Rubber Tires
(1927)
Comedy | 7 February 1927
Director:
Alan HaleWriters:
Zelda Sears, Tay Garnett, Frank CondonCinematographer:
Robert NewhardProduction Company:
DeMille Pictures Corp.The 15 Apr 1926 FD announced that Rubber Tires would be one of forty-one pictures to be released by Cecil B. De Mille’s Producers Distributing Corp. (P.D.C.) for the 1926–1927 season. P.D.C. would also handle production on the picture.
The 24 Apr 1926 Moving Picture World indicated that the story was written by William Slavens McNutt and Frank Woods, but Slavens did not receive credit for his contribution.
The 3 Jul 1926 Motion Picture News noted an expected Dec 1926 release date.
On 31 Aug 1926, FD reported Alan Hale as the film’s director, and the 8 Sep 1926 Var announced that Bessie Love and Rod La Rocque would co-star. However, La Rocque was replaced by Harrison Ford.
According to the 9 Sep 1926 FD, Hale and Frank Condon were currently working on the treatment. The 18 Sep 1926 Moving Picture World stated that principal photography would soon begin.
The 20 Oct 1926 FD announced that location filming was underway in Santa Cruz, CA. From there the crew would continue shooting the “automobile camp” story along several thousand miles, as Rubber Tires was “made up principally of exteriors,” according to the 6 Nov 1926 Motion Picture News. The 18 Dec 1926 Moving Picture World confirmed “there are no studio-made scenes in the production.” The “hundreds” of background actors used for the picture were newcomers to motion pictures, enlisted by Hale from “tourists camps” along the highways.
Production was delayed for one day after ten-year-old actor, Junior Coghlan, ate four unripe apples from a nearby ...
The 15 Apr 1926 FD announced that Rubber Tires would be one of forty-one pictures to be released by Cecil B. De Mille’s Producers Distributing Corp. (P.D.C.) for the 1926–1927 season. P.D.C. would also handle production on the picture.
The 24 Apr 1926 Moving Picture World indicated that the story was written by William Slavens McNutt and Frank Woods, but Slavens did not receive credit for his contribution.
The 3 Jul 1926 Motion Picture News noted an expected Dec 1926 release date.
On 31 Aug 1926, FD reported Alan Hale as the film’s director, and the 8 Sep 1926 Var announced that Bessie Love and Rod La Rocque would co-star. However, La Rocque was replaced by Harrison Ford.
According to the 9 Sep 1926 FD, Hale and Frank Condon were currently working on the treatment. The 18 Sep 1926 Moving Picture World stated that principal photography would soon begin.
The 20 Oct 1926 FD announced that location filming was underway in Santa Cruz, CA. From there the crew would continue shooting the “automobile camp” story along several thousand miles, as Rubber Tires was “made up principally of exteriors,” according to the 6 Nov 1926 Motion Picture News. The 18 Dec 1926 Moving Picture World confirmed “there are no studio-made scenes in the production.” The “hundreds” of background actors used for the picture were newcomers to motion pictures, enlisted by Hale from “tourists camps” along the highways.
Production was delayed for one day after ten-year-old actor, Junior Coghlan, ate four unripe apples from a nearby orchard during filming and became ill, as reported in the 4 Nov 1926 FD and the 20 Nov 1926 Motion Picture News.
On 11 Dec 1926, Moving Picture World noted that at De Mille Studios in Culver City, CA, “activity also centers around Rubber Tires,” but it is unclear if any filming actually occurred on stages there. Principal photography was anticipated to be completed that week.
According to the 7 Jan 1927 Motion Picture News, a Feb 1927 release date was expected.
Reviews were mixed. Both the 9 Mar 1927 Var and the 20 Mar 1927 FD reviews complained about the illogical plot, but FD deemed it a worthy comedy.
Deciding to move to California, Mary Ellen Stack sells the family household goods, buys a dilapidated car, and with her mother, father, and small brother sets out for the West, followed by her sweetheart, Bill. At an auto camp they meet Adolph Messer, a tourist who is attracted to Mary Ellen. Meanwhile, a wealthy automobile manufacturer offers a reward for a car identical to the one owned by the Stacks. Unaware that her father has traded cars with a Mexican, Mary Ellen is victimized by the dealer who wants to cash in on the reward. A wild and humorous race is climaxed by an automobile pile-up, but the Stacks collect the reward and settle down on their California farm, while Bill, having won Mary Ellen, is the happy proprietor of a gas ...
Deciding to move to California, Mary Ellen Stack sells the family household goods, buys a dilapidated car, and with her mother, father, and small brother sets out for the West, followed by her sweetheart, Bill. At an auto camp they meet Adolph Messer, a tourist who is attracted to Mary Ellen. Meanwhile, a wealthy automobile manufacturer offers a reward for a car identical to the one owned by the Stacks. Unaware that her father has traded cars with a Mexican, Mary Ellen is victimized by the dealer who wants to cash in on the reward. A wild and humorous race is climaxed by an automobile pile-up, but the Stacks collect the reward and settle down on their California farm, while Bill, having won Mary Ellen, is the happy proprietor of a gas station.
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