Real ‘‘lnjun” in Pictures—Time of His Life!

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 80, 25 June 1927, Page 23

Real ‘‘lnjun” in Pictures—Time of His Life!

Not Camera Shy

LIKES GREASE PAINT AND FEATHERS

The American Indian is having the time of his life acting in the “movies ."

A few years ago he was camera-shy, hiding from kodakers and voicing with dismal grunts his aversion to being photographed. Now, with his squaw and blanketed offspring he is becoming numerous about the Hollywood studios and is enjoying his lark.

Furthermore, he likes to look at himself on the screen all dolled up in war paint and eagle feathers. His idea of personal beauty does not exactly agree with that of the white man, but he is ready to stack himself up against the good-lookers of any

nationality. He feels just as sorry for a “movie” actor going around in plusfours and riotous socks as the “movie” actor does for him in his blanket and moccasins.

It is not uncommon for Navajo to meet Arapahoe on a studio lot and for Shoshone to encounter Cheyenne, Iroquois, Hopi, Piute or Yakima. But their tribal enmities never flare up. No Tribal Enmities

“The pet aversion of the Arapahoe is the Shoshone,” says Colonel Tim McCoy, who at times has brought in numerous bands from the Wind River reservation in Wyoming. “And the pet aversion of the Shoshone is the Arapahoe. They don’t have anything to do with each other in the wide open spaces, but get along together here. Nevertheless, it’s sort of Tll-put-up-with-you-because-I-have-to’ feeling.” John Waters is now on the Navajo reservation in Arizona filming Zane Grey’s “Drums of the Desert,” “The Frontiersman,” a story dealing with Andrew Jackson’s expedition against the Creek Nation following the massacre at Fort Mims, Alagama, is just going into production at Metro-Gold-wyn-Mayer. A play dealing with the Seminoles of Florida is being written at De Mille’s. A band consisting of eight Hopi Indians and two Navajos, led by Nasjah (“The Owl”), has just returned from Australia and New Zealand, where they were taken by Paramount for personal appearance in “The Vanishing American.” They had played in the making of the picture. Few Can Act The Indians are getting much employment from the motion picture studios and a few know how to act. But ordinarily they move stolidly and sedately about. Considerable distinction has been won by Chief Yolache of the Yakimas, Standing Bear of the Sioux, Big Tree of the Iroquois and Chief White Horse, whose mother was an Arapahoe and father a Cheyenne. A jinx seems to be following the production of “Fast and Furious,” the Denny picture, which was directed by Melville Brown. Primarily, Denny barely missed death in an automobile collision at Del Monte, when Leo Nomis. stunt driver, skidded into the Dennj' machine. A short while later, Barbara Worth, playing the leading feminine role, fell and broke an arm. Then Denny was stricken with appendicitis and was rushed to a hospital for an operation. And, finally, a completed film, while being cut, was burned.