Cliff Lyons was a renowned American actor, stuntman, and second-unit director, primarily associated with Westerns, particularly the films of John Ford and John Wayne. Born to Garrett Thomas Lyons and Wilhamena Johnson Lyons, he grew up on a South Dakota farm, although his family temporarily resided in Memphis, Tennessee, where he attended business school. A skilled horseman, Lyons abandoned his business aspirations and instead pursued a career in the rodeo arena, touring the country and eventually settling in Los Angeles at the age of 21.
As an accomplished cowboy, Lyons quickly found himself in high demand, leading him to work in movies as both a stuntman and actor. Following a few minor roles, he was signed by low-budget producer Bud Barsky to star in seven inexpensive Westerns directed by Paul Hurst, with Lyons and Al Hoxie alternating as the hero and heavy. Lyons and Hoxie also appeared in another Western series produced by Morris R. Schlank, and as Cliff "Tex" Lyons, he seemed poised for minor stardom as a B-Western lead.
However, Lyons' voice was not well-suited for the advent of sound, and the talkie revolution relegated him to small roles. As his shot at stardom faded, his career as a stunt double for prominent cowboy stars like Tom Mix, Ken Maynard, Buck Jones, and Johnny Mack Brown began to take off. In 1936, he worked with John Wayne for the first time, striking up a personal and professional relationship that would endure for three decades.
Wayne played a significant role in securing Lyons his first work as a second-unit director and introducing him to John Ford, for whom Lyons would go on to do some of his finest work. Lyons' reputation as a stunt coordinator is comparable to that of acknowledged master Yakima Canutt, with whom Lyons collaborated on numerous occasions. Perhaps Lyons' most impressive work was the massive and dynamic battle sequences in Wayne's The Alamo (1960).
Lyons was married to actress Beth Marion from 1938 to 1955, with whom he had two sons. Cliff Lyons passed away in 1974 at the age of 72, shortly after coordinating stunts for Wayne's The Train Robbers (1973).
