Page 85 - 2008 DT 12 issues

In This Issue !

Featured Articles
Nevada in the Movies......................1
Special

Quiz.................................................7
Departments
News & Notes.................................2
November 2008 Programs & Hikes...........................4
Desk Schedule...............................6
Bulletin Board................................8

NEVADA IN THE MOVIES could stand alone as a self-contained
story. Helen Holmes starred in heart-
. . . Made and not made in the Silver State. stopping action with titles like “The
Flying Freight’s Captive,” “The Leap

PART I By 1913, The Tonopah Stampede from the Water Tower” and “The
for Gold was thrilling audiences Death Train.” Trains were the set-
by Chuck Kleber with its recreation of the 1902 rush ting for Helen’s perilous adventures,
to Tonopah to get rich. In the cast— and like many leading actors and ac-
evada has always had a lure Nevada’s governor at the time with the tresses of the day, she performed her
of its own. Maybe it has own stunts and one of the stunt
Nsomething to do with the men was Harold Lloyd of future
Comstock Lode, Virginia City, the Hollywood fame. The Hazards
rugged wilderness—the links with of Helen set the stage for many
the Old West. Then there is the more Nevada-related films; some
recent image connected with gam- were made in the state and some
bling, great shows and big names at never set foot in Nevada. In this
great resorts. Perhaps it’s everything. case, some action was filmed in
The 1964 blockbuster, Viva Las Vegas Glendale and Tuolumne County,
with Elvis Presley and Ann Margaret, Calif. and later, several episodes
gave Nevada and Las Vegas a huge were filmed near Sloan and
boost in movie making as well as Bard, Nev. where it was “suffi-
tourism, but Nevada has drawn the ciently wild and romantic.” No
attention of the film industry from its matter, Helen was the heroine
early days. in every case and saved her own
Interestingly, a prize fight was hide through clever and doughty
responsible for the first movie made determination. Only now and
in Nevada. James J. “Gentleman Jim” then was she rescued by a male
Corbett, the title holder, met Bob hero. Las Vegas Age declared
Fitzsimmons in Carson City for the that her adventures were the first
heavyweight championship of the big motion picture thrill to come
world. It was St. Patrick’s Day, 1897, to Las Vegas.
and the Edison Picture Company Hollywood was an ideal
cameras rolled while Fitzsimmons quaint name of Tasker L. Oddie. Two place for films, because within 100
won the title and pocketed $13,000 years later, Nevada was the scene for miles you could find mountains for an
from Edison. Nevada, with less than the unique 119-episode thriller, The
45,000 people, became news-on-film Hazards of Helen. This was something
across the nation. new. Each episode was one reel, and Nevada, continued on page 6