New-York tribune., 1921-06-05

of-door stories, has made it his busi-
sess to become familiar with the art
OF making perfectly strange wild ami
mails behave properly before the mo-
tion-picture camera. He uses neither
electricity, whiplash, fire, hot irons or
any of the brutal methods usually en-
ployed in handling unframed beasts.
Mr.. Hartford has just completed pro-
duction of third photoplay of the
frozen North, s'The Golden Snare" for
Associated First National. In each of
these productions, which are adapted
large number Of wild animals of
various degrees of ferocity were used
by the producer.
In "Back to Gods Country" twenty
four wild animals were used, including
bears, porcupines, lions, deer, skunks,
lynx, badgers, foxes, coyotes, wolves
and raccoons. In 'Nomads of the
North all of the animals mentioned
above were used, together with silver
fox, cubs, baby lions, Great Danes and
Malamutes, and important parts were
assigned each individual, or group,
making them an integral part of the
story. @
In the latter production two of the
important roles were enacted by
Great Dane puppy and black bear cub.
At the beginning of the story the dog
is shown sas lean, lanky, awkward
puppy, weighing perhaps a dozen
pounds The bear is shown as a puff
ball cub of approximately the same
size and endowed with the same de-
gree of awkwardness. AS the story
unfolds the pup and cub actually grow
with it, this phenomenon being easily
discernble during the progress of the
tale. At the conclusion of the narra-
tive the puppy has grown into a huge
Great Dane, weighing as much as a,
man, and the cub bear has developed
into a giant of his species capable of
tremendous feats of strength.
Arranges Birth
And Capture
The trick of making these animals
do as he wished was no trick at all
compared with the cunning required to
arrange their birth and capture in the
first instance in order that they should
fit into the exigencies of the written
story. The date of birth of the puppy
was arranged through the good offices
OF breeder of high grade dogs and
was timed to nicely. The producer
arranged with expert trappers IN two
localities contiguous to alternating
q ounds to secure the cub. The trap
pers we're instructed to search out a
mother bear with cubs and then take
her offspring away from her without
offering injury of any kind. The cub
was obtained in humane manner and
entirely without harm to the mother
bear. a.
A scene in ,"Nomads cf the North"
shows the baby puppy and the cub bear
going down the river and over the
falls. In the perturbation of the incl
Cent only half minute is used, but it
required a half hour each day for
nearly two weeks for Mr.. Hartford to
teach the little creatures how to do
this particular stunt without drowning
themselves, and it was accomplished
in the following manner:
The pup and the cub were leashed
together with q yard of thong. They
we're then placed in a tub half full of
faI irtc 4,,L
completely filled with water. This was
done half dozen times the first day,
and was repeated for several days
thereafter. When it became apparent
the tiny animals had accustomed them
selves to spilling out of one tub of
water into another they were taken to
the scene of the real waterfall.
Trained to Go Over
Waterfall Without Hurt
The first several days they were put
through the same work out, excepting
that the animals were placed in the
real river slightly above the falls and
were caught in the tub which was held
a few feet below them when they
dropped over the falls. This was ac-
complished by building light frame
work of rafters across the river.
The important part of this training
was to accustom both animals to hold
their breaths in their plunge below the
surface. When Mr.. Hartford had sat
isfied himself that both puppy and
cub had learned to do this the dis
tance of the, drop over the falls was
gradually increased until after a week
or ten days the animals were making
the entire descent into the seething
rapids OF the river and emerging from
the foanaing torrent without the slight
est fright or i'll effect. Before the ex-
piration Of the training period the tiny
animals learned to make the leap over
the falls without the least coaxing.
The incident of the big bear ripping
small logs out of the cabin in the
wilderness was accomplished thus:
Betty Blythe, feminine lead in the
picture, was instructed by Mr.. Hart
ford to feed the bear at regular in
tervals, and this was continued for
several days. After the animal had be-
come accustomed to regard Miss Blythe
as friend series Of obstacles was
placed in his way when he was called
10 his meals. First chicken wire was
orb oaI-