Gary Kent
Gary Kent (born June 7, 1933 in Walla Walla, Washington) is a film director and actor/stuntman notable for his contribution to the grindhouse, drive-in movie and exploitation film genres.
He was born on a wheat ranch at Walla Walla, Washington, the son of Arthur E. and Iola Kent. He graduated from Renton High School, Renton, Washington, and attended the University of Washington, where he studied journalism, played football and pole-vaulted on the track team. After college he entered the Naval Air Corps, where he wrote promotion and publicity for the Navy's elite flying team, The Blue Angels.[1]
Kent began a career in theater as writer, director and actor at both the Playhouse and Alley Theatres in Houston, Texas.
In l959 Kent moved to Hollywood and made a career of working primarily in drive-in exploitation films. He acted, worked stunts and directed action for directors Richard Rush, Monte Hellman, Al Adamson, Don Jones, Ray Dennis Steckler, Peter Bogdanovich and Brian De Palma. He performed television stunts and acted on Green Hornet, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., and NBC's Daniel Boone starring Fess Parker.
He directed the films Secret Places, Secret Things (1971)[2], The Pyramid (1975)[3] and Rainy Day Friends (1983)[4].
Kent doubled Jack Nicholson in stunts in the Richard Rush films Hells Angels on Wheels, The Savage Seven and Psych-Out, and also did his very first stunts in 1966 Nicholson films Ride in the Whirlwind and The Shooting, which shot back to back in Kanab, Utah under the direction of Monte Hellman.[5]
In his 2009 memoir Shadows and Light[6], Kent writes of an "outlaw" cinema aimed at breaking film taboos and barriers. [7] In the book he talks of shooting at Spahn Ranch when Charles Mason and his followers were there. [8] Brad Pitt's stuntman character in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is believed to be at least partially inspired by Kent.[9]
Kent was one of the last people to speak to Al Adamson prior to the famed B-movie director's death.[10] Kent was a regular in Adamson's films.
He retired from stunts in 2003 after an accident on Don Coscarelli's film Bubba Hotep, for which Kent served as stunt coordinator. Kent does continue to act in independent films.[11]
Filmography
- The Thrill Killers (1964) - Frank
- The Black Klansman (1966) - Wilkins
- Ride in the Whirlwind (1966)
- The Shooting (1966)
- Hells Angels on Wheels (1967)
- Psych-Out (1968) - Thug leader
- The Savage Seven (1968) - Lansford
- Targets (1968) - gas tank worker
- A Man Called Dagger (1968)
- One Million AC/DC (1969) - Olaf
- The Mighty Gorga (1969) - Arnold
- Satan's Sadists (1969) - Johnny
- Body Fever (1969) Frankie
- Hell's Bloody Devils (1970) - Hit man
- The Incredible Two-Headed Transplant (1971)
- The Return of Count Yorga (1971)
- Dracula vs. Frankenstein (1971) - Bob
- Angels' Wild Women (1972)
- Schoolgirls in Chains (1973) - Frank
- Freebie and the Bean (1974)
- The Forest (1982) - John
- Lost (1983) - Jack
- Warbirds (1989)
- Color of Night (1994)
- Bubba Ho Tep (2002)
References
- ↑ "Hollywood Stunt Performers: 1910s-1970s «". Google Books.
- ↑ "The Endangered List «". Temple of Schlock.
- ↑ "Pyramid Power «". Larry Ratliff.
- ↑ "Rainy Day Friends are Surrounded by Puddles «". Los Angeles Times.
- ↑ "Quintessential Jack «". Google Books.
- ↑ "Shadows and Light «". Amazon.com.
- ↑ "Hollywood, Texas «". The Texas Observer.
- ↑ "The Fall Guy «". The Austin Chronicle.
- ↑ "Documentary About Stuntman Gary Kent to Screen at Cinema Wasteland «". Cleveland Scene.
- ↑ "Testimony begins in trial over filmmaker's slaying «". Greg Krieger reprinting Desert Sun article.
- ↑ "Austin stuntman Gary Kent has lived a life right out of the movies «". Austin American-Statesman. Archived from the original on 2018-11-27. Retrieved 2018-11-11.
External links
Category:Living people
Category:1933 births
Category:People from Walla Walla, Washington
Category:Film directors from Washington (state)
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