A name not known to many people, stuntman Patrick Cunningham was a cross between Ernest Hemingway and Indiana Jones. 

This writer became good friends with the man about twenty years ago. Tough as nails, even at 68 years of age, he was someone that spoke his mind and didn’t care what anyone else thought while talking about his exploits in the movie business. He was the real deal. 

The former USC football player had an exciting life. He explored the upper regions of the Amazon River while still in his early twenties, was a lifeguard, harbor patrol officer, boatsman, fencer, novelist with two best selling books to his name, A River of Lions and The Dusa Affair, bar owner, sportsman and one of the few American bullfighters in Spain during the 1950s, where he traveled Europe becoming good friends with Ernest Hemingway. 

His stuntwork was legendary having been employed under contract at the MGM studios on films ranging from science fiction to adventure, as well as many TV shows during the 1950s. Most notably he worked on Mutiny On the Bounty teaching Marlon Brando how to sword fight while doubling for him. 

Mr. Cunningham was a class act. The likes we will never see again.