Photoplay (Jan - Jun 1922)

Photoplay Magazine So a little runway, or landing place, probably six feet longer than the length of the car, was dug. On the opposite side, from where I was to take-off, wooden grooves were built on the incline, down which the car would accumulate speed as it raced for the edge of the gap preparatory to hurling itself across the thirtyfive-foot pass. Explaining the use of these wooden grooves, I will point out that we figured the car, shooting straight from the grooves, would have but one objective point, the little cut in the wall across the gap. I must land in that cut or suffer the consequences. I may say here that in making an automobile leap over a gap wedges or approaches are first built. These are long contrivances. lying flat and so built that they make a rising incline. This causes the automobile, gathering speed all the time, to leap upward as it takes off. "All set, camera, let 'er go!" My car started down the incline, gaining momentum at every second, straight along the wooden grooves to the edge of the gap. The wedges are covered with grass and dirt so as not to show in the picture. As I leaped off at Fremont Pass, I had my feet on the brakes. I wondered in the few seconds of the leap whether I could jam them on at the exact second of landing to make certain that the car would not rebound from the cut in the wall and drop back into the chasm. "One of my favorite forms of exercise is illustrated here. 1 know of no more pleasant way to spend the day than jumping from a moving train to a ladder suspended from an airplane. Incidentally it is one of the thrills that makes the audiences gasp most audibly 29 Crashing onto the other side, the impetus threw me hard against the brake and into the dashboard but the brakes worked perfectly, as the force of my landing had thrown my feet against them at the proper moment. Bui something else, which had not been figured on at all. occurred. Every tire on the car was split, and I really believe that it was due to this fact, after crashing into the opposing wall, that an unfortunate rebound did not occur, even though my brakes had worked well. One would imagine that after leaping thirty-live feet over a ninety-foot chasm hurdling a woodpile would prove easy. But here is where the "gang agley" phrase enters The requirements ol one serial story called upon myself and four companions to race in an automobile along a dirt road which paralleled a railroad track. At a certain point, a gang of outlaws had thrown a pile of railroad ties on the road to hinder us. Now in making an automobile leap, you must figure the stunt out to the finest mathematical point, but even then something may occur to spoil matters. The degree of speed for an auto of a certain weight to safely jump a gap or obstruction, the exact amount of rise necessary at the takeoff, conditions of the road and various other items must be gone over carefully. Unless all these points are taken into account the chances of an accident are manifold. I Cont'd on pa^e io8j "This is my most popular portrait. I did this one day for an episode in a Vitagraph serial. It got over. So did I "I figured that if I told the extras there was a five-dollar gold-piece concealed about my person, and that the one who found it could have it. I d »d realistic scene. Did I? If you saw that episode in 'Daredevil Dick, you know I did get a gooc