10-4 Magazine / June 2025 49 Jump! Itwasfuntodowhenyouwerethreeyearsold,inpuddles,offcurbsor,heavenforbid,offroofswhereyourmomsaid you’d“breakyourneck.” VanHalentoldyoutodoit,thePointerSistersandCountBasiemadeitbounce,andtheStonesmadeit flash. Andinthenewbook,“DaughterofDaring”byMalloryO’Meara,onewomanmadeitpay. WhenHelenGibsonwasbornin 1892,itwasatimeforlittlegirlstoactlikeproper,well-bredyoungladies. FortunatelyforHelen,herparentsdidn’tfollowthose rules. HelenwasallowedtoclimbtreesandplayinthedirtneartheirClevelandhomewhichwas,perhaps,asignofthingstocome. By 1910, Cleveland had nothing for a girl like Helen, so after working briefly at a factory, she struck out for a life of excitement. She landed in Oklahoma, at a ranch that offered Wild West shows, where she learned trick riding and other fearless ways to delight customerseagerforthrills. Entertainment,saysO’Meara,wasoneofthefewwaysawomanintheearlytwentiethcenturycould makeadecentlivingwhilehavingsomedegreeofindependence,andthatnewkindoflifestylewasusuallyfoundintheWest. Inthe sleepy town of Los Angeles, California, for example, a woman who wanted to seize adventure could easily find a friend or two, an inexpensivecamera,andthethinnestofplots. Shecouldmakeamovingpicture–andshecouldgetfamousdoingit. Still,despite that,fameeludedHelen. AfterleavingOklahomaforL.A.,whereshemadeagoodliving,itjustwasn’tenough. Shewasn’tafraid ofdangerorhardworkorriskystunts. Noneofthatmattered–shejustwantedtheacknowledgmentshe feltshedeserved. Allsheneededwastherightkindofmovie. Youcanalmosthearthetinklingofaslightly out-of-tunepianoandtheclickety-clickofanold-timeprojectorasyou’rereadingthisbook. It’sasif you’resittinginadarkroom,circa1925,andyou’llbethrilled,butnotnecessarilybytheactionhere. The thrills come with knowing what’s been hidden so long, and the truth of what once drove the movies we loved. AuthorMalloryO’Mearatellsasecret,therevelationofwhichiswayoverdueandquitesurprising: women,asitturnsout,weremajormoversinfilmacenturyago,andinmorewaysthanone. Forherpart, Gibson was the first stuntwoman – O’Meara nailed the details and the tale is well told – but Gibson wasn’t an“only.” Therestofthestory–ofherstory–isasaddictiveasbutteredpopcorn. So,grababucketof salted goodness, find your favorite seat, and get ready for this real-life Perils of Pauline-like (1914) tale and theaudacitywithinit. Ifyouloveagoodmovie,lookfor“DaughterofDaring”andjumponit. n The Bookworm Sez: By Terri Schlichenmeyer HOLLYWOOD’S FIRST STUNTWOMAN AARON DISPATCH, INC. ...Stay Loaded At All Times Running California / Arizona / Nevada / Utah For More Information, Please Contact Sina at 760-456-7227 FLATBED WORK AVAILABLE Quick Pay Availabe ***FLATBED TRAILERS AVAILABLE FOR LEASE***
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