GREAT FALLS — From "The Train Robbers" to "The Searchers" to "Hondo," Hollywood stuntmen helped round out some of the greatest Western movies ever. But what about the horses these on-screen daredevils rode?
One of the most prolific silver screen equines is the subject of a new book by Great Falls author Carol Bradley.
“Twisting in Air: The Sensational Rise of a Hollywood Falling Horse” tells the story of the role horses played in Western movies from the early days of mistreatment to public outrage that led to changes in the industry in the 1940s.
“Westerns were still enormously popular,” said Bradley. “Directors wanted horses to look like they had been shot, and that's when a small group of mostly male stuntmen began teaching their horses to fall on cue. And they became known as the falling horses of Hollywood.”
Perhaps the most legendary falling horse was one named Cocaine, owned and ridden by renowned stuntman Chuck Roberson.
“Together, they doubled for John Wayne and his horses for 30 years,” said Bradley.
He earned the name Cocaine because a friend of Roberson’s said the horse was like a shot in the arm. He was so good at his job he even earned Hollywood accolades.
“In the early days, they had no problem with falling horses,” said Bradley. “They would give out awards every year to the most intrepid stunt animal in movies. And it was usually a horse. And Cocaine won that award twice.”
The book also tells how Roberson saved Cocaine’s life. During a break in filming, while Roberson was away, the horse became ill.
“This horse's leg was swollen and the flesh was just stripping off of it and it was filled with maggots. And the vet said, 'We need to put this horse down. He's in a lot of pain.' But he had discovered what an incredible falling horse this horse was and he said, 'No, I want to save him,'” said Bradley.
Bradley will be hosting an author talk about “Twisting in Air” Tuesday night, Oct. 15 at the Great Falls Public Library beginning at 7 p.m. Admission is free and she will have copies of the book available for purchase.
“I’ll talk about how the book is kind of two stories,” said Bradley. “It’s the early stories of horses in Hollywood, the practices that were used, how falling horses came about, and what happened when Chuck Roberson finally met the horse of his dreams, Cocaine.”
The book is also available through online retailers.
It’s Bradley’s third book. She also wrote “Saving Gracie: How One Dog Escaped the Shadowy World of America’s Puppy Mills” and “Last Chain on Billie: How One Extraordinary Elephant Escaped the Big Top.”
Click here to visit her author page on Amazon.
