Hollywood's First STUNTWOMAN

AT THE DAWN OF THE 20TH CENTURY, THE FIRST FEMALE ACTION HERO ENJOYED A BRIEF MOMENT IN THE SUN

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In 1915, Helen Gibson found herself in a plane flying over Los Angeles arguing with the pilot. "He refused to let her jump out of the plane," relates author Mallory O'Meara. "Helen said, 'I'm going to jump out of this plane either way. The only choice that you have is whether or not you're going to fly over the spot where I want to land."" Born Rose Wenger in Cleveland, Ohio, Helen developed an appetite for feats of daring in the rodeo and used those skills to became the silver screen's first stuntwoman. "She fell in love with the thrills and with performing for an audience," O'Meara, author of the new biography Daughter of Daring: The Trick-Riding, TrainLeaping, Road-Racing Life of Helen Gibson, Hollywood's First Stuntwoman, tells Closer. "She also loved being in charge of her own career without a man having to be the go-between." In its infancy the film industry provide