Bill Catching

Career Highlights

• Credited on more than 1,500 film and television productions, one of the most prolific careers in stunt history.
• Earned the nickname “Mr. TV” after working simultaneously on multiple television productions throughout the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s.
• Advanced from horse wrangler and stunt performer to become a respected Stunt Coordinator and Second Unit Director on major television series and feature films.

Biography

Bill Catching was one of the most prolific stunt professionals in Hollywood history, a performer, coordinator, and second unit director whose career helped define action television during its formative decades. Born in Texas in 1926, Catching grew up around horses and ranch life before hitchhiking to Hollywood at the age of sixteen in search of opportunity. He initially found work caring for and riding horses supplied to the movie industry, learning the business from the ground up while developing the skills that would eventually make him one of the most respected stuntmen in the profession. His career would span more than forty years and leave an imprint on over 1,500 film and television productions.

Following service in the United States Navy during World War II, Catching returned to Southern California and resumed working with horses in the motion picture industry. Encouraged by friends and legendary stunt performers Al Wyatt Sr. and Jock Mahoney, he entered stunt work in 1949 with ZIV Television Productions, one of the pioneers of early television programming. Alongside fellow stuntman Troy Melton, Catching worked across a staggering number of productions, including The Cisco Kid, Boston Blackie, Sea Hunt, Highway Patrol, Bat Masterson, Tombstone Territory, I Led Three Lives, and numerous others. During his first five years with ZIV alone, he contributed to more than 500 television productions, helping establish the standards for action programming during television’s explosive growth years.

As his reputation grew, Catching transitioned from stunt performer into stunt coordination and leadership roles. In 1953 he joined Columbia Pictures, where he coordinated his first feature film, They Rode West. Over the following decades he became known not only for performing stunts but also for planning, organizing, and supervising action sequences. His credits expanded to include many of television’s most iconic series, including Gunsmoke, Bonanza, Rawhide, The Big Valley, The Virginian, Wild Wild West, Star Trek, McCloud, The Fall Guy, and countless others. His ability to coordinate exciting action while maintaining a strong commitment to safety earned him widespread respect throughout the industry.

Catching’s work brought him into collaboration with many of Hollywood’s greatest stars and filmmakers. He doubled Roy Rogers for nearly three decades and worked with legends including John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, Robert Stack, Burt Reynolds, James Stewart, Charlton Heston, Lee Marvin, Charles Bronson, and Sam Peckinpah. His colleagues nicknamed him “Mr. TV” because of his astonishing workload and his ability to move between multiple productions simultaneously. In one famous instance, Catching worked on five different productions in a single day, a feat that became legendary among his fellow stunt professionals. Despite his success, he remained known for his practical approach, work ethic, and belief that careful preparation was the key to successful stunt work.

In recognition of his extraordinary contributions to film and television action, Bill Catching was inducted into the Hollywood Stuntmen Hall of Fame in 1981 and later received the Golden Boot Award in 1994 for his contributions to the western genre. His career represents the evolution of the stunt profession itself—from horse wrangler and stunt performer to stunt coordinator and second unit director. More than simply a participant in Hollywood history, Catching helped build the framework for modern television stunt work, influencing generations of performers and coordinators who followed. Today he is remembered as one of the industry’s most dependable craftsmen and one of the most prolific stunt professionals of the twentieth century.

Awards and Honors

• Hollywood Stuntmen Hall of Fame Inductee (1981)
• Golden Boot Award (1994) — awarded for contributions to the preservation and development of the western tradition in film and television. Presented to him by Roy Rogers.

Distinctions & Industry Recognition

• Known throughout the industry as “Mr. TV.”
• Worked on over 500 television productions during his first five years with ZIV Productions alone.
• Longtime stunt double for Roy Rogers, maintaining a professional relationship that lasted nearly three decades.
• Coordinated action and second unit work on numerous major television series and feature films.
• Recognized as one of the most prolific television stunt professionals of the twentieth century.

Notable Filmography

Year	Title	Position
1950–1956	The Cisco Kid	Stunt Performer
1950–1953	Boston Blackie	Stunt Performer
1950–1958	Sea Hunt	Stunt Performer / Stunt Double
1955–1965	The Roy Rogers Show	Stunt Double for Roy Rogers
1955–1975	Gunsmoke	Stunt Performer / Stunt Coordinator
1959–1973	Bonanza	Stunt Performer / Stunt Coordinator
1965–1969	The Big Valley	Stunt Performer / Stunt Double
1965–1969	The Wild Wild West	Stunt Performer
1971	The Cowboys	Stunt Coordinator / Action Specialist
1974–1977	McCloud	Second Unit Director / Stunt Coordinator

Photo Gallery