ORIGIN OF QUIRT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 115, 16 May 1936, Page 5 (Supplement)

ORIGIN OF QUIRT.

EDMUND LOWE LOOKS BACK.

Fiimous among film "teams" are the hard-driving, devil-may-care characterisations of Edmund Lowe and Victor McLaglen as the American soldiers Quirt and Flagg in the comedies "What Price Glory?" "The Cock-eyed World," "Women of All Nations," and "Hot Pepper." When the first of the comedies, "What Price Glory?" was scheduled for production in the silent days, Victor McLaglen was the obvidus choice for the big, bluif and blundering Flagg, but the casting of Quirt set the Hollywood studio a problem. Lowe, at the time, was playing romantic juvenile leads, and it happened that they had to film in a hurry a

scene in his picture "The Brass Bowl," which required a tougli detective. With no time to obtain .m actor, Lowe offered to double the part, and by means of double exposure appeared with himself on the screen, playing an unshaven, brutal detective.

The following day, wlien the scene was being run through in the studio theatre, the executive watching it suddenly saw the "detective" appear on the screen, and in a moment decided it was the type of man they wanted for Quirt. When told that the actor was Edmund Lowe, their romantic juvenile, they absolutely refused to believe it; but after a film test, Lowe finally convinced them and won the coveted rola opposite McLaglen in "What Price Glory V