Stallion Road (Warner Bros.) (1947)

This Human Interest Story Will Be Of Interest To All Of Those Readers Who Ride, And For That Matter For All Of Those Who Have Thought Of Riding: Angle it At Woman's Pages And/Or Supplements Alexis Smith Ached From Acting Equestrienne Role “Acting was never like this!” muttered Alexis Smith as she strolled to her set chair to think things over. The tall blond was togged out in a pair of tight-fitting jodhpurs and polished boots. She’d just finished a scene for the new Warner Bros. film ‘Stallion Road,” in which she is co-starred with Ronald Reagan and Zachary Scott, now at the Strand Theatre. Alexis portrays a young ranch owner who can ride anything with four legs, a tail and a mane. It says so in the script. But in real life, Alexis had only ridden on merry-goround horses until a week before the production started. “T never realized there was so much to riding a _ horse,” sighed Alexis as she cautiously sank into the chair. “It looks so easy—you just sit there and hold on. At least, that’s what I thought, once. But I’ve found out it’s not only important to stay on the horse, but to stay on it and ride correctly. When I was in front of the camera I forgot all about my lines, camera angles and anything else. All I thought of was knees in, hands down, head up, elbows in and heels down. When I’d gone through my inventory the scene was finished. “Acting can get you in peculiar spots,’”’ she concluded as she rose painfully from her chair, ‘‘and you can guess in which spot this role has got me! I do most of my eating from a standing position. Chairs just aren’t soft enough for me now!” Still No. LEX 1018 BEAUTIFUL AND TALENTED ALEXIS SMITH, co-starred with Ronald Reagan and Zachary Scott in Warners’ "Stallion Road," now at the Strand Theatre, is playing her first outdoor girl role in movies. MAT NO. 2C 2 Male Stars Trade Film Fisticuffs With 5 Ex-Champ Boxers Zachary Scott and Ronald Reagan combined their power to battle their way out of a bad spot in their current Warner Bros. film “Stallion Road,” in which they share star billing with Alexis Smith at the Strand Theatre. Portraying buddies in the seript, they get embroiled in a free-forall in a nightclub sequence, and fighting side by side take on six thugs for the battle royal. The fight starts when the night club owner, swings on Reagan and cuts his mouth. Scott throws a punch at Byrd who retaliates and sends the star spinning against the bar. Just as the bartender raises a bottle to put Scott out of the battle the actor sees him and connects with a haymaker which sends the bartender through a mirror behind him in a shower of broken glass. Jiu Jitsu Trick As Scott takes a breather another bartender jumps on top of the bar and tries to kick Reagan in the face. Reagan grabs his foot and with a neat jiu jitsu trick flips him on a table which crashes into a heap of splinters. With two men down, and four more closing in for the kill, the stars brace themselves against the bar and take out the first two with simultaneous kicks, sending the thugs sprawling to the floor. As the second couple approach Reagan and Scott grab chairs and toss them at the onrushing pair. Finally director James V. Kern called “Cut.” The tired, winded actors dropped _ into chairs. Only then did Kern reveal that he had hired five exehampion boxers to trade blows with Scott and Reagan. “If you fellows knew the competition you were up against you never would have been able to put up as good a show as you did,’ smiled Kern, “but please don’t get any ideas about asking for Joe Louis the next time!” Peavy Zachary Scott Mat No. 1C Warner Bros. Cameraman Shot Colts From Foxhole Warner Bros.’ cameraman Arthur Edeson did some foxhole squatting recently, but he was shooting colts, not bullets. The veteran camera jockey nestled in a tight-fitting dustfilled hole. On either side and above him horses’ hooves flashed by with terrifying nearness. The scene was for the new Warner Bros.’ film, “Stallion Road,” the Ronald ReaganAlexis Smith-Zachary Scott starrer coming to the Strand Theatre on Friday. Co-stars Ronald Reagan and Alexis Smith, with Peggy Knudsen, a featured player and 20 other actors, were mounted on horses for the sequence. Director James V. Kern had instructed the actors to ride straight for the camera then swerve around it or jump the horses over it. An Exciting Scene Sprawled behind the camera Edeson hugged the ground as the horses rushed by. In fact he seemed to melt into the dirt as the iron clad hooves beat a menacing rhythm. Eventually director Kern shouted ‘‘cut’”? and the horses slowed down to a walk. A cloud of dust settled to the ground as Edeson poked his head out of his hiding place then scrambled out of the foxhole. “T thought you were going to make that one scene the whole picture the way you let it go on and on,” said the cameraman icily to Kern as he brushed the dust from his clothes. “It will make an _ exciting scene in the picture,’ replied Kern. “Well,’’ answered Edeson, “the next time you get an ‘exciting’ idea like that one, you film it and I’ll direct it!” No Dressing Up For Reagan In His First Post-War Movie Ronald Reagan has never outgrown his dislike of dressing up, and several years in uniform didn’t lessen his dislike. His chief unhappiness in motion pictures has been that more often than not he has had to wear what he calls, “‘that dapper look,”’ and often has: had to don white tie and tails. Now he has a role both to his liking dramatically and sartorially. As a veterinarian in his first post-war Warner Bros.’ film he wears nothing but old dungarees, comfortable wellworn boots and sport shirts. Reagan, who shares star billing with Alexis Smith and Zachary Scott-in “Stallion Road,” now at the Strand Theatre, goes through the film tieless except for one scene, and then he compromises with a handkerchief cowboy type of cravat. Ronald Reagan Honored By American Veterans’ munity Service Award. MacWilliams. Committee For. Contributions To Democracy The American Veterans’ Committee, Los Angeles chapter 24, recently presented Ronald Reagan, with the Meritorious Com Committee chairman Thomas M. Southern made the presentation to tke actor on the set of the new Warner Bros.’ film, “Stallion Road.” It was awarded to him for outstanding contributions on the home front in continuing democracy in America, working towards a lasting peace, and furthering understanding between all nations and races of the world. Reagan is co-starred with Alexis Smith and Zachary Scott in “Stallion Road,” at the Strand Theatre. Thirteen similar awards were also bestowed on the following Los Angeles citizens: Frank Sinatra, Helen Gahagan Douglas, Carleton F. Morse, Lena Horne, Al Jarvis, Leon H. Washington, Raymond G. Booth, Rev. Clayton Russle, Lawrence C. Miller, Charlotta A. Bass, Robert E. G. Harris, Fay Allen and Carrie Curious Casting Quirk Occurred In New Warners’ Film One of Hollywood’s most curious quirks of casting has occured in Warner Bros. “Stallion Road,” the Ronald ReaganAlexis Smith Zachary Scott starrer, coming to the Strand Theatre on Friday. Reagan, who is seen as the veterinarian, learned to ride horseback the hard way—as a reserve officer in the cavalry. He is good and had every opportunity to display his ability in the film. On the other hand, Scott, who was born and raised on a Texas ranch, is cast as an awkwardriding city feller. His grandfather had 25 grandchildren and made a habit of giving each of them a horse of their own—if they’d break it themselves and they usually did. With that background, Scott rode a gentle old mare for the Stephen Longstreet story and was even required to fall off her on two occasions—all for the sake of the script. Still No. 664-537 ALEX!S SMITH AND RONALD REAGAN are co-starred with ‘Zachary Scott in Warners’ new film at the Strand. Supporting the stellar trio in "Stallion Road,” are Peggy Knudsen and Patti Brady. MAT NO. 1G — 21