Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-06-17
BY HALLETT ABEND.

LOS ANGELES, June S.-when i
boarded the train bound for Camp De
Mile, near Guadalupe, I knew ] was
going to watch Cecil B. De Mile at
his work Of directing a feature Aim
called Tho Ten Commandments"
knew I was bound for a desert coun-
try. with $500 actors and extra peo-
pie encamped there, and that 1000
animals were used in the big spec
tacular scenes.
Piety had not been a pronounced
picture people or location that / had
ever visited. SO as the train rolled
northward I thought up some SEN
fences about plucking figs from
thistles. Instead of hosannas
counted on hearing jazz The thun-
clicking modern substitute In the
roll OF dice after every dinner hour
The first surprise was the desert
itself. The site chosen for the big
sets showing the city of Rameses
where the Jews were held in subjec-
ton by the Egyptians is at the very
mouth of the Santa Maria valley
Inland lie the green and fertile fields
but for a stretch of two miles near
the sea. beach sands have been blown
and drifted into great barren yellow
hills which roll and dip gradually
instead Of being hot. is swept day
and night by cold winds from the sea
There Is much fog and little sunshine
and when the wind sweeps across the
sand at fifty miles an hour the coarse
sand sweeps with 1t a kneehigh
and sandaled feet.
On the crest OF the highest sand
hill Is the big Egyptian set built fol-
THE Ten Commandments" SET
about two and half city blocks in
length and 100 feet high. showing
treasure city of Rameses.
sphinxes Line Approach.
\ The approach to the city Is a wide
avenue aanked by twenty-four i'm.
mense sphinxes. From balconies gay
tapestries are flung to the winds
Over the tops Of the lower walls show
the fronds of tall palm trees. Wher
this set is shown upon the screen II
will seem to simmer under the hea'
Of the valley OF the Nile, and the
theater patrons will not suspect thai
the actors whom they see bareheaded
bare of leg and arm, were wrapped
shivering in Army blankets and batf
robes until the moment when tbs
| trumpets sounded for the camera tc
start grinding.
When / arrived late in the after.
noon I did not go at once to the ten
| city where the immense compan.
| lives. Instead I was taken to thu
| edge of the sand belt and Their,
| boarded a sand sleigh. Automobile
J are useless in the desert and ever
| wagons of modern width of whee
/ sink to the hubs in the sand. SO al
| transportation Is in sand sleighs o.
| on the backs of burros or horses
| For nearly two miles l drove slowl.
| across the desert. the wide runner
of the sled making a gritty. signing
| little music as we toiled along.
Then, at the top Of the last rise
! at a point where the sand becam
| broken into hummocks and slope,
| unevenly to high tide line, I cam
| upon screen of humanity an,
| horses, tripods, cameras and score
of large silver mirrors. Edging m,
way through the throng of assistant
| and aides who spread out fanwis
| from Cecil De Miles place of van
| tage. I suddenly obtained an unob
| structed view Of a memora BILE sight
| the encampment of a people on tn
/ march.
| The Alarm.
For nearly half a mile 1t spread il
! struggling disarray in all directions
this camp of the Jews beside the Re,
| sea- Tents and camels, men, womel
| and children, sheep and goats an
| burros and geese and oxen, carts an
| filters. 1t seemed to be early morn
Ing and the smoke of hundre