Skyline Wilderness RV Park, Napa, CA
During the summer of 1942 Paramount Studio largely "took over the Sonora Inn" in preparation for the filming of Ernest Hemmingway's novel based on the Spanish Civil War of the late 1930s, For Whom the Bell Tolls.
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Gary Cooper, Akim Tamiroff Expected Here
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Friday 19 June 1942 [Sonora, CA] Union Democrat, Page One
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The principal stars of the film, "For Whom the Bell Tolls," including Gary Cooper and Akim Tamiroff, are expected to arrive in Sonora within the next few days.
Three camps have been established in the Sierras along the Sonora-Mono highway by the Paramount Studio unit now on location here. Director Sam Wood, assistant production manager Sid Street, together with assistant directors Joe Youngerman and Lonnie D'Orsay are busy directing the airplane sequences, which were interuppted last year by of the event of the war.
Due to government regulations, the planes being used are stationed in Reno, Nevada, and are available for the film company through special permission from the War Department.
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My late father and one of his sisters got bit parts as extras in the film, for which they were paid $37 per day. As a low-paid schoolteacher who made only $1200 per year as teacher, principal, and janitor of Shaws Flat Elementary, the pay was big money
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"For Whom The Bell Tolls" Cast Is Expected Here July 1
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Friday 26 June 1942 [Sonora, CA] Union Democrat, Page One
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Two Hundred Cast Members, One Hundred Extras To Be On Location Two Months
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A company of more than two hundred cast members from Paramount Studio and nearly one hundred local extras will go on location in the high Sierras about July first for the filming of the important exterior sequences of "For Whom the Bell Tolls." The company expects to remain at the mountain locations for at least two months.
Members of the company, under the direction of Sam Wood, director, and Sidney Street, production manager, were engaged for several days this week in filming aeroplane bombing scenes, in which the top of a mountain was blown off in depicting the attack scenes of the story. The planes, U.S. Army bombers, used with special permission of the government, flew to the location from Reno Nevada.
Additional filming of the picture was suspended for several days due to the illness of Gary Cooper, star of the Spanish revolution epic, who underwent a minor opeeration this week.
During the lull in camera work, a crew of twenty-five laborers are engaged in building a cave set in Blue Canyon, near the Summit, and a sawmill set twenty miles distant on the Clark's Fork. The rocks of the cave set are bing made of plastic material to depict the rugged canyons of the mountain area.
When filming is resumed, the company of over 300 persons will be housed at four mountain resorts, located at Bakers Station, the Dardenelles, Douglas Station and Kennedy's.
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Ingrid Bergman was working on another film in Hollywood when shooting in Tuolumne County was scheduled to begin, and Vera Zorina was chosen to play the part of Maria.
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Vera Zorina Here For Lead in "For Whom The Bell Tolls"
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Friday 3 July 1942 [Sonora, CA] Union Democrat, Page One
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Principals, Cast On Location For 120 Days Filming Schedule in Mountains
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To Vera Zorina, prominent motion picture actress of Hollywood, goes the honor of having her head shaved in order to play the leading feminine role of Maria Elliott in the historic story of the Spanish Civil war, "For Whom The Bell Tolls,' now being filmed in the mountains east of Sonora by Paramount Studios. Zorina was chosen for the difficult role after several other candidates had been typed and tested.
She, with other members of the cast, arrived in Sonora Wednesday and continued directly to the mountain locations, where three summer resorts have been taken over by the studio for the housing of more than two hundred members of the company and one hundred local extras.
Gary Cooper holds the male lead in the characterization of Jordan Raymond. Other leading characters of the [film] are: Akim Tamiroff as Pable Johns; Katina Paxinou as Pilar Ballantyne; Joseph Callela as El Sordo; Mikhail Rasumny as Rafael; Vladimir Sokoloff as Anselmo; Eric Feldary as Andre; Lilo Yarson as Joaquin; and Feodor Chaliapin as Kashkin.
Other members of the case include Edward Clannelli, Fortunio Bonanova, Duncan Reynaldo, Victor Varconi, Leonid Snegoff, Alesander Granach, Martin Garralaga and Leo Bulgakoff.
Shooting of the picture started at the mountain locations Thursday and will continue for 120 work days. Samuel Wood is in charge of the direction, aided by Lonnie d'Orsa and Joe Youngerman as first assistant directors; and Clem Jones as second assistant. Production Manager Sidney Stree is assisted by Don Robb, and Sherman Todd is handling the film editing. The Technicolor photography will be under the direction of Ray Rennehan, assisted by Stuart Thompson and James Grant.
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Sierra weather and wildlife both delay and "animate" the filming in the Sonora Pass area.
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Rain, Wind At Higher Elevations Delay Filming of Hemingway Story
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Friday 17 July 1942 [Sonora, CA] Union Democrat, Page One
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About twenty local extras are working in scenes now being filmed on location in the mountains east of Sonora by Paramount Studios for the forthcoming production of "For Whom The Bell Tolls." The extras are depicted as Spanish troops in the famed story of the Spanish Civil war by Ernest Hemmingway.
Rain and wind curtailed the company's activities Monday when a heavy wind blew down tarpaulins and camera equipment and swept away one side of Zorina's dressing room. The star of the picture, Zorina, who plays Maria, had left the dressing room less than ten minutes before the gale struck.
Extreme difficulty is being met in filming various angles, due to the roughness of the terrain where the scenes are located. Camera angles in some instances are almost impossible to manage as no moving derricks or cranes can be employed on the mountainous countryside. The location of Pablo's cave is such that shooting on that set is reserved for afternoons only when the light is of sufficient brilliance to secure the desire results.
In order to obtain the characters need for the Spanish film it was necessary to have actors of many different nationalities. While almost all are citizens of the United States, about ten or more countries are represented by the actors on location.
Sam Wood is director of the film, assisted by Lonnie d'Orsa, Joe Youngerman and Clem Jones. Sid Street, production manager, is aided by Don Robb and Sherman Todd. Ray Rennehan, Stuart Thompson and James Grant are in charge of the Technicolor photography.
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After Ingrid Bergman finished a film in Hollywood, Vera Zorina was dropped as Maria -- especially since Ms Bergman had been recommended for the part by Hemmingway.
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Ingrid Bergman Replaces Zorina In "For Whom The Bell Tolls"
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Friday 7 August 1942 [Sonora, CA] Union Democrat, Page One
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Actress is Hemmingway's Choice To Play Role Of Maria In Spanish War Epic
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Ingrid Bergman, star of "Intermezzo," arrived at the Parmount location site in the Sierras east of Sonora yesterday to replace Vera Zorina in the role of Maria in Ernest Hemingway's "For Whom The Bell Tolls."
Miss Bergman, noted Swedish actress, was the author's first choice for the title role in the film, but, until a few days ago, had been busy in another picture in Hollywood. Zorina, who left for Hollywood last week, was replaced, according to studio officials, because she did not photograph correctly in Technicolor.
Until the arrival of Miss Bergman Wednesday the location unit was occupied with filming battle sequences. A number of tanks, trucks, cannons, motorcycles, and machine guns were used for these scenes. About one hundred local extras were employed during the past week, working as Spanish soldiers and guerillas. One of the most thrilling shots in the two million dollar production was taken this week when a blazing army tank was shown falling over a steep cliff. Forest rangers and helpers stood by to prevent any danger of fire [in] the brush on the mountainside during the filming of this sequence.
A night watchman of the company reported a bear had been bothering one of the sets, seeking food.
Diversions for members on location has included fishing in nearby streams and baseball games. Last Sunday a game between the Buckmans and Nelsons resulted in a nine to eight victory for the Nelson players. No decision has been reached over a game between the Nelsons and Kurzis, played later the same day.
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Hemmingway's main character in For Whom the Bell Tolls, Robert Jordan, was likely patterned after Robert Hale Merriman, a 1925 graduate of Santa Cruz High School in California, who took ROTC at the University of Nevada in Reno before doing post-graduate work studying agriculture in some European countries, principally Russia. Prio to the Spanish Civil Ware he taught at the University of California at Berkeley. [See the Links below]
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On Th 13 Dec I shall insert a photo of the bridge over the main fork of the Stanislaus River which was used in the film. While I did read that the Lumdsen over the Tuolumne River was also used, I can no long find a link to that on a U.S. Forest Service website.
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Links:
- Wikipedia article on the Spanish Civil War
- Wikipedia article on Ernest Hemmingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls
- Robert Hale Merriman, likely basis for Robert Jordan
- Spartacus Educational web page with an explanation of the first meeting of Ernest Hemmingway and Robert Merriman from Marion Merriman's book
- Additional information on Marion Merriman's account of the Spanish Civil War
- Wikipedia article on the film
- Wikipedia article on Vera Zorina
Th 6 Dec Actual Route: Ukiah Walmart - Hopland - Cloverdale - Healdsburg - Westside Rd bd
Sa 8 Dec Actual Route: Petaluma - Napa - Skyview Wilderness RV Park
Su 9 Dec Actual Route: Skyview RV Park - Napa - Martinez - Danville - Milpitas - Mountain View - PA CA Hosp
M 10 Dec Actual Route: PA VA Hosp - Palo Alto Branch Lib - PA VA Hosp
T 11 Dec Actual Route: PA VA Hosp - Palo Alto Branch Lib - Santa Cruz
W 12 Dec Actual Route: Santa Cruz - Capitola - Santa Cruz
Th 13 Dec Actual Route: Santa Cruz - Scotts Valley - Santa Cruz
F 14 Dec Actual Route: Santa Cruz - East S.C. P.O. - Santa Cruz
Sa 15 Dec Actual Route: Santa Cruz
Sa 15 Dec Route: Santa Cruz
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Finding Campgrounds:
- RV Campgrounds from TrailerLifeDirectory.com
- Family Camping Directories from Woodalls.com
- Free campsites website
- Info on finding BLM Campgrounds
