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Show How I Broke Into The Movies f? Copyright by Mai C. Merman By TOM MIX IBROKK Into tho movies as a safety man a man hired to stand alongside along-side tho camera with a rltln and kill any wild animals working In the scene If they showed signs of a desire to chew up tho actors. That was with the old .Solig company In the days when wild animal thrillers were at their height of popularity. I won my Job because of my earlier experiences us Texas Ranger, Rough Rider under our beloved Teddy and volunteer In the Philippine uprisings. I also saw military service In the Orient during the Boxer rebellion and had been a rnngo rider since my early youth near my birthplace, El Paso. So I was considered a pretty good shot with cither pistol or rifle after all these experience, and Colonel Sellg hired me. My reason for trying to get Into the movies came about through a series of events. First I had leased my ranch to a producer who was making mak-ing "Westerns." I noticed how un-western un-western the cowboys looked and acted and this roused something akin to resentment re-sentment a lot of tenderfect practically prac-tically making fun of the West. Then I went to see some of "these here" movies and was all fired certain the cowboys, stories and directors were all wrong. And I made up my mind I was going go-ing to California and tell them what was what. Finances were pretty low. As a mutter of fact I was nearly broke but I had enough money to ship my saddle horse to San Bernardino. From "San Berdtie" the horse and I "hoofed It" Into Hollywood with nary a brass band or reception committee to welcome us. -,'" ' ... i -i. A. i v ... . Tom Mix. As a matter of fact, nobody even paid the slightest bit of attention to us. To this day a cow hand can walk through the streets of Hollywood and attract less attention than a fat man In golf knickers. Well, then came the Job I told you about the safety man. Soon after I worked myself Into bits and small parts and doubled for the leading men on all the dangerous stunt riding. All this time I was still nursing the urge to tell the whole world how awful aw-ful the western pictures were and my opportunity came with a bang when William Fox signed me to a long term contract After much discussion pro and con, I finally persuaded Mr. Fox to let me try one picture of my "fourteen-karat genuine" brand of Western. To make sure In case anything went wrong, I was certain to get the blame, Mr. Fox made me write the stories, direct them and play the leads. The results, I say with all due modesty, were far beyond my own expectations. Their Immediate success convinced many producers that Western stories written by Eastern tenderfeet and portrayed by the same breed of actors didn't have the same ring of realism In them, so my two reelers soon grew up into feature length plays. Although what I have to say now has no bearing on "crashing the movies" mov-ies" I think It important to those who may be curious. I make it a business never to drink, smoke or play cards In any of my pictures. I realize that primarily, the story of the West Is of supreme Interest to thousands of young boys throughout the country and perhaps the world. I also realize that boys are prone to imitate In their play many of the things they see In pictures or read about. And with no consideration of myself my-self except as a probable example, I realize that boys set some figures, like Babe Ruth or Lindbergh, as their ideal of manhood. I, therefore, believe that In some Uttle way I can convince the boyhood of America that neither smoking, drinking nor gambling are essential and that physical fitness always wins out over dissipation. That Is why I try to make my characters those of men of high ideals. Because, after all, the boys of today to-day are the men of tomorrow. WNU Service |
