Polly Burson

Polly Burson

Born: December 24, 1919
Died: April 4, 2006
in Ontario, Oregon, USA
Trick rider and stunt woman Polly Burson was born Pauline Shelton on December 24, 1919 in Ontario, Oregon. Born into a rodeo family, Polly spent her early years on her grandfather's ranch and started riding at the age of seven. Following an outstanding career on the rodeo circuit, Polly moved to California to break into the film business. Although it took Burson three years to break into said business, her career as a stunt woman was off and running from the mid-1940's and onward. Among the notable actresses that Polly doubled for throughout her five decade career as a stunt woman are Betty Hutton, Julie Adams, Sophia Loren, Shelley Winters, Yvonne De Carlo, Barbara Stanwyck, Dorothy Malone, Betty Grable, Lucille Ball, and Kim Darby.

Burson was the recipient of a Golden Boot Award for her substantial and impressive contributions to the Western genre in 1991; said award was present to her by longtime friend and fellow stuntman Henry Wills. In addition, Polly was also inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame, the Hollywood Stuntmen's Hall of Fame, and the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in Fort Worth, Texas in November, 2002. Burson was married and divorced three times. She died at age 86 on April 4, 2006 in Ventura, California.

Movies for Polly Burson...

Last of the Great Survivors
Title: Last of the Great Survivors
Character: Resident
Released: January 3, 1984
Type: Movie
A dedicated social worker joins forces with a group of senior citizens fighting City Hall to prevent the demolition of their apartment building and falls for the man she meets on a blind date at a punk rock club. She soon learns that he is the building inspector who condemned the seniors' decrepit home, forcing her to turn to her amorous lawyer ex-boyfriend to find the loophole that will save the building.
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Earthquake
Title: Earthquake
Character: Earthquake Survivor (uncredited)
Released: November 15, 1974
Type: Movie
Various interconnected people struggle to survive when an earthquake of unimaginable magnitude hits Los Angeles, California.
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How the West Was Won
Title: How the West Was Won
Character: Stock Player (uncredited)
Released: November 2, 1962
Type: Movie
The epic tale of the development of the American West from the 1830s through the Civil War to the end of the century, as seen through the eyes of one pioneer family.
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Spartacus
Title: Spartacus
Character: Slave (uncredited)
Released: October 13, 1960
Type: Movie
The rebellious Thracian Spartacus, born and raised a slave, is sold to Gladiator trainer Batiatus. After weeks of being trained to kill for the arena, Spartacus turns on his owners and leads the other slaves in rebellion. As the rebels move from town to town, their numbers swell as escaped slaves join their ranks. Under the leadership of Spartacus, they make their way to southern Italy, where they will cross the sea and return to their homes.
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Night Passage
Title: Night Passage
Character: Rosa
Released: July 24, 1957
Type: Movie
Grant MacLaine, a former railroad troubleshooter, lost his job after letting his outlaw brother, the Utica Kid, escape. After spending five years wandering the west and earning his living playing the accordion, he is given a second chance by his former boss.
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The Ten Commandments
Title: The Ten Commandments
Character: Slave (uncredited)
Released: October 5, 1956
Type: Movie
Escaping death, a Hebrew infant is raised in a royal household to become a prince. Upon discovery of his true heritage, Moses embarks on a personal quest to reclaim his destiny as the leader and liberator of the Hebrew people.
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Westward the Women
Title: Westward the Women
Character: Preacher (uncredited)
Released: December 16, 1951
Type: Movie
There's a deficit of good, honest women in the West, and Roy Whitman wants to change that. His solution is to bring a caravan of over 100 mail-order brides from Chicago to California. It will be a long, difficult and dangerous journey for the women. So Whitman hires hardened, cynical Buck Wyatt to be their guide across the inhospitable frontier. But as disaster strikes on the trail, Buck just might discover that these women are stronger than he thinks.
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The Redhead and The Cowboy
Title: The Redhead and The Cowboy
Character: Saloon Girl (uncredited)
Released: March 15, 1951
Type: Movie
Gil Kyle finds himself caught up in the politics and unrest of the American Civil War and soon gets himself framed for a murder. His only alibi is Candace Bronson, who is aiding the Confederate cause and has left the territory to deliver a vital message about a Yankee gold shipment. So he sets off in pursuit, running into desperados, government agents, and guerrilla fighters, who are more interested in profit than ideals. Written by Alfred Jingle