Hungry Horse news and Columbian. [volume] (Columbia Falls, Mont.) 1946-1948, 1947-09-12


used to build the ne10 tO1On hall.
Almost 25 years ago to this APP
ril day, Columbia Falls had shades
of Hollywood as filming started OF
where Rivers Rise"
Studio was the big barn on the
Talbot estate overlooking the rap
i'd flowing Flathead. Then as now,
snow had retreated up Columbia
and Teakettle mountain to give
this district its same handsome set
ting - evergreened Columbia and
golden Teakettle, crowned with
winters fading white and separat-
ed by Bad Rock canyons gap. On
the valley floor this side of the can
yon great yellow pines, six feet
through grew on the old Opalka
place.
Blue skies, fluffed clouds and
clean air made the spring setting
complete.
Man with a beautiful dream was
Thomas Linden, son-in-law of ia
mes Talbot, one of the towns
founders. Columbia Falls setting
to him was something that the
world should see, so he invested a
reported $4,000 Tor the purpose
of making motion picture, and
townspeople are said to have add
ed another $4,000.
Motion pictures were rather new
in those days. A staff of photogra-
piers imported from Hollywood,
and filming started. where Riv-
ers Rise" had simple heroic "cor-
ny if you wilr still used plot with
a lot of brawls.
Mr.. Linden played the part Of
an eastern millionaire, who had
lost most of his fortune except for
timber holdings In the Flathead.
With his beautiful daughter, the
heroine, he came to Montana to re-
coup his fortune.
The hero, Art Staten, brother of
Mrs. Carl Pfeifer, was a rugged
outstanding young lumberjack. In
the film, he even became human
holding train engine and
car together. William was the lum-
Der boss, who tried to steal timber
Shown a number of times in Co.
lumbia Falls, the picture did JUS
tice to local scenery. Dwight Grist
says that he had noticed scenes
from Where Rivers Rise" used in
other lumberjack and western mo-
vies.
There was log drive down the
Flathead. Filming an actual forest
fire near Eureka almost burned the
Many local people were in the !
cast: Mrs. A. N. Smith and Mrs.
Frances Robinson were dance hall {
girls, Jack Robinson was a hotel !
clerk; the late A. L. Jordan, a bar
lender; George and Claude Bolick,
Vern Smith and Hilda Lund Nc !
Donald were in the orchestra.
Joe Opalka, George Locke, John {
w. Greve, Bert McBain, William
Ford, Minnie Sewage, Nick Bad :
enjack, the late Frank Opalka and I
Toe Cosley had parts. Bertha Sta
zen Waterman was said to be out
standing as the squaw. There's no
accurate way of finding all the
names.
The film was real western, and
its best local historian is
Claude Bolick, whom daughter
lean, commented isn't quite the
'ame slim saxophone player he
vas in 1922.
Columbia Falls has much the
icher tradition for Where Rivers
Rise" The studio was torn down
moved and some of it rebuilt by
he Hoerner family into the Col
lmbia Dome. Jerky and old by
present motion picture standards,
Columbia Falls own movie, though
financial failure, still is remem-
'ered as something of an adventure
y oldtlmers.
Mr.. Linden passed away in 1916.
1rs. Linden, last of the Talbot
hlldren lives in Portland. Mrs.
johnson contacted Mrs. Linden
or the pictures which are repro
uced. MIR