The Active Historian

Enos Edward “Yakima” Canutt was born in Colfax, Washington on November 29, 1895. He was the son of John and Nettie Canutt. He had a long career working with horses in the rodeo arena and on the movie screen!

Rodeo

Yakima was named the All-Around Champion Cowboy in 1917, 1919, 1920, and 1923.

In July 1916, Yakima competed at the Omaha Frontier Day celebration. He took third place in the Men’s Bucking Contest at this event.

Yakima Canutt married Katherine Wilkes on July 20, 1917 in Kalispell, Montana. By 1920, the Canutts were living in Los Angeles, California with listed occupations of ‘cow boy’ and ‘cow girl.’ They rodeos together for a time, but eventually divorced.

In 1920, Yakima Canutt won first place in Bulldogging at the Pendleton Round-Up. He was awarded $300 cash and a $25 hat for this event. Overall, he placed third at this rodeo winning $100 cash and a sterling silver hat. The Oregon Daily Journal writes, “Canutt wearing a salmon pink shirt, made a spectacular ride with his sombrero high over his head and chaps flapping.” (September 26, 1920)

Yakima won several titles at the Pendleton Round-Up over the years. In 1917, 1919, and 1923, Yakima claimed the Saddle-Bronc title. In 1920 and 1921, he won the Bulldogging title. In 1917, 1919, 1920, and 1923 he was named the All-Around Champion.

In August 1922, Yakima Canutt appeared at the Bozeman Roundup.

In 1923, he won the title at Cheyenne Frontier Days in Wyoming and the Pendleton Round-Up in Oregon. He was given the coveted Roosevelt Trophy.

In 1976, Yakima Canutt was inducted into the National Rodeo Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.

Hollywood

In 1923, Yakima also decided to sign on with a studio in Hollywood. He was an actor and stuntman in the silent films, but then talking movies were invented. Directors didn’t like the way he sounded so he took on the stunt work for many of the major actors including John Wayne and Clark Gable. Eventually, he took his talents to directing films.

By 1930, Yakima Canutt had dedicated himself full-time to Hollywood. His listed occupation in 1930 Federal Census was ‘actor’ in the motion picture industry.

On November 12, 1931, Yakima Canutt married Minnie Andrea Yeager in Yuma, Arizona. They had two sons and a daughter, Edward, Harry, and Audrea.

Many argue that Yakima Canutt is most well-known for his work in “Stagecoach” (1939) and “Ben Hur” (1959).

By 1940, Yakima Canutt was working as a stuntman. He did the stunt work for the chase scene in “Stagecoach” (1939) where he doubled John Wayne and the Apache.

By 1950, Yakima Canutt was working as a director for many action sequences on major films. For example, he staged the famous chariot race in the iconic film, “Ben Hur” (1959).

In 1953, Yakima was tasked with the gorilla scene in the film “Mogambo.” Metro sent him to Africa to film the gorilla charging the camera. He would fire blank cartridges at the gorilla to make them stop charging. According to the newspaper, they fenced 13 wild gorillas in an enclosure out in the bush. The cameraman had a dummy in front of the camera to shake to get the gorilla to charge. In all, the filming of this scene took 10 days though they spent much longer in Africa to prepare for the scene. Yakima wasn’t given credit for the scene in the film, but if true this story was too wild not to share with you!

In 1967, Yakima Canutt was awarded an Honorary Oscar for his innovations in safety for stunt men. His work ensured that stunt men were less likely to be hurt while working.

In 1969, Yakima received an Academy Award.

Yakima retired from Hollywood in the 1970s.

Museums

Yakima Canutt’s Chaps at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum (OKC)

You can view a pair of Yakima Canutt’s chaps in the American Rodeo Gallery at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Yakima Canutt at John Wayne: An American Experience (Fort Worth)

There were a few photos of Yakima Canutt at the John Wayne: An American Experience museum in Fort Worth, Texas. Canutt was one of John Wayne’s early mentors in the film business and he later stunt doubled for Wayne in many movies.

Texas Trail of Fame (Fort Worth)

Yakima Canutt was inducted into the Texas Trail of Fame in 2001. You can find this star on the sidewalk in the historic Fort Worth stockyards.

Concluding Thoughts

Yakima Canutt passed away on May 24, 1986 at the age of 90 years old. This All-Around Cowboy rodeoed with the best of them and then took his talents to the silver screen to entertain generations. His legacy is one that will continue to live on.

I hope you enjoyed reading about Yakima Canutt and will visit a few of the museums to see some of his story through objects. Join me next time as we continue ‘breaking trail’ in stories of the American West.

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Sources

Museums

National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum

John Wayne: An American Experience

Secondary Sources

Books

Richard Rattenbury. “Arena Legacy: The Heritage of American Rodeo.”

Websites

“Yakima Canutt.” National Rodeo Hall of Fame. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.

“Yakima Canutt.” Hollywood Walk of Fame.”

“Yakima Canutt.” Find A Grave.

“Yakima Canutt.” Texas Trail of Fame.

“Yakima Canutt (1895-1986).” IMDB.

Primary Sources

“Enos Edward Canutt.” WWI Draft Card. Registration State: Washington; Registration County: Whitman County. United States, Selective Service System. World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration. M1509, 4,582 rolls. Imaged from Family History Library microfilm.

“Enoz Edward Canutt.” WWII Draft Card. The National Archives At St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; World War II Draft Cards (4th Registration) For the State of California; Record Group Title: Records of the Selective Service System; Record Group Number: 147.

Books

Yakima Canutt. “Stunt Man: The Autobiography of Yakima Canutt.”

Yakima Canutt. “My Rodeo Years: Memoir of a Bronc Rider’s Path to Hollywood Fame.”

Census Records

“Enos E Canutt.” 1900 United States Federal Census. 1900; Census Place: Colfax, Whitman, Washington; Roll: 1753; Page: 20; Enumeration District: 0095. United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Twelfth Census of the United States, 1900. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1900. T623, 1854 rolls.

“Enas E Carentt.” 1910 United States Federal Census. 1910; Census Place: Penawawa, Whitman, Washington; Roll: T624_1675; Page: 6b; Enumeration District: 0274; FHL microfilm: 1375688. Thirteenth Census of the United States, 1910 (NARA microfilm publication T624, 1,178 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.

“Enos Cannuett.” 1920 United States Federal Census.  1920; Census Place: Los Angeles Assembly District 63, Los Angeles, California; Roll: T625_106; Page: 26A; Enumeration District: 152. Fourteenth Census of the United States, 1920. (NARA microfilm publication T625, 2076 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.

“Enos E Canutt.” 1930 United States Federal Census. 1930; Census Place: Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; Page: 5A; Enumeration District: 0064; FHL microfilm: 2339869. United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Fifteenth Census of the United States, 1930. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1930. T626, 2,667 rolls.

“Yakima Enos Conutt.” 1940 United States Federal Census. 1940; Census Place: Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; Roll: m-t0627-00376; Page: 3B; Enumeration District: 60-49. United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1940. T627, 4,643 rolls.

“Yakima Enos Canute.” 1950 United States Federal Census. National Archives at Washington, DC; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Year: 1950; Census Place: Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; Roll: 2149; Page: 73; Enumeration District: 66-186.

Marriage Licenses

“Enos Edward Canutt.” Marriage Records. Montana County Marriages. County courthouses, Montana. Film number: 001902479. DGS: 004350527.

“Enos Edward Canutt.” Montana State Historical Society; Helena, Montana; Montana, County Marriage Records, 1865-1950. Certificate Number: 3500.

“Enos Edward Canutt.” County Marriage Records. Arizona History and Archives Division, Phoenix, Arizona. License Place: Yuma, AZ.

Photographs

“Yakami Canutt Bulldogger Deluxe.” Ralph R. Doubleday. Early 20th century. Gelatin silver print. Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas. P1976.2.173. (Public Domain)

“Yakima Canutt riding Wilsons Famous Bucking Horse ‘Tipperary’ Tri-state Round-up Belle Fourche, S.D.” Ralph R. Doubleday. 1920. Photographic postcard. Ralph R. Doubleday Rodeo Postcards. Dickinson Research Center. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. Doubleday 033.

“Yakima Canutt Making a Wild Ride.” Ralph R. Doubleday. ca. 1925. Photographic postcard. Ralph R. Doubleday Rodeo Postcards. Dickinson Research Center. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. Doubleday 017.

Newspapers

“Close of Frontier Day Big Thrillers.” The Omaha Evening Bee (Omaha, NE), July 24, 1916.

“Wild West Show Performers Wed.” East Oregonian (Pendleton, Oregon), July 25, 1917.

“Tex Smith is ’20 Champion of Buckaroos.” The Oregon Daily Journal (Portland, OR), September 26, 1920.

“Many Famous Riders Will Be At The Bozeman Rounup.” Judith Basin County Press (Stanford, MT), August 3, 1922.

“Real Stars for the Riding Prince.” Birmingham Post-Herald (Birmingham, Alabama) April 20, 1924.

“Main Street.” Tulsa World (Tulsa, OK), February 5, 1925.

“Apollo.” The Huntington Herald (Huntington, Indiana), September 19, 1925.

“The Victory.” The Salisbury Post (Salisbury, North Carolina), November 20, 1925.

“New Palace.” The Daily Tribune (Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin), October 29, 1926.

“Pastime.” Albuquerque Journal (Albuquerque, New Mexico), May 11, 1930.

“Ideal.” The Enterprise (Ponchatoula, LA), October 3, 1930.

“‘Mogambo’ Climax Is Real.” St. Louis Globe-Democrat (St. Louis, MO), October 21, 1953.

*All newspaper clippings in this blog post were pulled from newspapers.com. I viewed digitized primary sources on ancestry. com. I am not affiliated with either website and just wanted to let you know where I found my digitized sources.