Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-05


~ The STAR OF course. Why ask
foolish questions?
But often in the space behind the silver sneet
there are valiant souls, unsung heroes, whose
deeds are as gallant as any ever performed
before camera.
Not SO long ago an ambitions scenarlSt
created a scene in which maniac sets nre 10
n light house. entrapping two lovers In tower
The two in the tower were directed by the
script To remain shuddering in the window
until the flames were almost upon them and
then to make spectacular leaps into the sea.
It sounded great Oh paper.
We can use dummies for the leap. the
company decided, thus obviasing the necessity
for q search fer light house situated by
nice sand-5ottomcd Iaguna, 1t was ar
ranged offered the most pictorial setting, with
its huge black rocks jutting up from the cnurn-
ing $50.
The early scenes " .re made. The two young
people who played the lovers duly covered ana
prayed and called for help from the tower
windows. The dummies were thrown, as test,
before the firo lighted. And It was to De
clearly seen that they were dummies and not
two terrified lovers.
What to de-
The two in the tower could not be permitted
to leap let they crack their valuable heads or
limbs and thus spoil the picture. brief con-
sultation resulted in hurry call to the home
casting Office for two extras, one small and one
large who knew how to dive and swim and
who were willing to do both for SIS.
A TALL, thin chap and small, short one
duly arrived. The assistant director ex-
planned the scene which could not be made
until NIGHT dwelling on precautions to be taken
and the signals to be observed. They were
shown the light house and the position OF the
rocks at its base and permitted to estimate the
height of the tide.
That night after the two had taken up their
places at the tower window-the little fellow In
the girls dresS-a storm came on and the
waves dashed giant whtecaps over the jagged
rocks
Great. great cried the director come on!
Step OH it! Camera
The maniac set q match to his prepared bon
fire and the flames sprang up, following the
Indicted trail arranged by experts. But the
experts had not reckoned with the storm. One
elem mt rushed to the other and, presently the
roaring flames we're, beyond control.
To the tall and the short one standing
in the tower it locked as though the sea itself
wer5 fire. No swimmer, viewing the surge
of those mighty waves and the pounding against
the terrible rocks could hope to live In 1t even
if he escaped the fire. They dared not jump
To the company standing on shore they
seemed doomed
Jump! jump:" cried some voices, aghast at
the flames
The two victims couldn't hear, but when the
menace of the fire made action imperative they
made a pitiful dash down the circular stairway
into the holocaust below.
".They're done fort" breather the onloOkerS.
But the light house door opened and the tail,
thin one emerged to fall almost fainting into
a small boat that had stood by in the hope Of
where's shorty?" he asked presently. when
he could control his trembling lips.
Didn't get through
"For cryln' out loud" gasped the tall one.
He sprang from the boat, dashed back into the
burning building and came out at last carrying
the little fellow, whose girls gown hung in
snoldering Shreds
Fifty dollars the price set on her life by
one slim little extra girl
Sam Goodwin producer, giving break
fast for the press in honor of his loveiest star,
inviting Us before that breakfast to witness one
of the new pictures biggest thrills.
An ascension in an enormous balloon was to
be made the girl making the ascension "bating
OUT at a certain height and coming down via
parachute.
The press gathered on the grounds of an
elaborate circus set outside the studio. whose
extras in gariSh costumes thronged the gay
tents The great balloon strained at its guy
ropes in the center of it all Wilma Banky In
the scarlet satin of her acrobats dress. finished
the brief sequence that led to the balloons
ascent
"Where's the parachute jumper?" began to
be asked over and over.
Presently 1t developed that the trained para
cRSdte jumper had met with an accident on her
way to the set
AFTER ALL if you know how, there's no trick
to it," argued the director and sent his aide