American actor, stuntman and writer (1921?2008)
Alex Sharp
|
---|
Born
| (
1921-09-16
)
September 16, 1921
|
---|
Died
| March 6, 2008
(2008-03-06)
(aged 86)
|
---|
Other names
| Alex Sharpe
|
---|
Occupation(s)
| Actor, stuntman, writer
|
---|
Years active
| 1948–1993
|
---|
Organization
| Stuntmen's Association of Motion Pictures
|
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Height
| 6 ft 4.5 in (194.3 cm)
|
---|
Alex Sharp
, also known and credited as
Alex Sharpe
(September 16, 1921
[1]
– March 6,
[
citation needed
]
2008
[2]
[3]
) was an American actor, stuntman,
[4]
and writer, perhaps best known for his work in television western shows such as
Bonanza
and
Gunsmoke
.
[2]
[3]
Early years
[
edit
]
Sharp was born in
Nebraska
and was raised in Washington and Colorado, where he learned to break horses. He spent time with the
U.S. Cavalry
at
Fort Riley
, and became a bomber gunner in the South Pacific during
World War II
.
[2]
Career
[
edit
]
One of his earliest jobs in 1950 was doubling for
Scott Forbes
on the film
Rocky Mountain
. He would again double for Forbes in
The Adventures of Jim Bowie
(1956-1958)
[2]
Stunts in fight scenes were his specialty, and Sharp did at least a half-dozen with
Michael Landon
on
Bonanza
, with Sharp doubling for guest stars
George Kennedy
and
Leif Erickson
.
[2]
At around 6'4" and 200 pounds, Sharp was a large enough actor to double for
James Arness
(6'7") on
Gunsmoke
for its 20-year run from 1955 to 1975. Sharp also doubled for
Richard Coogan
on
The Californians
(1957-1959).
[2]
As a stuntman, Sharp was a member of the
Stuntmen's Association of Motion Pictures
, and an inductee into the Stunmen's Hall of Fame.
[2]
As a writer, Sharp co-wrote (with Ed Erwin) the screenplay for the 1965 film
Vengeance
.
[5]
Sharp also wrote and contributed teleplays for shows, including
Bonanza
and
The High Chaparral
.
[2]
Personal life
[
edit
]
In 1963, Sharp and fellow stuntman
Bill Hickman
witnessed a bank robber, Carl Follette, speed by them on the
Ventura Freeway
near the
Laurel Canyon
off-ramp. After Hickman saw the suspect shoot police Officer Alphonso Begue in the chest, he used his stunt driver skills to chase him down on Laurel Canyon Road until law enforcement officers could catch up. The car chase eventually ended in a
North Hollywood
parking lot where Follette was shot and killed in an exchange of gunfire with the police.
[6]
[7]
[8]
Death
[
edit
]
Sharp died at the age of 86 from stroke-related ailments.
[2]
Filmography
[
edit
]
A partial filmography follows
Film
[
edit
]
Film credits for acting and stunts include:
[2]
Television
[
edit
]
Television credits for acting and stunts include:
[2]
- The Adventures of Jim Bowie
- Batman
- Ben Casey
- Bonanza
(1961-1972) stunts (13 episodes, uncredited)
- "Elizabeth, My Love" (1961, S2E33) as Blackmer
- "The Many Faces of Gideon Flinch" (1961, S3E7) as Cowboy (uncredited)
- "The Last Vote" (1968, S10E6) as Townsman (uncredited)
- "El Jefe" (1970, S12E10) as Truitt
- "The Lonely Man" (1972, S13E16) as Brawler (uncredited)
- Branded
- The Californians
(1957-1959)
- Cheyenne
- The Cisco Kid
- Death Valley Days
(1956-1957)
- "California's Paul Revere" (1957) as John Brown
- "Pat Garrett's Side of It" (1956) as Sheriff Pat Garrett
- The Dakotas
(1963) as Guard (uncredited)
- Have Gun ? Will Travel
- The High Chaparral
- The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp
(1957-1959) 4 episodes (uncredited)
- Little House on the Prairie
- Little House: The Last Farewell
(1984)
[15]
- The Lone Ranger
- Mission: Impossible
- The Rockford Files
- Tales of Wells Fargo
(1959) as Sam Benson
- The Virginian
- Gunsmoke
(1955-1975) stunts and doubling
James Arness
[16]
- "The Man Who Would Be Marshal" (1957, S2E37) as Jeff Willoughby
- "Potshot" (1961, S6E25) as Bud
- "Stolen Horses" (1961, S6E29) as Acker
- "Perce" (1961, S7E1) as Nickols
- "Apprentice Doc" (1961, S7E11) as Clerk (uncredited)
- "The Dreamers" (1962, S7E30) as Drunken Cowboy (uncredited)
- "Abe Blocker" (1962, S8E11) as Posse Member (uncredited)
- "The Cousin" (1963, S8E21) as Saloon Brawler (uncredited)
- "I Call Him Wonder" (1963, S8E28) as Cook
- "Old York" (1963, S8E34) as Gang Member (uncredited)
- "Snap Decision" (1966, S12E1) as Cowboy (uncredited)
- "The Goldtakers" (1966, S12E2) as Trooper (uncredited)
- "Saturday Night" (1967, S12E16) as Cowboy (uncredited)
- "Cattle Barons" (1967, S13E2) as Drover (uncredited)
- "Major Glory" (1967, S13E8) as Brawler (uncredited)
- "Dead Man's Law" (1968, S13E17) as Rustler
- "Shadler" (1973, S18E17) as Reno
- "Jesse" (1973, S18E22) as Cowhand (uncredited)
- "The Child Between" (1973, S19E14) as third Hidecutter
- "The Fourth Victim" (1974, S20E8) as third Matt
- Captains and the Kings
(1976)
[17]
- The Magnificent Magical Magnet of Santa Mesa
(1977) as Alex
[18]
Writer
[
edit
]
Teleplay credits include:
[2]
- Bonanza
(1963-1968)
- "The Hayburner" (1963, S4E21)
- "Ponderosa Matador" (1964, S5E15)
- "The Saga of Muley Jones" (1964, S5E26) Story co-written with
Robert V. Barron
- "Old Sheba" (1964, S6E10)
- "Hound Dog" (1965, S6E25)
- "Ponderosa Explosion" (1967, S8E16)
- "Stage Door Johnnies" (1968, S9E34)
- The High Chaparral
(1968-1969)
- "The Covey" (1968, S2E5)
- "A Fella Named Kilroy" (1969, S2E23)
- The Cowboys
(1974) "The Remounts" (S1E9)
[19]
Screenplay credits include:
- Vengeance
(1965) co-written with Ed Erwin
[5]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"Alex Sharp"
.
Rotten Tomatoes
. Retrieved
August 21,
2022
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j
k
l
Freese, Gene Scott (April 10, 2014).
Hollywood Stunt Performers, 1910s-1970s: A Biographical Dictionary
(2 ed.). McFarland. p. 253.
ISBN
9780786476435
. Retrieved
August 21,
2022
.
- ^
a
b
Western Clippings: Empty Saddles (#83 May-June 2008)
. June 2008.
- ^
Freese, Gene (October 5, 2017).
Classic Movie Fight Scenes: 75 Years of Bare Knuckle Brawls, 1914-1989
. McFarland. p. 163.
ISBN
9781476669434
– via
Google Books
.
- ^
a
b
Pitts, Michael R. (December 13, 2012).
Western Movies: A Guide to 5,105 Feature Films
. McFarland. p. 381.
ISBN
9781476600901
. Retrieved
August 22,
2022
.
- ^
McGee, Scott (April 5, 2022).
Danger on the Silver Screen: 50 Films Celebrating Cinema's Greatest Stunts
. Running Press.
ISBN
9780762474837
. Retrieved
August 21,
2022
.
- ^
"Bill Hickman, left, and Alex Sharp, right, followed suspect"
.
CaliSphere, University of California
. 1963
. Retrieved
August 21,
2022
.
- ^
"A Tribute To Courage"
.
Valley Times
.
North Hollywood, California
. June 22, 1963. p. 8
. Retrieved
August 21,
2022
– via
Newspapers.com
.
- ^
Nash, Jay Robert; Ross, Stanley Ralph (1986).
The Motion Picture Guide: Volumes 1-10
. Cinebooks. p. 1165.
ISBN
9780933997004
. Retrieved
August 22,
2022
.
- ^
Freese, Gene (November 22, 2019).
The Western Films of Robert Mitchum: Hollywood's Cowboy Rebel
. McFarland. p. 122.
ISBN
9781476637464
. Retrieved
August 22,
2022
.
- ^
"What's Up, Doc: Cast Credits"
.
Tucson Weekly
. Retrieved
August 22,
2022
.
- ^
Willis, John A. (1977).
John Willis' Screen World: Volume 28
. Crown Publishers. p. 44
. Retrieved
August 22,
2022
.
- ^
Umland, Samuel J. (September 28, 2015).
The Tim Burton Encyclopedia
. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. p. 188.
ISBN
9780810892019
. Retrieved
August 22,
2022
.
- ^
Sight and Sound: Volume 3, Issues 7-12
. British Film Institute. 1993. p. 48
. Retrieved
August 22,
2022
.
- ^
Pitts, Michael R. (December 21, 2012).
Western Movies: A Guide to 5,105 Feature Films
(2 ed.). McFarland. p. 192.
ISBN
9780786463725
. Retrieved
August 22,
2022
.
- ^
Greenland, David R. (August 2013).
The Gunsmoke Chronicles: A New History of Television's Greatest Western
. BearManor Media.
ISBN
9781593937331
. Retrieved
August 22,
2022
.
- ^
Marill, Alvin H. (1981).
Movies Made for Television
. Da Capo Press. p. 318.
ISBN
9780306801563
. Retrieved
August 22,
2022
.
- ^
Marill, Alvin H. (2005).
Movies Made for Television, 1964-2004: 1964-1979
. Scarecrow Press. p. 139.
ISBN
9780810851740
. Retrieved
August 22,
2022
.
- ^
"Prime-time network TV listings for Wednesday July 17, 1974"
.
Ultimate70s.com
. Retrieved
August 22,
2022
.
External links
[
edit
]