Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1921-08-05
RATTLE STAMPEDE AS REAL IN
MAKING AS ON THE
SCREEN
John Bowers Beat Off Three Thou
sand Rushing Steers Before
Going Down Beneath Charge

Z
Going Down Beneath Charge
What is the biggest thrill en-
gendered by an action rush on the
screen? Was it the surging hordes OF
revolutionaries in Passion" the res
cue-race Of native canoes in The
Idol Dancer" or the thunder-gallop
of the supply train in vain attempt
to save General Custer in Bob
Hampton of Placer? Or is it the mad
stampede of 1000 steers, charging
headdown on defenceless sri and a
battling man in "The Sky Pilot?
Each has lis own adherents, but there
is one man at least who would well
come all the other thrills as some
thing easy compared to the spinal
shivcrs he experienced while facing
that cattle stampede in the Cathlrne
Curtis Production of Ralph Connors
famous story of the Canadian
ranches. This is John Bowers, popu-
lar movie star, who is particularly
anG peculiarly fitted to know where
of he speaks, in view of the fact that
in the role of the "Sky Pilot" it is
he who was chosen by Director King
yidor to stand over the body of an
Injured little ranch girl and face the
onrush of terror-stricken cattle.
Fists c!inched, teeth gritted,
Bowers, stood his ground in that event
full moment when a thousand head OF
cattle stampeded towards him. Four
times his clothes were ripped by steer
horns before he even paid heed to his
bruises. The fifth instance took the
me- Ter out of his hands, however. A
vii teer bowIed him over, with
re- 1T wound that required SIX
stitcnas.
But the real thrill had not yet ar
rived. When Bowers was knocked
down, King Vidor, who had planted"
his cameras in trough eighteen feet
deep dug just in back of the point Of
focus, climbed out of the pit and took
upon himself the work of frightening
the animals to either side of Colleen
Moore, who, face to the ground, had
:, not realized that Bowers was no
longer over her and defending her
from the mad onrush.
1t is estimated that by the time
Bowers was felled, almost 5000 head
of cattle had passed by him. 1t was,
therefore, only up to the director to
fend the other thousand over the
danger zone. But that was some job
in itself. AS the herd rushed onward
speed increased and the animals came
laundering on toward the figure of
the waving director and the motion
less figure of the girl, backed up by
battery of maceras. only the tops
of which were sticking above the
ground It was really less than two
minutes but, it seemed hours to King
Vidor who stood doggcdly to the task
of waving the animals aside.
Thus it happens that the scenes of
the cattle stampede in "The Sky
Pilot" are said to rival any thrill
scenes" ever shown on the screen.
There was no taking, no doubling, no
tricks, Bowers stood to his task un-
!. til he was knocked to the ground;
and the several hundred feet of this
cattle stampede, practically all of
which is closeup photography, will
make striking impression When seen
on the screen.
81 didn't realize at the time how
thrilling the scene was" said Bow
crs, after he had witnessed the first
screen of "Thc Sky Pilot" "But after
saw II on the screen, then the
whole thing came back to me. | al
most believe know every animal in
the picture by sight-and know darn
we'll can pick out the five that got
too we'll acquainted with me-"
The dramatic stampede scenes in
I"The Sky Pilot" form climax for a
gripping story of the Canadian plains
adapted from Ralph Connor's book
The picture is released by the AS
sociated First National Pictures, Inc,
and will be shown at the Idle Hour
Theatre Saturday.