Iowa-born Jock Mahoney was an elite athlete and U.S. Marines fighter pilot prior to falling into a film career. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest stuntmen in movie history, having taken leaps and bounds for Errol Flynn, John Wayne, Randolph Scott, and Gregory Peck. One of the first stuntmen to successfully move into acting, he was the popular star of the 1950s television westerns Range Rider and Yancy Derringer and twice played Tarzan on the big screen, presenting a memorable portrayal of an educated, articulate and mature jungle lord true to author Edgar Rice Burroughs’ original vision. Filming in real jungles around the world took a physical toll on Mahoney that transformed him from leading man to burly character actor. He had to overcome the effects of a stroke but true to his tough guy nature rose above it to resume his life’s many adventures. Mahoney was beloved by fans at conventions and appearances until his untimely demise in 1989 from a stroke-caused motor vehicle accident.

Gene Freese is a screenwriter living in Chandler, Arizona. He has written books on TV cowboy Jock Mahoney, character actor Richard Jaeckel, and Hollywood stunt performers from cinema’s Golden Age.

Gene Freese
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 224
Bibliographic Info: 36 photos, filmography, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2014
pISBN: 978-0-7864-7689-3
eISBN: 978-1-4766-1287-4
Imprint: McFarland

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments  v
Preface  1
Introduction  3
1. The Athlete  5
2. The U.S. Marine  15
3. The Stuntman  22
4. The Cowboy and Serial Star  42
5. The Range Rider  52
6. The Universal Star  75
7. Jocko Is Yancy Derringer  93
8. Jocko and Tarzan  103
9. The Parent  125
10. The Falling Star  131
11. The Vagabond  147
12. Jocko’s Toughest Fight  145
13. The Return of Jocko  169
Epilogue  191
Appendix: Film and Television Credits  193
Chapter Notes  198
Bibliography  200
Index  205

“a most fascinating book and highly recommended”—Examiner.com.