Carey Loftin

William Carey Loftin (January 31, 1914 – March 4, 1997, a.k.a. Cary Loftin, Carry Loftin, Carey Lofton, Gary Loftin) was an American professional stuntman, stunt coordinator and actor in the U.S. film industry. He is considered to be one of the film industry's most accomplished stunt drivers. In a lengthy career spanning 61 years, his body of work included classic films such as Thunder Road, Bullitt, Vanishing Point, Duel, and The French Connection. He was posthumously inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2001. During the 1940s and 1950s, Loftin raced in many Southern California off-road motorcycle events such as the Catalina Grand Prix, the Big Bear Hare & Hound desert race, the Greenhorn Enduro and others. He was also one of the stuntmen driving the green Ford Mustang during the chase scene filmed on the streets of San Francisco. While working on Bullitt, one of his fellow stuntmen called him "the greatest car man in the business". Loftin mentioned that the hardest stunt to do during his whole career was during the final scene in White Line Fever driving the main character truck, for which he was the only hired stuntman. Followed by second hardest stunt in his whole entire career he had mentioned was with the truck in the final scene of Duel (1971). These two roles later got him more iconic stuntman roles for the main characters trucks in Road Movie (1972), Hijack! (1974), Movin' On (1974-1976), Truck Stop Women (1974), La Menace (1975), Trucker's Woman (1976), The Great Smokey Roadblock (1977), Smokey and the Bandit (1977), High Ballin''' (1978), Steel Cowboy (1978), Steel (1979), B. J. and the Bear (1979-1981), Willa (1979), Smokey and the Bandit II (1980), Time Bomb (1984), Thunder Run (1986), Armed and Dangerous (1986), Near Dark (1987), Over The Top (1987), The Wizard (1989), License To Kill (1989), Jacknife (1989), The Chase (1990), Pink Lightning (1991), Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot (1992), Revenge on the Highway (1992), Heat (1996), Hit & Run (1996), Fire Down Below (1997), Country Justice (1997), Breakdown (1997) and in Black Dog (1998)

Aside from being a busy stuntman, Loftin also acted in bit parts of the many films and television shows in which he performed stunts.

Selected filmographyPublic Cowboy No. 1 (1937) - Motorcycle Rider (uncredited)Radio Patrol (1937, Serial) - Pollard Henchman (uncredited)Burn 'Em Up O'Connor (1939) - Starter (uncredited)Dick Tracy's G-Men (1939, Serial) - Trooper on Foot (uncredited)Nick Carter, Master Detective (1939) - Minor Role (uncredited)Rocky Mountain Rangers (1940) - Ranger-Guard (uncredited)Grand Ole Opry (1940) - Hillbilly (uncredited)The Bank Dick (1940) - Townsman (uncredited)Flying Wild (1941) - Henchman (uncredited)Down Mexico Way (1941) - Motorcycle Cop (uncredited)Spy Smasher (1942, Serial) - Launch Heavy [Ch. 8] (uncredited)Perils of Nyoka (1942, Serial) - Tuareg (uncredited)Shantytown (1943) - Gangster (uncredited)Secret Service in Darkest Africa (1943, Serial) - Workman [Ch. 6] / Arab 1 [Ch. 7] (uncredited)The Masked Marvel (1943, Serial) - Harbor Café Thug #2 (uncredited)The Tiger Woman (1944, Serial) - Slim (uncredited)In Society (1944) - Mugg (uncredited)Haunted Harbor (1944, Serial) - Cave Thug #2 [Ch. 7] (uncredited)Lost in a Harem (1944) - Chase Guard (uncredited)Zorro's Black Whip (1944, Serial) - Dirk (uncredited)I'll Remember April (1945) - Roughneck (uncredited)Trail to Vengeance (1945) - Gunman (uncredited)Secret Agent X-9 (1945, Serial) - 'Swanson' Sailor / Charlie (uncredited)The Purple Monster Strikes (1945, Serial) - Mack (uncredited)King of the Forest Rangers (1946, Serial) - Forbes - Trading Post Henchman [Ch. 1] (uncredited)The Crimson Ghost (1946, Serial) - Lab Guard #1 [Ch. 9] (uncredited)The Michigan Kid (1947) - Brawler (uncredited)Jesse James Rides Again (1947, Serial) - Henchman at Nelson's (uncredited)Louisiana (1947) - Motorcycle PolicemanThe Black Widow (1947, Serial) - Spike (uncredited)G-Men Never Forget (1948, Serial) - Hodge - Cook's Killer [Ch. 5] (uncredited)Here Comes Trouble (1948) - Hood at Burlesque House (uncredited)Dangers of the Canadian Mounted (1948, Serial) - Baggage Car Clerk / Porter (uncredited)Raw Deal (1948) - Motorcycle Cop (uncredited)Adventures of Frank and Jesse James (1948, Serial) - Pete - Henchman [Chs. 3-4] / Henchman [Ch. 11] (uncredited)Federal Agents vs. Underworld, Inc. (1949, Serial) - Ambulance Thug [Ch. 3] (uncredited)King of the Rocket Men (1949, Serial) - Sparks - Henchman [Ch. 2] (uncredited)Mighty Joe Young (1949) - Deputy (uncredited)Radar Patrol vs. Spy King (1949, Serial) - Cave Heavy [Ch. 9-10] (uncredited)The Threat (1949) - Motorcycle Cop (uncredited)The Invisible Monster (1950, Serial) - Dirk - Dynamite Thug [Ch.6] (uncredited)Armored Car Robbery (1950) - Duff (uncredited)The Flame and the Arrow (1950) - Outlaw (uncredited)The Milkman (1950) - Milkman (uncredited)Flying Disc Man from Mars (1950, Serial) - Truck loader-thug [Chs. 7-8] (uncredited)Soldiers Three (1951) - Brawler (uncredited)Don Daredevil Rides Again (1951, Serial) - Owens (uncredited)Radar Men from the Moon (1952, Serial) - Motorist transporting pursuit cop [Ch. 8] (uncredited)Fearless Fagan (1952) - Truck Driver (uncredited)Army Bound (1952) - Duke HornerJalopy (1953) - Jalopy driver (uncredited)Code Two (1953) - Policeman (uncredited)Canadian Mounties vs. Atomic Invaders (1953, Serial) - Launch heavy # [Ch.6] (uncredited)Captain Scarface (1953) - Radio Man, S.S. Banos (uncredited)The Wild One (1953) - Gang Member (uncredited)Gypsy Colt (1954) - Bill (uncredited)A Star Is Born (1954) - Signboard man #2 (uncredited)Six Bridges to Cross (1955) - Policeman (uncredited)The Steel Jungle (1956) - Truck DriverDon't Go Near the Water (1957) - Navy officer on roof (uncredited)The Perfect Furlough (1958) - French cart peddler (uncredited)Johnny Rocco (1958) - Motorcycle CopThe Rebel Set (1959)The Shaggy Dog (1959) - Stunt driver (uncredited)The Big Operator (1959) - Chris Baker (uncredited)The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond (1960) - Thug (uncredited)Thunder in Carolina (1960) - Tommy WebbSpartacus (1960) - Guard (uncredited)It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) - Stunt Supervisor, stunt driver (uncredited), stunt double (uncredited)The Satan Bug (1965) - First agent at truck crash (uncredited)The Great Race (1965) - Saloon brawler (uncredited)Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine (1965)The Love Bug (1968) - Driver (uncredited)The Wrecking Crew (1968) - Driver (uncredited)Patton (1970) - Gen. Bradley's driverDuel (1971) - Truck driverWalking Tall (1973) - Dice playerThe Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974) - Motorcycle cop (uncredited)Night Moves (1975) - Cop (uncredited)Walking Tall Part 2 (1975) - Truck driver (uncredited)Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (1977) - DriverThe Promise (1979) - Truck driverStroker Ace (1983) - Truck Driver (uncredited)Christine (1983) - Truck driver (uncredited)City Heat (1984) - Roxy driverMessenger of Death'' (1988) - Truck driver (uncredited)