Paul William Malvern (June 28, 1902 – May 29, 1993) was an American film producer, child actor, and stuntman. He produced more than 100 films. He began his career as a child acrobat. He later worked as a

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 ...

before transitioning to an assistant director role. Some of his productions were westerns released by

Monogram Pictures Monogram Pictures Corporation was an American film studio that produced mostly low-budget films between 1931 and 1953, when the firm completed a transition to the name Allied Artists Pictures Corporation. Monogram was among the smaller studios i ...

under Malvern's Lonestar Productions moniker. He produced many early Western films with

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Gol ...

in them. He married actress Jean Huntley. As a child, he was an acrobatic performer, Malvern worked as a stuntman and later a film producer, producing several

features, and later numerous films for

Universal Pictures Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...

Biography

Malvern was born June 28, 1902 in

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...

. He began his career as a member of his family's acrobatic troupe, and performed in

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

beginning at age four, when he was touted as "the greatest child acrobat on the American stage." His family's troupe toured internationally, performing as a featured act with the

Ringling Brothers The Ringling brothers (originally Rüngling) were seven American siblings who transformed their small touring company of performers into one of the largest circuses in the United States during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Four brothers ...

circus. In Los Angeles, Malvern began first working in film as a double for

Mary Pickford Gladys Marie Smith (April 8, 1892 – May 29, 1979), known professionally as Mary Pickford, was a Canadian-American stage and screen actress and producer with a career that spanned five decades. A pioneer in the US film industry, she co-founde ...

, as well as performing stunts. Malvern's first major stunt appearance was doubling for

Eileen Sedgwick Eileen Sedgwick (October 17, 1898 – March 15, 1991) was an American actress of the silent era. Biography Born in 1898, Sedgwick was in her first film in 1914 and appeared in more than 110 films during her 15-year career. She was the sist ...

in '' Beasts of Paradise'' (1923). In 1928, Malvern suffered serious injuries in a -fall, and he retired from stunt performing, subsequently working as a producer for

and

Monogram A monogram is a motif made by overlapping or combining two or more letters or other graphemes to form one symbol. Monograms are often made by combining the initials of an individual or a company, used as recognizable symbols or logos. A series o ...

. Malvern married his wife, Jean Huntley, in 1932, to whom he was married until her death in 1979.

Death

Malvern died May 29, 1993 at his home in

North Hollywood North Hollywood is a neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, located in the San Fernando Valley. The neighborhood contains the NoHo Arts District, the El Portal Theatre, several art galleries, and the Academy of TV Arts and Sciences. The North ...

, Los Angeles. He is interred at the

Hollywood Forever Cemetery Hollywood Forever Cemetery is a full-service cemetery, funeral home, crematory, and cultural events center which regularly hosts community events such as live music and summer movie screenings. It is one of the oldest cemeteries in Los Angeles ...

Select filmography

*''

Riders of Destiny ''Riders of Destiny'' is a 1933 pre-Code Western musical film starring 26-year-old John Wayne as Singin' Sandy Saunders, the screen's second singing cowboy (the first being Ken Maynard in the 1929 film '' The Wagon Master''). It was the fi ...

'' (1933) * '' The Fugitive'' (1933) *''

Sagebrush Trail ''Sagebrush Trail'' (UK title ''An Innocent Man'') is a 1933 American Pre-Code Western film with locations filmed at Bronson Canyon starring John Wayne and featuring Lane Chandler and Yakima Canutt (Canutt plays the leader of the gang as well ...

'' (1933) *'' West of the Divide'' (1933) *''

The Lucky Texan ''The Lucky Texan'' is a 1934 American Lonestar Films B-movie Western film featuring John Wayne (five years before his breakthrough appearance in ''Stagecoach''), Barbara Sheldon, Gabby Hayes, and the legendary stuntman and actor Yakima Canut ...

'' (1934) *''

Randy Rides Alone ''Randy Rides Alone'' is a 1934 American Pre-Code Western film starring John Wayne, Yakima Canutt, and George Hayes (before Hayes developed his famous "Gabby" persona). The 53-minute black-and-white film was directed by Harry L. Fraser, produc ...

'' (1934) *''

The Star Packer ''The Star Packer'' is a 1934 Western film directed by Robert N. Bradbury and starring John Wayne, George "Gabby" Hayes, Yakima Canutt, and Verna Hillie. Plot U.S. Marshal John Travers becomes the sheriff of a turn-of-the-20th century wes ...

'' (1934) *''

The Trail Beyond ''The Trail Beyond'' is a 1934 Western film directed by Robert N. Bradbury and starring John Wayne, Noah Beery Sr., and Noah Beery Jr. The motion picture was based on the novel ''The Wolf Hunters'' by James Oliver Curwood, which was also ada ...

'' (1934) *'' 'Neath the Arizona Skies'' (1934) *''

The Lawless Frontier ''The Lawless Frontier'' is a 1934 American Monogram Western film directed by Robert N. Bradbury and starring John Wayne, Sheila Terry, George "Gabby" Hayes, and Earl Dwire. It was the tenth of the Lone Star westerns. The picture was made on a ...

'' (1934) *''

The Dawn Rider ''The Dawn Rider'' is a 1935 American Western film starring John Wayne and directed by Robert N. Bradbury. The film was later released in a colorized version on home video/DVD under the title ''Cold Vengeance''. Plot John Mason chases after ...

'' (1935) *''

Paradise Canyon ''Paradise Canyon'' is a 1935 Western film starring John Wayne, directed by Carl L. Pierson. The film was Wayne's final Monogram Pictures/Lone Star Production Western. The film was released years later in a colorized version on home video/dvd ...

'' (1935) *''

The Man From Utah ''The Man from Utah'' is a 1934 pre-Code Monogram Western film starring John Wayne, Polly Ann Young and the stuntman/actor Yakima Canutt. It was written by Lindsley Parsons and directed by Robert N. Bradbury. Wayne has a "singing cowboy scene" ...

'' (1934) *'' Blue Steel'' (1934) *'' Texas Terror'' (1935) *'' Rainbow Valley'' (1935) *''

The Desert Trail ''The Desert Trail'' is a 1935 American Monogram Western film starring John Wayne and directed by Lewis D. Collins (credited as Cullin Lewis). The movie also features Eddy Chandler, Mary Kornman, and Paul Fix. Plot Rodeo star John Scott an ...

'' (1935) *'' Westward Ho'' (1935) * '' Wolf Call'' (1939) *''

North to the Klondike ''North to the Klondike'' is a 1942 American action movie directed by Erle C. Kenton and starring Broderick Crawford, Evelyn Ankers and Andy Devine. The supporting cast features Lon Chaney, Jr. in his last film before '' The Wolf Man'', which ...

'' (1942) *'' House of Frankenstein'' (1944) *''

Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves" ( ar, علي بابا والأربعون لصا) is a folk tale from the ''One Thousand and One Nights''. It was added to the collection in the 18th century by its French translator Antoine Galland, who heard ...

'' (1944)

References

Sources

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External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Malvern, Paul 1902 births 1993 deaths American acrobatic gymnasts American male film actors American male silent film actors 20th-century American male actors American stunt performers Burials at Hollywood Forever Cemetery Film producers from Oregon Filmmakers from Portland, Oregon Male actors from Portland, Oregon Vaudeville performers

Biography

Death

Select filmography

See also

References

Sources

External links