Twice in a week, a name from my past has surfaced. Reckon that’s The Muse nudging me to do a post. And I need a break from the dark stuff…
Every summer in Wrightwood, California, in the mountains above Los Angeles, where my parents had a cabin, folks would be treated to performances of knife and tomahawk throwing by George “Skeeter” Vaughan, better known in this role as Grey Otter.
He was a regular feature at Mountaineer Days and over Labor Day Weekend, bursting balloons with knives and tomahawks and trimming a cigarette held between the luscious lips of his beautiful buckskin bikini-clad assistant. Her flawless, unscarred skin — prolifically on display — was evidence that Grey Otter never missed. Believe me, I checked. For proto-Frontier Partisans research purposes, you see…
Grey Otter was charismatic, funny — and massively talented. He’d growing up hunting with throwing knives, and he really was all that with a blade. I saw him countless times, talked with him often. I don’t think I could get a word out in the presence of the assistant though…
Skeeter gave a mini-history lesson on the tomahawk during his show, and when he’d show off a pipe tomahawk, he’d always say, “You could get stoned with either end of this thing.” His grin was so infectious that you’d laugh the hundredth time you heard the line.
Vaughan was a Western showman and a Hollywood actor and stuntman — and he was also a warrior. In World War II, he took out a German sentry with a downhill bayonet throw of 87 feet. He drew bead on a spot about three feet over the sentry’s head and let fly, the bayonet rotating end-over-end and taking the German at the base of the skull.
Now, that sounds like a tall tale, but I see no reason to disbelieve it. Skeeter himself attributed the accuracy of the throw to luck and prayer. It’s like Billy Dixon’s extreme long-range shot at Adobe Walls — a skillful man has a better chance of getting lucky.
And in his late 50s, early 60s, when I saw him, the man could throw. I’m a close eyewitness, remember? I’m a believer.
Hadn’t thought of Skeeter Vaughan for years. What a grand thing, to remember Mountaineer Days, the heat of summer and the flash of spinning blades.
Grey Otter, by Earl Cacho. That name is a blast from the past, too. My favorite shop in Wrightwood was a little trading post that dealt in Western and Indian themed art and jewelry and such. Earl Cacho’s work was all over that place. Time-trippin’. It all seems so close…
Skeeter Vaughan’s 1989 obituary from the L.A. Times:
Skeeter Vaughan, 66, who appeared as an actor and stuntman in more than 100 films, television shows and commercials. As a film actor, he was seen in “The Last of the Mohicans,” “Revolution” and “Like Father, Like Son.” Vaughan, a Cherokee whose Indian name was Grey Otter, also had parts in a number of television shows including “Magnum P.I.,” “Gunsmoke,” “Happy Days,” “Remington Steele” and “The Six Million Dollar Man.” He was born on a California Indian reservation and grew up on the Umatilla reservation near Pendleton, Ore. Known for his prowess with knives and tomahawks, Vaughan’s skills were often featured in television and movie performances even when he was not seen on screen. He also was a charter member of the Hollywood Stuntmen’s Hall of Fame. In Sequim, Wash., on Wednesday following a heart attack.
deuce says
Any pics of the assistant?
Skeeter’s quip about his tomahawk pipe reminds me of something I’d say to guests who saw mine hanging on the wall:
“Home decor, home defense and home entertainment. All in one package.”
A buddy on FB whom I haven’t seen in 20yrs just reminded me of that.
JimC says
Sorry, no pix of Ms. Tomahawk. Only a horny teenage memory…
Stephanie Rowles says
I’m Stephanie Rowles, Skeeter’s assistant during the Wrightwood shows. I was part owner of The Vanishing Indian in Burbank with Bob Colony, where Skeeter was a frequent visitor and supported our fledgling store with his consigned beadwork and jewelry .
Skeeter was like a father to me. Obviously I trusted him with life and limb. I miss him terribly. I have many photos of those shows.. it was one of our favorite road trips every year! I’m pretty sure I was the last assistant to work with Skeeter. I have a letter he wrote to me from Washington, shortly before his passing. He was one in a million….
JimC says
Thank you so much for stopping by here. I would love to have a photo from those days if you would be willing to share it. I’ll email you.
Larry cisewski says
Did you work with at the pumpkin festival near LA in the 70s?
Steve New says
I met Skeeter when I was working on the Revolution film in S. Devon, UK. He was throwing his knife at a log and always hitting the same spot.
Easy to talk to and a very interesting bloke. He made a big impression with his attitude and demeanour. Sorry he’s gone.
Paul McNamee says
“Grey Otter Never Missed” sounds like another song title for the Anvil Blasters.
(enjoyed the 3 song download, by the way!)
JimC says
That is a FANTASTIC arrowhead you just gave me amigo!
lane batot says
I’m SURE I musta seen him in at least some of those TV shows growing up(watching anything and everything with injuns in it!)…..Reminded me of a coupla funny stories–one involving Tomahawke throwing, the other a knife. I’ll be merciful here and just tell one(plus I don’t have much time to peck!) right now. Back during my incarceration on the reservation(college), they used to have this Halloween Carnival for the campus with all kinds of activities, and of course everyone dressed up in costumes for the occasion. It was one of the only times I could don my handmade full regalia Plains Indian outfit, without raising too many eyebrows. I had a real tomahawke in my belt, of course(Full war bonnet, leggings, war shirt, breastplate, breechclout, moccasins, the whole deal. And fully war-painted, too). One of the carnival contests was throwing darts at a board with balloons hanging on it–you popped a balloon, you got a prize! The prize being a coffee mug, as I remember. You-all see where this is goin’…..I asked in pidgin injun talk if I could use my OWN dart, which the barkers readily agreed to. So out comes the tomahawke and I let fly! It hit hard–stuck fast, and took the WHOLE BOARD down to the ground, and popped EVERY BALLOON! The girl handing out the prizes VEEERRRRYYYY carefully handed over my mug to me(no words spoken), and I sauntered off satisfied! Those guys are probably still telling that story about the crazy injun, too!
JimC says
You won Frontier Partisans today with that story.
Paul McNamee says
Those games are rigged, anyway. Only way you’re gonna win is by making your own rules and using your own tools. Good on ya!
Craig Rullman says
Love this. My inner Grey Otter is sorely lacking. I should be throwing knives all day, every day, trying to hit something, anything. Every time I think I’m getting somewhere you pull up some guy like Grey Otter and I end up jealous and furious all over again.
JimC says
Somewhere, I have a nice throwing knife. A Winter Challenge?
john roberts says
The greatest tomahawk throw ever was by Ed Ames on the Johnny Carson show. If you’ve never seen it, it’s on Youtube.
JimC says
Legendary. Carson couldn’t keep it together.
Paul McNamee says
I didn’t know it had an official name – “Impalement Arts.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impalement_arts
Vlad, son of the dragon, might have something to say about that 😉
JimC says
With a Master of Impalement Arts degree from the University of Transylvania.
lane batot says
Anybody else seen the new Vlad movie “Dracula Untold”??, I saw it at the theatre, and also now have a DVD copy, and I LOVE it! Vlad IS a cultural hero in Transylvania and surrounding countries, and he may well have prevented a complete Muslim takeover of Europe–at least Eastern Europe. I doubt the Turks(just my opinion) woulda got too far with the Vikings! Of course, whether or not Vlad had help from Vampires or masses of bats might be questionable, but very interesting to see THIS perspective on Dracula for a change!
JimC says
My girls love that one.
lane batot says
…AND, Jim C.–you seen Grey OWL yet?…….
JimC says
Yes — and it was better than I anticipated. Figures… Attenborough. And I always underestimate Pierce Brosnan cuz of that suave-guy role he had on TV.
Breaker Morant says
From the Post>>>“You could get stoned with either end of this thing.” His grin was so infectious that you’d laugh the hundredth time you heard the line.”
I have the same attitude about the “Jungle Cruise” at Disney-corny jokes and all. I love that there was an era (and a man) who could put that ride together.
Matthew says
Gene Wolfe once wrote an essay called “A Few Points about Knife Throwing.” Yeah, Wolfe has a very corny sense of humor. Among the points is:
“Never tell people you learned to throw knives as a kid, just by slamming icepicks into the garage door. Knife throwing should be romantic, and they will think less of you. I always tell them I was taught by an outlaw in the Serrainas del Burro, or Jackass Hills. For some reason they believe it.”
Grey Otter’s WWII tale seems far fetched, but I’m not sure it’s impossible.
JimC says
A mysterious and slightly sinister origin story is a MUST.
As for Grey Otter, I think of it as a Hail Mary. Sometimes they connect.
Matthew says
Carlos Hathcock’s famous shot through an enemy’s scope is a lot like this. As you said a skillful man has a better chance of getting lucky.
KG says
It wasn’t a “Hail Mary” he had but one shot to take and took it with the skill he had developed throwing knives and tomahawks since a very young age. He had many other recorded incidents, this was one of many.
lane batot says
Yeah, I like a LOT of stuff Pierce Brosnan has done–he gets involved with really INTERESTING projects! Definetely underrated as an actor, I think. His “Robinson Crusoe” is one of my favorites in the genera, and I’d love to see again his movie about the Thugees in India(“The Deceivers”), but although on DVD, it tends to stay exorbitantly expensive!
JimC says
Forgot about that India movie. That’s FP stuff.
lane batot says
….and I GOTTA tell that knife-throwin’ tale, ESPECIALLY after that comment above about the “points”! Imagine if you will the set of a TV series(where I worked as a construction laborer, animal handler, and Xtra character, among other things–“Christy” circa mid 1990s filmed in Eastern Tenessee), and the clash of two distinct subcultures–local Southern Appalachianites workers, and very politically correct Hollywood Californicators! Some interesting stories and contrasts there, fer shore! Anyway, one of the main male “stars” had taken up knife throwing as a hobby, apparently, and sometimes practiced between scenes, usually accompanied by an audience of other staff. He had some a them real fancy throwin’ knives, too–right purty! One day, they were at it again, as I happened to walk by on my way from one chore to another–they had a soda can as a target(some of the bystanders were also participating), and NOBODY was doing very well in hitting anything. Very casually, from behind them all, I pull out my old well worn Buck knife, and with great ease, tossed it and SPLIT the can in two!!! “””OOOOOOOHHHHH” and “AAAAAAAAHHHH” could be heard from all the bystanders, and one commented that obviously nobody better mess with ME if I had a knife! I just as casually went up and retrieved my Buck, wiped it off on mah pants leg, and sauntered away without comment, as if that was no big deal at all for me. Thing is it WAS a big deal–my knife throwing SUCKS(normally), and I usually can’t stick one in the side of a barn! An absolute miracle, that lucky, lucky throw that day, but you know, I WASN’T ABOUT to let on!
JimC says
Love it. They’re still talkin’ about that boy in H-wood…
lane batot says
….And ya know Jim C., that comment about “Californicators”(in the spirit of “The Outlaw Josey Wales” movie and the bantering between Chief Dan George and Grandmaw)–no offense……
JimC says
None taken. I think I qualify as an Oregonian anyway, though the real old-timers surely still consider me a Californicator.
lane batot says
“None taken”–PERZACKLY!!!
Robert Seaton says
I appears the last post is from Sep of 2016. I hope this sight is still active. My name is Robert I am a retired circus acrobat and knife thrower. I spent several years On the John Strong circus and living in Northridge Cal working with Bobby Yerkes. I knew Skeeter, He was one of my primary influences to learn to throw knives. The first time I saw him throw a tomahawk I was hooked. He split a golf tee in Bobby’s back yard. As an acrobat he and I would get booked on the same shows around the LA area. we got to spend a lot of hours just BS-ing.
JimC says
Great stuff. Thanks for stopping by the campfire.
Eric Golden says
I am actually Skeeter’s grandson and I absolutely loved hearing all of these stories about my grandpa. I am so sad that I never got the chance to meet him but I love him as if I had. Through these stories I can see where my mom got her sense of humor, and our great eyesight. Thank you all who wrote stories, I would love to hear more if that’s possible.
Shannon Satterfield says
Eric, any chance you are related to Skeeter’s daughter Cherokee? We were friends in elementary school, I remember hanging out at their house. Your grandpa was cool, he made beading looms for us when we were in Blue Birds/Campfire Girls. I don’t remember how we lost touch exactly, I think they moved away?
Donna Reichenberg Clouse says
I had the privilege of meeting Skeeter in London while with the Buffalo Bill Wild West show. he was a great person to be around. I was young and dumb at the time. I wished I would have asked him more questions. I remember him talking about the knife throw but didn’t put it all together until years later.
Johnny Baca says
i met skeeter when i was six years old im now 58 – he worked with my dad in the 60s in so cal and i got to see his show when i was a kid he was a vary nice man funny how i now looked him up on google but i do think of thozz day and my dad and mom would say what a vary nice guy he was and i meet him too …. and trust me if my dad said a guy was a good guy …..thats was a fact
JimC says
Welcome to the campfire Johnny.
Dave Truman says
For what it is worth, I remember that Skeeter appeared on an episode of “Thrillseeker”. He also on an episode of “Truth or Consequences”. This show made it a point to reunite soldier husbands with their wives in surprising gimmicks. They used Grey Otter and his knife act in one such reunion. On the show he was to teach one of these husbands how to throw knives, so he went through his routine. When he covered his TG with a cloth then outlined her body with his hawks, he and the husband would then remove the hawks and uncover the TG. When they uncovered the TG, the TG suddenly becomes the husband’s wife. The secret was that the husband was distracted right after Skeeter performed the blind throwing and the board rotated 180 degrees before they removed the hawks.