Loren Janes - Stuntman | Read more at in70mm.com The 70mm Newsletter |
| Written by: Tom March, Calgary Alberta, Canada | Date: 15.04.2012 |
 Loren
Janes Back in October, 2008, I came across the Lone Pine Film Festival purely by accident while driving through central California. And, there it was, in the program: ”How Lone Pine Won The West Tour” with Stuntman Loren Janes. Stuntman and Film Raconteur, Loren Janes shows you his personal film clips of his work on the epic Hollywood film "How the West Was Won". Hear Loren tell of those days and the locations where his historic stunts were performed. After purchasing a ticket and attending his presentation in Lone Pine, I thought “He should do this at Bradford”. Well, the opportunity finally presented itself and Loren accepted an invitation from the NMM. He will be traveling to Bradford with Dave Strohmaier, Randy Gitsch and me as a very special guest and will be on stage doing his home movie presentation at Widescreen Weekend “Cinerama 60”. He is looking forward to meeting and greeting all the many fans of Cinerama and 70mm who are attending the Festival this year and he is especially looking forward to seeing Bradford’s vintage Technicolor print of “West” on the giant louvered Cinerama screen. Loren has amassed many accomplishments over his illustrious career. Here are some snippets from his web site biography: Loren Janes was born October 1, 1931 and started to look for challenge and adventure early in life. Between the ages of 10 and 17, he hiked the 220-mile length of the John Muir trail four times on his own. In high school and college, he competed in swimming, diving, water polo, and gymnastics, winning numerous titles and awards. He is a bow hunter, scuba diver, surfer, mountain climber, and certified ski instructor. In 1954, Loren became a professional movie and television stuntman and stunt coordinator, making his debut in movies with an eighty-foot dive off a cliff on Catalina Island in an Esther Williams movie. In the following years, he worked with practically every major director, producer, and star in the industry, including doubling for Steve McQueen through his entire 23-year career, and Jack Nicholson, Kirk Douglas, Paul Newman, Michael Douglas, Charles Bronson, Robert Wagner, Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis, Yul Brynner, and Frank Sinatra. He has appeared in more than 500 movies and in over 2,200 television shows. Loren feels fortunate that in his long career he has never been seriously injured. In fact, he has never broken a bone. He gives credit for this to his coaches for teaching him discipline and focus, his acrobatic background, staying in good shape, never smoking, drinking, or using drugs, and his faith in God. | More in 70mm reading: Widescreen Weekend 2012 “How Lone Pine Won the West” Film Locations Tour The Captains and the Kings depart Scanning Cinerama Films Remembering Richard Greenhalgh May 29, 1948 – September 5, 2011 Internet link: Loren Janes' homepage |
 Loren
and Tom on the site where "How the West Was Won" was filmed. Image by Tom March• In 1961, he co-founded the Stuntmen's Association of Motion Pictures and Television, the original Stuntmen's organization. • In 1992, he was elected to the Board of Directors of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), and was the National Chairman of the SAG Stunt and Safety Committee. • In August 2001, Loren received the coveted lifetime achievement award, the Golden Boot (the Oscar for Westerns). • In April 2003, he received the “Gallery of Legends Award” from the World Acrobatic Society. • In November 2003, he received the “Silver Spur Award” in recognition for outstanding achievement in entertainment and Western films. • In March 2004, Loren’s name was given a place in the “Walk of Western Stars” in Santa Clarita, California. • In May 2010 he was awarded the “Lifetime Achievement Award for Stunts” by the Taurus World Stunt Awards in Hollywood, California. • In 1956, he became the first civilian to enter the United States Olympic trials in the modern pentathlon, a grueling Summer Olympic event that combines five sports: riding, fencing, shooting, swimming, and running. He competed a second time in 1964. • He is a member and past president (1991) of the exclusive Adventurer’s Club of Los Angeles and the Explorers Club of New York. His extensive travels and explorations have taken him around the world. He is a biologist, plant and animal ecologist, musician, school teacher, movieographer, speaker, and film lecturer. | |
Loren Janes worked on these large format films | |
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• Hello, Dolly! • Paint Your Wagon (70mm Blow Up List 1969) • Ice Station Zebra • The Dirty Dozen (70mm Blow Up List 1967) • Camelot (70mm Blow Up List 1967) • The Sand Pebbles (70mm Blow Up List 1966) • "The Greatest Story Ever Told" • Cheyenne Autumn • "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" • "How the West Was Won" • "Spartacus" | |
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