Evening star., 1941-12-29


bird" without a monkey. Siberia"
without wolves, Uncle Toms Cabin"
without bloodhounds, vaudeville
without trained sealS-and so on
and on.
For an even keener appreciation
of the animal kingdoms Importance
to the amusement world, we suggest
that Mr.. Nathan have a quick look
about the film factories. Eight pic
lures out of 10 use animals or fowl
in one way or another. And there
are Hollywood heroes who owe much
to four-footed pals-horses or dogs
who have come to be identified with
them.
Bill (Hopalong Cassidy Boyd,
suddenly deprived of his horse in
the midst of any given working day.
probably would find himself
stretched in midair A dozen other
Western stars would be in the same
fix. Bing Crosby, on the other hand,
would be making money faster than
he could lose it.
We asked a man who ought to
know, Cecil B. De Mile, who has
been producing moving pictures
since the dark days of THE Squaw
Man" what effect an anti-animal
ruling would have on the screen.
1--WE might just as well close up
shop" said De Mile bluntly.
animals in many instances are SO
important that they overshadow the
human element"
De Mile says he has used dogs
and horses in practically all his pic
lures. He's used mules and cattle
in about a dozen. He had wolves
and bear in THE Squaw Man."
dinosaur in Adams Rib" oxen In
THE Ten commandments" an asp
in cleopatra" zebras, elephants
and lions in 'The Sign OF the
Cross; leopard in male and Fe-
male" cobra, a tiger and a minah
bird in -Four Frightened People;
a canary in Madame Satan," a
herd of buffalo in The Plainsman,'
parrots in THE Buccaneer" and
caribou in North West Mounted
Police"
In Reap the Wild Wind" just
coming out, De Mile sets an animal
record, even for him. He has sew
eral dogs. horses, sheep, two goats,
q monkey, an owl, a parakeet. a
flock of f1amingoes, some sea gulls.
several hundred tropical fish, two
shark, manta ray and a mechani-
cal giant squid with q tentacle
spread of so feet.
Up and down all Hollywood lots
it's the same thing. Dorothy La
mour has stolen scenes from some
of the best animals in the business,
but they still keep trying. Then
there's the "Tarzan" series, in which
all that Johnny Weissmuller is he
owes to his stepmother. who is an
ape. Since he began swinging from
tree to tree for M-G-M, Weismuller
has been mingling with just about
every important breed of animal
that Frank Buck ever brought back
alive.
The best of Johns "Tarzan" anec-
doteS, however. concerns rhinoc-
eros which Buck did not bring back
from Africa. This ponderous beast
was obtained from the London Zoo
for a price. M-G-M thought the
price was so high that it did not
care to pay to bring the rhinoceros'
keeper over, too. 1t just imported
the rhinoceros, and turned the care
of it over to a property man.
A set representing an African la
COON was built down at Corona Del
Mar, about so miles south of Holly
wood. Here the rhinoceros was to
be shown swimming to shore, so it
was loaded on barge and hauled
out short distance, then dumped
overheard and expected to start
swimming. Instead, the costly mas
todon sank like sack of meal, and
was never heard from again. 1t
seems that rhinos can't live in salt
water or something.
4 4
One mustn't forget the great dog
stars Of neutrality-suspicious. and