MovieChat Forums > The Wild Bunch (1969) Discussion > The stuntman/actor that played Abe

The stuntman/actor that played Abe


Abe as most of you know is one of the uniformed gang members who participates in the initial robbery and gets killed during the shootout.
Abe has two lines as I recall. When Pike and the main members of the Bunch ride up and dismount, Abe and CL are seated on a bench, waiting for them. As they dismount, CL and Abe stand and the latter says to Pike, "All's quiet sir." When they are getting ready to shoot their way out, Abe says "Hey CL gimme that shotgun."
As you can see, Abe is relatively young. Closer in age to Angel and CL than to guys like Lyle, Tector and Dutch.
I'd previously been of the belief that stuntman Tap Canutt is Abe. The credits here say it is stuntman Walt LaRue. Tap was 36 when the movie was filmed, and Walt was 50. The credits here say Tap Canutt played Burt. Burt was the name of a gang member in the original script, but there was no Burt in the movie, at least ever addressed by name. The gang members who go inside for the robbery are Pike, Dutch, Lyle, CL, Angel, Abe and Buck. The latter the only one not in an army uniform. As they get ready to shoot their way out, we hear Pike getting the men into position, saying "Lyle, with Dutch...Buck, with Abe." There are several fairly clear shots of Abe and the person playing him is far more likely to be 36 than he is to be 50.
So, I guess my point here is, the credits need to be changed to properly credit Tap Canutt as Abe. I think the credits used to say that here, but someone changed them for some reason.
Here is some visual evidence. This photo shows the uniformed gang members plus Rayford Barnes as Buck. Standing in back according to the credits is Tap Canutt.

http://pristine.webspaceforme.net/Facebook/williamsburgfilmfestival2013/wildbunch.jpg

This photo was right after Pike accidentally bumped into the woman as they were walking to the railroad office. We can see in the photo, Pike, Dutch, Lyle and Abe. The latter sure looks like the same guy who is credited as Tap Canutt in the first photo, rather than a 50 year old Walt LaRue.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fd6MNuA_Fgw/Vnbus8qBWbI/AAAAAAAAAlc/KmlK45mobnc/s1600/Grupo-salvaje-Fot02.jpg

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