Silver Screen (Nov 1936-Apr 1937)

Ranching DE LUXE [Continued from page 25] Sam Wood, and a couple of other close friends, a private duck hunting preserve near Santa Barbara. When the voluptuous Mae West says, "Come up and see me sometime," she really means "Come out and see me sometime." Although everybody knows that Mac lives in a luxurious penthouse atop a Hollywood apartment house few know that she owns a ranch near the historic old San Fernando Mission. There she seems to spend most of her time when not emoting belore the cameras. Often she motors to the ranch in the early morning and puts in a lull day out of doors. She is proud of her hue pou)try, and spends much time in caring for her flocks. Mae is also a truly enthusiastic gardener. She loves to work among the vines and stalks and to muddy her own pretty hands with the soil. Now, is that a surprise? Richard Dix's "Haven," a primitive hundred and sixty acre hideaway, nestled in Topanga Canyon in the rugged Santa Monica Mountains, has long furnished him \vith an excuse to get away from the Cinema City. Here he raises cattle, chickens and turkeys, grows alfalfa and indulges to his heart's content in dog raising, which is his favorite hobby. Guinn (Big Boy) Williams shares with Dix the Topanga Canyon wilderness as the locale for his ranch. Midway between this famous canyon and the sunny San Fernando Valley, where many a famous celebrity waters his own garden crop, lies Director Clarence Brown's big ranch, near Calabassas. The outstanding feature at his place is a shooting range where his friends Robert Montgomery, Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy and others often gather to enjoy the sport. His is one of those ever welcome haciendas where one can drop in any Sunday afternoon and be assured of a fine welcome. It is the San Fernando Valley, however, that has proven to be the mecca ol ihe majority of Hollywood's ranch minded luminaries. This sun-kissed broad valley lies just over the Hollywood hills and a few miles to the north of the famed City of Stars. Perhaps the reason for its popularity lies in the tact that it takes only a matter of minutes to motor from studio sets to the valley. Numbered among the ardent devotees of this valley's beauties are: W. C. Fields, Fred Stone, Charlie Ruggles, Wallace Beery, Spencer Tracy, Paul Muni, Edward Everett Hoiton, Buck Jones, Ann Dvorak and Hugh Hcrljert. There musi l)e something to that old adage thai comedians need an audience to laugh at their jokes. Surely that accounts for the fact that so many of the comics have located their ranches near one another in the valley. l"or example, there's goat raiser Hugh Hcrberl. cilins grower f'.liailic Ruggles, and poullry iaiuicr Bob Burns— all within easy reach of each oilier. Strange how these comedians do ihiiii;s. even in real life. When Edward F.xeicu Horton began improving his valley raiuh the first thing he constructed was ihe dog house. Then he gradually led up to the l)ain, and finally to the house itself, via a sviiiriming pool, tennis court and a sunken gaitlen. Ma\be he had the right idea lliou^h, lor any old farmer will tell \ou I hat his barn is more important than the liouse. Oiiicn sabc? Out oil the far ^^•esterIy fringe of the \'all<\ can be found energetic Paul Kelly and his wile, Dorotln' Macka^e. almost any chn when (heir presence in the studios is luil (Iciiiaiulcd. Paul is a firm beliexer in ihe old si\\v hum iiiclhods. and he is constructing an old time icc-housc in which 10 stole his products and to cure his own meals. Here is one ranch that will remain in keeping with the spirit of the early Caliloi iiiaiis. Paul l.iui;hs at the idea that Francis Lederer enthusiastically gives away his crops. (Left) Hugh Herbert finds his relaxation in ranching by actually working at it. one has to be wealthy to enjox a ranch. "I make my ranch pay for itselt," he says. "\\'henever I want to buy a new farm implement, I bu\ whatever type the proceeds Irom the ranch warrants. If I want to buy a tractor I shop around and get one at the price I think I ought to pay or I don't buy." .\nd businessman Kelly means exactly what he says for at present he has the ranch operating on a paying basis. An actress who's keen enough to get light out into the field and yvork on her farm is ,-\nn Dvorak. You'd never suspect that a girl with her fragile looks could be so s])uiik\, Init, then, that's where you're wiont;. Ann has always been delicate in healili ami she hiuls work in the great outdoors real insurance lor good health. Studious Paul Muni has a home situated in the Lenier of a walnut gto\e with an alluiiii'4 swinnning pool adjacent to it. To dale, howc\er, the Munis have confined tlicii lanching aciiyities to hai\csling and iiiarkeiiiig their abundant walnut crops. .'\t one of the large studios the rancheractors gather in front of their dressing looms almost daily and syvap the produce ill which they specialize. Spencer Tracy 62