Meet Bertha “Betty” Danko, the Stuntwoman Who Risked Everything for Hollywood Magic

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Daughters of Daring: Hollywood Cowgirl Stunt Women

Bertha “Betty” Danko was an accomplished stuntwoman. She doubled for many leading actress of the 1930s and 1940s, but is best known for having doubled for Margaret Hamilton as the Wicked Witch of the West in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. During the filming of the skywriting scene, a pipe attached to the Witch’s broomstick exploded, landing Danko in the hospital with a serious leg wound.

Danko performed many stunts with animals. In one particular film she was working with a cougar when the stunt went wrong. The animal grabbed her leg with his front paws and sank its claws deep into her flesh. He then clamped down with his jaws and started to chew. “The pain was incredible,” Danko shared with the press. “Each bite was torture. I wanted to pass out, but I couldn’t.”

The cougar managed to bite her thirteen times before the animal’s trainer was able to pull him away from Danko. The bites were extremely deep, and doctors told her the scars would never disappear. “I have fallen into lakes, poles, over chairs and tables, down laundry chutes and stairs,” she said. “I have fallen over backwards from a height of 25 feet into 32 inches of water and into a pool fully clothed, though I can barely swim. I’ve been yanked around on wire, had pies and knives thrown at me, have lain amid flames and gasoline all for the sake of art and a paycheck.”

To learn more about the amazing and brave ladies who played an important role in motion pictures read

Daughters of Daring: Hollywood Cowgirl Stunt Women.