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Longtime friends remember iconic stuntman Jack N. Young

Posted at 7:52 PM, Sep 14, 2018
and last updated 2018-09-17 14:56:46-04

Legendary stuntman, actor, and Old Tucson icon, Jack N. Young, died on Thursday. 

He's considered one of the founders of what Old Tucson is today.

The iconic stunt performer worked in more than 70 western and adventure movies. Young once worked as Clark Gables' stunt double and did stunts for John Wayne for 30 years.

"When you watch the movie, The Searchers, a lot of those Indians that you see get shot and fall, a lot of those are Jack Young," Glen Gold said. "In the movie Rio Grande, you see those guys coming through there and falling back. A lot of those guys, some of those are Jack Young. That’s what he did he was a utility stunt man."

Glen Gold first met Young back in the 1970's. One of memory of his longtime friend is how much he hated horses. 

"He always got hurt on them from what I understand," Rob Jensen said.

"Well he always had to do the falls and stuff off of them, and when you associate it with that," Gold said.

Young retired from stunts after he was hurt falling off a horse. He started working at Old Tucson doing just about everything from casting director, prop manager and production manager. 

YOUNG RETIRED FROM STUNTS AFTER HE WAS HURT FALLING OFF A HORSE.

Jack was a jack of all trades, I mean he did it all. - Glen Gold

Over the years, Gold worked in several movies for and with Young. 

At Old Tucson, Young wrote about a dozen original shows that were performed by stuntmen. 

Rob Jensen, film an entertainment production manager at Old Tucson, is now doing the job Young started.

"We’re all here at Old Tucson doing what we love because of Jack. He was a pioneer," Jensen said.

Gold and Jensen say Young was known to always make work fun, always with a smile on his face and he never complained.

"He touched the lives of so many people, that don’t even realize it. And what he’s done, and done something that he loved doing. He wouldn’t have it any other way," Gold said.

Young would have been 92-years-old later this month. Friends and family are planning a celebration of his life  on Saturday, Sept. 22, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Old Tucson.