Fall Girl: My Life as a Western Stunt Double [Paperback]

Martha Crawford Cantarini (Author), Chrystopher J. Spicer (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0786447532 | ISBN-13: 978-0786447534 | Publication Date: April 28, 2010

Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, acclaimed horse trainer and show rider Martha Crawford Cantarini was among the busiest of Hollywood's elite corps of female stunt riders. She was the regular stunt double for such actresses as Eleanor Parker, Anne Baxter and Shirley MacLaine, appearing in films ranging from Elvis Presley's debut feature Love Me Tender to the epic Western The Big Country. Martha also hosted a Las Vegas television program in the 1960s, while her palomino Frosty gained fame as "the gambling horse" after rolling a seven at the Thunderbird Casino table. This fascinating insider's memoir of the American entertainment industry recounts Martha's personal and professional associations with Clark Gable, Ronald Reagan, Jean Simmons, and other Hollywood luminaries.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Moving...this book has much to offer fans of the Golden Age...valuable...soulful magic...I'm thankful for this book in which she and her co-writer tell her story so beautifully" --Classic Images

"Fascinating...captivating...not to be missed" --Western Clippings

"I knew when I was asked to do The Big Country that I needed a good stunt double. Well, I got her. I got the best...Martha Crawford." --Jean Simmons, academy award-nominated actress

About the Author

Martha Crawford Cantarini has been honored with the Golden Boot Award and was inducted into the Hollywood Stuntmen's Hall of Fame. She lives in British Columbia.

Chrystopher J. Spicer has written extensively about Australian and American film and history. He teaches writing and communication at James Cook University in Queensland, Australia.

Product Details

• Paperback: 235 pages
• Publisher: McFarland (April 28, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786447532
• ISBN-13: 978-0786447534
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,544,507 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I was born in San Antonio, Texas, moved to Santa Monica, California at the age of 7 and raised by a professional polo playing father. A flop of a screen test at 20th Century Fox resulted in an offer for my first stunt doubling job! That was what I wanted to do all along! Soon I was selected to do the riding for most all of the glamorous stars. After receiving the Golden Boot Award (TV & Movie) for my work and inducted into the Stuntmen's Hall of Fame, I wrote Fall Girl for the horse lovers who know that the horses are their real teachers and indeed the unsung heroes of Western films.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved this book!, June 26, 2010

By 

Sylvia Scott - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Fall Girl: My Life as a Western Stunt Double (Paperback)

I truly enjoyed reading Fall Girl. While Martha's fascinatingly detailed personal stories and experiences as a stunt woman and double for top stars during the classic era of motion pictures entertain the reader endlessly, it is also Martha's sometimes passionate focus on, and true love of, individual horses she has known and worked with during her career that will probably thrill and satisfy any horse lover reader the most. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants an insider's sneak peek into the inner workings of early Hollywood, as well as the stunt world back then in general, and to all horse lovers as well. For where would the classic westerns be without the horses! Martha never forgets them. And neither will we, after reading Fall Girl. Well done! It's hard to read this book and not see the opportunity for a great movie right there!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable memoir, esp for movie buffs, June 26, 2010

By 

Nelson Aspen "Author/Journalist" (Los Angeles & NYC, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fall Girl: My Life as a Western Stunt Double (Paperback)

I immensely enjoyed this behind-the-scenes look at the silver screen industry of the 1950s. The fascinating, unusual career of the author is charmingly presented in a series of personal recollections and anecdotes with plenty of name-dropping sure to satisfy fans of classic films. She's obviously a very likable lady and I wish she'd gone a little bit farther in dishing the dirt on some of the notables who weren't so pleasant....like William Wyler, Glenn Ford, Anne Baxter and Yvonne DeCarlo. But she does shine light on the backstage workings of Western movie production and it's always fun to hear tales about great stars like Gregory Peck, Robert Taylor, Eleanor Parker and even Deforest Kelley.

It's worth pointing out that the author also includes plenty of captivating photographs from her personal collection, although I wish the captions were in the first person, as is the narrative. It's an editorial decision that winds up distracting the reader from the feeling of a personal relationship with the narrator.

Overall, well worth reading for movie buffs or horse lovers!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved this wonderful, well-written story!!, May 29, 2010

By 

Georgia Allison (San Rafael, CA United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Fall Girl: My Life as a Western Stunt Double (Paperback)

The back cover of FALL GIRL says, "fascinating insider's memoir of the American entertainment industry". This is undoubtedly true, but this little gem of a book is really so much more! I would say that this book is about the courage and strength of a woman to make it in a man's world. And, to do so in a gracious, modest and seemingly unassuming manner. Martha simply seems to have done it all, and at a time when most women were fated to fill more traditional roles. This book really has something for everyone...perhaps a book for all ages, and it is rich with details, and wonderful old photographs. Horse lovers, riders, trainers, movie buffs, historians, lovers of old Hollywood, adventure and thrill seekers, or world travelers, I think it is all here, even Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable, and Elvis!! I was captivated by all the tremendous details of the movies Martha worked on, and the complexity of the actual stunts, and the behind the scenes look at the movies, down to the temperament and personalities of so many stars and luminaries that crossed her path. The special, and I would even say, amazing horse stories, really say that she had some sort of magical connection with horses, seemingly within her heart as she says. I think you will particularly love the stories about "Frosty". If you love to be transported to a different time and place you will simply love this book. I think you will, as I did, also come to admire a woman that accomplished so much in her life, fearlessly, and tirelessly. I would further say that Chrystopher Spicer has helped Martha present so clearly and concisely, a wonderful chronicle of a life lived in the spotlight, but yet with dignity, humility, and much grace. As I read Martha's story I could not help but think what a fabulous movie this book would make. How wonderful it would be to have such a positive role model for us all! You will not be disappointed in this book!! Although the title is "FALL GIRL", I could not help but say to myself, you GO GIRL!!