To kickstart the cowboy festivities scheduled for this weekend, the city of Santa Clarita unveiled two of its newest Walk of Western Stars honorees in Old Town Newhall on Thursday evening.
This year’s inductees were Gary Combs, a stuntman and stunt coordinator known for his works on “Bladerunner,” “Robocop,” “Legends of the Fall” and much more, as well as the Happy Family, a family of stunt performers that started with Don and Edith Happy, who worked in Hollywood’s golden era of Western films. Their children joined the family business and have carried on the legacy of becoming notable stunt performers in the industry.
Crowds of people gathered at the Newhall Crossings plaza right next to Main Street for speeches from Santa Clarita Mayor Laurene Weste and the inductees themselves.
Combs was honored first and was received by loud cheers from community members and local leaders as he walked up to the podium to give his remarks.
After thanking the public for the recognition, he was honored to share the momentous occasion with the Happy Family.
“I consider myself very lucky and blessed to have been chosen for this and had a long career in the picture business. Through the years I’ve met many wonderful people, very talented people, and they’ve all helped me get to this,” Combs said.
He then recalled some memories throughout his career and brought up “Star Trek,” which is one of his more notable works where he played a reptile at Vasquez Canyon Rocks.
“Why people think that’s the greatest thing I ever did, I have no idea,” he said, remembering the 110-degree weather when he chased William Shatner throughout the location. His statement drew laughs in the crowd.
He then thanked his friends and family for their support and gave a special shout out to his wife, who he credits for his success.
Because the children of Don and Edith Happy carried on the legacy of working in film and television as stunt men and women, they were all honored for their contributions as a collective.
Their credits span from classics such as “Gunsmoke,” “Rawhide,” “Batman Returns,” and “Men in Black” to name a few, to 1990s films and television series “True Blood” and “Yellowstone.”
The Happy family settled in Newhall generations ago and even filmed iconic scenes within the Santa Clarita Valley throughout the years, making the recognition more significant for the family.
“This is what life’s about. What you leave behind,” Clifford Happy, son of Don and Edith, said after thanking everyone for the recognition.
“I’ve been a proud daughter of Mom and Dad forever. Love them dearly, miss them dearly,” Bonnie, Clifford’s sister, added.
Following the remarks, those present walked over to Main Street for the unveiling of the “saddles” in the sidewalk before many of them attended the Senses block party hosted by the city that same evening.
