Evening star., 1927-10-16

THIS is the story of how they made
: "Wings," the spectacular motion
nicture of the war in the air, which
is proving one of the greatest hits Oh
tho 80 films that have been shown on
Broadway.
Really this story should commence
back 10 wears ago, when slender
how of IL abruptly quit his course at
the University of Washington, hed an
other wear on his age, and was per-
nitted to enlist in the United states
Flving Service. Soon he became Wen
known about the flying fields OF Can
fornia as Lieut.. John Monk Saunoers'
instructor in aviation.
At lust about the same time an
other young chap, named Wllnam
WeIIman. law in q hospital recovering
from a broken back. Quite a spec
tacular figure, young Wellman. Noted
as a foot ball and hockey player In
his home town of Somerville, MASS,
Wellman had joined the Lafayette
Escadrille. that outfit OF yahantiy
reckless young Americans who onered
their lives to France before the United
States Joined in the war. he nao
been a flying mate Of such youths as
Quentin Roosevelt, Tommy Hltcncock
(who has since won fame as an inter
national polo player), Lieut.. Ted Far
sons, Maj. Charles J. Biddle OF Ine
Philadelphia Biddies, and others. nI,
WelIman had met the fate that all
war ayiators expected some day.
Fortunately he had escaped death, put
now he was back home with his health
broken. And he was not yet II.
Near London, another Yankee boy
was learning to fly under the guidance
OF the Royal Flying Corps. His name
was Richard Arlen.
Out in the corn belt OF Kansas.
Publisher Rogers of the Olathe Mirror
was telling his 12.year-old son. Buddy,
about a thrilling new branch OF war
fare developed in the war-the duels
to the death high up among the
clouds.
Two little girls in short dresses,
Clara Bow and Jobyna Ralston. were
playing with doIis in their respective
homes in Brookty tyn and Tennessee, and
an alert young newspaper man named
Lucian Hubbard was night city editor
of the Herald-Tribune. ~
Swiftly a decade sped by! 1t
wrought great changes in the lives OF
those Just mentioned. National maga-
zines commenced to feature stories by
John Monk Saunders, who, mean
while, had completed his college ca
reer, won a Rhodes scholarship at Ok
ford, served a brief literary appren-
ticeship as a reporter on the New
York Herald. Tribune and then plung-
ed into writing. &
Occasional reports from Hollywood
referred to William Wellman as a
coming director, and somebody in the
~ al fO1N N I'D
Arlen as a handsome young man and
signed him to one Of those long-de-
velopment contracts, while the son OF
Publisher Rogers Of Olathe, Kans..
had graduated as star pupil from the
new-fangled Paramount School of Pic
ture Acting. and a profitable career
| before the Kliegs was predicted for
| him.
Clara Bow had become a star in the
movie armament, and Jobyna Ralston,
as leading lady for Harold Lloyd, was
well known to all who went to the
movies.
Meanwhile, Lucien Hubbard had be.
come one Of the principal producers
Of the film industry, being intrusted
with supervision Of important produc-
tons, such as "The Vanishing Ameri.
can" The idea of making great
motlon picture OF Lne war urSI Oc'
CURED to Saunders four or five years
ago, but he lacked the necessary en-.
tree at that time to sell his idea. Then
came "The Big Parade" with its re.
sultant fine success, and for the time
being Mr.. Saunders forgot his idea.
Jesse L. Lasky, chief OF Paramount
production, however. had visioned a
big flying spectacle that would show a
plane-crazed world all about aviation.
He and Saunders met at a banquet
one evening in New York City, and as
the outcome of their chat Saunders
was asked to prepare story of war
| time aviation. He did so. and when