The collection of Paramount Pictures set stills that is being offered in this auction is an extraordinary historical archive from the late 1920s to the early 1970s. Sets stills were taken for continuity purposes and to document the arrangements of the sets and props, etc, during the making of a film. Not only does this collection photographically document the changes in filmmaking through the decades, it details the changing styles of architecture, interior design (the Art Deco sets from the 1930s are astonishingly beautiful), fashion, cars, and more. In the cases of location shooting, one can see the evolution of various southern California towns and landmarks, from the tony nightspots of Hollywood to the open spaces of Brentwood to the artistry of the Paramount Ranch. The photos give a unique behind-the-scenes look at the stars during filming; some vamp for the camera while others avoid it, some study their scripts or confer with the director, and some look incredibly bored. Equally interesting is the appearance of the stars' lookalike stand-ins and famous extras such as Bess Flowers. The unsung heroes of filmmaking, the crews, are seen as well, holding the booms, adjusting the lights, holding the clapper boards, and waiting, waiting, waiting. And speaking of unsung heroes, the talent, imagination, style, and creativity of the art directors and set decorators for these films cannot be overstated. Most of the fashion designers of the 1930s and '40s, such as Edith Head, are recognized for their contributions, as well they should be; however, the set decorators and art directors are grossly overlooked. Masters of their profession such as Hans Dreier, Robert Usher, William Flannery, Hal Pereira, Ernst Fegte, Sam Comer, Walter H. Tyler, A. Earl Hedrick, and so many others, deserve their place in the sun, and hopefully, the future owners of these historic photographs will appreciate their artistry.
The Far Horizons is a 1955 American historical Western film directed by Rudolph Maté about the Lewis and Clark Expedition. It is based on 1943 novel Sacajawea of the Shoshones by Della Gould Emmons and stars Fred MacMurray, Charlton Heston, Donna Reed and Barbara Hale.
Although the film is the only major American motion picture about the Lewis and Clark Expedition, many details are fictional and historically inaccurate. It was rereleased in 1962 by Citation Films as Untamed West in a double feature with Jungle Attack.
Cast
Fred MacMurray as Captain Meriwether Lewis
Charlton Heston as Lt. William Clark
Donna Reed as Sacagawea / "Janey"
Barbara Hale as Julia Hancock
William Demarest as Sgt. Gass
Alan Reed as Charbonneau
Eduardo Noriega as Cameahwait
Larry Pennell as Wild Eagle
Julia Montoya as Crow woman
Ralph Moody as Le Borgne
Herbert Heyes as President Thomas Jefferson
Lester Matthews as Mr. Hancock
Helen Wallace as Mrs. Marsha Hancock
Walter Reed as Cruzatte (helmsman)