Jock Mahoney facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jock Mahoney
Mahoney in The Range Rider
Born	Jacques Joseph O'Mahoney (1919-02-07)February 7, 1919 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Died	December 14, 1989(1989-12-14) (aged 70) Bremerton, Washington, U.S.
Alma mater	University of Iowa
Occupation	Actor, stuntman
Years active	1946–1985
Spouse(s)	Lorraine O'Donnell ​ (divorced)​ Margaret Field ​ ​ (m. 1952; div. 1968)​ Autumn Russell ​ (m. 1969)​
Children	3

Jacques Joseph O'Mahoney (born February 7, 1919 – died December 14, 1989), known as Jock Mahoney, was an American actor and stuntman. He was famous for his exciting roles in action and adventure TV shows. Jock Mahoney starred in two popular series, The Range Rider and Yancy Derringer. He also played the iconic character Tarzan in two movies.

Early Life and Military Service

Jock Mahoney was born in Chicago, Illinois. He grew up in Davenport, Iowa. He was the only child of Ruth and Charles O'Mahoney. Jock went to the University of Iowa where he was excellent at swimming and diving.

When World War II started, he left college to join the United States Marine Corps. He bravely served as a pilot and flight instructor during the war.

Becoming a Stuntman and Actor

After leaving the Marine Corps, Jock Mahoney moved to Los Angeles. For a short time, he raised horses. But soon, he started a new career as a movie stuntman. He performed dangerous stunts for famous actors like Gregory Peck, Errol Flynn, and John Wayne.

In one movie called Adventures of Don Juan (1948), Jock Mahoney was the only stuntman brave enough to jump from a high staircase. He was paid a lot of money for this very risky stunt!

Working with Columbia Pictures

In the late 1940s and early 1950s, Jock Mahoney made many films with Columbia Pictures. He often appeared in short comedy films. Starting in 1947, he worked with the famous comedy group the Three Stooges. Jock had speaking roles in these films, often playing characters who would suddenly become clumsy for laughs.

He appeared in Stooge films like Out West (1947) and Squareheads of the Round Table (1948). In these comedies, Jock Mahoney would look heroic, then trip or fall in a funny way.

From Stuntman to Star

Around 1950, Columbia Pictures noticed Jock Mahoney's acting talent. They started giving him leading roles in adventure series. He starred in Cody of the Pony Express (1950) and Roar of the Iron Horse (1951).

Jock Mahoney also became the stunt double for Charles Starrett in The Durango Kid Western movies. The Durango Kid wore a mask, so Jock could easily replace Starrett in action scenes. Jock's amazing stunts made it seem like Starrett was becoming more athletic! Jock was so important to the series that he started getting featured billing and bigger roles. By 1952, he was known as Jack Mahoney.

Starring in TV Westerns

Famous cowboy star Gene Autry hired Jock Mahoney for a television series. From 1951 to 1953, Jock starred in 79 episodes of The Range Rider. He played a hero known only as the Range Rider. His co-star was Dick Jones, who played Dick West.

In 1958, Jock Mahoney starred in the Western movie Money, Women and Guns. He also led the adventure TV series Yancy Derringer for 34 episodes on CBS. Yancy Derringer was a gentleman adventurer living in New Orleans, Louisiana, after the American Civil War. He had a Pawnee friend named Pahoo Katchewa, who communicated using only sign language.

Jock Mahoney starred in 64 feature films during his career.

Playing Tarzan

In 1948, Jock Mahoney tried out for the role of Tarzan, but Lex Barker got the part.

However, in 1960, Jock appeared as a villain in Tarzan the Magnificent. His strong presence and athletic build impressed the producer, Sy Weintraub. Weintraub wanted a "new look" for Tarzan.

Tarzan Movies and Challenges

In 1962, Jock Mahoney became the 13th actor to play Tarzan in the movie Tarzan Goes to India. This film was shot in India. A year later, he played Tarzan again in Tarzan's Three Challenges, filmed in Thailand. When this movie came out, Jock Mahoney was 44 years old. This made him the oldest actor to play Tarzan, a record he still holds!

Filming in the Thai jungles was tough. Jock got very sick with dysentery and dengue fever. He lost a lot of weight and needed a year and a half to get healthy again. Because of his health issues, his contract to play Tarzan ended.

Jock Mahoney also appeared in three episodes of the Ron Ely Tarzan TV series between 1966 and 1967. In 1981, he returned to the Tarzan films as the stunt coordinator for Tarzan, the Ape Man.

Later Career and Health

Jock Mahoney continued to act in television shows. In 1954, he appeared in Death Valley Days. He also guest-starred in popular series like Rawhide, Batman, Hawaii Five-O, and The Streets of San Francisco.

In 1973, at age 54, he had a stroke while filming an episode of Kung Fu. Despite this, he made guest appearances in the 1980s on shows like B. J. and the Bear and The Fall Guy.

Jock Mahoney passed away at age 70 on December 14, 1989, after a second stroke. His ashes were scattered into the Pacific Ocean.

Family Life

Jock Mahoney was married three times and had three children. He also had five stepchildren. His first wife was Lorraine O'Donnell, and they had two children, Kathleen and Jim.

He then married actress Margaret Field in 1952. Their daughter, Princess O'Mahoney, was born six months later. Margaret Field also had two young children from a previous marriage, Richard D. Field and Sally Field (who later became a famous actress). Jock and Margaret divorced in 1968.

Jock Mahoney's daughter, Princess O'Mahoney, later worked in television and film as an assistant director.

Selected Filmography

Selected Television Roles

Images for kids

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  Jock Mahoney in The Range Rider