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Daughters of Daring: Hollywood Cowgirl Stunt Women
When Hollywood recreated the Oklahoma Land Rush for Cimarron, stuntwoman Vera McGinnis rode straight into film history, and danger, to help make an Oscar-winning epic.
Five thousand motion picture stuntpeople and extras, dressed in pioneer costumes, gathered at the Quinn Ranch outside of Los Angeles to take part in the filming of the Western Cimarron. Based on the novel by Edna Ferber, the story is of the opening up of the Oklahoma Territory and its fight for statehood told through the lives of a newspaper editor and his wife.
Director Wesley Ruggles maneuvered back and forth in front of the cast, shouting instructions in preparation for the shoot. The swarm of people taking in the direction perfectly mimicked the restless torrent of humanity waiting to pour onto Oklahoma soil in 1889 to claim homesteads. Thousands of extras sat aboard a fleet of prairie schooners, many were on horses, stagecoaches, manning handcarts, and some were even on bicycles.
Twenty-eight cameraman and a host of camera assistants and photographers positioned at various spots around the setting made last minute adjustments to their equipment. Among the stunt people one of the cameras was trained on was thirty-eight-year-old Vera McGinnis. The cowgirl turned stunter was sitting atop a horse named Blackie who was anxious to get moving. While listening to what the director had to say about the filming, she tried to calm her ride struggling to stand still in the lineup. Vera glanced around at the riders on either side of her. She knew many of the extras had told the employment agency who hired them that they were fine equestrians, but she could tell by the way they sat their horses they were far from experts. She hoped she could successfully lead Blackie through any mishap that might occur as a result of inexperienced riders.
Vera was the stunt double for actress Estelle Taylor. Taylor portrayed a soiled dove in the film who was hoping to secure a section of land for herself in the soon-to-be opened territory. Vera had the unique position of being the only woman to run in the race. All the extras dressed in women’s clothing in the scene were actually men. With the exception of Vera, the director believed the ambitious undertaking was too dangerous for the average female extra to take on. Ruggles was familiar with Vera’s daring and talent and was confident she would get through the filming unscathed.
When the signal was given for the action to start, a great wave of cheering broke upon the air and the great assemblage moved in mass as fast as they could toward the appointed destination. Vera held Blackie back to wait for the wagons and schooners to move ahead and provide space for the horse to run without interference from the vehicles. Blackie didn’t take long to narrow the gap between he and Vera and the teams of horses pulling buggies. The novice drivers guiding those animals crossed in front of Vera and her ride almost hitting them. More than once, the cameras were rolling and horse and rider continued on their way with the rest of the cast.
Just when it seemed the scene would reach an end without injury the great fleet of extras, stuntpeople, and their vehicles traveled over what appeared to be a level plain. It was anything but. The ground was littered with prairie dog holes some two feet across and others in clusters or towns. Before filming began the production company sent a crew out to fill in gaping trenches with dirt. The work was only done on the area that would be contained in the shot. The ground wasn’t touched beyond that. Vera skillfully guided Blackie through the potentially hazardous section of prairie. He cleared the holes with big strides and didn’t stop until they were out of harm’s way.
The action of the mad scramble translated well on the big screen. Critics hailed Cimarron as a “magnificent film production” and boasted that it was “in the class of the never-to-be-forgotten productions.” It would go on to win the Academy Award for the best film, best adaptation, and set design. Vera McGinnis would go on to be one of the most admired and respected cowgirl stuntwomen in the business.
Daughters of Daring
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Daughters of Daring
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To learn more about Vera McGinnis and the other talents ladies in film read
Daughters of Daring: Hollywood Cowgirl Stunt Women
