Martha Crawford Cantarini

Career Highlights

• Became one of Hollywood’s busiest and most respected female stunt riders during the 1940s and 1950s.
• Served as the regular stunt double for major stars including Eleanor Parker, Anne Baxter, Shirley MacLaine, Jean Simmons, Debra Paget, Patricia Owens, Rhonda Fleming, and Claudette Colbert.
• Combined careers as a horse trainer, show rider, stunt performer, television personality, and author while helping define the role of the professional female horse specialist in Hollywood.

Biography

Martha Crawford Cantarini was one of Hollywood’s premier female stunt riders, a highly skilled horsewoman whose career flourished during the great western boom of the 1940s and 1950s. Born in Dresden, Tennessee, in 1928, she developed exceptional riding abilities at an early age and eventually transformed her passion for horses into a successful career in motion pictures. Known professionally as Martha Crawford, she became part of an elite group of stuntwomen whose expertise allowed Hollywood’s leading actresses to appear convincing in demanding horseback action sequences. Her combination of horsemanship, athletic ability, and professionalism earned her a reputation as one of the industry’s most dependable riding doubles.

Before establishing herself in Hollywood, Crawford built a strong foundation as a horse trainer and accomplished show rider. Her knowledge of horses extended far beyond stunt performance, encompassing training, handling, and exhibition riding. These skills made her especially valuable during an era when westerns dominated both film and television production. As studios sought authenticity in their horseback action, Crawford’s abilities placed her in constant demand. Her expertise enabled actresses to appear comfortable and convincing in the saddle while allowing productions to safely execute the more challenging riding sequences required by western storytelling.

Throughout the 1950s, Crawford became one of Hollywood’s busiest female stunt doubles, regularly doubling some of the industry’s most recognizable stars. Her credits include work for Anne Baxter in Yellow Sky (1948), Debra Paget in Love Me Tender (1956), Shirley MacLaine in The Sheepman (1958), Jean Simmons and Carroll Baker in The Big Country (1958), and Eleanor Parker in multiple productions including Interrupted Melody, The Man with the Golden Arm, The King and Four Queens, and The Seventh Sin. Her ability to adapt to different performers and productions made her one of the most trusted stunt doubles of her era, particularly in films requiring advanced horseback skills.

Crawford’s career also placed her in the company of some of Hollywood’s most celebrated figures. According to her Hall file, she formed professional and personal associations with luminaries including Clark Gable, Ronald Reagan, Jean Simmons, and numerous stars of the western genre. Beyond her stunt work, she expanded her public profile by hosting a Las Vegas television program during the 1960s. Her beloved palomino horse, Frosty, even achieved a degree of fame after becoming known as “the gambling horse” for rolling a seven at the Thunderbird Casino craps table, a story that became part of Hollywood folklore.

In recognition of her contributions to stunt performance and equestrian action, Martha Crawford Cantarini was inducted into the Hollywood Stuntmen Hall of Fame in 2004. Her career represents an important chapter in the history of female stunt performers, particularly those whose expertise in horsemanship helped define the western genre during its most popular era. Through her work as a stunt double, stunt performer, horse trainer, and show rider, she helped bring authenticity and excitement to countless productions while preserving the tradition of the Hollywood horse specialist. Today, she is remembered as one of the finest female stunt riders of her generation and a worthy member of the Hollywood Stunts Hall of Fame.

Awards and Honors

• Hollywood Stuntmen Hall of Fame Inductee (2004)

Distinctions & Industry Recognition

• One of Hollywood’s leading female stunt riders of the postwar western era.
• Regular stunt double for many of Hollywood’s most prominent actresses.
• Accomplished horse trainer and show rider whose equestrian skills formed the foundation of her stunt career.
• Authored a memoir documenting her experiences in the entertainment industry and preserving the history of female stunt performers. Fall Girl: My Life as a Western Stunt Double

Notable Filmography

Year	Title	Position
1948	Yellow Sky	Stunt Double for Anne Baxter
1955	Interrupted Melody	Stunt Double for Eleanor Parker
1956	Love Me Tender	Stunt Double for Debra Paget
1956	The Man with the Golden Arm	Stunt Double for Eleanor Parker
1957	The King and Four Queens	Stunt Double for Eleanor Parker
1957	The Seventh Sin	Stunt Double for Eleanor Parker
1957	Gun Glory	Stunt Double for Rhonda Fleming
1958	The Big Country	Stunt Double for Carroll Baker and Jean Simmons
1958	The Law and Jake Wade	Stunt Double for Patricia Owens
1958	The Sheepman	Stunt Double for Shirley MacLaine

Photo Gallery