“WINGS”

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 178, 18 October 1927, Page 15

“WINGS”

GREAT AVIATION FILM

To ‘‘Rod” Rogers, famed as a pilot out unknown as a motion picture actor, Ro«?s the credit for performing the greatest death scene ever recorded on the screen. An aviator, mortally wounded and shot down in flames from an altitude of 6.000 feet! That was what Director William Wellman wanted for a certain sequence in Paramount’s great story of tne aviator in France, "Wings,” and that was what he got in the face of tremendous odds, thanks to Rogers. '»ellniuii wanted it badly, but he refused to ask the pilots in the comP*.ny to play the scene. Rogers heard from other sources. "I can do lt >” he said quietly. Taking the plane up through and above the clouds and taring an electrically-driven camera which was fastened to the front of the cockpit, he cut his flames and deliberately plunged the “ship" into a tailspin. Down and around he went. In his vivid portrayal of the dying aviator, the intrepid pilot swung from one ide of the cockpit to the other as the tail rolled in jockey arcs. Down, down, down! The earth flashed into view. Then clouds. Then the sharp rays of the sun. Then the earth again. Down, down and down, to a scarce I,oooft above the ground. Rogers suddenly “came to life.” A grab and pull at tiie stick. He straightened out, circled a round and made a perfect landing, much to the relief of the members of the company who had watched the performance from the ground. hen the negative was developed, the members of the company who viewed the "rushes" declared it the greatest scene of its kind they had ever witnessed.

Gertrude Ederle, famous swimmer, used cosmetics for the lirst time in her ife recently. Even then it was not ut her own wish. The make-up applied was for use in her first film venture, ‘•Swim, Girl, Swim," Bebe Daniels’ latest comedy for Paramount, in which Miss Ederle has a prominent role.

It is not generally known that Theodore Roberts, the grand old man of the screen, is the possessor of a life contract with Paramount. Recently he visited the studio of that company—time since his appearance in The Cat’s Pajamas," and renewed acquaintance with Paramount stars whom he has worked in various Pictures.