David Hardin Sharpe (February 2, 1910 – March 30, 1980) was an American actor and stunt performer, sometimes billed as Davy Sharpe.

Biography

Sharpe's father was Harry Sharpe, a fight referee in St. Louis. Sharpe won the US National Tumbling Championship in 1925 and 1926. He began his film career as a child actor in the 1920s. Eventually he became the "Ramrod" (stunt coordinator) for Republic Pictures from 1939 until mid-1942 when the USA entered World War II. He was replaced in this role by Tom Steele while Sharpe joined the Army Air Corps in 1943.

Personal life and death

Sharpe married film actress Gertrude Messinger in 1932. He died in 1980, aged 70, of Lou Gehrig's disease (some sources cited Parkinson's disease).

Recognition

In 1979, Sharpe received the Yakima Canutt Award, which honors stuntmen. Sharpe was inducted into the Stuntman's Hall of Fame in 1980.

Selected filmography