Adventures in Silverado (Columbia Pictures) (1948)

(Feature) Gold Hunting Trip Thirty Years Ago Finally Pays Off For some of the freshest, most dramatic California scenery ever filmed, moviegoers can thank a hunt for gold, made in a Model-T Ford more than 30 years ago. The young prospector was named Ralph Black, who, like many another hopeful, struck off into the no man’s land of southeastern California, where the San Bernardino Mountains collapse into desert amid fantastic rocky badlands known by such diverse names as the Devil’s Post Pile and the Wonderland of Rocks. Finding no gold, Black checked off the trip to experience and went into moviemaking. Columbia recently had a special need for striking scenery in order to film “Adventures in Silverado,” based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic of 1880 California, and now playing at the Theatre. Black, now hard at work as Columbia’s location manager, recalled that gold search of 30 years ago. The “rock pile” where Ralph’s Model T once chugged had become Joshua Tree National Monument, a wilderness blessed by motor roads and bordered by Palm Springs, but the volcanic badlands had never been filmed. Approached by Black and his colleagues, the National Park Service was quick to give its approval, Thus millions of movie-goers will discover a strange world of rocks and desert vegetation, 150 miles from Los Angeles in Columbia’s “Adventures in Silverado,” with William Bishop, Gloria Henry and Edgar Buchanan in the top roles. Thirty years after, Ralph Black’s gold hunting has paid off! eee ee eee Deed Movie Notes The Robert Louis Stevenson mementoes used by Columbia in “Adventures in Silverado,” now at the Theatre, have been presented to the Stevenson Historical Society of San Francisco. The historical importance of the film, inspired by Stevenson’s story of his Napa Valley experiences, “Silverado Squatters,” has been acclaimed by research historians of the University of California. ete eee @6 1% Silverado Mat 1-A; Prod. Still No. 38 A spirited heroine of the West is portrayed by Gloria Henry in Columbia’s “Adventures in Silverado,” frontier yarn now at the Theatre. Silverado Mat 1-C; Prod. Still No. 37 William Bishop and Gloria Hen ry are romantically teamed in Columbia’s “‘Adventures in Silverado,” action drama now at tha es Theatre. (Reader) ‘Silverado’ Writer Portrayed in Film Edgar Barrier, who portrays famed author Robert Louis Stevenson on the screen in Columbia’s ‘Adventures in Silverado,” now playing at the ...... Theatre, with William Bishop, Gloria Henry and Edgar Buchanan, is a stickler for the authentic touch. Knowing that millions of movie-goers would watch the screen Stevenson with extraordinary interest, Barrier personally queried old-timers in San Francisco and in the Napa Valley, where the writer gathered material for his story classic, “Silverado Squatters,”’ on which the film is based. Letters, old faded photographs and clippings from newspapers flooded Barrier, who wears a battered Stetson and a black Inverness cape in _ the movie with all the jaunty assurance of an actor who has copied his prototype from life. Victoria’s Mug An heirloom of the theatre —the silver shaving mug Helen Hayes made famous in “Victoria Regina,” is used by William Bishop during a key sequence of Columbia’s “Adventures in Silverado,” the actionful drama based on a Robert Louis Stevenson tale, now holdiMmetorthnvat. the. . =... Theatre. Bishop, the nephew of Miss Hayes and Charles MacArthur, won the mug in honor of his first leading role in “Victoria.” Pens Western Yarn Edgar Buchanan, currently featured in Columbia’s “Adventures in Silverado,” based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s own adventures in the lusty West, has played in so many Westerns, that he has been inspired to write an original story of the Indian frontier. Buchanan, who plays a doctor in his current vehicle, now at the Theatre, was a dentist for years prior to acting, and has made a dentist the hero of his story. Recreate Landmark California’s old-time “miners’ slums” of the 1880’s in Napa Valley were reproduced by Columbia for its “Adventures in Silverado,” the current attraction at the Theatre. The movie was suggested by Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Silverado Squatters.” (Feature) Hero of ‘Silverado’ Takes to the ‘Air’ To Ride Stagecoach One way to learn how to drive a stagecoach, it seems, is to take flying lessons. William Bishop did just that for Columbia’s “Adventures in Silverado,” now at the Theatre, in which he shares top featured billing with Gloria Henry and Edgar Buchanan. Forrest Tucker and Edgar Barrier have other important roles. In the movie, which was inspired by Robert Louis Steven son’s story, “Silverado Squatters,” Bill portrays a rootin’tootin’ stagecoach driver of 1880 California. An expert horseman, Bill scorned any use of doubles —but his handling of a sixhorse team had to be expertly timed for key chase sequences. This is where airplanes come into the picture. For instantaneous braking and steering, Columbia technicians worked out a system of cables and pulleys—exactly like the controls used in big aircraft. Bill, sitting in the driver’s seat behind a six-up, held the reins in one hand, a hidden “stick” in the other. Without batting an eye, he could stop the coach, swerve, turn on a dime (or two) and crash the vehicle if necessary. It being easier, these days, to find an airplane than a stagecoach, Bill went to a student flying field and took ten hours of “flying.” He never left the ground. He didn’t have to. Instead, he became the field’s most expert taxier. The theory being, of course, that no well-behaved stagecoach leaves the ground. The acid test came when the “Adventures in Silverado” company was on location in the rocky wilderness of California’s Joshua Tree National Monument. There, director Phil Karlson outlined a series of stagecoach racing sequences that is making local moviegoers jiggle in their seats, In one climactic race with villain Tucker, Bishop almost proved that stagecoaches also fly. The two antagonists both rounded a mountain turn. Tucker hugged the inside, while Bil! teetered precariously near the rim. Suddenly a rocky boulder loomed ahead. With a flyer’s sure instinct, Bill swerved. His coach raced around Tucker with two wheels in the air. It was a thrill impossible to re-shoot, and cameraman Henry Freulich miraculously caught it on film. Silverado Mat 1-B; Prod. Stull No. 33 newcomer ..William Bishop is importantly cast in Columbia’s ‘“‘Adventures in Silverado,’ Robert L. Stevenson tale at the Theatre. Handsome . Silverado Mat 2-C; Prod. Still No. 3 One of the wildest tales of the old wild West roars to the Theatre screen ................ in Columbia’s “Adventures in Silverado” with Gloria Henry, Edgar Buchanan and William Bishop. (Feature ) Stagecoach Shortages Stump Even Hollywood Hollywood, which ransacks the marts of the world, if necessary, to dress its pictures handsomely, is stumped. There’s a shortage of stagecoaches! Columbia, for example, uses six of the vehicles in “Adventures in Silverado,” now on view at the Theatre with William Bishop, Gloria Henry and Edgar Buchanan. featured in the principal roles, but five of the coaches were secured from five separate agencies, plus the one from the studio. The stagecoach in anxious demand was more than just a box with four wheels, drawn by horses. To old-time Westerners, there was only one stagecoach. It was built by Abbott, Downing and Co., at Concord, N. H.., and was called, quite simply. the Concord. It rolled out by the dozens and the hundreds from this New England town to build the West. But today, no craftsman can duplicate the superb design of the vehicle. That tough and efficient masterpiece, the Concord, carried six passengers behind a _ sixhorse team. The coach weighed more than 2500 pounds, but seemed light, graceful and beautifully balanced. Its floor, top and sides were clearest poplar over seasoned ash, curved and joined to absorb the shocks of pioneering. The body rode in a cradle of steerhide straps, cleverly sprung on uprights (called jackposts). from front and rear axles. Beautiful as the superstructure was, the wheels held the secret of Concord durability, There were 12 spokes front, 14 spokes rear—hand-hewn and identical, so snugly fitted into rim and hub that the joints seemed invisible. Elsewhere in the world, less worthy stagecoaches broke down, but the Concord rolled on and on, and only a speedier age defeated it. Records of the authentic West, such as “Adventures in Silverado,” are of and about the stagecoach. That’s why the six vehicles which Bishop and badman Forrest Tucker drive are handled like the historic treasures they are. Screenplay of the movie, which captures the spectacular action and romance of the old frontier as immortalized by Robert Louis Stevenson in his story, “Silverado Squatters,” which suggested the picture, was written by Kenneth Gamet, Tom Kilpatrick and Jo Pagano. Phil Karlson directed for producers Ted Richmond and Robert Cohn. (Reader) ‘Silverado’ Heroine Likes Work-Clothes When Columbia’s fashion designer, Jean Louis, showed Gloria Henry her resplendent new costumes as the stagecoach line boss in ‘‘Adventures in Silverado,” now at the Theatre, Gloria looked pleased but anxious. “Lovely,” she said. “But where are my work-clothes? I’ve got to wear pants, running a stage line.” And she does. Gloria wears leather pants. old and tough, and more or less historic. The same pants, in fact, that Jean Arthur made famous in Columbia’s big Western, “Arizona.” One Way to Learn! Gloria Henry, featured in Columbia’s “Adventures in Silverado,” now playing at the cco: Theatre, took five hours’ flying instruction in a Link trainer at Mesa Loma Airport to train for her role as the stagecoach owner and driver. (Reader) Rough ‘Reel’ Fight Was the Real Thing William Bishop took it on the chin—literally—during a _ key fight sequence in Columbia’s “Adventures in Silverado,” now Olle VASWee alm U NO ts .s.cboreiens The atre, in which he shares top featured billing with Gloria Henry and Edgar Buchanan, but he might as well have stayed home. Bishop and badman Forrest Tucker, who spurn anything so easy as doubles in this film of Robert Louis Stevenson’s own adventures in the lusty West, nevertheless feint and dodge to provide realism and still spare the old jawbone. This time, though, Tucker landed a right hook to Bishop’s jaw. Reeling backward an instant, Bill recovered quickly and came back swinging, like the seasoned trouper he is. No one had noticed, apparently. Director Phil Karlson certainly hadn’t, “Cut!” he yelled. “Take that hook over. It looked phony to me.” Page 7