--- name: "Buddy Van Horn" canonical: "https://film.one/person/buddy-van-horn" fi1m_id: "buddy-van-horn" imdb_id: "nm0887174" tmdb_id: 66226 wikidata_id: "Q1001362" roles: ["Stunt coordinator","Director"] born: "20 August 1929" died: "11 May 2021" reviewed_on_fi1m: 12 average_fi1m_score: 76 average_over: 10 updated: "2026-10-04T19:32:27.687543+00:00" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Buddy Van Horn ## Identity Buddy Van Horn - **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/buddy-van-horn - **Type:** Person - **Fi1m ID:** buddy-van-horn - **IMDb ID:** nm0887174 - **TMDB ID:** 66226 - **Wikidata ID:** Q1001362 - **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddy_Van_Horn, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1001362, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0887174/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/66226 Stunt coordinator and director. Born 20 August 1929 in Los Angeles, California, USA. Died 11 May 2021. ## Details - **Work:** Stunt coordinator, Director - **Born:** 20 August 1929, Los Angeles, California, USA - **Died:** 11 May 2021 - **Active:** 1956–2008 - **Also known as:** Wayne Van Horn - **Titles on Fi1m:** 12: 1 acting, 1 directing, 10 crew - **Fi1m score by decade:** 1950s 63 (1), 1970s 79 (2), 1980s 67 (5), 2000s 82 (4) - **Fi1m against the critics:** 77 to 74 across 9 titles - **Score spread:** 4 at 80+, 6 at 60–79, 0 under 60 - **Genres:** Drama 7, Crime 4, Thriller 4, Action 3, Mystery 2, War 2 - **Screen time:** 24 hours of reviewed films - **Box office:** $1,041m across 10 films with figures - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddy_Van_Horn, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1001362, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0887174/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/66226 ## Fi1m on Buddy Van Horn > Buddy Van Horn was Clint Eastwood's stunt double and coordinator for more than forty years, and directed three of his films when asked. The fights are clear, heavy and real; the scenes between them are left to look after themselves, and mostly they do not. When somebody is hit in a Buddy Van Horn film, you can see who threw the punch, who took it and where he landed. That sounds like a low bar and it is one many directors fail to clear. In *Any Which Way You Can* (1980), his first feature, the fights are clear and heavy, thrown by men who look as though they could, and they are the best-handled thing in the film. Everything else, the songs, the bikers, the orang-utan, is left to find its own way out of the scene, and most of it wanders. He came to directing late and sideways. He had been a horseman and a stunt performer since the early 1950s, doubling Guy Williams on the *Zorro* television series and, at various times, Gregory Peck and James Stewart. From 1967 he was Clint Eastwood's double, and from the early 1970s his stunt coordinator and second-unit director at Malpaso, on *Dirty Harry* (1971) and after. He looked enough like Eastwood to be cast as the dead marshal in *High Plains Drifter* (1973). Three directing credits followed, all Eastwood pictures: *Any Which Way You Can*, *The Dead Pool* (1988) and *Pink Cadillac* (1989). Asked how the second came about, he said: "Clint just said, 'Have a look at the script. If you like it, you can direct it.' I liked it." That is a stuntman's account of directing, and the films are a stuntman's films. The action is done in front of the camera rather than with optical effects, and it is organised and efficient; Jack N. Green shot *The Dead Pool*, and it is the action that film is remembered for. The reviews at the time said of it roughly what we said of the first: good when something is moving, thin when it is not. Some also wondered how much of the directing was Van Horn's and how much his producer and star's, which is unkind but not unreasonable when every film a man directs has the same lead and the same company behind it. We will admit it: we sat forward for every fight in *Any Which Way You Can* and looked at the clock during everything between them, and we think that is the right response to the film rather than a failure of patience. Put it beside *Bronco Billy*, which Eastwood directed himself the same year and which has an idea about a man and his audience, and the gap is plain. One is a film. The other is a cast list with some excellent punches in it. He went back to the job he was best at and stayed there, coordinating stunts on Eastwood's films until *J. Edgar* (2011). Watch his three features for the set pieces and do not expect much around them. For the rest of what he did, look further down the credits of almost anything Eastwood made over more than forty years; his name is there, and so is his work. ## Biography Buddy Van Horn, also credited as Wayne Van Horn, was an American stunt coordinator, second unit director and film director. He directed three Clint Eastwood films: *Any Which Way You Can* (1980), *The Dead Pool* (1988) and *Pink Cadillac* (1989). Van Horn worked extensively with Eastwood from the late 1960s, serving as his stunt double and as stunt coordinator on more than thirty films up to *J. Edgar* (2011). Earlier in his career he doubled for Guy Williams on the Disney television series *Zorro* and for actors including Gregory Peck. He was sometimes credited under his birth name in the 1980s. *Sources: en.wikipedia.org, ew.com, variety.com.* ## On Fi1m (12) ### Performed in (1) - *Pale Rider* (1985), Fi1m 77, as Stage Driver — [page](https://film.one/film/pale-rider.md) ### Directed (1) - *Any Which Way You Can* (1980), Fi1m 50, Director — [page](https://film.one/film/any-which-way-you-can.md) ### Crew (10) — the average rests on these - *Gran Torino* (2008), Fi1m 76, Stunt Coordinator — [page](https://film.one/film/gran-torino.md) - *Letters from Iwo Jima* (2006), Fi1m 84, Stunt Coordinator — [page](https://film.one/film/letters-from-iwo-jima.md) - *Million Dollar Baby* (2004), Fi1m 86, Stunt Coordinator — [page](https://film.one/film/million-dollar-baby.md) - *Mystic River* (2003), Fi1m 82, Stunt Coordinator — [page](https://film.one/film/mystic-river.md) - *Tightrope* (1984), Fi1m 66, Stunt Double, Stunts, Stunt Coordinator — [page](https://film.one/film/tightrope.md) - *Sudden Impact* (1983), Fi1m 65, Stunt Coordinator — [page](https://film.one/film/sudden-impact.md) - *Heaven's Gate* (1980), Fi1m 79, Stunt Coordinator — [page](https://film.one/film/heavens-gate.md) - *The Deer Hunter* (1978), Fi1m 84, Stunt Coordinator — [page](https://film.one/film/the-deer-hunter.md) - *Dirty Harry* (1971), Fi1m 74, Stunt Coordinator, Stunt Double — [page](https://film.one/film/dirty-harry.md) - *Around the World in 80 Days* (1956), Fi1m 63, Stunts — [page](https://film.one/film/around-the-world-in-80-days.md) ## Complete filmography (99) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *J. Edgar* (2011), Stunt Coordinator - *Gran Torino* (2008), Stunt Coordinator — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/film/gran-torino.md) - *Changeling* (2008), Stunt Coordinator — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/film/changeling.md) - *Letters from Iwo Jima* (2006), Stunt Coordinator — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/letters-from-iwo-jima.md) - *Million Dollar Baby* (2004), Stunt Coordinator — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/film/million-dollar-baby.md) - *Mystic River* (2003), Stunt Coordinator — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/mystic-river.md) - *Waking Up in Reno* (2002), Stunt Coordinator - *Blood Work* (2002), Stunt Coordinator - *All the Pretty Horses* (2000), Stunt Coordinator - *Space Cowboys* (2000), Stunt Coordinator - *True Crime* (1999), Stunt Coordinator - *Absolute Power* (1997), Stunt Coordinator - *The Net* (1995), Stunt Coordinator, Second Unit Director - *Outbreak* (1995), Stunt Coordinator - *A Perfect World* (1993), Stunt Coordinator - *In the Line of Fire* (1993), Stunt Coordinator - *Diplomatic Immunity* (1991), Stunts - *The Rookie* (1990), Stunts, Second Unit Director - *Pink Cadillac* (1989), Director - *The Dead Pool* (1988), Director - *Shakedown* (1988), Stunts - *Off Limits* (1988), Stunt Coordinator - *Three O'Clock High* (1987), Stunt Coordinator - *Barfly* (1987), Stunts - *Nadine* (1987), Stunts - *The Night Stalker* (1987), Stunts - *Heartbreak Ridge* (1986), Stunt Coordinator - *The Big Easy* (1986), Stunts - *Ratboy* (1986), Stunt Coordinator - *Legal Eagles* (1986), Stunts - *Year of the Dragon* (1985), Stunt Coordinator - *Pale Rider* (1985), as Stage Driver · Stunt Coordinator — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/film/pale-rider.md) - *City Heat* (1984), Stunt Coordinator - *Tightrope* (1984), Stunts, Stunt Coordinator, Stunt Double — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/film/tightrope.md) - *Sudden Impact* (1983), Stunt Coordinator — Fi1m 65, [page](https://film.one/film/sudden-impact.md) - *Yellowbeard* (1983), Stunt Coordinator - *The Beastmaster* (1982), Stunts - *The Sword and the Sorcerer* (1982), Stunts — Fi1m 45, [page](https://film.one/film/the-sword-and-the-sorcerer.md) - *Falcon Crest* (1981), series, as Deputy - *The Return of the Beverly Hillbillies* (1981), as Townsman - *Any Which Way You Can* (1980), Director — Fi1m 50, [page](https://film.one/film/any-which-way-you-can.md) - *Magnum, P.I.* (1980), series, as Jack - *Heaven's Gate* (1980), Stunt Coordinator — Fi1m 79, [page](https://film.one/film/heavens-gate.md) - *The Fantastic Seven* (1979), Stunts - *Every Which Way but Loose* (1978), Stunt Coordinator - *The Deer Hunter* (1978), Stunt Coordinator — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/the-deer-hunter.md) - *FM* (1978), Stunts - *The Gauntlet* (1977), Stunt Coordinator, Stunts - *The Enforcer* (1976), Stunt Coordinator - *Swashbuckler* (1976), Stunt Coordinator - *The Master Gunfighter* (1975), Stunts - *Bite the Bullet* (1975), as Slim · Stunts - *The Eiger Sanction* (1975), Stunts - *The Great Waldo Pepper* (1975), Stunts - *Thunderbolt and Lightfoot* (1974), Stunt Coordinator - *Magnum Force* (1973), Stunts - *High Plains Drifter* (1973), as Marshall Jim Duncan · Stunt Coordinator - *Joe Kidd* (1972), Stunt Coordinator, Stunt Double - *Prime Cut* (1972), Stunts - *Dirty Harry* (1971), Stunt Coordinator, Stunt Double — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/film/dirty-harry.md) - *Big Jake* (1971), Stunts - *The Beguiled* (1971), as Soldier · Stunt Coordinator, Stunt Double - *I Walk the Line* (1970), Stunts - *The Cheyenne Social Club* (1970), Stunt Double, Stunts - *Two Mules for Sister Sara* (1970), Stunt Coordinator - *Marooned* (1969), Stunt Double - *Mackenna's Gold* (1969), Stunt Double - *The Stalking Moon* (1968), Stunts - *Coogan's Bluff* (1968), Stunt Double - *Bandolero!* (1968), Stunts - *Firecreek* (1968), Stunt Double - *Stranger on the Run* (1967), Stunts - *Chamber of Horrors* (1966), Stunts - *Alvarez Kelly* (1966), Stunts - *The Rare Breed* (1966), Stunts - *Our Man Flint* (1966), Stunts - *The War Lord* (1965), Stunts - *Mirage* (1965), Stunts - *Major Dundee* (1965), Stunts - *Kings of the Sun* (1963), Stunts - *It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World* (1963), Stunts - *The Swordsman of Siena* (1962), Stunts - *Spartacus* (1960), as Soldier (uncredited) · Stunts - *Last of the Badmen* (1957), Stunts - *Around the World in 80 Days* (1956), Stunts — Fi1m 63, [page](https://film.one/film/around-the-world-in-80-days.md) - *Lady Godiva of Coventry* (1955), Stunts - *The Man from Bitter Ridge* (1955), Stunt Double - *Escape to Burma* (1955), as Stunts - *Chief Crazy Horse* (1955), Stunts - *Destry* (1954), Stunts - *Prince Valiant* (1954), Stunts - *Taza, Son of Cochise* (1954), Stunts - *Ride Clear of Diablo* (1954), Stunts - *Gunsmoke* (1953), Stunts - *Son of Paleface* (1952), Stunts - *Silver City* (1951), Stunts - *Warpath* (1951), Stunts - *Cave of Outlaws* (1951), Stunts - *I Killed Geronimo* (1950), Stunts --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/buddy-van-horn