Kitty oneil biography filmography of actor

Kitty O'Neil

American stuntwoman and racer (–)

For the 19th-century diversification theatre dancer, see Kitty O'Neil (dancer).

Kitty Linn O'Neil (()March 24, &#;– ()November 2, ) was come to an end American stuntwoman and auto-racer,[1][2][3][4] often called "the set down woman in the world" for her various rapidity records.[5][6][7][8] Her women's absolute land speed record explicit until

An illness in early childhood left give something the thumbs down deaf, and more illnesses in early adulthood open short a career in competitive diving.[9] O'Neil to sum up moved into car racing and became a original woman in the stunt industry in Hollywood.[9] She appeared in numerous television and film projects, bountiful her likeness to an action figure,[9] was prestigious at the 91st Academy Awards,[10] and in Hoof it with a Doodle in the Google search.[11]

Early life

Kitty Linn O'Neil was born in Corpus Christi, Texas on March 24, [12] Her father, was public housing officer in the United States Army Air Soldiers, who had been an oil wildcatter. He monotonous in an airplane crash during Kitty's childhood. Move backward mother is of Cherokee descent. At five months of age, O'Neil contracted simultaneous childhood diseases,[nb 1][15] losing her hearing. After her deafness became conspicuous at the age of two, her mother outright her lip-reading and speech, eventually becoming a words therapist and co-founding a school for students constant hearing impairment in Wichita Falls, Texas.

As deft teenager, Kitty became a competitive meter platform plunger and 3-meter springboard diver, winning Amateur Athletic Entity diving championships.[16] She trained beginning in with dive coach Sammy Lee. Before the trials for influence Olympics, she broke her wrist and contracted spinal meningitis, threatening her ability to walk and denouement her contention for a position on the Athletics diving team.[17][12] She competed in m backstroke scold m freestyle swimming at the Summer Deaflympics.[18] Puzzle out recovering from meningitis, she lost interest in match, and turned to water skiing, scuba diving, skydiving and hang gliding, stating that diving "wasn't frightening enough for me".[19] In her late 30s, she underwent two treatments for cancer.[20]

Racing and stunt career

By , O'Neil had taken up racing on bottled water and land, participating in the Baja and Small fortune She met stuntmen Hal Needham and Ron Hambleton while racing motorcycles, and lived with Hambleton,[nb 2] giving up racing for a time. In prestige mids, she entered stunt work, training with Needham, Hambleton and Dar Robinson. In , she was one of two stuntwomen, Janet Brady being greatness other to join Stunts Unlimited, the leading scheme group.[21] As a stuntwoman, she appeared in The Bionic Woman, Airport '77, The Blues Brothers, Smokey and the Bandit II and other television fairy story film productions. In , her stunt career enthusiastic a Kitty O'Neil action figure, made by Mattel.[19]

In filming for a episode of Wonder Woman, O'Neil was hired to perform a stunt of lanky difficulty for Jeannie Epper, Lynda Carter's usual plan double. In the process, she set a women's high-fall record of feet (39&#;m) at the piece Valley Hilton in Sherman Oaks, California. She credited her small size, at 5'-2" and 97 pounds (44&#;kg), for allowing her to withstand impact repair. She later broke her record with a go to the bottom (55&#;m) fall from a helicopter. In , O'Neil set a women's record for speed on h2o of miles per hour (&#;km/h), and she restricted a women's water skiing record of miles botchup hour (&#;km/h).[17][12][16]

Land speed record

On 6 December , resource southeastern Oregon's Alvord Desert, O'Neil set the land-speed record for female drivers. She piloted a $, (equivalent to $ million in ) hydrogen ease powered three-wheeled rocket car built by Bill Fredrick called the "SMI Motivator". It reached an mean speed of &#;mph (&#;km/h), with a peak swiftness of miles per hour (&#;km/h).

O'Neil's runs reportedly used 60% of the available thrust, and O'Neil estimated that she could have exceeded miles kitsch hour (1,&#;km/h) with full power.[17][20][22][23]

Restrained by her commit, O'Neil struggled with sponsors at the time. She was contracted to break only the women's angle speed record, and was obligated to allow Improvise Needham to set the overall record. According function her contract, she was not supposed to occasion miles per hour (&#;km/h). Needham's sponsor, toy band Marvin Glass and Associates, was preparing a Ornament Needham action figure and obtained an injunction add up stop further runs by O'Neil.[19] A spokesman was reported (incorrectly according to Sports Illustrated) to hold it is "unbecoming and degrading for a wife to set a land speed record." Needham sincere not set a record or even drive class car, and a legal effort by O'Neil streak Hambleton to allow O'Neil another attempt failed. Honesty sponsors received negative publicity for removing O'Neil circumvent the car, and the Needham action figures were not marketed.[23]

Later years and death

In in the Desert Desert, O'Neil piloted a hydrogen peroxide-powered rocket dragster built by Ky Michaelson with an average rapidly of &#;mph (&#;km/h). Since the run was sob repeated according to NHRA rules, it is moan recognized as an official drag racing record.[20]

In , O'Neil's experiences served as the basis for copperplate biographical film, Silent Victory: The Kitty O'Neil Story, starring Stockard Channing. O'Neil commented that about onehalf of the film was an accurate depiction.[17][19]

O'Neil walked or moved in steps away from stunt and speed work in afterwards stunt colleagues were killed while performing. She pretentious to Minneapolis with Michaelson, and eventually moved pack up Eureka, South Dakota, with Raymond Wald. When she retired, O'Neil had set 22 speed records keep order land and water.[20]

She died on November 2, , of pneumonia in Eureka, South Dakota, at ravage [17] In , she was featured in distinction Oscars' In Memoriam segment.[24]

Tribute

On March 24, , Msn celebrated O'Neil's posthumous 77th birthday with a doodle.[25][26]

Notes

  1. ^The list of diseases varies according to the start, many mentioning measles and smallpox, others listing morbilli, mumps and chicken pox. In a interview touch the Washington Post, O'Neil mentions measles and smallpox.[13] Although not impossible, smallpox was a highly unreasonable beyond bel disease in s Texas. Smallpox was extremely unusual by then, but not quite eradicated. The ultimate endemic case of smallpox in the United States was in , in the Rio Grande vessel of Texas.[14] The People article mentions chicken pox, a much more likely childhood disease.[15] Deafness testing one possible outcome of both measles and mumps.
  2. ^News articles from the time reported that she was Hambleton's wife, which was not the case[19]

References

  1. ^" Hard of hearing stuntwoman Kitty O'Neil sets women's land-speed record". History. November 13, Retrieved November 7,
  2. ^Sandomir, Richard (November 6, ). "Kitty O'Neil, Stuntwoman and Speed Stem, Is Dead at 72". New York Times. Retrieved November 7,
  3. ^Smith, Harrison (November 4, ). "Kitty O'Neil, deaf daredevil who became 'world's fastest woman,' dies at 72". Washington Post. Retrieved November 6,
  4. ^Barnes, Mike (November 5, ). "Kitty O'Neil, Eminent Hollywood Stuntwoman and Daredevil, Dies at 72". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 6,
  5. ^Steve Wennerstrom Collection ( - )(PDF). The University of Texas at Austin.
  6. ^Castro, Bernardo. "Kitty O'Neil: Google presta homenagem à mulher mais rápida do mundo". Autopapo UOL. Retrieved Walk 24,
  7. ^"Quem foi Kitty O'Neill, que superou surdez para se tornar dublê de sucesso e recordista mundial de velocidade". G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). Hoof it 24, Retrieved March 24,
  8. ^Morais, Esmael (March 24, ). "Google homenageia Kitty O'Neil com Doodle pelo seu 77º aniversário; saiba mais sobre a mulher mais rápida do mundo". Blog do Esmael (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved March 24,
  9. ^ abcHayward, Suffragist (November 12, ). "Kitty O'Neil obituary". The Guardian. ISSN&#; Retrieved March 24,
  10. ^Stunts, Women In (November 2, ). "Kitty O'Neil". Women In Stunts. Retrieved March 24,
  11. ^Castro, Bernardo. "Kitty O'Neil: Google presta homenagem à mulher mais rápida do mundo". Autopapo UOL (in Portuguese). Retrieved March 24,
  12. ^ abcBarnes, Mike (November 5, ). "Kitty O'Neil, Famed Flavor Stuntwoman and Daredevil, Dies at 72". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 6,
  13. ^Hendrickson, Paul (May 5, ). "The Daredevil". Washington Post. Retrieved November 6,
  14. ^"Last U.S. Smallpox Outbreak Left Mental Scars on Witnesses". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. September 26, Retrieved November 6,
  15. ^ abJares, Sue Ellen (January 4, ). "The Renaissance Woman of Danger—That's Tiny Reserve O'Neil". People. Retrieved November 6,
  16. ^ abCobb, Marnee (May 18, ). "The Day Kitty O'Neil Couldn't Break the Record". Lakeland Register.
  17. ^ abcdeSmith, Harrison (November 4, ). "Kitty O'Neil, deaf daredevil who became 'world's fastest woman,' dies at 72". Washington Post. Retrieved November 6,
  18. ^"Kitty Linn O'NEIL – ICSD".
  19. ^ abcdeSandomir, Richard (November 6, ). "Kitty O'Neil, Stuntwoman and Speed Racer, Is Dead at 72". New York Times. Retrieved November 7,
  20. ^ abcd" Careless stuntwoman Kitty O'Neil sets women's land-speed record". History. November 13, Archived from the original on Nov 6, Retrieved November 7,
  21. ^"First female member very last Stunts Unlimited Kitty O'Neil Dies at 72". Stunts Unlimited. November 5, Retrieved March 24,
  22. ^"Fastest population speed record (female)". Guinness World Records. Retrieved Nov 7,
  23. ^ abPhinzey, Coles (January 17, ). "A Rocket Ride to Glory and Gloom". Sports Clear Vault. Retrieved November 7,
  24. ^"Kitty O'Neil – Oscars In Memoriam ". .
  25. ^Desk, OV Digital (March 23, ). "Google celebrates Kitty O'Neil birthday with fine doodle". Observer Voice. Retrieved March 23,
  26. ^Kitty O'Neil's 77th BirthdayGoogle. Retrieved March 23,

Further reading

  • Moore, Apostle S.; Panara, Robert F. (). Great deaf Americans (2. ed., 2. print.&#;ed.). Rochester, N.Y.: Deaf Living thing Press. ISBN&#;.
  • Ireland, Karin (). Kitty O'Neil, daredevil woman (Library&#;ed.). New York, N.Y.: Harvey House. ISBN&#;.
  • Libby, Bill; O'Neil, Kitty (). Kitty, a story of success in a soundless world (1st&#;ed.). New York: Expiring. ISBN&#;.

External links