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153-610: Some smaller theaters still continue this tradition, and a few summer stock theaters have become highly regarded by both patrons as well as performers and designers. Often viewed as a starting point for professional actors, stock casts are typically young, just out of high school or still in college. Summer stock started in Denver, Colorado, at the Elitch Theatre (part of Elitch Gardens ). A 1937 article in Time magazine reported: "Elitch's Gardens

306-606: A Free Europe , the public face of the organization that oversaw the Radio Free Europe service. In 1954, Secretary of the Air Force Harold E. Talbott asked DeMille for help in designing the cadet uniforms at the newly established United States Air Force Academy . DeMille's designs, most notably his design of the distinctive cadet parade uniform, won praise from Air Force and Academy leadership, were ultimately adopted, and are still worn by cadets. We have just lived through

459-468: A Mason? At the age of 21, Cecil B. DeMille married Constance Adams on August 16, 1902, at Adams's father's home in East Orange, New Jersey. The wedding party was small. Beatrice DeMille's family was not in attendance, and Simon Louvish suggests that this was to conceal DeMille's partial Jewish heritage. Adams was 29 years old at the time of their marriage, eight years older than DeMille. They had met in

612-457: A backstage room at the theatre. After a massive volunteer cleanup, the interior was opened for Doors Open Denver in April 2012. Musicians and Shakespearean performers were the first acts on stage in the 22 years since the building closed. In 2016, Curtains Without Borders (a non-profit organization promulgating proper storage etiquette of antiquated theatre curtains and drapes.) Representatives from

765-427: A barn to function as their film studio. Filming began on December 29, 1913, and lasted three weeks. Apfel filmed most of The Squaw Man due to DeMille's inexperience; however, DeMille learned quickly and was particularly adept at impromptu screenwriting as necessary. He made his first film run sixty minutes, as long as a short play. The Squaw Man (1914), co-directed by Oscar Apfel, was a sensation, and it established

918-471: A car for his campaign for the 1932 United States presidential election and voted for him. However, he would never again vote for a Democratic candidate in a presidential election. From June 1, 1936, until January 22, 1945, Cecil DeMille hosted and directed Lux Radio Theatre , a weekly digest of current feature films. Broadcast on the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) from 1935 to 1954,

1071-493: A failure. After five years and thirty hit films, DeMille became the American film industry's most successful director. In the silent era, he was renowned for Male and Female (1919), Manslaughter (1922), The Volga Boatman (1926), and The Godless Girl (1928). DeMille's trademark scenes included bathtubs, lion attacks, and Roman orgies. Many of his films featured scenes in two-color Technicolor . In 1923, DeMille released

1224-620: A faithful marriage. One of DeMille's affairs was with his screenwriter Jeanie MacPherson. Despite his reputation for extramarital affairs, DeMille did not like to have affairs with his stars, as he believed it would cause him to lose control as a director. He related a story that he maintained his self-control when Gloria Swanson sat on his lap, refusing to touch her. In 1902, he played a small part in Hamlet . Publicists wrote that he became an actor in order to learn how to direct and produce, but DeMille admitted that he became an actor in order to pay

1377-415: A few unions himself. He said he was rather against union leaders such as Walter Reuther and Harry Bridges , whom he compared to dictators. He supported Herbert Hoover and in 1928 made his largest campaign donation to Hoover. DeMille also liked Franklin D. Roosevelt, however, finding him charismatic, tenacious, and intelligent and agreeing with Roosevelt's abhorrence of Prohibition. DeMille lent Roosevelt

1530-463: A friend of Mary Elitch Long, donated some of Long's possessions to the Foundation, including an engraved silver table setting. Around the same time, the hand-painted decorative historic "Anne Hathaway" curtain, (oil on canvas: circa early 1900s), was removed from its original wooden bats and stored for construction work. After years of neglect and severe water damage the curtain was rolled and stored in

1683-501: A lasting friendship with DeMille. (He would later cast her in The Ten Commandments .) His brother, William, was establishing himself as a playwright and sometimes invited DeMille to collaborate. DeMille and William collaborated on The Genius , The Royal Mounted , and After Five . However, none of these were very successful; William deMille was most successful when he worked alone. DeMille and his brother at times worked with

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1836-486: A lavish remake of his 1923 silent film The Ten Commandments . He went before the Paramount board of directors, which was mostly Jewish-American. The members rejected his proposal, even though his last two films, Samson and Delilah and The Greatest Show on Earth , had been record-breaking hits. Adolph Zukor convinced the board to change their minds on the grounds of morality. DeMille did not have an exact budget proposal for

1989-454: A leading man and woman, a character man and woman, and an ingenue and a juvenile. In some cases, five or six of the summer plays would be 'star vehicles', featuring a familiar actor or actress." William Shatner performed in summer stock after the cancellation of Star Trek . Some summer theaters specialize in a particular type of production, such as Shakespearean plays , musicals , or even opera . Some notable summer theaters include:

2142-644: A literary agent and scriptwriter, was the daughter of German Jews . She had emigrated from England with her parents in 1871 when she was 18; the newly arrived family settled in Brooklyn , New York, where they maintained a middle-class, English-speaking household. DeMille's parents met as members of a music and literary society in New York. Henry was a tall, red-headed student. Beatrice was intelligent, educated, forthright, and strong-willed. The two were married on July 1, 1876, despite Beatrice's parents' objections because of

2295-470: A microphone to maintain control of the set. He was disliked by many inside and outside of the film industry for his cold and controlling reputation. DeMille was known for autocratic behavior on the set, singling out and berating extras who were not paying attention. Many of these displays were thought to be staged, however, as an exercise in discipline. He despised actors who were unwilling to take physical risks, especially when he had first demonstrated that

2448-403: A modern melodrama The Ten Commandments , which was a significant change from his previous stint of irreligious films. The film was produced on a large budget of $ 600,000, the most expensive production at Paramount. This concerned the executives at Paramount; however, the film turned out to be the studio's highest-grossing film. It held the Paramount record for twenty-five years until DeMille broke

2601-515: A playwright. Eventually, he became manager of the agency and later, a junior partner with his mother. In 1911, DeMille became acquainted with vaudeville producer Jesse Lasky when Lasky was searching for a writer for his new musical. He initially sought out William deMille. William had been a successful playwright, but DeMille was suffering from the failure of his plays The Royal Mounted and The Genius . However, Beatrice introduced Lasky to DeMille instead. The collaboration of DeMille and Lasky produced

2754-593: A remake of his 1938 film The Buccaneer . DeMille served as executive producer, overseeing producer Henry Wilcoxon . Despite a cast led by Charlton Heston and Yul Brynner , the 1958 film The Buccaneer was a disappointment. DeMille attended the Santa Barbara premiere of The Buccaneer in December 1958. DeMille was unable to attend the Los Angeles premiere of The Buccaneer . In the months before his death, DeMille

2907-744: A resident company and guest stars, a policy that has been followed with tremendous success for over fifty years." Most sources consider 1893 to be the first year of summer stock. For that summer season, Elitch Gardens employed the Frank Norcross Company. It was the first full-length season of summer stock. The first stock play presented at Elitch Theatre was Nancy and Company by Augustin Daly. It opened on June 10, 1893. The company's roster of actors included: Lilian Dailey, Marion Earle, Alfred Hampton, Jane Kenmark, Hudson Liston, Millie Liston, Charles Lothian, Jeanette Lowrey, James F. Neill (who had organized

3060-524: A result of Adams's recent miscarriage. Cecil B. DeMille's second film credited exclusively to him was The Virginian . This is the earliest of DeMille's films available in a quality, color-tinted video format. However, this version is actually a 1918 re-release. The first few years of the Lasky Company were spent in making films nonstop, literally writing the language of film. DeMille himself directed twenty films by 1915. The most successful films during

3213-896: A series of heart attacks from June 1958 to January 1959, and died on January 21, 1959, following an attack. DeMille's funeral was held on January 23 at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church. He was entombed at the Hollywood Memorial Cemetery (now known as Hollywood Forever). After his death, notable news outlets such as The New York Times , the Los Angeles Times , and The Guardian honored DeMille as "pioneer of movies", "the greatest creator and showman of our industry", and "the founder of Hollywood". DeMille left his multi-million dollar estate in Los Feliz, Los Angeles , in Laughlin Park to his daughter Cecilia because his wife had dementia and

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3366-482: A special contract with Actors Equity to cover the work of actors and stage managers. Summer Stock at the Historic Elitch Theatre in Denver was the proving-grounds for a number of would-be stars. For the 1905 season, a 20-something Cecil B. DeMille was a minor player in the stock cast. Denver-natives, such as Douglas Fairbanks , Maude Fealy , and Antoinette Perry , all got their start in summer stock at

3519-444: A story editor. William deMille would later convert from theater to Hollywood and would spend the rest of his career as a film director. Throughout his career, DeMille would frequently remake his own films. In his first instance, in 1917, he remade The Squaw Man (1918), only waiting four years from the 1914 original. Despite its quick turnaround, the film was fairly successful. However, DeMille's second remake at MGM in 1931 would be

3672-494: A strong point of DeMille's films. Consequently, he focused his efforts on his films' visuals. He worked with visual technicians, editors, art directors, costume designers, cinematographers, and set carpenters in order to perfect the visual aspects of his films. With his editor, Anne Bauchens , DeMille used editing techniques to allow the visual images to bring the plot to climax rather than dialogue. DeMille had large and frequent office conferences to discuss and examine all aspects of

3825-665: A successful musical called California , which opened in New York in January 1912. Another DeMille-Lasky production that opened in January 1912 was The Antique Girl . DeMille found success in the spring of 1913, producing Reckless Age by Lee Wilson, a play about a high society girl wrongly accused of manslaughter starring Frederick Burton and Sydney Shields . However, changes in the theater rendered DeMille's melodramas obsolete before they were produced, and true theatrical success eluded him. He produced many flops. Having become disinterested in working in theatre, DeMille's passion for film

3978-523: A theater in Washington D.C. while they were both acting in Hearts Are Trumps . They were sexually incompatible; according to DeMille, Adams was too "pure" to "feel such violent and evil passions". DeMille had more violent sexual preferences and fetishes than his wife. Adams allowed DeMille to have several long-term mistresses during their marriage as an outlet while maintaining an outward appearance of

4131-470: A three-story Victorian -style house for his family in Pompton Lakes, New Jersey ; they named this estate "Pamlico". John Philip Sousa was a friend of the family, and DeMille recalled throwing mud balls in the air so neighbor Annie Oakley could practice her shooting. DeMille's sister, Agnes, was born on April 23, 1891; his mother nearly did not survive the birth. Agnes would die on February 11, 1894, at

4284-613: A training ground for actors and inexpensive entertainment for vacationing East Coast urbanites. Craig Mamrick describes Louis Edmonds ' early summer stock experience: "Louis spent the summer of 1949 working as part of the repertory company at the Ogunquit Playhouse in Ogunquit, Maine... The Ogunquit Playhouse was affiliated with the Manhattan Theatre Colony, an apprentice program that hopeful actors could attend (paying $ 150 for

4437-735: A very pleasant summer in stock at the Elitch Gardens. Today in Hollywood I can hardly go anywhere without meeting one or more now rather famous people who either during that summer or at other times played in what all actors and actresses consider one of the greatest cradles of the drama in American history." In the 1920s, summer stock expanded: The Muny , St. Louis, Missouri (1919) is the nation's oldest and largest outdoor musical theater; Manhattan Theatre Colony, first started near Peterborough, New Hampshire (1927) and moved to Ogunquit, Maine ; Gretna Theatre, Mount Gretna, Pennsylvania (1927) as part of

4590-452: A war where our people were systematically executed. Here we have a man who made a film praising the Jewish people, that tells of Samson, one of the legends of our Scripture. Now he wants to make the life of Moses. We should get down on our knees to Cecil and say "Thank you!" – Alfred Zukor responding to DeMille's proposal of The Ten Commandments remake In 1952, DeMille sought approval for

4743-470: A wildlife sanctuary; no shooting of animals besides snakes was allowed. His wife did not like Paradise, so DeMille often brought his mistresses there with him, including actress Julia Faye . In addition to his Paradise, DeMille purchased a yacht in 1921, which he called The Seaward . While filming The Captive in 1915, an extra, Bob Fleming, died on set when another extra failed to heed DeMille's orders to unload all guns for rehearsal. DeMille instructed

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4896-573: Is currently the eighth-highest-grossing film of all time, adjusted for inflation . In addition to his Best Picture Awards, he received an Academy Honorary Award for his film contributions, the Palme d'Or (posthumously) for Union Pacific (1939), a DGA Award for Lifetime Achievement, and the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award . He was the first recipient of the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award , which

5049-436: Is located at the original Elitch Gardens site in northwest Denver, Colorado . Opened in 1890, it was centerpiece of the park that was the first zoo west of Chicago. The theatre was Denver's first professional theatre, serving as home to America's first and oldest summer-stock theatre company from 1893 until the 1960s. The first films in the western US were shown there in 1896. Cecil B. DeMille sent yearly telegrams wishing

5202-401: Is now being edified… The strength of these companies, as well as the plays presented, are way above the average. Cecil B. DeMille , who acted in minor roles in the summer stock cast in 1905, would regularly send congratulatory telegrams to the theater on opening night.  In 1926, more than two decades after his time at the theater, he sent a telegram stating: "It is a long time since I spent

5355-403: Is the great-grandfather of all U. S. summer stock companies... and nearly every personage in U. S. show business, from General & Mrs. Tom Thumb to Douglas Fairbanks, has at one time or another played Elitch's." According to the 1948 book Blueprint for Summer Theatre , "The first summer theater opened its doors at Elitch Gardens , Denver , Colorado on May 1, 1890. Plays were presented with

5508-444: Is the oldest summer stock theater. In general, theatrical companies do not enjoy invariable successes, but widespread popularity has made summer theater a major industry, so that there is virtually no section of this country that does not boast at least one such dramatic group. In his 1964 Ph.D. dissertation on stock theatre companies and James F. Neill (not to be confused with James O'Neill,) William Zucchero: "Denver could boast that It

5661-451: Is to reopen as a multimedia performing arts complex for the community offering education, film, live music, and theatre. *** Brandon deWilde died in motor vehicle accident in Lakewood, Colorado, days after his final performance at the theatre. Cecil B. DeMille Cecil Blount DeMille ( / ˈ s ɛ s əl d ə ˈ m ɪ l / ; August 12, 1881 – January 21, 1959)

5814-515: The 1939 New York World's Fair . DeMille used clips from his own films in Land of Liberty . Though the film was not high-grossing, it was well-received, and DeMille was asked to shorten its running time to allow for more showings per day. MGM distributed the film in 1941 and donated profits to World War II relief charities. In 1942, DeMille released Paramount's most successful film, Reap the Wild Wind . It

5967-552: The Cape Cod Music Circus and its sister theater, the South Shore Music Circus. Colleen Dewhurst wrote of her experiences in summer stock as a new actress: "My first professional jobs were in summer stock, in small, medium and large companies that presented ten plays in ten weeks from June until Labor Day...At that time, the core of each summer stock company was made up of a stage manager and six resident actors:

6120-629: The Chautauqua movement; the Cape Playhouse, Dennis, Massachusetts (1927); and the Berkshire Playhouse, Stockbridge, Massachusetts (1928). Many of the theaters of the heyday , the 1920s through the 1960s, were in New England. Part of the "straw hat circuit," theaters also were in New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, among other states. (Lakewood Playhouse near Skowhegan, Maine (1901 for summer),

6273-597: The Home Guard made up of film studio employees with DeMille as captain. Eventually, the Guard was enlarged to a battalion and recruited soldiers from other film studios. They took time off weekly from film production to practice military drills. Additionally, during the war, DeMille volunteered for the Justice Department's Intelligence Office, investigating friends, neighbors, and others he came in contact with in connection with

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6426-608: The Lux Radio show was one of the most popular weekly shows in the history of radio. While DeMille was host, the show had forty million weekly listeners, gaining DeMille an annual salary of $ 100,000. From 1936 to 1945, he produced, hosted, and directed all shows with the occasional exception of a guest director. He resigned from the Lux Radio show because he refused to pay a dollar to the American Federation of Radio Artists (AFRA) because he did not believe that any organization had

6579-763: The Music circus . This began a new period of outdoor theater. In 1951 this new style of summer stock made its way west with the addition of the Sacramento Music Circus . The Cape Cod Music Circus (now the Melody Tent) in Hyannis , Massachusetts opened in 1950, the third tent theater to open, and The South Shore Music Circus in Cohasset , Massachusetts followed in 1951. A tent theater had opened earlier in Florida. Another theater in

6732-1005: The New York Shakespeare Festival (better-known as Shakespeare in the Park , although a number of other summer stock Shakespearean series use this name); the Gretna Theatre, Mount Gretna, Pennsylvania, Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre, Grand Lake, Colorado , Summerstock Conservatory , Calgary Utah Shakespearean Festival , Cedar City, Utah , Santa Fe Opera , Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival , Becket, Massachusetts , Williamstown Theatre Festival , Williamstown, Massachusetts , Berkshire Theatre Festival , Stockbridge, Massachusetts , Glimmerglass Festival , Cooperstown , New York, The Barn Theatre in Augusta, Michigan, American Players Theatre , Spring Green, Wisconsin , Vancouver 's Bard on

6885-537: The Producers Distributing Corporation . His first film in the new production company, DeMille Pictures Corporation, was The Road to Yesterday in 1925. He directed and produced four films on his own, working with Producers Distributing Corporation because he found front office supervision too restricting. Aside from The King of Kings, none of DeMille's films away from Paramount were successful. The King of Kings established DeMille as "master of

7038-562: The San Francisco earthquake destroyed the California Theatre where she was scheduled to perform. At Elitch's she played Camille at the matinée and LaSorcier at night. Douglas Fairbanks was hired into the same company. Prior in 1905, he was hired to sweep the stage for theatre tickets. Operating the park became too costly for Mary Elitch. With the purchase of Elitch Gardens by John Mulvihill in 1916, she relinquished control of

7191-479: The "film capital of the world". The film grossed over ten times its budget after its New York premiere in February 1914. DeMille's next project was to aid Oscar Apfel in directing Brewster's Millions , which was wildly successful. In December 1914, Constance Adams brought home John DeMille, a fifteen-month-old, whom the couple legally adopted three years later. Biographer Scott Eyman suggested that this may have been

7344-745: The 2009 season with Hunter Foster and Malcolm Gets . Gretna Theatre, opened in 1927 in the Pennsylvania Chautauqua community of Mount Gretna , and has hosted performers such as Bernadette Peters , Faith Prince , Tommy Tune , Kim Zimmer , Charlton Heston . The Ogunquit Playhouse, begun in 1933, attracted performers such as Maude Adams , Ethel Barrymore , and Laurette Taylor in the early years and more recently, Sally Struthers , Lucie Arnaz , and Lorenzo Lamas . Performers such as Ginger Rogers , Douglas Fairbanks Jr. , Angela Lansbury , Bob Hope , Sergio Franchi , Zero Mostel , Ann Miller , Jane Powell , and Debbie Reynolds performed at

7497-587: The Beach , and Tent Theatre (John Goodman Amphitheatre) in Springfield, Missouri , The Historic Elitch Theatre is still standing today, and after several phases of restoration, the foundation running the theatre hopes to have regular productions again in the next few years. In 1949, St. John Terrell began a new experience presenting summer stock theater under an arena-type ( circus ) tent in Lambertville, New Jersey ,

7650-619: The Cross (1932) is said to be the first sound film to integrate all aspects of cinematic technique. Cleopatra (1934) was his first film to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture . After more than thirty years in film production, DeMille reached a pinnacle in his career with Samson and Delilah (1949), a biblical epic that became the highest-grossing film of 1950. Along with biblical and historical narratives, he also directed films oriented toward "neo-naturalism", which tried to portray

7803-624: The Dark , and Howard Keel in Kismet appeared. Kenley cast "movie stars and television personalities" who were nationally known. During Gypsy Rose Lee 's engagement in Auntie Mame at the Warren theater, Erik Preminger wrote: "Working for him [John Kenley] was a joy. Everything about his operation was first-class from the director and supporting cast he had assembled through the scenery, props, and costumes...He

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7956-580: The Earl of Huntington was well received by audiences. DeMille wrote a few of his own plays in-between stage performances, but his playwriting was not as successful. His first play was The Pretender-A Play in a Prologue and 4 Acts set in seventeenth century Russia. Another unperformed play he wrote was Son of the Winds , a mythological Native American story. Life was difficult for DeMille and his wife as traveling actors; however, traveling allowed him to experience part of

8109-607: The Elitch Theatre. Additionally, Fredric March , Minnie Maddern Fiske , Beulah Bondi , Edward G. Robinson (see photo above), and Sylvia Sidney were all stock cast members at one time. In the summer of 1951, a young Grace Kelly (just 21-years old) was the ingénue for the stock company. While performing at the theater she received a telegram from Fred Zinnemann asking her to come to Hollywood to star in his film High Noon as Gary Cooper 's wife. She initially thought she had to decline because of her contract that lasted through

8262-682: The Famous Players–Lasky. He volunteered for the Intelligence Office during World War II as well. Although DeMille considered enlisting in World War I, he stayed in the United States and made films. However, he did take a few months to set up a movie theater for the French front. Famous Players–Lasky donated the films. DeMille and Adams adopted Katherine Lester in 1920, whom Adams had found in

8415-519: The Gardens and theatre. (Two theatre boxes were always reserved for her and her friends). Mulvihill oversaw the theatre until his death in 1930 and was succeeded by his son-in-law Arnold Gurtler. In 1953, the Elitch Theatre was used to film scenes for The Glenn Miller Story . The Elitch Garden Theatre Company became its own incorporated business, separate from the Elitch Gardens Park, renting

8568-713: The Henry C. de Mille School for Girls in her home in February 1893. The aim of the school was to teach young women to properly understand and fulfill the women's duty to herself, her home, and her country. Before Henry de Mille's death, Beatrice had "enthusiastically supported" her husband's theatrical aspirations. She later became the second female play broker on Broadway . On Henry de Mille's deathbed, he told his wife that he did not want his sons to become playwrights. DeMille's mother sent him to Pennsylvania Military College (now Widener University) in Chester, Pennsylvania , at age 15. He fled

8721-495: The Historic Elitch Gardens Theatre Foundation, was formed in 2002 to raise funds, maintain, preserve and restore the theatre and carousel pavilion. In 2006, the Historic Elitch Gardens Theatre Foundation received $ 5 million in federal, state, and city funding, plus grants and private donations. Work began on phase 1 -- saving and restoring the historic exterior. The groundbreaking for the renovation of

8874-588: The Jesse Lasky Feature Play Company merged with Adolph Zukor's Famous Players Film Company , becoming Famous Players–Lasky . Zukor became president with Lasky as the vice president. DeMille was maintained as director-general, and Goldwyn became chairman of the board. Goldwyn was later fired from Famous Players–Lasky due to frequent clashes with Lasky, DeMille, and Zukor. While on a European vacation in 1921, DeMille contracted rheumatic fever in Paris. He

9027-589: The Lasky Company. This was the first feature-length film made in Hollywood. There were problems with the perforation of the film stock, and it was discovered the DeMille had brought a cheap British film perforator, which had punched in sixty-five holes per foot instead of the industry-standard of sixty-four. Lasky and DeMille convinced film pioneer Siegmund Lubin of the Lubin Manufacturing Company of Philadelphia to have his experienced technicians reperforate

9180-457: The Sacramento and South Shore theaters continue to thrive today. In Sacramento, live musicals in the round are presented in a new permanent complex, The Wells Fargo Pavilion . The South Shore Music Circus and Cape Cod Melody Tent now serve primarily as intimate settings for musical acts including popular singers, oldies groups, and orchestras. Elitch Theatre The Historic Elitch Theatre

9333-465: The United States for the next few years. DeMille's primary criticism was of closed shops, but later included criticism of communism and unions in general. The United States Supreme Court declined to review his case. Despite his loss, DeMille continued to lobby for the Taft–Hartley Act , which passed. This prohibited denying anyone the right to work if they refuse to pay a political assessment, however,

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9486-408: The United States he had not yet seen. DeMille sometimes worked with the director E. H. Sothern , who influenced DeMille's later perfectionism in his work. In 1907, due to a scandal with one of Beatrice's students, Evelyn Nesbit , the Henry de Mille School lost students. The school closed, and Beatrice filed for bankruptcy. DeMille wrote another play originally called Sergeant Devil May Care , which

9639-561: The Wind . A unique practice at the time, DeMille offered ten percent of his profit to the crew. On November 7, 1954, while in Egypt filming the Exodus sequence for The Ten Commandments , DeMille (who was seventy-three) climbed a 107-foot (33 m) ladder to the top of the massive Per Rameses set and suffered a serious heart attack. Despite the urging of his associate producer, DeMille wanted to return to

9792-420: The age of three from spinal meningitis . DeMille's parents operated a private school in town and attended Christ Episcopal Church. DeMille recalled that this church was the place where he visualized the story of his 1923 version of The Ten Commandments . On January 8, 1893, at age 40, Henry de Mille died suddenly from typhoid fever , leaving Beatrice with three children. To provide for her family, she opened

9945-441: The audience was Charles Frohman , who would cast DeMille in his play Hearts are Trumps , DeMille's Broadway debut. Cecil B. DeMille began his career as an actor on the stage in the theatrical company of Charles Frohman in 1900. He debuted as an actor on February 21, 1900, in the play Hearts Are Trumps at New York's Garden Theater . In 1901, DeMille starred in productions of A Repentance , To Have and to Hold , and Are You

10098-459: The authenticity of the film. During pre-production of Union Pacific , DeMille was dealing with his first serious health issue. In March 1938, he underwent a major emergency prostatectomy . He suffered from a post-surgery infection from which he nearly did not recover, citing streptomycin as his saving grace. The surgery caused him to suffer from sexual dysfunction for the rest of his life, according to some family members. Following his surgery and

10251-433: The autobiography. DeMille did not like the first draft of the biography, saying that he thought the person portrayed in the biography was an "SOB"; he said it made him sound too egotistical. Besides filmmaking and finishing his autobiography, DeMille was involved in other projects. In the early 1950s, DeMille was recruited by Allen Dulles and Frank Wisner to serve on the board of the anti-communist National Committee for

10404-558: The back of a restaurant menu. As director-general, DeMille's job was to make the films. In addition to directing, DeMille was the supervisor and consultant for the first year of films made by the Lasky Feature Play Company. Sometimes, he directed scenes for other directors at the Feature Play Company in order to release films on time. Moreover, when he was busy directing other films, he would co-author other Lasky Company scripts as well as create screen adaptations that others directed. The Lasky Play Company sought out William deMille to join

10557-421: The beginning of the Lasky Company were Brewster's Millions (co-directed by DeMille), Rose of the Rancho , and The Ghost Breaker . DeMille adapted Belasco's dramatic lighting techniques to film technology, mimicking moonlight with U.S. cinema's first attempts at "motivated lighting" in The Warrens of Virginia . This was the first of few film collaborations with his brother William. They struggled to adapt

10710-467: The bills. From 1904 to 1905, DeMille attempted to make a living as a stock theatre actor with his wife, Constance. DeMille made a 1905 reprise in Hamlet as Osric. In the summer of 1905, DeMille joined the stock cast at the Elitch Theatre in Denver, Colorado. He appeared in eleven of the fifteen plays presented that season, although all were minor roles. Maude Fealy would appear as the featured actress in several productions that summer and would develop

10863-433: The building and the addition of a fire suppression system. This upgrade allowed the theatre to get temporary occupancy and begin tours and limited events. With the completion of Phase 3 (2020-2021), restrooms were added, a new roof was put on, and various other upgrades were made, allowing for the theatre to gain permanent occupancy. In summer 2022, the foundation offered free some outdoor movie showings. In summer 2023,

11016-565: The characters, and named it The Return of Peter Grimm , producing and presenting it as his own work. DeMille was credited in small print as "based on an idea by Cecil DeMille". The play was successful, and DeMille was distraught that his childhood idol had plagiarized his work. DeMille performed on stage with actors whom he would later direct in films: Charlotte Walker , Mary Pickford , and Pedro de Cordoba . DeMille also produced and directed plays. His 1905 performance in The Prince Chap as

11169-1014: The circuit. Plays and musicals that had closed on Broadway would play the circuit. By 1950, there were 152 Equity companies, including the Ogunquit Playhouse and Skowhegan Playhouse in Maine; the Woodstock Playhouse and the Forestburgh Playhouse in upstate New York; Falmouth Playhouse in Massachusetts (burned down in 1994); Priscilla Beach Theatre in Plymouth, Massachusetts , and the Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope (suburban Philadelphia), Pennsylvania (established in 1939). The Westport Country Playhouse in Connecticut , since renovated with

11322-551: The company), Frank E. Norcross, Bernard Reynold, and Weevie Vivian. The following year, James F. Neill and R.L. Giffen organized a company for the Manhattan Beach , Denver , with a cast list including: Anne Blancke, Kate Blancke, Alfred Burnham, Harry Corson Clarke , Henrietta Crosman , Josepha Crowell, Zula Hanes, William Ingersoll , John B. Maher, James F. Neill, and Mary Ryan as players, and with Alfred Fisher as stage director. In September 1894, Neill and Giffen also organized

11475-503: The company, but he rejected the offer because he did not believe there was any promise in a film career. When William found out that DeMille had begun working in the motion picture industry, he wrote DeMille a letter, disappointed that he was willing "to throw away [his] future" when he was "born and raised in the finest traditions of the theater". The Lasky Company wanted to attract high-class audiences to their films, so they began producing films from literary works. The Lasky Company bought

11628-659: The condition that DeMille not exceed his production budget of $ 650,000 for The Sign of the Cross . Produced in eight weeks without exceeding budget, the film was financially successful. The Sign of the Cross was the first film to integrate all cinematic techniques. The film was considered a "masterpiece" and surpassed the quality of other sound films of the time. DeMille followed this epic uncharacteristically with two dramas released in 1933 and 1934. This Day and Age and Four Frightened People were box office disappointments, though Four Frightened People received good reviews. DeMille would stick to his large-budget spectaculars for

11781-415: The current central Platte Valley location in 1994. The new $ 94 million park was opened in 1995 with attendance reaching one million. Two fires in 1995 on the old Gardens property near the theatre cause public outcry for additional security. The original Elitch property was sold to Perry Rose LLC in 1996 with the conditions that the theatre and carousel shell never be demolished. In 2011, Barbara Medill,

11934-524: The destruction of an airship in Madam Satan ; and the parting of the Red Sea in both versions of The Ten Commandments . In his early films, DeMille experimented with photographic light and shade, which created dramatic shadows instead of glare. His specific use of lighting, influenced by his mentor David Belasco, was for the purpose of creating "striking images" and heightening "dramatic situations". DeMille

12087-432: The dramatic" and was determined to continue the artistic legacy of her husband after he died. Beatrice became a play broker and author's agent, influencing DeMille's early life and career. DeMille's father worked with David Belasco who was a theatrical producer, impresario, and playwright. Belasco was known for adding realistic elements in his plays such as real flowers, food, and aromas that could transport his audiences into

12240-801: The end of the summer, but her director at the theater quickly reminded her that she only had to give two-weeks notice and she could head to Hollywood. John Kenley , an Ohio -based producer, ran his own summer stock circuit, Kenley Players , in Columbus , Dayton , Warren , the Carousel Theatre in Akron , and Canton, Ohio , and sent many of the shows to an affiliated theater in Flint, Michigan . Starting in 1958 performers such as Dan Dailey in Guys and Dolls , Barbara Eden in Lady in

12393-498: The estates. When "talking pictures" were invented in 1928, Cecil B. DeMille made a successful transition, offering his own innovations to the painful process; he devised a microphone boom and a soundproof camera blimp . He also popularized the camera crane. His first three sound films were produced at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. These three films, Dynamite , Madame Satan , and his 1931 remake of The Squaw Man were critically and financially unsuccessful. He had completely adapted to

12546-409: The film This was also the first American feature film; however, only by release date, as D. W. Griffith 's Judith of Bethulia was filmed earlier than The Squaw Man , but released later. Additionally, this was the only film in which DeMille shared director's credit with Oscar C. Apfel. The Squaw Man was a success, which led to the eventual founding of Paramount Pictures and Hollywood becoming

12699-471: The films appear more old-fashioned. Composer Elmer Bernstein described DeMille as "sparing no effort" when filmmaking. Bernstein recalled that DeMille would scream, yell, or flatter—whatever it took to achieve the perfection he required in his films. DeMille was painstakingly attentive to details on set and was as critical of himself as he was of his crew. Costume designer Dorothy Jeakins, who worked with DeMille on The Ten Commandments (1956), said that he

12852-969: The first winter stock company at the Lyceum Theatre, Denver. Another company was placed in Salt Lake City in December 1894 under the management of T. Daniel Frawley, who later purchased the Neill-Giffen interests and moved the organization to San Francisco . The roster of the combined Denver and Salt Lake City company included: Belle Archer , Blanche Bates , Robert E. Bell , H.D. Blakemore, Anne Blancke, Kate Blancke, Fanny Burt, Madge Carr Cook , Harry Corson Clarke, Jean Coyne, Henrietta Crosman, Charles Dade, Lilian Dailey, George W. Denham, Harry Gibbs , William Ingersoll, Jane Kenmark, Howard Kyle , George W. Leslie, Phosa McAllister, Cara Morlan, Robert Morris, James F. Neill, Phyllis Rankin , and Fred Trader, as players, with Walter Clark Bellow as stage director. 1896

13005-491: The grandiose and of biblical sagas". Considered at the time to be the most successful Christian film of the silent era, DeMille calculated that it had been viewed over 800 million times around the world. After the release of DeMille's The Godless Girl , silent films in America became obsolete, and DeMille was forced to shoot a shoddy final reel with the new sound production technique. Although this final reel looked so different from

13158-424: The group gave a lecture at the Elitch Theatre about theatre grand drapes and curtains. They were asked to review the Elitch Theatre's "Anne Hathaway" grand drape and consult on its restoration. The drape was removed from storage, and unrolled by CWB representatives and theatre volunteers who discovered improper storage. The drape was illegible, and the paint dissolved into dust as the curtain was unrolled. The curtain

13311-406: The guilty man to leave town and would never reveal his name. Lasky and DeMille maintained the widow Fleming on the payroll; however, according to leading actor House Peters Sr. , DeMille refused to stop production for the funeral of Fleming. Peters claimed that he encouraged the cast to attend the funeral with him anyway since DeMille would not be able to shoot the film without him. On July 19, 1916,

13464-488: The home of the U.S. film industry. The continued success of his productions led to the founding of Paramount Pictures with Lasky and Adolph Zukor . His first biblical epic, The Ten Commandments (1923), was both a critical and commercial success; it held the Paramount revenue record for twenty-five years. DeMille directed The King of Kings (1927), a biography of Jesus, which gained approval for its sensitivity and reached more than 800 million viewers. The Sign of

13617-538: The impression that the summer theater movement originated when certain daft individuals began producing plays in barns . The true beginning was in the theater built by John and Mary Elitch on their ranch at Denver, Colorado, in 1891. After several seasons of vaudeville and light opera, the stock company inaugurated the 1897 season with its first dramatic performance. The director was George Edeson, with James O'Neill, father of dramatist Eugene O'Neill, as leading man. An unbroken series of successful seasons followed. This, then,

13770-423: The interior had been sufficiently restored for a series of indoor movies and tours. By late 2023, the foundation had high hopes for its Phase 4 progress, expecting to offer live shows in summer 2024, albeit without full lighting, rigging and sound. Opening the 400 balcony seats is part of Phase 5. Fundraising continues for interior renovations, including the need for theatre rigging, lighting, sound, etc. The plan

13923-591: The law did not apply retroactively. Consequently, DeMille's television and radio appearance ban lasted for the remainder of his life, though he was permitted to appear on radio or television to publicize a movie. William Keighley was his replacement. DeMille would never again work on radio. In 1939, DeMille's Union Pacific was successful through DeMille's collaboration with the Union Pacific Railroad . The Union Pacific gave DeMille access to historical data, early period trains, and expert crews, adding to

14076-463: The laws of man fighting the forces of nature. He received his first nomination for the Academy Award for Best Director for his circus drama The Greatest Show on Earth (1952), which won both the Academy Award for Best Picture and the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama . His last and best-known film, The Ten Commandments (1956), also a Best Picture Academy Award nominee,

14229-540: The legendary impresario David Belasco , who had been a friend and collaborator of their father. DeMille would later adapt Belasco's The Girl of the Golden West , Rose of the Rancho , and The Warrens of Virginia into films. DeMille was credited with creating the premise of Belasco's The Return of Peter Grimm . The Return of Peter Grimm sparked controversy, because Belasco had taken DeMille's unnamed screenplay, changed

14382-422: The longest running time (146 minutes), longest filming schedule (102 days), and largest budget ($ 5 million). The sets and effects were so realistic that 30 extras needed to be hospitalized due to a scene with fireballs and flaming arrows. It was commercially very successful. DeMille's next film, Samson and Delilah in 1949, became Paramount's highest-grossing film up to that time. A Biblical epic with sex, it

14535-411: The lowest point of his career. DeMille traveled abroad to find employment until he was offered a deal at Paramount. In 1932, DeMille returned to Paramount at the request of Lasky, bringing with him his own production unit. His first film back at Paramount, The Sign of the Cross , was also his first success since leaving Paramount besides The King of Kings . DeMille's return was approved by Zukor under

14688-424: The management of Mary Elitch Long. Its first season in 1897 opened with leading man James O'Neill , who had promised John that he would act in the new theatre when it was ready. The first show performed there was Helene . The company became known for putting on ten plays in a ten-week summer season and attracting internationally known stars of the theatre and screen. Sarah Bernhardt came to Denver in 1906 after

14841-416: The most influential plays he saw was Hamlet , directed by Sothern. DeMille's filmmaking process always began with extensive research. Next, he would work with writers to develop the story that he was envisioning. Then, he would help writers construct a script. Finally, he would leave the script with artists and allow them to create artistic depictions and renderings of each scene. Plot and dialogue were not

14994-592: The orphanage over which she was the director. In 1922, the couple adopted Richard deMille. Film started becoming more sophisticated and the subsequent films of the Lasky company were criticized for primitive and unrealistic set design. Consequently, Beatrice deMille introduced the Famous Players–Lasky to Wilfred Buckland , who DeMille had known from his time at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and he became DeMille's art director. William deMille reluctantly became

15147-476: The play from the stage to the set. After the film was shown, viewers complained that the shadows and lighting prevented the audience from seeing the actors' full faces, complaining that they would only pay half price. However, Sam Goldwyn realized that if they called it "Rembrandt" lighting, the audience would pay double the price. Additionally, because of DeMille's cordiality after the Peter Grimm incident, DeMille

15300-488: The previous eleven reels that it appeared to be from another movie, according to Simon Louvish, the film is one of DeMille's strangest and most "DeMillean" film. The immense popularity of DeMille's silent films enabled him to branch out into other areas. The Roaring Twenties were the boom years and DeMille took full advantage, opening the Mercury Aviation Company , one of America's first commercial airlines. He

15453-586: The production of sound film despite the film's poor dialogue. After his contract ended at MGM, he left, but no production studios would hire him. He attempted to create a guild of a half a dozen directors with the same creative desires called the Director's Guild. However, the idea failed due to lack of funding and commitment. Moreover, DeMille was audited by the Internal Revenue Service due to issues with his production company. This was, according to DeMille,

15606-510: The project in order to complete a different project, but in reality, it was to preserve his reputation and avoid appearing reactionary. While concurrently filmmaking, he served in World War II at the age of sixty as his neighborhood air-raid warden. In 1942, DeMille worked with Jeanie MacPherson and brother William deMille in order to produce a film called Queen of Queens , which was intended to be about Mary, mother of Jesus . After reading

15759-454: The project, and it promised to be the most costly in U.S. film history. Still, the members unanimously approved it. The Ten Commandments , released in 1956, was DeMille's final film. It was the longest (3 hours, 39 minutes) and most expensive ($ 13 million) film in Paramount history. Production of The Ten Commandments began in October 1954. The Exodus scene was filmed on-site in Egypt with

15912-532: The rapid production of his films in the early years of the Lasky Company. The cuts were sometimes rough, but the movies were always interesting. DeMille often edited in a manner that favored psychological space rather than physical space through his cuts. In this way, the characters' thoughts and desires are the visual focus rather than the circumstances regarding the physical scene. As DeMille's career progressed, he increasingly relied on artist Dan Sayre Groesbeck's concept, costume, and storyboard art. Groesbeck's art

16065-498: The record again. In the early 1920s, scandal surrounded Paramount; religious groups and the media opposed portrayals of immorality in films. A censorship board called the Hays Code was established. DeMille's film The Affairs of Anatol came under fire. Furthermore, DeMille argued with Zukor over his extravagant and over-budget production costs. Consequently, DeMille left Paramount in 1924 despite having helped establish it. He joined

16218-559: The required stunt would not harm them. This occurred with Victor Mature in Samson and Delilah . Mature refused to wrestle Jackie the Lion, even though DeMille had just tussled with the lion, proving that he was tame. DeMille told the actor that he was "one hundred percent yellow". Paulette Goddard 's refusal to risk personal injury in a scene involving fire in Unconquered cost her DeMille's favor and

16371-414: The rest of his career. Cecil B. DeMille was outspoken about his strong Episcopalian integrity, but his private life included mistresses and adultery. DeMille was a conservative Republican activist, becoming more conservative as he aged. He was known as anti-union and worked to prevent the unionizing of film production studios. However, according to DeMille himself, he was not anti-union and belonged to

16524-590: The right to "levy a compulsory assessment upon any member." DeMille sued the union for reinstatement but lost. He then appealed to the California Supreme Court and lost again. When the AFRA expanded to television, DeMille was banned from television appearances. Consequently, he formed the DeMille Foundation for Political Freedom in order to campaign for the right to work. He began presenting speeches across

16677-567: The rights to the play The Squaw Man by Edwin Milton Royle and cast Dustin Farnum in the lead role. They offered Farnum a choice to have a quarter stock in the company (similar to William deMille) or $ 250 per week as salary. Farnum chose $ 250 per week. Already $ 15,000 in debt to Royle for the screenplay of The Squaw Man , Lasky's relatives bought the $ 5,000 stock to save the Lasky Company from bankruptcy. With no knowledge of filmmaking, DeMille

16830-759: The round, the Valley Forge Music Fair (which closed in 1996), in Devon, Pennsylvania, was opened in 1955 by Shelly Gross , Lee Guber and Frank Ford . They then opened other theaters in the round, including Shady Grove Music Fair in Washington, DC, Painters Mill Music Fair in Maryland (closed in 1991), and the Westbury Music Fair on Long Island , opened in 1956. By 1957, there were 19 tent theaters, many located in Massachusetts, New York, and New Jersey, and all presenting musicals only. (The musical The Pajama Game

16983-437: The scenes. While working in theatre, DeMille used real fruit trees in his play California , as influenced by Belasco. Similar to Belasco, DeMille's theatre revolved around entertainment rather than artistry. Generally, Belasco's influence of DeMille's career can be seen in DeMille's showmanship and narration. E. H. Sothern's early influence on DeMille's work can be seen in DeMille's perfectionism. DeMille recalled that one of

17136-464: The school to join the Spanish–American War , but failed to meet the age requirement. At the military college, even though his grades were average, he reportedly excelled in personal conduct. DeMille attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts (tuition-free due to his father's service to the academy). He graduated in 1900, and for graduation, his performance was the play The Arcady Trail . In

17289-424: The screenplay, Daniel A. Lord warned DeMille that Catholics would find the film too irreverent, while non-Catholics would have considered the film Catholic propaganda. Consequently, the film was never made. Jeanie MacPherson would work as a scriptwriter for many of DeMille's films. In 1938, DeMille supervised the compilation of film Land of Liberty to represent the contribution of the American film industry to

17442-450: The script. Noisy and bright, it was not well-liked by critics, but was a favorite among audiences. DeMille signed a contract with Prentice Hall publishers in August 1953 to publish an autobiography. DeMille would reminisce into a voice recorder, the recording would be transcribed, and the information would be organized in the biography based on the topic. Art Arthur also interviewed people for

17595-479: The set right away. DeMille developed a plan with his doctor to allow him to continue directing while reducing his physical stress. Although DeMille completed the film, his health was diminished by several more heart attacks. His daughter Cecilia took over as director as DeMille sat behind the camera with Loyal Griggs as the cinematographer. This film would be his last. Due to his frequent heart attacks, DeMille asked his son-in-law, actor Anthony Quinn , to direct

17748-580: The success of Union Pacific , in 1940, DeMille first used three-strip Technicolor in North West Mounted Police . DeMille wanted to film in Canada; however, due to budget constraints, the film was instead shot in Oregon and Hollywood. Critics were impressed with the visuals but found the scripts dull, calling it DeMille's "poorest Western". Despite the criticism, it was Paramount's highest-grossing film of

17901-426: The summer) to learn their craft and observe—and possibly work with—professionals. Such stage luminaries as Maude Adams, Ethel Barrymore, Lillian Gish, and Ruth Gordon had trod the boards here. Students took classes in acting, stagecraft, makeup, and voice, and if they were talented enough, they might be asked to appear in plays with the resident acting company." Additionally, many notable performers spent their summers on

18054-877: The support of Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman , was also part of the summer stock circuit. The circuit toured in Florida and the Southeast during the winter. Venues included the Beacham Theater in Orlando and the Royal Poinciana Playhouse in Palm Beach, Florida (closed since 2004) where performers from Bob Cummings in 1958 to Arlene Francis (1961) and Richard Chamberlain (1966) appeared. Stars of Broadway, film, and television would regularly spend summers performing in stock. The Council of Stock Theatres (COST) negotiated

18207-405: The theatre another successful season, calling it "one of the cradles of American drama." John Elitch and Mary Elitch Long first opened Elitch Gardens on May 1, 1890, with animals, bands, flowers and an open-air theatre where Mayor Londoner of Denver spoke. Inspired by Shakespeare 's Globe Theatre , the first shows were vaudeville acts by accomplished local and national performers. In 1891

18360-549: The theatre began with restoring the building's exterior, including a concrete foundation under the exterior walls. The roof, gable, main entrance/lobby, and exterior walls were replaced and painted. A section of dressing rooms and shops on the West side of the building was demolished. Exterior restoration on the historic auditorium was completed in 2007. Phase 2 of the restoration (2013-2014) included various health and safety upgrades, including restoring electricity and lighting throughout

18513-523: The theatre in 1963. The company stopped operating as a traditional resident summer-stock, switching to single, star-packaged shows from New York. The company had many successful years, but as time and culture changed the theatre building was neglected. The park's Trocadero Ballroom was bulldozed in 1975. Fearing a similar fate, the community added the theatre to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. The Elitch Theatre Company's last season

18666-654: The theatre was enclosed and rebuilt for $ 100,000. The Boston Opera Company performed musicals, and light opera starting with The Pirates of Penzance . In 1893 the first summer stock theatre company, the Norcross Company, was organized in the East and brought to the gardens. Vaudeville shows continued until 1900. In 1896, Edison's Vitascope was exhibited at the theatre showing the first films in Colorado . The Elitch Gardens Stock Theatre Company began performing in 1897 under

18819-495: The use of four Technicolor-VistaVision camera filming 12,000 people. They continued filming in 1955 in Paris and Hollywood on 30 different sound stages. They were even required to expand to RKO sound studios for filming. Post-production lasted a year, and the film premiered in Salt Lake City . Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture, it grossed over $ 80 million, which surpassed the gross of The Greatest Show on Earth and every other film in history, except for Gone with

18972-441: The working film including story-boards, props, and special effects. DeMille rarely gave direction to actors; he preferred to "office-direct", where he would work with actors in his office, going over characters and reading through scripts. Any problems on the set were often fixed by writers in the office rather than on the set. DeMille did not believe a large movie set was the place to discuss minor character or line issues. DeMille

19125-474: The year. Audiences liked its highly saturated color, so DeMille made no further black-and-white features. DeMille was anti-communist and abandoned a project in 1940 to film Ernest Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls due to its communist themes, despite the fact he had already paid $ 100,000 for the rights to the novel. He was so eager to produce the film that he hadn't yet read the novel. He claimed he abandoned

19278-649: The young couple's differing religions; Beatrice converted to Episcopalianism . DeMille was a brave and confident child. He gained his love of theater while watching his father and Belasco rehearse their plays. A lasting memory for DeMille was a lunch with his father and actor Edwin Booth . As a child, DeMille created an alter ego, Champion Driver, a Robin Hood -like character, evidence of his creativity and imagination. The family lived in Washington, North Carolina , until Henry built

19431-749: Was a North Carolina -born dramatist, actor, and lay reader in the Episcopal Church . DeMille's father was also an English teacher at Columbia College (now Columbia University ). He worked as a playwright, administrator, and faculty member during the early years of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts , established in New York City in 1884. Henry deMille frequently collaborated with David Belasco in playwriting; their best-known collaborations included "The Wife", "Lord Chumley", "The Charity Ball", and "Men and Women". Cecil B. DeMille's mother, Beatrice,

19584-479: Was a characteristically DeMille film. Again, 1952's The Greatest Show on Earth became Paramount's highest-grossing film to that point. Furthermore, DeMille's film won the Academy Award for Best Picture and the Academy Award for Best Story . The film began production in 1949, Ringling Brothers-Barnum and Bailey were paid $ 250,000 for use of the title and facilities. DeMille toured with the circus while helping write

19737-476: Was able to rekindle his partnership with Belasco. He adapted several of Belasco's screenplays into film. DeMille's most successful film was The Cheat ; DeMille's direction in the film was acclaimed. In 1916, exhausted from three years of nonstop filmmaking, DeMille purchased land in the Angeles National Forest for a ranch that would become his getaway. He called this place, "Paradise", declaring it

19890-495: Was also a real estate speculator, an underwriter of political campaigns, and vice president of Bank of America . He was additionally vice president of the Commercial National Trust and Savings Bank in Los Angeles where he approved loans for other filmmakers. In 1916, DeMille purchased a mansion in Hollywood. Charlie Chaplin lived next door for a time, and after he moved, DeMille purchased the other house and combined

20043-442: Was an American filmmaker and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films . He is acknowledged as a founding father of American cinema and the most commercially successful producer-director in film history. His films were distinguished by their epic scale and by his cinematic showmanship. His silent films included social dramas, comedies, Westerns, farces, morality plays, and historical pageants. He

20196-645: Was an active Freemason and member of Prince of Orange Lodge #16 in New York City. DeMille was born in Ashfield, Massachusetts , and grew up in New York City. He began his career as a stage actor in 1900. He later moved to writing and directing stage productions, some with Jesse L. Lasky , who was then a vaudeville producer. DeMille's first film, The Squaw Man (1914), was also the first full-length feature film shot in Hollywood . Its interracial love story made it commercially successful, and it first publicized Hollywood as

20349-514: Was an earlier theater, but it was an established stock theater that had then been used as a summer venue.) The structure was to present different plays in weekly or biweekly repertory, performed by a resident company, generally between June and September. The usual fare consisted of light comedies, romances and mysteries. The theaters were located in rural areas. Touring companies would carry hand props and costumes to each venue, where sound, lights and set would be awaiting them. Summer stock provided

20502-832: Was attentive, supportive." Performers such as Paul Lynde , Bill Bixby , Karen Morrow , Phyllis Diller , Andy Devine , Gordon MacRae and Patrice Munsel starred in Kenley stock productions. Ethel Merman performed in Call Me Madam at the Kenley Players in 1968 (as well as appearing at the Parker Playhouse and Coconut Grove Playhouse in Miami earlier that year). The Cape Playhouse in Dennis, Massachusetts opened in 1927 with The Guardsman , starring Basil Rathbone , and has continued through

20655-411: Was auctioned by his granddaughter Cecilia DeMille Presley who also lived there in the late 1980s. DeMille believed his first influences to be his parents, Henry and Beatrice DeMille. His playwright father introduced him to the theater at a young age. Henry was heavily influenced by the work of Charles Kingsley , whose ideas trickled down to DeMille. DeMille noted that his mother had a "high sense of

20808-502: Was circulated on set to give actors and crew members a better understanding of DeMille's vision. His art was even shown at Paramount meetings when pitching new films. DeMille adored the art of Groesbeck, even hanging it above his fireplace, but film staff found it difficult to convert his art into three-dimensional sets. As DeMille continued to rely on Groesbeck, the nervous energy of his early films transformed into more steady compositions of his later films. While visually appealing, this made

20961-468: Was confined to bed and unable to eat. His poor physical condition upon his return home affected the production of his 1922 film Manslaughter . According to Richard Birchard, DeMille's weakened state during production may have led to the film being received as uncharacteristically substandard. During World War I, the Famous Players–Lasky organized a military company underneath the National Guard called

21114-442: Was displayed on the backstage theatre floor for lecture attendees to view. Those who regarding it as a piece of Colorado history were devastated that it had been destroyed by time and neglect. In 2018, the outdoor films and summer children's programming at the theater were cancelled due to $ 800,000 in damages caused by wind and a hail storm. The theatre closed in 1991 and sat empty for the next 11 years. A nonprofit organization,

21267-460: Was ignited when he watched the 1912 French film Les Amours de la reine Élisabeth . Desiring a change of scene, Cecil B. DeMille, Jesse Lasky, Sam Goldfish (later Samuel Goldwyn ), and a group of East Coast businessmen created the Jesse L. Lasky Feature Play Company in 1913, over which DeMille became director-general. Lasky and DeMille were said to have sketched out the organization of the company on

21420-443: Was in 1987. The park booked the "Incredible Acrobats of China" for a season, then one night musical acts before it was officially closed in 1991. The Robber Bridegroom was performed with Patrick Cassidy for the theatre's centennial anniversary. Actor Raymond Burr raised $ 2 million for an educational program at the theatre. The money was instead donated to local Cole Middle School. The Elitch Gardens amusement park moved to

21573-873: Was introduced to observe the process at film studios. He was eventually introduced to Oscar Apfel , a stage director who had been a director with the Edison Company . On December 12, 1913, DeMille, his cast, and crew boarded a Southern Pacific train bound for Flagstaff via New Orleans . His tentative plan was to shoot a film in Arizona , but he felt that Arizona did not typify the Western look they were searching for. They also learned that other filmmakers were successfully shooting in Los Angeles, even in winter. He continued to Los Angeles. Once there, he chose not to shoot in Edendale , where many studios were, but in Hollywood. DeMille rented

21726-424: Was named after his grandmothers Cecelia Wolff and Margarete Blount. He was the second of three children of Henry Churchill de Mille (September 4, 1853 – February 10, 1893) and his wife, Matilda Beatrice deMille (née Samuel; January 30, 1853 – October 8, 1923), known as Beatrice. His brother, William C. deMille , was born on July 25, 1878. Henry de Mille, whose ancestors were of English and Dutch-Belgian descent,

21879-468: Was named in his honor. DeMille's reputation had a renaissance in the 2010s, and his work has influenced numerous other films and directors. Cecil Blount DeMille was born on August 12, 1881, in a boarding house on Main Street in Ashfield, Massachusetts , where his parents had been vacationing for the summer. On September 1, 1881, the family returned with the newborn DeMille to their flat in New York. DeMille

22032-598: Was particularly adept at directing and managing large crowds in his films. Martin Scorsese recalled that DeMille had the skill to maintain control of not only the lead actors in a frame but the many extras in the frame as well. DeMille was adept at directing "thousands of extras", and many of his pictures include spectacular set pieces: the toppling of the pagan temple in Samson and Delilah ; train wrecks in The Road to Yesterday , Union Pacific and The Greatest Show on Earth ;

22185-538: Was produced with a large budget and contained many special effects including an electronically operated giant squid . After working on Reap the Wild Wind , in 1944 , he was the master of ceremonies at the rally organized by David O. Selznick in the Los Angeles Coliseum in support of the Dewey – Bricker ticket as well as Governor Earl Warren of California. DeMille's subsequent film Unconquered (1947) had

22338-542: Was renamed The Royal Mounted . He also toured with the Standard Opera Company, but there are few records to indicate DeMille's singing ability. DeMille had a daughter, Cecilia, on November 5, 1908, who would be his only biological child. In the 1910s, DeMille began directing and producing other writer's plays. DeMille was poor and struggled to find work. Consequently, his mother hired him for her agency The DeMille Play Company, and taught him how to be an agent and

22491-575: Was researching a film biography of Robert Baden-Powell , the founder of the Scout Movement . DeMille asked David Niven to star in the film, but it was never made. DeMille also was planning a film about the space race as well as another biblical epic about the Book of Revelation . DeMille's autobiography was mostly completed by the time DeMille died and was published in November 1959. Cecil B. DeMille suffered

22644-450: Was skilled in humiliating people. Jeakins admitted that she received quality training from him, but that it was necessary to become a perfectionist on a DeMille set to avoid being fired. DeMille had an authoritarian persona on set; he required absolute attention from the cast and crew. He had a band of assistants who catered to his needs. He would speak to the entire set, sometimes enormous with countless numbers of crew members and extras, via

22797-494: Was the major show making the tent circuit in the summer of 1957.) The theatre-in-the-round concept brought Broadway-style musicals to northern California under a big top tent each summer. Original producers Russell Lewis and Howard Young presented their first production, Show Boat , the same opening production at both the Lambertville and the South Shore Music Circus. The original Lambertville theater closed in 1970, and both

22950-405: Was the only city in the country that could and did support two summer stock companies:" He went on to quote an 1896 article stating: The summer theatrical season Is now at its height and both Manhattan Beach and Elitch's Gardens are doing splendid business, and deservedly, too, for nowhere in the country are to be found better attractions or better Summer stock than those with which our local public

23103-504: Was the second stock season and J. H. Huntley was signed to direct the resident stock company, headed by leading actress Jennie Kennark. The season opened with Rosedale , a play by Lester Wallack . However, opinions differ on the official first year of summer stock. In a 1955 article for the Princeton University Library Chronicle, the authors suggest it was 1897: Devotees of the straw hat circuit are usually under

23256-405: Was unable to care for an estate. She would die one year later. His personal will drew a line between Cecilia and his three adopted children, with Cecilia receiving a majority of DeMille's inheritance and estate. The other three children were surprised by this, as DeMille did not treat the children differently in life. Cecilia lived in the house for many years until her death in 1984, but the house

23409-420: Was unique in using this technique. In addition to his use of volatile and abrupt film editing, his lighting and composition were innovative for the time period as filmmakers were primarily concerned with a clear, realistic image. Another important aspect of DeMille's editing technique was to put the film away for a week or two after an initial edit in order to re-edit the picture with a fresh mind. This allowed for

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