Wild Wild Westerns

In the early days of Hollywood, for studios like Universal Westerns were the easiest films to make. They required very few props and made use of the wide-open spaces available in the area. Even the smallest studio, sometimes an empty space between two buildings known as a lot, could easily film outside. It was a cheap and effective way to involve audiences in wild chase scenes involving pure heroes like the white clad Tom Mix going after dastardly villains. One time a theater was showing a Western, when the film suddenly broke right at the climatic scene. An emotional audience member yelled out," Hurry up and fix it before they get away!"

The master of the Western was John Ford, who felt that the genre was the purest form of movie making. In 1956, he and John Wayne went to their regular spot the Monument Valley in Utah to make the powerful chase movie The Searchers. Location shooting allowed the two old friends to relax by camping out, playing cards and avoiding contact with the studio executives that Ford despised. The only problem was unpredictable Utah climate could delay filming. Ford turned to a local Navajo Medicine Man. "Sir I will pay one hundred dollars if you can accurately predict the weather." The Shaman shut his eyes went into a trance and said,"Rain!" Sure enough it did rain. The grateful director asked him to repeat his efforts the next day. "Mmm, cloudy!" Again success. But on the third day when asked the Medicine Man shook his head sadly and said,"Can not tell weather today" Ford's pipe fell out of his mouth." Really. Why is that?" The Medicine Man replied," Transistor radio broke!"

Ford's relationship with the Navajo in Utah was usually cooperative. He would offer them parts in films and generally provide a welcome boon to a depressed economy. In 1948, while filming another Wayne Western called Fort Apache, he hired two locals to create smoke signals. It took several hours but then finally the technicians finished the task. As the smoke arose from the ground the assembled cast and crew watched in awe. The silence was broken when one of the Navajo Extra's stated,"Wow, I wish I'd said that!"





Article Source: http://www.BharatBhasha.com
Article Url: http://www.bharatbhasha.com/humour.php/20037

Other Articles related to "Wild Wild Westerns" by Stephen Schochet

•Wild Casting    by Stephen SchochetCan you imagine Doris Day as Mrs. Robinson in The Graduate (1967)? That's who producer Joseph E. Levine wanted before Miss Day turned it down thinking the part in bad taste, and it went to Anne Bancroft. How about James Cagney as Robin Hood in 1938? A contract dispute caused Warner Bros. to drop him and hire Errol Flynn instead. Do you know that Margaret Mitchell wanted Groucho Marx to play Rhett Butler in Gone With The Wind (1939)? But perhaps the wildest casting choice... •Masters Of Disguise  by: Stephen Schochet Gene Hackman once lamented that the worst thing about becoming a famous actor is that you lose the ability to observe people without being noticed yourself. But some performers are so good at disguises that notoriety is no obstacle. A case in point was John Barrymore trying to buy his first house in Beverly Hills in 1926. Frustrated by rising real estate prices due to stars like Tom Mix and Charlie Chaplin moving into the neighborhood, Barrymore went to look at a... •Shirley Temple Stories  by: Stephen Schochet When the Twentieth Century Pictures company had their expensive merger with the Fox Film Corporation in 1935, studio head Daryl Zanuck was depending on two contract stars to pull the new company through its money troubles. Tragedy struck the same year when Will Rogers died in a plane crash in Alaska. Zanuck turned his financial burden on the shoulders of six year old Shirley Temple (she was actually seven but wouldn't find that out till she was twelve). Fox had... •Walt Disney Knew How To Get The Word Out by Stephen SchochetYou have permission to publish this article electronicallywith a link or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated.Walt Disney Knew How To Get The Word OutBy Stephen Schochetorgofhlly@aol.comCOPYRIGHT: ©2004 by Hollywood Stories. All rights reservedYou need to get the word out about your products but your economic resources are limited. That was often the dilemma that faced Walt Disney. Often... •Marriage Hollywood Style    by Stephen SchochetBritney Spears' rapid walk down the aisle and subsequent annulment continued a long line of wild marriages in Tinseltown. The legendary union that began it all was between Silent Film Icons Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford. Beneath the glamorous veneer was a troubled relationship. The agile and athletic Fairbank's idea of a good time was walking fifty yards on his hands on the beach. Or having pool party contests to see who could hold their head underwater the longest.... •It s A Wonderful Movie  by: Stephen Schochet It's A Wonderful Life (1946) began as a short story called The Greatest Gift. Writer Philip Van Doren Stern was unable to sell it to a publisher, so he sent the tale out as a long Christmas card to friends. His agent subsequently sold the fable to RKO pictures, where it went through several transformations. In one version a losing political candidate contemplated suicide, only to have an angel convince him to stick around and do good works. Finally it fell into the... •Tales Of The Broke And Famous    by Stephen SchochetBeverly Hills is a place where you spend a lot of money you don't have to impress a lot of people you don't like!- - Anonymous Hollywood Producer If the rumors are true that Michael Jackson's lavish life style has left him broke, he would not be the first famous celebrity in financial straights. John Wayne found himself in hock after 150 movies. Three wives, seven children, investing his own money in the box office troubled The Alamo (1960) combined with an exceedingly...

Articles In LimeLight

Spirituality - Inspirational Stories ( Part 71 ) By Vish Writer / Swami Vivekananda Added on Friday, April 18, 2008 Bankruptcy vs. Credit Card Debt Counseling By Ted Batron Added on Thursday, April 17, 2008 Cheap Car Loans Are Available By Louis Rix Added on Sunday, April 20, 2008 How Much Sleep Is Enough? By Gary M. Miller Added on Monday, April 21, 2008 Spirituality - Inspirational Stories ( Part 70 ) By Vish Writer / Swami Vivekananda Added on Saturday, April 19, 2008 Curing Athletes Foot By Low Jeremy Added on Sunday, April 20, 2008 A Home Garden Design Can Be A Challenge By Ann Marier Added on Monday, April 21, 2008 Problems With Hybrid Cars By James Gunaseelan Added on Wednesday, April 16, 2008 How Do You Keep A Steel Building Cool In The Hot Summer Months By Amy Nutt Added on Sunday, April 20, 2008 Compensation Claims And Your Personal Injury Accident By Carolyn Clayton Added on Sunday, April 20, 2008 My Most Talked About Possession By Kathy Austin Added on Monday, April 21, 2008 Credit Secrets Bible Review - Good Or Bad? By Mark T. Davis Added on Monday, April 21, 2008 How To Write An Effective Email Newsletter By James Copper Added on Saturday, April 19, 2008 Making The Perfect Ice Sculpture Mold: It’s Easier Than You Think!? By IPRWire Staff Writer Added on Wednesday, April 16, 2008 Term Life Insurance And Small Business By Sharon Taylor Added on Monday, April 21, 2008 The Ins And Outs Of Bob Marley's Relationships By Shlomo Tommer Added on Monday, April 21, 2008 Turning Your Hobby Into An Ebay Business By Tony Scorch Added on Sunday, April 20, 2008 How Does Someone Make So Many Sales When Others Say It Is Saturated? By George Collins Added on Sunday, April 20, 2008 Job Interview Tips When Applying For A Legal Assistant Position By Amy Nutt Added on Sunday, April 20, 2008 The Never-Ending Fascination With Grandfather Clocks By Andrei Myers Added on Monday, April 21, 2008