The Washington times., 1928-06-11
HOHyz0OOd
C70N- Ups
By DOROTHY HERZOG

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Copyright. 1928. Premier syndicate)
HOLLYWOOD, Cal, June IL
Lunched with al Christie today.
AL and his brother, Charlie, have
been making two-reel funsters for,
10, these IL years. al came to
Hollywood some ! years ago.
Those were the days when Holly
wood Boulevard was a rural
thoroughfare lined with orange
groves Sunset Boulevard, one
block south. was lined with lemon
groves.
The site corner Vine Street
and Sunset, which later housed
the first inauspicious Famous
Players studio. was then q wl1eaa
field. Several blocks down, where
the palatia1 Warner studio now
filings its white stone structure,
was COW pasture
Those early sinsematic days
were THE days. The star rated
an unknown quantity. A hard
working democracy dominated
every studio.
Al recoIlected how he spotted
Betty Compson, chorus girling,
in a local show and traiIed IN to
see her after the performances;
i don't know how much salary
you're getting, he told her, but
come and work for me and III
double it. =
Betty did, and thenceforth re-
ceived $40 per. A few weeks
later. Al voluntarily raised the
ante to $50.
AIS CARRY ALL
Seventeen years ago. the auto
mobile wasn't. AL, who then di-
rected his funsters, trailed to and
from the studio and location in
what is known as a carry all. =
Said carry-an was a wagon that
could accommodate a number OF
passengers and also serve as
Kitchen dispenser whilst location
ing. Horses good horses-then
sold for $40 or $50 each.
Al recalled how William Setter.
now a popular director. hove into
Los Angeles broke and spent
the night in Pershing Square, q
park across from the now sumptu-
Gus B1ltmore hosiery. Bill heard
that Christie needed cowboys for
a comedy. He reported for a job
the next morn along with some
forty others. Bill had no more
idea how to ride a hore than the
average person has about flying
a plane. Neyert heIess. three
bucks a day sounded like a for.
tune in the face OF nothing and
starvation. 1t so happened that
Mr.. Christie had his own horse
that was to be ridden by Eddie
Lyon in the last part of the
comedy. That aninnalN was a
hoop-de-da, but he had to be to
lend the chuckIe to the finale.
BY mistake, Bill Setter corraled
that horse on which to ride to
location up in T4aure Canyon. Al
had already started for the canyon
in the carry ALL" The extras
were riding there on the horses.
No sooner did Bill get atop his
steed than the doggone critter
commenced to beat it II bent for
nowhere. He jumped fences and
bitches. Al suddenly spotted
Setter clinging to the horses
neck for dear life. The mad ride
ended when the steed tried to
hurdle plow-yeah. a pillow in
what is now the heart of Holly
woodland cut his fore legs doing
it. Bill was thrown on his ear.
Christie hurried to the horse to
see IL the damage meant no takes
on the picture that day.
Eddie Lyons. who was to have
ridden the rambunctious equine.
followed. Say, mister" he cried
to Al you amt goin' to see me
on that boss. ] don't know any
thing about tame ones, much less
a terror like him.
All the same. Eddie rode him
and collected his three bucks, as
did Bill Setter. Setter today, is
preparing 10 go on location to San
Francisco to direct Jack Mulhall
and Dorothy Mackaill in Water
front" From an extra receiv.
ing 50 day, he now collects
weekly salary estimated in four
fat figures.
Christie brought Dorothy Day.
EXPORT, better known as Mrs. Wal
lace Reid, and her mother west
IS years ago. He paiG both OF
them a due salary of $65 a week.
He also brought Victoria Ford
Mrs. Tom Mix and her mother
to Hollywood at the same time,
paying them a combination salary
of $50 weekly
The old days were THE DAYS.
When the players finished work
before the camera in the after.
noon. they, Mr.. Christie, the prop.
erty men, ct al. went to work to
build the next days sets!
Ahd-that's all.