Along the Highways and Byways

"VIRGINIA CITY" and ARIZONA: There is being currently exhibited throughout the U. S. A. a motion picture dealing with early day Nevada entitled "Virginia City." While this does not purport to be a movie sheet we should perhaps call your attention to the fact "Virginia City" was made by Warner Brothers, and its stirring roles are played by Errol Flynn, Miriam Hopkins, Randolph Scott, Humphrey Bogart, Big Boy Williams and Dickie Moore. We are concerned with its scenery and would like to tell you that the exteriors for "Virginia City" were taken in Arizona. In the stage coach sequences in the early part of the picture the country shown is Oak Creek Canyon and the Schnebly Hill localities near Sedona in Yavapai county, Arizona.

Little publicized, this area is one of the most beautiful in the state and was shown to good advantage in "Virginia City." During the final reels of the picture, the country shown is near Turkey Tanks and the Little Colorado river north of Flagstaff.

ARIZONA AND "OLD TUCSON:" While this is being read, Columbia is busy with the making of the motion picture "Arizona," taken from the historical novel of the same name by Clarence Budington Kelland. You will recall that "old Tucson" was built near Tucson last fall for the making of this epic of our state's early history, when the war exploded abroad, and fearful of losing valuable European markets, Columbia postponed making the picture.

But today "Old Tucson" is roaring again with the frontier life of the middle of the 19th century. Traders, adventurers, desperadoes, soldiers, Indiansall the types of frontier folk that lived in the old West-are walking through the dusty streets of the old walled city of Tucson. From the bars come shouts and snatches of ribald song. Mexican children are playing in the streets, and from the little adobe church in the square are heard the voices of the faithful.And the cameras are grinding. As has been announced, Jean Arthur will reenact the role of Phoebe Titus, the central character of Kelland's novel. William Holden, who made his name before film audiences for his role in "Golden Boy," will play the role of that dashing young soldier, Peter Muncie.

But more about "Arizona" later.

ABOUT "THE WESTERNER:" To faithfully record Arizona's place in the cinema sun, may we call your attention also to the motion picture "The Westerner," to be released this spring by Samuel Goldwyn. Gary Cooper, that grand person, is starred. Most of the exteriors were taken near Tucson, and if you would like to see some Arizona scenery and also enjoy a fine motion picture watch for "The Westerner" when it comes to your home town.

And by way of postscript, we understand that Cecil DeMille has selected a place near Flagstaff for work this summer on "The Royal Northwest Mounted Police," a movie epic to be made by Paramount. Again Mr. Cooper will be featured.

Incidentally, if Hollywood continues to keep sending Gary Cooper to our state to make motion pictures, we'll claim him as an Arizona citizen.

THIS IS CORONADO YEAR: In the spring of 1540, Francisco Vasquez de Coronado, grandee of New Spain, came into what is now the southwestern part of the United States looking for the Seven Cities of Cibola. His explorations from Compostela, Mexico, to the plains of Kansas, gave the world the first knowledge of the geography and inhabitants of Arizona and the Southwest.

His captains were the first Europeans to see the Grand Canyon of Arizona, the Hopi and Zuni Indians, the Apaches, the Navajos and Pueblo tribes. He brought into the Southwest the first cattle, sheep, horses, goats and pigs, and with his expedition, began, for better or worse, the march of civilization into what is now America's Southwestern empire.

Arizona and the Southwest is observing this year the cuarto centennial of Coronado's explorations.

No more fitting time than the present is afforded for the eastern resident to come west and visit Arizona and follow the trail of the Conquistadores and see what has taken place out here in four hundred years.

"Entrada" celebrations are to be held in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. The "entrada" will be presented at Prescott August 16-18, and at Clifton, tentatively, September 6-7. On August 10 a fitting pageant will be renacted at Grand Canyon, in commemoration of its discovery by Europeans four hundred years before. Dates of other events are to be announced later. This summer will be a grand time to visit our state. R. C.