Evening star., 1937-01-24
RAIN GAVE HOLLYWOOD FAME
De Mile and Associates Rejected Flagstaff Because Was Stormy
There-Real Drama Lived by Men Who Made
Motion Pictures Successful.

He had thought the term up on the
spur of the moment, but Goldwyn
wired back: Rembrandt lighting. Ell?
If that's what it is, they'll pay dou-
bic for it,"
They did.
De Miles experimenting did moi
stop with lighting, he relates. Once
he went so far as to direct two pictures
at once, Just because he had been toe
it couldn't be done From m. until
pm. every day he worked or "Ths
Cheat" then took nap. ate dinner
and went to work on The Colder
Chance" from pm. until 2 am. Ht
finished both within a month.
This pioneer in the photoplay world
also started this supercolossal eple
business. THE Ten Commandments
was the first, and he had to quarre.
with almost all of his associates te
do it. Every one vas certain religion
was no topic for motion pictures, anc
on top of that it was considered sheer
folly to invest any great amount o.
money in religious film, even if tht
urge was so great it had to be made
he MILE spent a little money
- though. He took 5000 extras or
location in the desert, the first time
anything Of such magnitude had beer
attempted For 10 days h, stayed or
loca ton. spending in the neighoor.
hood Of half a million dollars at S50..
600 a day. The picture was only be-
gun, though, at the end of this II
days. and the studio decided to junl
what was already filmed and get ou
from under.
Then this chap who couldn't rails,
IS 900 at the outset of his film careel
went out and, in two days, gathered
up S1,0O0,000 cash. He laid it or
Lasky's desk and said: I'll buy ou
the company'S interest In The Tel
Commandments right now. Draw VI
the papers"
Lasky and his board of director,
were all for taking the money, bw
were talked out If it by Frank Gar.
butt, Los Angeles business man, WHIT
was in Lasky's Office at the time. Iti
a good thing for somebody that Mr.
Garbutt was not ignored, for "Thi
Ten Commandments" is now in it
fifth milion-the largest crossing film
ever made.
De Mile followed his first success.
on the subject of religion with "ThI
King of Kings" and The Sign of thu
Cross" Both of them have beer
showing ever since in various part:
Of the world and The King of Kings
has now been seen by close to 100000.
600 people
H. B. Warner. incidentally, had one
of. the strangest studio contracts or
record when he was engaged for the
role of Christus in THE King OF
Kings" He could not be seen in cafes
couldn't smoke, could not be seen eat.
ing in makeup, could not appear a;
the escort of any one, and. in effect
was forced to become a recluse. The
result was an ascetic, tender perform.
ance, De Mile says.
THE first of the famous stars to bt
surrounded with an aura of legenc
and romance was a De Mile product
as well as the first of the Super-epics
His name was Wslly Reid, the same
lad who was grinding out "quickies'
in seven days not long before.
De Mile saw him in minor role
in D. w. Grifith's immortal Birth
of Nation, liked something about hi,
profile and physique and raised him
from the extra ranks, pretty much az
the result of another experiment. Ht
gambled and developed matinee lido
who's still a legend.
Gloria Swanson. the screens first
real glamour GIRL" was another Dt
Mile development. She was seen il
a Mack Sennett comedy, noticed be.
cause of her cool, casual and langour.
GUS indifference to a comedians tum.
bic down stairs. She was developed
into one of the most alluring 'anc
sophisticated women Hollywood ha,
known.
Gloria's courage is paid high tribute
by De Mile. Shed pose with wild
lions or do anything on the set d.
Mile asked of her. Only two othel
women of the screen, he says, have
shown courage to match Gloria's
One Is Leatrice Joy and the other Jean
Arthur.
Leatrice was doing q scene once
with two untamed tigers. The ami.
mails were supposed to be lying still
next to her throne, but one of them
became infuriated by the lights and
the crowd and dived for the camera
platform, swapping and paving at the
camera crew. When it finally was
gotten under control De Mile looked
about to see what had become of Miss
Joy. She sat on her throne, cool az
that well-known cucumber, arranging
the folds Of her dress against the side
Of the other tiger.
In "The Plainsman" De Mile says
he has seen Jean Arthur stand i'm
perturbable for closeup while a
jagged piece of china. that might have
marred her for life, came flying at her
fare