February 27, 1961 marks the date that two free thinking, visionary and inspired Hollywood stuntmen gave birth to the idea of forming a fraternal, non-profit organization of top stuntmen in the motion picture and television industries. Thus was born the Stuntmen's Association of Motion Pictures with a charter membership of 50 recognized Hollywood stuntmen. Dale Van Sickle was elected as the first president of the Association.

The Orginal Board of Directors

Stuntmen have been around since the dawn of film making in Hollywood. They were used extensively by early comedians such as Chaplin and Keaton and the laugh and stunt filled Keystone Cop movies. The pratfalls, high dives and extensive car chases in these early films only solidified the need for Stuntmen as the audiences couldn't get enough of this mayhem. Tastes changed with the ticket buying public and soon it was cowboy legends such as Tom Mix, Hoot Gibson, Ken Maynard and an up and coming young cowpoke named John Wayne who dominated the nations screens. Instead of car chases and pie fights the Stuntmen were now falling trained horses, driving stagecoaches and battling it out in thousands of salon brawls. Stuntmen were becoming more and more an integral part of a films drawing power and with the Saturday matinees and pulse pounding serials, theaters across the country were packed with thrill seeking patrons.

Hollywood glory days were from the 1930's thru the 1950;s and during this action filled period of Hollywood"s history, the stunt profession really came into it's own. Well known Stuntmen including Yakima Canutt, (The only Stuntman to ever receive an academy award,) Tom Steele, Dave Sharpe and Harvey Parry became indispensable to producers and directors seeking to top one another with new and exciting stunt sequences. Many actors relied upon their stunt doubles so much that many of them were now being included in the actors contract as negotiations began for each new film they were to star in. Some broke out into successful acting careers.

Be it Known there is no "daredevilry" or daredevils in the stunt ranks. It takes dedication training and years to become an accepted professional. Stuntmen are a rare breed, one of a kind. they plan, prepare and incorporate both the safety and risk factors in their performances. the viewer sees a realistically executed piece of action. A "blueprint", if you will, of what happened in life, or what the writer conceives what happened in fiction.

Motion Picture Stuntmen are no longer silent and behind the scenes. Audience fascination with action films and stunt performances has placed them in the public eye. Many achieve fame alongside the actors they double and action films have now become a film genre. by: Bobby Hoy, Life Time Member of the Stuntmen's Assocition of Motion Pictures

TODAY, the Association still flourishes with a roster of 128 carefully selected professional Stuntmen, all committed to achieving and enhancing the filmmaker's creative vision with the highest degree of safety. Membership in the Association is by invitation only and is only offered to those professionals who have proven themselves within the industry by maintaining a standard of excellence throughout their careers.

Members of the Stuntmen's Association are required to be members of the Screen Actors Guild and membership is by invitation only. Sadly, a few of our men have given their lives in the performance of a stunt. We are not daredevils but highly trained athletes who rely on one another when working together in a scene. This elite group of professionals work all over America and the world to bring the action scenes to life that the Writers and Directors set forth in the script. The Stuntmens Association of Motion Pictures is proud of its history and continues to be an essential part of the adventure of film making.