Instead of producing The Backlot Film Festival this year, I am devoting my time to completing the initial chapter of “Celluloid Cowboys,” a documentary mini-series about the history of Western movies.
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Daniel Selznick, winner of 2004 Thomas Ince Award
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Ingrid Bergman learns to drive a surrey with Walter Cameron. From Paul Pitti collection.
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Will Rogers, in a movie poster for 1927 silent film “A Texas Steer.” With Douglas Fairbanks Jr.
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4. The noted Pitti family of Culver City: Top left, Ben Pitti, Ethel Pitti, Diana Pitti. Lower row: Carl Pitti, Mickey Pitti, Paul Pitti.
The series opens in 1903 with “The Great Train Robbery” and ends with “The Shootist,” John Wayne's last film in 1976.
Paul Pitti, whose father and brother were stuntmen in several films, many of them Westerns, provided me with an interview with Walter Cameron who owned and operated the Ben Hur Riding Stables from 1924 until his death in 1942. His stables, which housed horses, stagecoaches and wagons, were near the intersection of Overland and Jefferson, now Raintree Plaza, where a Denny's restaurant and Ralph's supermarket are.
Cameron, according to Pitti, was Will Rogers's uncle. He was hired by the Edison Company as a consultant for “The Great Train Robbery.” Cameron also played the sheriff who pursues the outlaws after the robbery. He went on to star and/or direct more than 200 films – until 1924 when he came to Culver City and opened the Ben Hur Stables.
Where It Began
Cameron provided horses, wagons and other animals for countless feature films including the silent version of “Ben Hur” and “Gone With The Wind.”
Margaret Farnum, recently retired CAO of the Los Angeles Coliseum Commission, was interviewed about her father-in-law, William Farnum.
Farnum began his acting career at age 10 appearing with Edwin Booth in the stage production of “Julius Ceaser” in Richmond, VA. In 1914, he and Tom Santshi staged a fistfight that lasted a full reel in the first version of “The Spoilers,” based on the Rex Beach novel of the same name about the Gold Rush of 1898.
Margaret told me that the “staged” fistfight suddenly became real, forcing Santshi to be hospitalized after the filming.
“The Spoilers” was made several times, most notably with John Wayne and Randolph Scott in 1942. In 1960, Wayne appeared in “North To Alaska,” which was the same story. Comedian Ernie Kovacs played the villain.
Part one of “Celluloid Cowboys” will conclude with behind-the-scenes stories of the tragic deaths of icons Will Rogers and Tom Mix.
In 2010, I had gone to Santa Maria to make arrangements for Jane Russell to be honored at that year's Backlot Film Festival. She had agreed to be the honoree.
However, she pointed out that she didn't want “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” shown because that was the film that was always screened whenever she was honored.
We agreed that we would show “The Tall Men” where she co-starred with Clark Gable in 1955.
“The Tall Men” revived Gable's sagging career. In 1956, Jane and husband Bob Waterfield formed their own production company. The first film they produced was “The King and Four Queens,” with Gable, Eleanor Parker and Jo Van Fleet. She suggested that we also show “The Fuzzy Pink Nightgown,” last of the four features she and Waterfield produced together.
Sad Times
On March 1, 2011, I received a phone call from Danny Selznick, son of legendary producer David O. Selznick. He began the conversation by telling me how sorry he was regarding what had happened. Danny had been the first recipient of the Thomas Ince Award in 2004.
My wife Jackie had passed away suddenly on the day before. I asked Danny how he knew.
“It was in the newspaper,” was his reply. “I didn't submit anything to the newspapers,” I told him, thinking that he was talking about Jackie's passing. Then he told me about Jane Russell's sudden passing on the day before.
Danny was understanding and helpful. He urged me to go forward with the 2011 Backlot Film Festival. He was instrumental in obtaining Jane Withers as the 2011 honoree. and Thomas Ince Award winner.
Jane Russell's roles in “The Tall Men” and the Western spoofs “Paleface” and “Son of Paleface” will be highlighted in the third installment of “Celluloid Cowboys and Cowgirls.”
Mr. Hawkins may be contacted at rjhculvercity@aol.com
