The Canadian National Championship gymnastics and diving winner, Russell Saunders was a stunt double for Alan Ladd, Gene Kelly, Red Buttons, Robert Cummings and Jack Benny. A fixture at Santa Monica's Muscle Beach, Saunders instructed aspiring acrobats who trained there. During WWII he served as an army war correspondent. Saunders has participated in one form or another in over 500 films throughout his career and spent 12 years training actors for the "Circus of the Stars" series of TV specials.