Home Movies (Jan-Dec 1948)

• MYRON SUTTON, who produced, directed and photographed "Duel In The Shade" and portrayed "Joseph Forgotten, " mounts a tree stump with his Revere "88" and exposure meter to make a high-angle shot. Foreword — Recently, Myron Sutton, Flagstaff, Ariz., college student, submitted his 3 60-foot 8mm. picture, '' Duel In The Shade” to Home Movies’ editors for review. Because of the skill and originality displayed by both producer Sutton and his actors, the picture has been awarded Home Movies’ Movie of the Month certificate for April. Sutton, who states he has been shooting movies for only a little over a year, says that " Duel In The Shade” is his first attempt at a scenario picture. We asked him to write a story of his experiences in making the picture. — Ed. MAKING Duel In The Shade from a detailed script of 150 scenes into the final picture was an adventure from beginning to end. To my notion the best home movie is the self-explanatory one which contains no reading after the initial credits. To weave this complicated plot into a story without titles, however, proved far easier than expected, and paid off with interest in every foot. It all began in the Spring of ’47 when I got my first movie camera, a Revere 88. Other than going to college, I while away some hours as projectionist at the local theatres, and the folks here in Flagstaff, Arizona, being one big happy family, decided that a natural outlet for some of our funning would be to make a movie. So we turned cinemakers and launched ourselves into one of the greatest times we’ve had — the whoop-de-do of filming Duel In The Shade. 260 Duel In The Shade With scenic Arizona as their setting, a group of western amateurs film a lively parody on David O. Selznick's 'Duel In The Sun' By MYRON SUTTON Casual filming was arranged for several mornings each week, and, after a hard workout before the camera, we would enjoy an idyllic picnic in the pines. The picture was aptly named, for, other than the fact that a duel actually takes place beneath an aspen tree, Northern Arizona’s rainy months feature more clouds than sun. Anyway, photographing in "magnificent blackand-white,” production began on the 23 rd of July, and two months, forty dollars and 800 feet later we were showing the premiere. A little more than 3 60 feet were culled and edited into a story about the west at its wildest. Set in the 1 8 8 0’s, Duel In The Shade is the story of the west’s wildest gunman, Peggory Greek, who struggles for days across the desolate, blistering desert to keep a rendezvous with the beauteous, savage Jennifer Bones. After encountering a girl in two-piece swim suit, who proves a mirage and a horse that isn’t, he arrives at Jennifer’s mountain home. Flere, deep in the mountains, at a quaint and rustic cabin nestled in a grove of aspens, occur two passionate love scenes — cut abruptly by the arrival of the Funkiller, who immediately breaks things up and delivers a lecture on the evils of sin. As a shamefaced Peggory Greek crawls away, his beguiling sweetheart slinks up the Funkiller’s robe in a fond embrace. Greek suddenly grasps the situation and tears into the Funkiller with a murderous vengeance. But Jennifer separates them and leads them to a tree, placing one on each side, and steps backward with hand raised to give the signal for a duel "far and squar!” As she backs away from them, she bumps into a huge cactus. Her scream of pain is misunderstood by the duelists who then commence their march away from the tree, guns held tensely, ready to fire. At this convenient point, the lone wolf of the range, Joseph Forgotten, rides on the scene, dismounts, and approaches Jennifer with wolfish paws outstretched and gleaming eyes. At the crucial psychological moment, the scene shifts back to the duel, where it develops that Greek’s gun is stuck • THE PRODUCTION CREW takes time out while adjustments are made in the costume of the "Funkiller," one of the characters involved in the duel. Sutton, in left foreground, listens while camera runs off end of a spool of film before opening camera to re-load.