Corinne McAlister

Career Highlights

• One of Hollywood’s earliest professional stuntwomen, working from the silent era through the studio era.
• Specialized in horse stunts, side-saddle jumping, western action, and doubling leading actresses in riding sequences.
• After more than twenty years of stunt work involving drownings, fire scenes, runaway horses, falls, and extreme action sequences, newspaper accounts reported she had never suffered a serious injury.

Biography

Corinne McAlister was one of the unsung pioneers of Hollywood stunt work, a fearless horsewoman and stunt performer whose career stretched from the silent era into the golden age of studio filmmaking. Working during a time when stunt performers rarely received screen credit and women stunt professionals were even less frequently recognized, McAlister built a reputation as a versatile action specialist capable of handling horseback riding, driving, swimming, diving, and physical stunt work across a wide range of productions. Though history largely overlooked her contributions, her induction into the Hollywood Stuntmen’s Hall of Fame in 1980 affirmed her place among the industry’s early trailblazers.

McAlister’s career began in the earliest decades of Hollywood filmmaking. She worked on films such as Lucky Star (1928), where she doubled for Academy Award-winning actress Janet Gaynor, and The Big Trail (1930), the landmark western that introduced John Wayne as a leading man. Her work placed her alongside many of the foundational figures of stunt history, and photographs preserved in Hall archives document her participation in large-scale western productions, often mounted on horseback and performing demanding outdoor action sequences. These early experiences helped establish her as a reliable and highly skilled stuntwoman during a period when few women were entrusted with such responsibilities.

Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, McAlister became one of Hollywood’s premier horse specialists and stunt doubles. She worked on major productions including The Adventures of Robin Hood, Gone With the Wind, Suez, Forever Amber, Stallion Road, and The Ox-Bow Incident. She doubled numerous actresses, including Gene Tierney in Belle Starr, Dorothy Lamour in Spawn of the North, Arleen Whelan in Sundown Jim, and Jane Withers in several western adventures. Her expertise extended far beyond simple riding scenes. She specialized in side-saddle jumping during fox hunt sequences, handled runaway horse-and-buggy stunts, and regularly performed difficult riding work that required exceptional balance, timing, and courage.

Newspaper accounts from the era reveal the remarkable range of McAlister’s stunt career. She performed scenes involving drowning, fire, violent falls, high-speed horse action, and punishing environmental effects. One article described her being blasted across the desert by wind machines producing seventy-mile-per-hour gusts during the filming of Suez. Another recounted the many hazards she routinely faced, including being dragged by horses, leaping from trees onto moving mounts, hanging from cliffs, and enduring countless falls. Yet despite more than twenty years of stunt work in some of Hollywood’s most dangerous productions, contemporary reports noted that she had never suffered a serious injury—an extraordinary testament to both her skill and professionalism.

Beyond the motion picture industry, McAlister was an accomplished horsewoman who played polo and belonged to the Motion Picture Live Stock, Vehicle & Equipment Association. During World War II, she temporarily left stunt work to serve in the Women’s Army Corps, where she was attached to the Medical Section of a military hospital. After a lifetime spent helping bring Hollywood’s greatest adventures to the screen, her contributions remained largely hidden behind the stars she doubled and the action she helped create. Today, however, Corinne McAlister stands as a true Stunt Pioneer—one of the courageous women who helped build the foundation of professional stunt work and whose legacy deserves a permanent place in the history of action filmmaking.

Awards and Honors

• Hollywood Stuntmen’s Hall of Fame Inductee (1980) – Corinne McAlister was officially inducted into the Hollywood Stuntmen’s Hall of Fame in 1980. Her induction certificate was signed by Hall founder John Hagner, recognizing her decades of contribution as a stunt performer, stunt double, and horse specialist.
• Pioneer Stuntwoman of Hollywood’s Studio Era – McAlister was among the earliest generations of professional stuntwomen working in Hollywood during the late silent era and the Golden Age of the studio system. Her documented stunt work dates back to at least the late 1920s and includes productions such as Lucky Star (1928), The Big Trail (1930), and numerous major films of the 1930s and 1940s.
• Motion Picture Livestock, Vehicle & Equipment Association Member – McAlister was a member of the Motion Picture Livestock, Vehicle & Equipment Association, an organization representing the highly skilled horsemen, wranglers, drivers, and animal specialists who were essential to Hollywood filmmaking.
• Recognized Horse Specialist and Stunt Double – Throughout her career, McAlister was trusted to double numerous leading actresses including Janet Gaynor, Gene Tierney, Dorothy Lamour, Arleen Whelan, Jane Withers, and members of the Lane sisters. Her expertise in horseback action, side-saddle jumping, swimming, driving, and western stunt work made her one of the industry’s most versatile stuntwomen.
• Wartime Service in the Women’s Army Corps – During World War II, McAlister temporarily left motion pictures to serve in the Women’s Army Corps (WAC), where she was attached to the Medical Section of a military hospital.
• Remarkable Safety Record – Contemporary newspaper accounts reported that after more than fifteen years performing dangerous stunt work—including fire scenes, drownings, runaway horses, falls, and high-risk western action—McAlister had never suffered a serious injury, an extraordinary achievement for a stunt performer of her era.

Notable Filmography

Year	Film	Position
1928	Lucky Star	Stunt Double for Janet Gaynor (uncredited)
1930	The Big Trail	Horse Specialist / Stunt Performer
1937	Wells Fargo	Runaway Horse & Buggy Stunt Performer
1938	Spawn of the North	Stunt Double for Dorothy Lamour (uncredited)
1938	The Adventures of Robin Hood	Stunt Performer
1938	Suez	Stunt Performer
1938	In Old Chicago	Stunt Performer / Close Fire Work
1941	Gone With the Wind	Stunt Performer / Horse Specialist
1941	Belle Starr	Stunt Double for Gene Tierney
1947	Captain from Castile	Stunt Double (uncredited)

Photo Gallery