Mary Wiggins

Mary “Lucky” Wiggins was a pioneer and daredevil in all aspects of her life: a defining Hollywood actress and life-risking stuntwomen, heroic air force pilot, and wildly popular role model for many young Americans in the early twentieth-century. Wiggins was also a regular performer at Hinchliffe Stadium, leaving a lasting legacy on Paterson. 

​

Mary Wiggins established herself as a prolific stuntwoman throughout the 1940s, doing all types of stunts at the beginning of the talkies (sound films). The August 1, 1929 issue of the Auburn Journal said it best: “Miss Wiggins of late has been one of the most sought-after doubles in the movie colony of Hollywood. Sensational jumps from high cliffs, motorcycle spills, dives from ships at sea are all part of the day’s work for her while doubling for movie stars.” Wiggins’ stunts were also filled with parachuting, car crashes, and plane flying. 

​

While working as a Hollywood stunt double, Wiggins regularly barnstormed across America to do stunt “thrill shows” with her “Hollywood Dare Devils.” Many of these legendary stunt performances were popular events here at Hinchliffe Stadium; around September 1937, Wiggins wowed Patersonians by riding a motorcycle over 40 sticks of dynamite and turned an automobile over end to end as it leapt off an inclined platform.