Screenland (May-Oct 1928)

SCREENLAND 101 most affected by the ride. Alan and Bill furnished the laughs for the troupe. Alan and Bill with 'Breezy,' Alan's valet, spent one afternoon hunting gophers with an air gun and there weren't any gophers. The clowning that you see in Bill and Alan's screen acting is entirely natural. When we were ready to shoot a scene, both of them would have in mind what they were to do and what lines to speak for titles, if any. Then they would go ahead and act the scene and ad. lib. the conversation as they went along. The surprising part was that this conversation was always funny and yet in keeping with the story. Many times they would have those behind the cameras convulsed with laughter. For example, the gangsters call to Alan Hale to come up to where they are. Not knowing their identity, he does so. One of them says, "Are you the guy they call Handsome?" "Yeh, that's me," says Alan with kind of an embarrassed smile and he puts forth his hand to shake hands. "Well, my name is Smith," replies the tough one and socks Alan one on the jaw. Alan goes down with the blow and just saves himself from falling over the edge of the dam by grabbing one of the reinforcing bars. He glances down to the bottom of the dam. Oh1. He jumps up rubbing his jaw, and yells out. "Thank God, it wasn't Murphy," and then wades into the fight. All of this he made up while acting the scene. Later during this fight one of the gangsters became dizzy from fighting too near the edge of the dam and fainted. In justice to the man. we'll add that it was a hot day also. The concrete hoist-tower is plenty high! On top of this tower is a little wood platform, that the skip just clears. The director thought that it would be a swell shot to show Alan working on the tower and Bill riding back and forth by him in the skip. Of course Bill and Alan were to be arguing about the advantages of their individual 'teckneek' for slaying the 'twists.' Both Bill and Alan looked at the director, then way up at the tower and then back to Mr. Higgin. "Yeh, you would suggest," they both said in unison. Nevertheless, both of them went up and the shot was made. Like a few other successful comedians. Bill and Alan are also capable in more dramatic roles. Perhaps you remember William Boyd in The Volga Boatman, and The Yan\ee Clipper, and Alan Hale in The Covered Wagon, The Four Horsemen, and Robin Hood. Many times during lunch hours or periods of waiting, Bill and Alan would tell us their reminiscences of various pictures, actors, and locations. All of us will remember the Pocoima Dam and what we did up there. Some will remember the height, the skip, the rides, the drop of seven hundred feet in a concrete hoist bucket, the swinging out on concrete sluices, and the mountain trails. Of course I will remember all of it, as I was out there five days longer than any of the other boys from the studio, but what will linger in mind, will be the remembrance of the dinner I had with the superintendents of the dam. at the construction camp. We had lots of everything to eat and it was served by two Chinese cooks! Should you chance to meet Pev Marley, the chief cinematographer of Power, ask him how high 'up' is. Pev's answer will probably be, "Cranking a camera from a little platform, on the top of a concretehoist tower, that is only four feet square and eight hundred feet high and from where you can easily look down and see the top of Pocoima Dam, four hundred feet below and on which the workmen look just 'so high,' and then have a sudden realization that there is four hundred feet again between them and terra firma. Different than an airplane, you are still in contact with earth and consequently can see a depth of perspective, which has a strange effect on your senses. That is how high 'up' is." And Pev's explanation is all right with me, and the rest of the boys! Ask JVitf — Continued from page 6 black hair, brown eyes and is 6 feet tall and not married. I think if you address him at Paramount Studios, 5451 Marathon St.. Hollywood, Cal., he will send you a picture. L. C. of Woodbridge, N J. You take the movies, Lester, and as far as I'm concerned I do not care where you take 'em, I'd love them most any place. Way Do'wn Edit was produced in 1920 with Lillian Gish, Richard Barthelmess and Lowell Sherman playing the principal roles. You will find the ages of Lillian Gish and Mary Pickford elsewhere in this department. Miss Saucy of San Francisco. You can't fool me with your 'sassy' chatter or did you? Of course I knew you — I never forget a face for don't I deal in faces, ages, heights and weights from all points east and west, including Norway and Sweden? Carmel Myers and Alma Rubens were born in San Francisco, Cal. Carmel is 5 feet 3 inches tall and weighs 124 pounds. She has brown hair and green eyes. Alma has black hair, dark brown eyes, is 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighs 130 pounds. Richard Arlen was born in Charlottesville, Va., in 1899. Gilbert Roland was born in Mexico in 1905. He has black hair and brown eyes. Vern V. D. of Vanoss. Have I dis covered some long-lost relation that's just pining away for a visit from me for no good reason? Don't be facetious; it's a long way to Oklahoma and I'm no mean sprinter. Richard Talmadge is not married. I'm sorry I haven't the cast of the film you asked for but it's been shelved so long ago. Here comes the new cowboy, Rex Bell, in Wild West Romance with Caryl Lincoln. Sit up, girls, and keep your eyes open when this youngster hits the trail. Red from ?\eu> Tor\. Of course I'm a regular guy and who wouldn't be to answer all these questions? Yes, I'm crazy about red hair and the movies and I'm known far and wide as an easy giggler — but I have my serious moments and I feel one coming on right now. Sid Taylor, Ethlyne Clair and Sunny McKeen are the 'cut-ups' in The 7<[ewlyweds. Who is my 'ideal screen lover?" Believe it or not, the list is too long for publication. Greta Garbo is not married to John Giibert, and as far as I know John is not engaged to Greta. Joan Crawford is playing with John Gilbert in Four Walls and Greta Garbo is seen in The Mysterious Lady with Conrad Nagel. From Old Virginia. You're very serious about Janet Gaynor, aren't you? Why not write her a come-hither letter, state your IfYouWantThrillS' Popularity-Big Fay LEARN AVIATION QUICK/ \ RE you a red-blooded, £\ daring he-man? Do you crave adventure, popularity, admiration, and the applause of great crowds? Then why not get into the Aviation Industry—the greatest adventure since time began — the greatest thrill ever offered to man? 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