Dick Shane Dies At 80: Farewell To Stuntman From ‘The Virginian’ And ‘Gunsmoke’
Veteran stuntman Dick Shane is dead at the age of 80. He was best known for being the body double for The Virginian’s James Drury, but he’s done so much more.
This mirrors the death of another, much younger hero. Emily Beazley passed on after her battle with cancer, but not before being honored by the City of Chicago and singer Taylor Swift, as previously reported by the Inquisitr.
Dick was taken down by complications from emphysema on May 8, says his relative Eugene Shane Stewart.
The stuntman has been credited with some of the biggest Westerns and other TV shows, including Gunsmoke, Cisco Kid, Wyatt Earp, Maverick, The Untouchables, Ironside, and The Wild, Wild West. The Virginian was TV’s first 90-minute color Western, making it even more ambitious than the original Star Trek. Many of the shows he pulled stunt duty for ended up being turned into major motion pictures.
Of course, Dick Shane’s death also leaves behind a legacy of movies. Cimarron, How the West Was Won, Cat Ballou, Stagecoach, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Wild Bunch, One More Train to Rob, and The Poseidon Adventure were all gifted with his presence.
The stuntman’s final contribution to any public screen was as a technical adviser, rigging stunt vehicles for 1983’s Celebrity Daredevils.
Dick did more than just TV and films, accompanying his brother Choya Shane in a traveling show called Whips, Garters, and Guns. The two also broke out on their own as The Shane Duo and even performed a bullwhip act for the Queen of England, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Veteran Stuntman, Choya Shane, James Drury Double Dies At 80, Highlight Hollywood News http://t.co/6cfvCzLZn6 pic.twitter.com/kIoiZXd95r
— Tommy Garrett (@LightfootInHwd) May 22, 2015
Choya and Dick moved on to create the International Stunt Actors Association in Riverside, California, a school for those aspiring to get into the stunt business. Choya, who held the targets for Dick, died later in 2015.
A lot goes on in the entertainment business that you don’t always catch, and as one who could tell you all about the gritty parts, stunt veteran Dick Shane dies at the age of 80.
Editor’s note: a previous version of this story misattributed Dick Shane’s body of work to his brother, Choya. The Inquisitr’s editorial team would like to apologize for the error and any confusion it may have caused.
[Image via Eugene Shane Stewart / The Hollywood Reporter]
