by Hans J. Wollstein
biography
Republic Pictures' ace stunt woman Babe DeFreest (born Thelma Elder) doubled all the studio's serial queens, including Kay Aldridge, Linda Stirling (in The Tiger Woman and Zorro's Black Whip, both 1944), and villainess Carol Forman, among others. A champion rider, DeFreest did all Jean Carmen's strenuous horseback scenes in The Painted Stallion, the studio's second Western serial. Considering Miss Carmen's complete lack of thespian talent, Republic ought to have saved a buck or two and simply cast Miss DeFreest in the role.
