New-York tribune., 1921-06-26
Shooting the Rapids
Not Worth While,
Says Oscar APPEL

says OsCaF "A plcA
One day last week we went to lunch
con with Oscar APPEL, whom we had
not seen for long time. Wa had an
idea that it was about time for another
interview, but all we could get him to
talk about was his new picture, "Ten
Nights in a Barroom,' which he has
just finished.
"There are few things in the way Of
motion picture thrills that / have not
staged-shipwrecks, train wrecks, air.
plane stunts, confagrations, automobile
wrecks, explosions, etc." he said, "but
for real excitement and spine-tickling
thrills l strongly recommend trying to
| stage few scenes on the bosom Of
twenty-three-mile current, aboard
few wild and ill-mannered logs. Round
logs they were, too; terribly round, just
as they grow. Perfectly harmless and
good to look upon are those logs, float
ing 30 quietly in an eddy near the
shore, but turn them loose into the
stream and bottle Of 1921 hooch
couldn't create more sudden trans
formation. They roll and they spin,
they jump and turn and crash--nothing
can stop them. You might as we'll try
to stop retreating bsttleship as one
Of these fallen monarchs Of the forest,
tried ft--oncs.
"When we arrived at the rapids of
the Sacandaga River we explained to
the local river mon that we intended
to tas some scenes during log drive
down the rapids. They looked at US
In pity and quietly explained that that
sort Of thing wasn't being done that
season. and that there wasn't man on
the river who would attempt such a
foolhardy thing. But insisted that it
was part Of our story and it must be
done, so they volunteered to give all
possible help. First we needed raft
upon which to place the camera. We
selected & number of logs, fastened
them together and soon had things In
shipshape for the trip down stream.
No sooner had we put off than we found
ourselves thrown against the shore by
the terrific current and, try as we
would, nothing would induce that raft
to go down stream as a we'll behaved
raft should. We called in Austin. the
dean of the river men, for expert ad-
vice. Well, you're on the wrong side
of the river; you'll never get out into
ehe current from here. SO we crossed
TO the other side and began all over
again. When our second raft was ready
and the camera aboard, actors in their
places on the logs behind the raft, we
cast off. At the same time the men
on the shore upstream cut the boom
and mass Of logs came rushing
downstream toward us. Slowly we were
carried out further and further until
we wero caught up by the main cur
rent. Then things began to happen
fast and furious. We tossed and
turned and twisted, the raft was COM
pletely under water, the logs from
above crashed into us, every few
seconds we struck against submerged
| rocks. SO that for q few moments it
looked like case Of ITO the lifeboats,
men!' only there weren't any boats
Meanwhile the actors on the logs were
having few thrills Of their own. John
Lowell, as the heroic Joe Morgan, and
Charles Mackaye as the vllanous
Simon Slade, were clinging desperately
to their logs. The mass Of logs from
above threatened to overwhelm them
any moment, but by clever manipula-
tion and lodging they managed to
avoid being swept into the water.
"Finally We Strengthened out for
short run, during which Lowell and
Mackaye went through the action of
the scenes, while cameraman, Joseph
Settle, his camera securely wired to
the raft, photographed the action. Joe,
by the way, did some photographing
in France during the war, so I don't
suppose few thrills more or less mat
tered very much.
Suddenly we were startled by q cry
Of Breakers sheadl' or something that
sounded like 1t, from our steersman up
forward. Oh. yes, We had one! He
manned long sweep snd was supposed
to guide the raft.
straight ahead of us in midstream
was small log jam and pull as we
would we could not swing our raft
clear, 80 with final crash We brought
up against the jam, with Lowell and
Mackays close second and third. The
rush Of water submerged our raft until
we were standing up to our knees in
water and unable to get ashore, as no
one could possibly swim in such rough
water as was rushing down on both
sides of us. Finally Austin came to
our rescue with boat. (Austin amuses
the summer tourists by Shooting the
rapids at 80 much a trip.) When
Austin found we had not got all the