Kermit Maynard (September 20, 1897 – January 16, 1971) was an American actor and

stuntman A stunt performer, often called a stuntman or stuntwoman and occasionally stuntperson or stunt-person, is a trained professional who performs daring acts, often as a career. Stunt performers usually appear in films or on television, as opposed ...

. He appeared in 280 films between 1927 and 1962.

Early years

Born in Vevay,

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

, he was the son of Mr. and Mrs. William Maynard and a lookalike younger brother of actor Ken Maynard; they were frequently assumed to be identical twins. Maynard was a 1916 graduate of Columbus High School in Columbus, Indiana. He graduated with a degree in engineering from

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a state university system, system of Public university, public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. The system has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration o ...

and played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

as a lineman for the

Indiana Hoosiers The Indiana Hoosiers are the intercollegiate sports teams and players of Indiana University Bloomington, named after the demonym for people from the state of Indiana. The Hoosiers participate in NCAA Division I, Division I of the National Coll ...

in the early 1920s. While at the university, he lettered in three sports in one year. After he finished college, Maynard worked as a claims agent for the George H. Hormel Meat Packing Company. Maynard also competed as a rider in rodeo competition. In 1933, he won a Pacific Coast trick-riding championship in the Pendleton Round-Up. Early in his career, promoters disdained Maynard's given name of Kermit and marketed him as "Tex Maynard."

Career

From 1935 to 1937 Kermit Maynard starred in films produced by Ambassador Pictures, which producer

Maurice Conn Maurice H. Conn (1906–1973) was an American film producer, his first credit being '' The Fighting Trooper'' in 1934. Over the next 15 years he would produce 45 films. Filmography (Per AFI database) *'' The Fighting Trooper'' (1934) *''W ...

established in 1934. He starred in 18 Ambassador films, the last one being '' Roaring Six Guns''. Unlike his more famous brother Ken Maynard, who was often argumentative and difficult to work with, the mild-mannered and more agreeable Kermit Maynard continued to work steadily in pictures, appearing in the supporting casts of dozens of westerns, serials, Hollywood features, and TV episodes through 1962. When producers would cast multiple cowboy stars in a single feature, Kermit Maynard joined the posse in '' Trail of Robin Hood'' and '' Once Upon a Horse''.

Death

On January 16, 1971, Maynard died at his home in

North Hollywood North Hollywood is a neighborhood and district in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, California. The neighborhood contains the NoHo Arts District, El Portal Theater, several art galleries, and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Th ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, from a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...

. He was 72 years old. Survivors included his wife and a son.

Filmography

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Maynard, Kermit 1897 births 1971 deaths Male actors from Indiana American male film actors American male television actors Burials at Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery Indiana Hoosiers football players American stunt performers Male Western (genre) film actors 20th-century American male actors People from Vevay, Indiana