Cowboy Stuntman: From Olympic Gold to the Silver Screen Hardcover – Illustrated, March 15, 2013

When I first read Cowboy Stuntman: From Olympic Gold to the Silver Screen, I realized that I was reading in the dark. I had forgotten to turn on the lamp. By the time I finished the book, I was already reading it again. Having read it four times, I am fairly confident that I can recommend it as a good read.Dean and I grew up in the same areas. While I was in high school, Dean was off doing Hollywood stunt work. So, I have never met Dean, but I have always thought about him as leaving a legacy for the rest of us. He left something intangible, his example of dreaming big dreams, saturating his hopes and ambitions with a huge helping of work. Some of these dreams literally turned into gold (Olympics, Helsinki, Finland, 1952). Winning the gold would be considered by some as a lifetime accomplishment, but this cowboy was just getting started. His journey is awe-inspiring.I spent my young years in the Eliasville, Graham, Ivan, and Breckenridge areas. This book took me traveling back through the years. I felt at home. No, I was "at home." There were several times that I stopped reading to think and to remember...those "ah ha" moments, when my life reflected from the page in front of me. Now, that is a good book.You do not have to be from these communities to sense an understanding of Dean's early life. This is a historically accurate account of life in the country. When you finish the book, you will feel like you have shared Dean's life. If you do not know about the idyllic little town of Eliasville, and the gently flowing waters of the Clear Fork of the Brazos nearby, Lloyd Jones's Store, Dean's cowboy cousins, and other local rodeo greats who influenced him, you owe it to yourself. If you do not know about Dean's "Mama," you owe it to yourself. These are part of the foundation for this shining star who was brought up with country-style values.You could not even conjure up all of the excitement in Dean's cowboy, athletic, and stuntman/actor career(s). It is like reading an encyclopedia of stars and getting to know them. Dean ran, fought, fell, dangled, flew through windows and air, hung, and jumped with amazing talent. Just think about doing ten John Wayne movies and doubling for an exceptionally long list of actors. His "over the top talent" came with loyalty, motivation, determination, honesty, and just plain good work ethic. "Mama" would be so proud.Dean did us all a favor by sharing his life. To see this transferred from pages in a book to the big screen will be a big plus for all of us. I want my grandchildren to have copies of the book and of the movie. What better lessons could they learn about motivation. Whatever their dreams are, I want them to know the concept of "Never, never, ever quit." What better way could they do it than to look at the life of this man who never quit. "The Legacy of Dean Smith" lives on for future generations.Be sure to turn on your lamp before reading this motivational and inspiring book because you will not want to put it down. Thank you, Dean Smith and Mike Cox for taking us on this extraordinary ride.Hold on to your hats, folks--Dean is still dreaming!

What an amazing life! Dean Smith grew up in Texas. His mother died when he was very young and his father was alcoholic and he was raised by his grandparents. A Texan through and through, he worked on the ranches and with horses and began rodeoing at a young age. He was also interested in sports - particularly football and track. It was in track that he participated in numerous national events and made the 1952 Olympic Team where he was part of the 4x100 team that won the gold medal for the U.S. He was picked up by the Los Angeles Rams but always had it in his mind to work in the movies. A friendship with Jim Bumgarner (James Garner) got him introduced to some folks and he began his career as a stuntman and actor, most noticeably in many John Wayne films such as The Alamo, The Comancheros, McLintock, Big Jake, True Grit and El Dorado. He was a good stuntman with great principles and, probably if he had started a few years earlier, would have made a name for himself as an actor. His personal life had ups and downs with several divorces, a wife who was severely injured in a car accident and left paralyzed, but he seems to have found happiness with wife #4 where they live in Texas and work the land that has been in the family since the mid 1800's. The book was well written and hard to put down. I really enjoyed hearing about Smith's various horses who, like Trigger, could perform great tricks and always made the rider look good. He provided some great stories of working with John Wayne, Dale Robertson, James Garner, Roy Rogers, Good Chuck Hayward, and Bad Chuck Roberson. I wish there had been some more stories of folks like Richard Boone, Robert Mitchum, and others that were mentioned in passing. Smith is currently fighting cancer but with the gumption and perseverance that he pursued his athletic and film career, he will make it. Like Smith, I am sad at the demise of the Western film which essentially put him out of business as a stuntman although he did have roles in The Sting, The Great Waldo Pepper, The Streets of San Francisco, Earthquake, Airport, and many others. A fascinating look at the career of a stuntman and some wonderful photos of Smith with his beautiful horses Sunday and Hollywood.

Just as expected

I just finished this book and loved every word of it. I never took notice of Dean Smith until he took a thrown knife in his chest in El Dorado, but after reading his autobiography, I found that he was really someone to be proud of, in every way possible. He is obviously a good ole boy Texan.....and lots more. As a fellow Texas native, I couldn't help being proud of his accomplishments.....as an athlete, as an actor, as a stuntman and as a person. The book is not without it's flaws (I've Been Everywhere was a Hank Snow song, not a Johnny Cash hit and Bobby Bare had a hit Detroit City, not I Want To Go Home), but that's not important. This book is about determination and living one's dreams. Despite his being from a small town in Texas, Dean rose to fame as a tough, skinny kid with dreams of making it in Hollywood, and he did just that...not as big star with leading roles, but a big star of a different kind. He, with Mike Cox helping out, paints a beautiful story of a guy who made it, despite all the odds, and I hope that he achieves his dream of living long enough to see his youngest son finish college....and well beyond that. I had already read Stuntman! by Hal Needham and Call Me Lucky by Robert Hinkle, so this fine book completes a trilogy, of sorts, that deals with Texas and Arkansas tough guys who acted and stunted in the movies. All three books are quick reads, and very interesting, too (I could hardly put them down until I was finished). Cowboy Stuntman is highly recommended reading....very highly recommended. Thanks, Dean Smith and Mike Cox. Well done.