b'By Bob Roloff,The Arizona DuuudeP at Larkin grew up on a ranch just east ofboys do at that age, and he with friends would race Phillipsburg, Kansas. Ranching and rodeosaround the old country back roads. One day back in were Pats way of life from the beginning. Then1957 a film crew was making a movie with Robert a chance invite to go to California to be in a movie,Mitchum featuring car chases along those country would lead Pat into a busy life in front of and behindroads. Pat happened to stop in at the local small the camera. I believe his best work is what he hasgeneral store while the owner was talking to the film brought to the big screen, with his trained horses,crew. The film crew had just told the owner they stock, authentic wagons, and stagecoaches in fastneeded another stunt driver when Pat walks in. The action scenes. Pat is a top-notch professional 4-Up owner points to Pat and says, "There\'s a good old boy or 6-Up stagecoach driver. that knows these roads and runs\'em pretty fast." I\'ve known Pat Larkin for the past several years. I\'dSo Pat got paid as a stunt driver in the Robert heard of his work before I met him, some mightyMitchum movie Thunder Road. This after Pat and impressive stuff. Pat\'s still not retired but he picks andBuddy Heaton appeared as background characters in chooses his work more carefully these days and enjoysBus Stop starring Marilyn Monroe in 1956. During living a quiet life with his wife Dorothy in Desert Hillsthis time Pat was getting horse stunt work too. He north of Scottsdale. remembers he once had to jump a horse into the Missouri River three times just to get it right atPat Larkin with his wife, DorothyPat liked the ranch and rodeo lifestyle. Roping and$300.00 a jump. Pat liked that payday.bronc ridin\' were always his favorite events. Buddycountrymen in a rebellion to free his homeland from Heaton (a real wild man, according to Pat) but oneAccording to Pat, the main reason he went tothe tyranny of King Edward I of England. It was filmed of the best rodeo clowns, as was Slim Pickins at thatHollywood was to work in movies to earn money soentirely in Ireland, Scotland, and the UK, except for time, were rodeo friends of Pats. So this one timehe could go back and work in rodeos. When he was inthe impaling of the horses in the battle sequence. This Buddy says, Hey Pat you want to go to California andHollywood Pat frequented a bar called the Palominosequence was filmed outside of Benson, Arizona. Pat be in a movie? Pat, Well no not necessarily, why?Club where the stunt guys used to hang out. Larkin was brought in to arrange for nineteen horses, Buddy, Well Slim Pickins is going to be in it and youthree of which were his personal horses, to be used could ride out with us. Pat says okay and went andAs I sat and listened, Pat smiled and said, Makingin these scenes. As rough and violent as the scenes told his dad, he was mad of course.Pat went out,movies is a lot of fun, I enjoy it, most of the time. Iappear none of the horses suffered any harm. They stayed a few days and came back. was no big-time stunt man. I just did whatever theywere professionally trained horses.Leaning out of his paid me to do. The action part is what I liked. Pathelicopter as he was leaving Mel Gibson gave Pat a big Pat\'s dad wanted Pat to go to college and someday helpalso related that he always had some rough stockthumbs up. Well done Pat.with other family businesses. Dad ran Harry\'s Caf,to put on rodeos in Colorado Springs for years. Pat in Clinton, Oklahoma. It was a big spot right there oneven owned a world champion bucking bull namedMost recently Pat has been recognized as an award-Route 66. Many of the big-time Western movie starsDroopy, who unfortunately was killed in an autowinning scriptwriter. Screenplays that were entered that passed thru Tulsa would stop at Harry\'s Caf so Pataccident in the mid-70s.in several different International Film Festivals got to meet them all. When Pat quit college his dad wasincluding the Gangtok, Druk, and Krimson Horyzon really mad and disappointed but Pat was determined toIn 1989 Pat would team up with professional stuntmanFilm Festivals plus the Toronto Film and Script go back to rodeos and California. Spanky Spangler, as Spanky powered his automobileCompetition have won awards.up and over a flaming stagecoach driven by Pat during One of Pat\'s early movie appearances was as a stuntthe Hollywood style stunt competition at WestWorldWARNING: No Trespassing, a mystery horror movie, car driver. At one time Pat wanted to be a race carin Scottsdale. Before Spanky jumped his car over Patsproduced by Pat Larkin and Ron Nix will be shown driver but couldnt afford it. Pat loved speed, as allburning stagecoach, the guy that was directing cameat the Wild Bunch Film Festival held in Willcox from over and asked, Aren\'t you scared? Pat,September 30th through October 3rd. Pat has one of No I\'m not too scared. Director, Well whythe lead roles, along with Kristina Wayborn, Bobbi aren\'t you scared? Pat, I know SpankyJeen Olson, Linda Rae Jurgens, Spanky Spangler, knows what he\'s doing. I know he\'s gotLarry Chebowski, LeeAnn Sharpe, and many other all the angles figured out. Pat, After thelocals you might recognize. Go to IMDB to see the successful jump, here comes the guy thatcomplete list. asked me if I was afraid. He wanted to know, is there anything that has ever scared me. Pat, yeah when I used to ride bulls andIts the 6th Annual Int\'l Wild Bunch you got an 1800 or 2000 pound bull thatsFilm Festival to be held at the Willcox got you pinned to the ground and his eyeHistoric Theater in conjunction with is eye to eye with yours. Believe me, yourethe 71st Annual Rex Allen Days! scared. You know its coming, you just don\'tThere will be a parade, carnival, know how bad. rodeo, gun show, car show, and much In Braveheart, the 1995 blockbustermore. Come see Pat Larkin and the movie starring Mel Gibson as the Scottishrest of the stars.warrior William Wallace, he leads his ArizonaRealCountry.com September 2021 17'