Confessions of a Hollywood Stunt Man (Or It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time!)

Veteran stuntman Fred "Krunch" Krone, Stuntmen's Assn. co-founder and first secretary, treasurer, said, "Jesse has written what no one has ever said or would dare say. It's a must read."

Not all stunt men are six-feet tall. Confessions of a Hollywood Stunt Man is the thrilling saga of a five-foot-four, 18 year old kid who became a stunt double for Hollywood’s most famous short men, women and children. In an adventurous, daring career spanning 40 years, Jesse Wayne details the many comedic and tragic incidents in front & behind the cameras, including a vicious murder of an 8 year old black kid on a New Orleans film location. When the Stuntmen’s Association of Motion Pictures was formulated in 1961, he documented its history as secretary, treasurer and board member. Jesse appeared in over 500 TV productions and feature films, in addition to hundreds of live stunt shows. If this seems like a lot, it's because he began in the early days of Los Angeles' live television, when he was eight years old. His most exhilarating experiences was meeting and working with the greatest actors, writers, producers and directors of the 20th Century.

In 1959, Jesse became Mickey Rooney's stunt double at MGM. Continuing, he doubled small men, women, and virtually every child actor in Tinseltown. Jesse performed Fights, Car Work, Stair Falls, Bicycles, High Work, High Falls and Horse Work. Fire Gags became one of his prime specialties. He quit Water stunts after the "Julia Belle Swain" riverboat ran over him in Tom Sawyer (1973) while doubling Jeff East.

Jesse also stunt-doubled The Three Stooges (Moe Howard and Larry Fine), Robert Morse, Kurt Russell, Red Buttons, John Mills, Frankie Avalon, Kay Lenz, David Wayne, Leslie Caron, Barbara Stanwyck, Helen Hayes, Harry Morgan, Arte Johnson, José Feliciano, Johnny Crawford, George Gobel, Robin Williams, Gary Burghoff, Strother Martin, John Hillerman, Donald Pleasence, Mel Brooks, Don Johnson, Billie Hayes (aka "WitcheePoo"), Brenda Vaccaro, Barbara Rhoades, Pamela Austin, Lurene Tuttle, Eddie Hodges, Michael Burns, Buck Kartalian, William 'Billy' Benedict, Richard Bakalyan, Michael J. Pollard, and Mel Tormé.

Jesse has also performed behind the camera as a first assistant director, cinematographer, videographer, director and gun coach and just about every other job on a movie set.