned, it's just routine. But sometimes things go wrong. Is that so? Yeah. I remember once on location in Montana when everything seemed to go wrong. I was playing the lead in this picture. Hal Roach was the producer. We had some Indians working there and one of them was drinking pretty heavily of canned heat. Oh, just a minute, Jack, please. We wouldn't miss that story for the world, but I'd like to interrupt right here for just a moment in order to hear a word from our sponsor. Okay, Yakimo. Now, how about that Indian in the canned heat? Well, the story had to do with the devil horses. I'm supposed to ride this horse around the camp and scare all the Indians. They're afraid of this particular horse, you see? I see, go ahead. Well, it's a night scene. I'm riding this horse and carrying a flare in each hand. While they're getting ready to shoot, this Indian who was drinking the canned heat was getting into everybody's hair. He was even trying to get me to... You want fire water, huh? No, no, Joe, I don't want any. Well, him plenty good stuff. Him make him big kicks in summer. Well, I'll stick to my buttermilk, Joe. You don't drink with me, huh? You no friend. Scram, get out of here. You're getting on my nerves. Me good, even. You no drink. Me good, even. Ready, Axe? We're ready for your scene. No, you three are. So just ride in fast and gallop around with those flares in your hand. Sure. Sure, I know. It's a saint. Okay, everybody. This is a picture. All right. Action. The flares are gonna photograph the flares. Hey, look. One of those flares exploded right in his hand. Oh, I think his clothes are on fire. No. Nobody must be badly burned. He's falling off the horse. Come on. Let's get over there. Hey, what's that Indian doing to him? Hurry up, now. Come on. Big eagle. Big eagle fight. What is all about? Are you hurt, Jack? What was yours trying to do? Kill him? I guess so. It did you well, man. Sounds crazy. So, yeah, you're badly burned. Come on. Let's get you to the hospital. Hurry up. Well, Jack, you certainly had your hands full there. Why do you suppose the flare exploded? Oh, they often do, you know. Flares get old and maybe crack. There have been a number of explosions with flares. Well, what was that Indian trying to do? Well, when he saw me on the ground, he tried to kill me. Well, how do you account for the actions of the Indians? Yes, it was just the effects of the canned heat. Well, speaking of Indians, Jack, more gentlemanly ones, of course, you're part Indian yourself, aren't you? Well, that's what everybody thinks, but it's a land. I'm really Scotch Irish in Dutch. I play a lot of Indian parts, though. Well, tell me, how long have you been doing stunts for the movies? Oh, yards and yards and yards. Going into dialect, eh? Well, what did you do before you came to Hollywood? I was a rodeo performer. Well, if my memory serves me right, didn't you hold some championships? Yes, yes, I did. I held the all-around world championship from 1917 to 1924. Mm-hmm. The bronc riding championship in 1917, 1919, 1923. Hey, that's a real record. Incidentally, where is your hometown? Hullfax, Washington. Jack, I understand some of the stunt men are supposed to be superstitious. How about you? Well, I'm not exactly superstitious, but I can't see the sense of walking under a ladder or taking the third light off a mat. Well, I've heard that there have been quite a number of fatalities in your profession. Is that right? Yeah, that's right. But most of them have been suffered by men who weren't qualified for stunt work. Well, you mean fellas who are not real stuntmen. That's right. Once in a while, a man will drift in, need some quick money, and he's willing to take a long chance. And that's usually the end for him. Well, tell me, Jack, just before you do one of these dangerous stunts, there must be a little tension. Yeah, yes, there is. It isn't fear. It's, well, just the hope that everything will go off smoothly. I see. Well, you certainly have some interesting stories to tell, and on behalf of our listeners, I want to thank you sincerely for coming here. I know that everyone joins me in the hope that we may have you on this program again very soon. Thank you again, old boy, and good luck. Thank you.