How Universal Made “All Quiet”

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 986, 31 May 1930, Page 27

How Universal Made “All Quiet”

Strong Cast in Famous War Film BIG BATTLE SCENES Now that Universal has completed its transfer to the film of Erich Maria Remarque's revealing war epic, “All Quiet on the Western Front,” it is marshaling its forces for the showing of this picture throughout the world.

A feature of the contract entered into between Carl Laemmle and the author of the German war book was a provision compelling adherence to the spirit of the original text in making the picture. Maxwell Anderson, co-author of “What Price Glory,” and George Abbott, co-author of “Broadway,” collaborated for the first time in adapting the story for the screen and in writing the dialogue. Lewis Milestone directed the film. The cast includes Louis Wolheim,

Lewis Ayres, John Wray, Raymond i Griffith, William Bake well, Russell | Gleason, Walter Browne Rogers, Owen Davis, jun., Scott Kolk, George (Slim) Summerville, Edmund Brierse, Bertha Mann, Yola D’Arvil and Joan Marsh, j The big battle scenes were made ! at the historic Irvine ranch, 60 miles ! south of Hollywood, where a replica of a section of the Flanders front was created. j Many persons were employed in | these scenes during the live weeks 1 devoted to this phase. Details were furnished by the American Legion, | and a polyglot grouping of German. Russian, French, Canadian and other | war veterans worked side by side in | these scenes. Much of the military equipment is said to have been imported from Germany, having been bought from reclamation establishments. Further • significance is found in the fact that the first “shot” was made on the an- j niversary of Armistice Day. The artillery scenes were made in Sherwood Forest, a heavily wooded location, and the studio scenes were made at Universal City.