Cliff Lyons
Known for Acting · 87 credits
- Born
- 1901-07-05
- Died
- 1974-01-06
- Place of birth
- Clarno Township, Lake County, South Dakota, USA
- Also known as
- Clifford William Lyons · Tex · Cliff "Tex" Lyons
Biography
Cliff Lyons was an American actor, stuntman and second-unit director, primarily of Westerns, particularly the films of John Ford and John Wayne. Lyons, the son of Garrett Thomas Lyons and Wilhamena Johnson Lyons, was raised on a South Dakota farm, though his family lived for a time in Memphis, TN, where he attended business school. An expert horseman, he gave up the notion of a business career and opted for the rodeo arena instead, touring the country;y and eventually reaching Los Angeles at the age of 21. With accomplished cowboys in great demand, Lyons quickly became involved in movies, working both as a stuntman and an actor. After only a couple of bit parts, he was signed by producer Bud Barsky to do seven inexpensive Westerns directed by Paul Hurst, with Lyons and Al Hoxie alternating as the hero and the heavy. Lyons and Hoxie alternated in another Western series produced by Morris R. Schlank, and, as Cliff 'Tex' Lyons, he seemed headed for minor stardom as a B-Western lead. However, Lyons' voice was not well-suited for sound and the talkie revolution confined him to small roles. As his small shot at stardom faded, however, his career as a stunt double for stars big and small was on the rise. He doubled such cowboy stars as Tom Mix, Ken Maynard, Buck Jones and Johnny Mack Brown. In 1936 he worked with John Wayne for the first and struck up a personal and business relationship that would remain strong for three decades. Wayne was influential in getting Lyons his first work as a second-unit director and in introducing Lyons to John Ford, for whom Lyons would do some of his finest work. Lyons' reputation as a stunt coordinator is comparable to that of acknowledged master Yakima Canutt, with whom Lyons partnered on numerous occasions. Perhaps Lyons' most impressive work was the massive and dynamic battle sequences of Wayne's The Alamo (1960). He was married from 1938 to 1955 to actress Beth Marion, with whom he had two sons. Cliff Lyons died in 1974 at 72, not long after coordinating stunts for Wayne's The Train Robbers (1973).
Date of Birth 4 July 1901, near Clarno Township, Lake County, South Dakota
Date of Death 6 January 1974, Los Angeles, California
Known For
TV Shows (1)
Movies (86)
Ben-Hur
1959
as The Lubian (uncredited)
Spartacus
1960
as Soldier (uncredited)
3 Godfathers
1948
as Guard at Mojave Tanks (uncredited)
Chisum
1970
as Wrangler (uncredited)
The Alamo
1960
as Bowie's Man (uncredited)
She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
1949
as Trooper Cliff (uncredited)
The War Wagon
1967
as Outrider (uncredited)
The Horse Soldiers
1959
as Union Sergeant (uncredited)
The Green Berets
1968
as Hugh Parkinson (uncredited)
Rio Grande
1950
as Soldier (uncredited)
7 Men from Now
1956
as Henchman
Major Dundee
1965
as Trooper (uncredited)
Two Rode Together
1961
as William McCandless (uncredited)
Bend of the River
1952
as Willie
The Wings of Eagles
1957
as Officer in Brawl (uncredited)
Sergeant Rutledge
1960
as Sam Beecher (uncredited)
The Red Badge of Courage
1951
as Soldier (uncredited)
Western Courage
1927
as Henchman Cliff
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ
1925
as Charioteer (uncredited)
Wagon Master
1950
as Marshal of Crystal City
The Sun Shines Bright
1953
Genghis Khan
1965
as (uncredited)
Marco the Magnificent
1965
as (uncredited)
The Prodigal
1955
as Harun (uncredited)
Desert Greed
1926
as Gillis - Henchman (uncredited)
The Young Land
1959
as Reynolds - Jury Foreman (uncredited)
The Crimson Trail
1935
as Barroom Cowhand
The Lawless Nineties
1936
as Henchman Davis
Bullets and Justice
1929
as Red Barton
When Willie Comes Marching Home
1950
as Churchgoer (uncredited)
The Old Code
1928
as Jacques de Long
The Painted Desert
1931
as Rider
The Night Rider
1932
as Bert Logan
The Last Days of Pompeii
1935
as Ostorius - a Gladiator (uncredited)
Hell Hounds of the Plains
1927
as Henchman (uncredited)
The Abductors
1957
as Secret Service Agent
The Oklahoma Sheriff
1930
The Arizona Kid
1929
as Red Hank
Covered Wagon Trails
1930
North of the Rio Grande
1937
as Barfly
The Hunted Men
1930
as Henchman Red (uncredited)
The Eagle's Brood
1935
as Cowhand
Wagon Tracks West
1943
as Henchman Matt
Call of the Desert
1930
as Nate Thomas
Gordon of Ghost City
1933
as Rider
Colt Comrades
1943
as Rancher
Renegade Trail
1939
as Henchman
Hollywood Round-Up
1937
as Saloon Set Brawler
The Oklahoma Cyclone
1930
as Henchman
Apache Warrior
1957
as Trooper (uncredited)
Winners of the West
1940
as Indian / Henchman
The Law of the Plains
1929
as Henchman
Wild Horse Canyon
1925
as Ranch Hand
Trailin' West
1936
as Gambler (uncredited)
The Silver Bullet
1942
as Stage Driver / Barfly
The Devil Horse
1932
as Cowhand (uncredited)
Three Rogues
1931
as Deputy (uncredited)
The Rainbow Trail
1932
as Horseman
Near the Rainbow's End
1930
as Lefty - Henchman
The Last of the Duanes
1930
as Henchman
The Canyon of Missing Men
1930
as Brill Lonegran
Firebrand Jordan
1930
as Pete
The Man from Nowhere
1930
The Fighting Ranger
1926
Black Aces
1937
as Rider
The Lone Rider
1930
as Henchman
Canyon Hawks
1930
as Tom Hardy
The Cowboy and the Outlaw
1929
as Slim Saxon
Across the Plains
1928
as Chuck Lang
Manhattan Cowboy
1928
as Tex Spaulding
Riders of the Purple Sage
1931
as Jed
Stormy
1935
as Cowhand (uncredited)
O'Malley Rides Alone
1930
as Henchman
Code of the West
1929
as Leary Henchman
The Cheyenne Kid
1930
as Cowhand (uncredited)
The Last Roundup
1929
as Jimmy Blyth
The Fighting Terror
1929
Red Fork Range
1931
as 'Skeeter' Beldon
Under Texas Skies
1930
as Mustang - Henchman (uncredited)
Headin' Westward
1929
as Pat Carle
Blue Streak O'Neil
1926
The Road Agent
1925
Western Honor
1930
Outlaw's Paradise
1927
as Sheriff
Breezy Bill
1930
as Bandit
The Voice from the Sky
1929
as Henchman 'Humpy'
About Cliff Lyons
Cliff Lyons was an American actor, stuntman and second-unit director, primarily of Westerns, particularly the films of John Ford and John Wayne. Lyons, the son of Garrett Thomas Lyons and Wilhamena Johnson Lyons, was raised on a South Dakota farm, though his family lived for a time in Memphis, TN, where he attended business school. An expert horseman, he gave up the notion of a business career and opted for the rodeo arena instead, touring the country;y and eventually reaching Los Angeles at the age of 21. With accomplished cowboys in great de… With 87 credits spanning from 1925 to 1970, Cliff Lyons has appeared in 86 films and 1 TV show.
Fans searching for Cliff Lyons movies, Cliff Lyons filmography, or the latest projects starring Cliff Lyons can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Cliff Lyons Movies
- Ben-Hur (1959) — as The Lubian (uncredited)
- Spartacus (1960) — as Soldier (uncredited)
- 3 Godfathers (1948) — as Guard at Mojave Tanks (uncredited)
- Chisum (1970) — as Wrangler (uncredited)
- The Alamo (1960) — as Bowie's Man (uncredited)
Where to Watch Cliff Lyons Films
Most Cliff Lyons movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Cliff Lyons, check our movies catalogue and browse page.