Joan Bennett And Louis Hayward Star Together

Northern Advocate, 2 December 1939, Page 12

Joan Bennett And Louis Hayward Star Together

The unexpected is not necessarily the unusual in the life of a Hollywood motion picture stunt man; but when one finds oneself hurtling unexpectedly over a 25-foot cliff it is bound to be something of a surprise. Even Joe Flores and Ken Walters, both with years of experience as stunt men, will admit that they were a bit perplexed when they had that very kind of an experience while making “The Man in the Iron Mask,” an Edward Small production for United Artists release, starring Joan Bennett and Louis Hayward, with a cast including Warren William, Joseph Schildkraut and Alan Hale. Second unit director Cullen Tate, had set the stage on a steep winding road in the hills back of Hollywood. The plot of the story called for the four horses to be loosened from the heavy sixteenth century coach. The vehicle was then to career down the hill and disappear around a turn in the road through an invisible track arrangement. But something went wrong and director Tate was suddenly horified to see the coach lunge from the road and crash over a 25-foot embankment. It was all very real and made a thrilling scene, tut it was a pale director Tats who led a party to the rescue of Fierce and Walters who were inside the coach. But true to the tradition of Hollywood stunt men, they crawled out unscratched, although considerably jolted and not a little “surprised” by the sudden and unexpected turn of events. “The Man in the Iron Mask” is based on Alexander Dumas’ famous novel. The story is set in the extravagant reign of Louis XIV., when the scandals and excesses of court life reached dizzy heights.