The Mine with the Iron Door (1924)
Western | 2 October 1924
Director:
Sam WoodWriters:
Arthur Statter, Mary Alice Scully, Hope Loring, Louis D. LightonCinematographer:
Glen MacWilliamsProduction Company:
Sol Lesser Productions, Inc.An item in the 7 Jun 1924 Exhibitors Trade Review announced that author Harold Bell Wright was at Principal Pictures Corporation’s studio in Hollywood, CA, where he was “brushing up the script” for the film adaptation of his 1923 novel, The Mine with the Iron Door. Later that month, the 25 Jun 1924 Var reported that filming was set to begin the following week. Principal photography commenced on location near Tucson, AZ, where Wright’s novel was set. The 26 Jul 1924 and 9 Aug 1924 issues of Exhibitors Herald identified the Cañada del Oro (a.k.a. Canyon of Gold) as a filming locale, and noted that cast and crew were staying at a ranch nearby; some shooting also took place on Mount Lemmon, according to a 6 Aug 1924 LAT brief. Director Sam Wood was later quoted in the 2 Nov 1924 LAT, stating that while on location, they reported to set at 7 a.m. every morning for six weeks, regardless of weather. However, shooting was sometimes impossible and often morning scenes did not match those taken later in the day due to fog. Wood recounted an exhausting experience for cast and crew, as they sometimes hiked long distances between filming sites, and frequently encountered desert wildlife, including snakes and gila monsters, on set and at the ranch where they stayed. On 13 Aug 1924, LAT announced that location filming had ended, and the company had moved to Principal’s Hollywood studio for the remainder of the shoot. Principal’s Sol Lesser and John Jasper supervised the production. Cameras from the Mitchell Camera Company were used by ...
An item in the 7 Jun 1924 Exhibitors Trade Review announced that author Harold Bell Wright was at Principal Pictures Corporation’s studio in Hollywood, CA, where he was “brushing up the script” for the film adaptation of his 1923 novel, The Mine with the Iron Door. Later that month, the 25 Jun 1924 Var reported that filming was set to begin the following week. Principal photography commenced on location near Tucson, AZ, where Wright’s novel was set. The 26 Jul 1924 and 9 Aug 1924 issues of Exhibitors Herald identified the Cañada del Oro (a.k.a. Canyon of Gold) as a filming locale, and noted that cast and crew were staying at a ranch nearby; some shooting also took place on Mount Lemmon, according to a 6 Aug 1924 LAT brief. Director Sam Wood was later quoted in the 2 Nov 1924 LAT, stating that while on location, they reported to set at 7 a.m. every morning for six weeks, regardless of weather. However, shooting was sometimes impossible and often morning scenes did not match those taken later in the day due to fog. Wood recounted an exhausting experience for cast and crew, as they sometimes hiked long distances between filming sites, and frequently encountered desert wildlife, including snakes and gila monsters, on set and at the ranch where they stayed. On 13 Aug 1924, LAT announced that location filming had ended, and the company had moved to Principal’s Hollywood studio for the remainder of the shoot. Principal’s Sol Lesser and John Jasper supervised the production. Cameras from the Mitchell Camera Company were used by director of photography Glenn MacWilliams, as noted in a letter from Principal to Mitchell, advertised in the Nov 1924 issue of AmCin.
The completion of principal photography took place late Aug or early Sep 1924, as indicated by a 6 Sep 1924 Exhibitors Herald news item. Theatrical release occurred the following month. The 29 Oct 1924 Var review cited a world premiere at San Francisco, CA’s Loew’s Warfield Theatre the week of 15 Oct 1924. The 5 Jul 1924 Exhibitors Herald noted that distribution in New York and Northern New Jersey would be handled by Dependable Exchange, Inc.
Fred Huntley and Laura Winston were named as recent additions to the cast in a 20 Aug 1924 Var brief.
Bob Hill and Thad Grove, two prospectors, find a small child in the desert cabin of bandit Sonora Jack. The little girl, Marta, who has been kidnapped by Jack, is taken by the men, who vainly attempt to find her parents. Marta grows to womanhood and falls in love with Hugh Edwards, a young fugitive from justice. Edwards saves Natachee, an educated Indian, from the depredations of a bandit gang, and in return the grateful Indian shows Edwards the location of the "mine with the iron door," a hidden and extremely rich gold mine. Sonora Jack returns and kidnaps Marta, offering to exchange her for knowledge of the location of the "mine with the iron door." Edwards and Natachee go after the bandit and kill him while saving Marta. Edwards is proved to be innocent of the charge of embezzlement placed against him, and he and Marta are ...
Bob Hill and Thad Grove, two prospectors, find a small child in the desert cabin of bandit Sonora Jack. The little girl, Marta, who has been kidnapped by Jack, is taken by the men, who vainly attempt to find her parents. Marta grows to womanhood and falls in love with Hugh Edwards, a young fugitive from justice. Edwards saves Natachee, an educated Indian, from the depredations of a bandit gang, and in return the grateful Indian shows Edwards the location of the "mine with the iron door," a hidden and extremely rich gold mine. Sonora Jack returns and kidnaps Marta, offering to exchange her for knowledge of the location of the "mine with the iron door." Edwards and Natachee go after the bandit and kill him while saving Marta. Edwards is proved to be innocent of the charge of embezzlement placed against him, and he and Marta are married.
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