Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-11

I
pioneer struggle-the Indian massacres
has not been done in sound. And
what sound and color can do to heighten
the quality of this material even the
most unimaginative can easily COM
prehend.
When the local academy sets about
the difhcult business of awarding the
prize for the best picture released in
| 1920, spectacular productions on which
fortunes have been spent will be listed
a-plenty. "HellS Angels" which Howard
| Hughes has made and remade until
the budget has crept up close to four
millions, will be one of them 1t again
deals with war. But Raoul Walsh, one
OF the most aStute directors in filmdom,
has chosen the simple human struggle
OF people in the wilderness. He has
| chosen to make his epic with types in
stead OF with stars. He has gone out
70 distant locations instead of framing
great sets on studio sound stages.
He has done such radical things as
turning 100000 gallons of water onto
section of prairie near Yuma, Ariz.,
10 get mud sequence through which
MS covered wagons are to progress
painfully in one of the most dramatic
parts of this story. He has sat about
with his hundreds of people brought on
from Hollywood, waiting for the sort
OF driving rain necessary to give this
moment its proper atmospheric quality.
Marguerite Churchill, once chosen as
the typical American girl. will be the
pioneer girl. David Rollins will play
the role of her brother; he has been
chosen for American quality and for
his resemblance to Marguerite Churchill.
Duke Morrison. rechristened John
Wayne for movie purposes, a Western
college athlete, will play the role of the
pioneer boy.
In his search for character actors
whom he visualized in the rough and
picturesque characterizations needed,
Ftaoul Walsh let no obstacle stand be-
tween him and the securing Of certain
types.
He saw Tyrone Power as the perfect
type OF overseer for the Western epic.
Inc studio set about the difficult task
OF locating Tyrone Power, a famous
actor OF the legitimate, whose activities
In cinema making have not been eXer-
cised these several years. Traced to a
Shakespearean repertory company
winch toured this coast, they discov-
cred he had left a forwarding address
to hunting lodge in the Canadian
w1ldS. Penetrating the woods, a mes
Senger discovered that the lodge had
been closed for the season and Tyrone
Power departed for parts unknown.
Inen walsh fell back on that old ex-
pedlent OF locating actors-through the
channels of the Lambs Club. Power
was found on the East Coast. There
was no talk OF salary. st want you for
the overseer in The Big Trail come
Immediately" wired Walsh. Power
came on the first train That is the
way the cast has been assembled.
Iully Marshall, playing the bearded
role OF an old plainsman. waived two
fat assignments in other pictures in
order to be convincingly shaggy for the
needs of this story.
If you could read the biography
sheets OF the extras to be used in this
pageant Of hardy people forging ahead
to the mecca of young country, YOU
would wonder what all this talk is about
slender Hollywood silhouettes-sweet
young things-perfect noseS-chin lines,
and the rest of the popular twaddle.
Here the middle-aged with good
weights running from 148 to los pounds
and over are to be found for the heads
of the families. They have been re-
cruited chiefly from American stock,
and if you read the list of their birth
places and those Of their antecedents
you will discover that in many in
who made the West. Old lads are
signed up, 70 to IS years, who list their
occupations as mule skinners. Old
stagecoach drivers of the early days.
Women who can drive OK teams. Women
who have won prizes for rifle marks
manship. The sort of women that
Hollywood Village knows least about
and has least use for.
The vital scenes Of the picture will
carry the company into such colorful
places as Jackson's Hole. The pioneers
valiant battle with the savages will be
made at Massacre Rocks and will be a
re-enactment of one of the most tragic
events in the history Of the settling of
the West. Twenty thousand head of
cattle have been selected for use in some
OF the big scenes to be filmed with
grandeur cameras. The Indians of the
Arapahoe reservation are being coached
Tor their part in the film. A detach-
ment of camera men has been sent as
Tar North as Alaska to film herds of
buffalo, for this is the nearest spot to
Hollywood where the American bison Is
still to be found.
These are few details about Holly
woods newest million-dollar epic. No
Idle tag, this time, but one Of the
heaviest investments of a village ac-
cuStomed to spending money with both
hands. Raoul Walsh hopes to get from
1t the great story of the West-a story
In which the cracking of whips, the
creaking wagon trains, the shouts of
men and women and children, the
neighing OF horses and the shrill war
cry OF Indians will make for a realism
never before found in Western epics.
ICopyright, 1880. by North American News
paper Alliance)
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