The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1922-04-20
MAMMOTH BATTLE SCENES IN
FOX SPECTACLE "QUEEN OF
SHERA"


FOX SPECTACLE "QUEEN OF
SHEBA"
Next to the thrilling chariot race
between Sheba and Vashti, which
has aroused so much enthusiasm,
perhaps the most spectacular scene in
the mammoth William Fox spectacle,
Queen of Sheba," is the great battle
between the armies Of Solomon and
his brother Adonijah, with Sheba's
army coming up at the crucial mom-
emit to save the day.
When it is considered that over six
thousand men are engaged and the
greater part Of the fighting takes
place on and around the massive
Tower of David-which, built for the
production, has to bear the weight
of many hundreds of armored men
rushing to and fro--the magnitude
of the task of j. Gordon Edwards,
the director, may be realized.
Miss Betty Blythe, the Sheba of the
picture, brought with her to New
York a fund of stories of incidents
that occurred during the making of
the film on the west coast, and it was
the battle scenes that left the most
vivid impression on her mind.
"The days and nights we worked
on the battle scenes she said in
an interview, "were the most ex-
citing l ever had. Imagine great
city square, surrounded by massive
Babylonian buildings and packed
with surging humanity. had seen,
that square filled with gay crowd,
citizens in merry colors, dancing
girls, priests, soldiers and Arabs, for
the arrival of Sheba at Solomon's
court; but now, for the battle, the
scene was very different.
Directed by bugle calls which
were ordered by the director over
system of field telephones, the crowds
were series of groups of people,
each group having specific part to
play; while stood in my chariot
waiting for the signal to call me to
ruch in with my men.
"First the women of the court, at
the first alarm Of the attack by
Adonijah's army, rushed up the steps
of David's Tower and along the
great spiral ramps to the top. Sol
omon's army sailed through the
gates of the palace, to be turned
back by the pixies and arrows of the
invaders.
"Many cameras were playing on de-
tailed bits of action, so that the
screen shows even more than an OBJ
server on the spot could have seen;
nevertheless the whole mighty page
ant stirred my blood and made me
feel that I was really and truly the
Queen of Sheba, riding, like Boadicea,
in the forefront of battle to deliver
my people. / had even forgotten
Betty Blythe.
"The great battering ram of Adon-
ijah beat down the heavy gate and
the men rushed throug the. breach
like food carrying all before them.
1 saw Raymond Nye, playing Adon-
ijah, my enemy rushing forward at
the head of his men, and I felt sure
he must go down in the crash. /
siged with relief when saw his
head again a few minutes later
and therein, perhaps, l was bit
out of character, for the Queen of
Sheba would have been glad to see
Adonijah go down.
"Then, when all the fighting men
were On the spiral ramps, swaying
back and forth with the tide of bat
tie the signal came for our advance,
and forward we went. never was
so thrilled in my life. Not even the
chariot race had given me such exhi
laration. My four Arabian horses
behaved like warriors, never balk-
ing at the ramps, but went straight
into the mass Of Adonijah's men. |
saw Adonijah himself go tumbling
down from the top of the Tower in
to the deep moat. His army swirled
past me as my horses tore forward.
| saw Solomon step out to meet me,
and knew the battle was over.
"Not many women get SO near to
a battle as that, and I understand
now what I didn't understand before
the thrill men get out of fighting"
And Miss Blythe's impression of
the battle before the palace of Solo
mon is less vivid, because lacking in
detail, than that of the picture au-
dience, which sees not only the wide
sweep of the battle ground, but also
Incidents of the great fight.
Coming. soon at the Du Pont Club.
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