Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Photographs of the making of the film Told in the hills , 1919
Overview of the Collection
- Title
- Photographs of the making of the film Told in the hills
- Dates
- 1919 (inclusive)19191919
- Quantity
- 14 photographs (1 folder)
- Collection Number
- PH1609
- Summary
- Photographs taken during the filming of "Told in the hills". The movie was shot in Idaho in 1919.
- Repository
-
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu - Access Restrictions
-
Entire collection can be viewed on the Libraries' Digital Collections website. Permission of Visual Materials Curator is required to view originals. Contact Special Collections for more information.
- Languages
- English
Historical BackgroundReturn to Top
Told in the Hills was the first Hollywood feature film made in Idaho and one of the few films to realistically depict the Nez Perce Indians. The film was based on a novel published in 1891 by Marah Ellis Ryan which is about settlers in the mountains of Idaho and Montana and their encounters with the Nez Perce Indians. The Famous Players-Lasky Corporation purchased the rights in March 1919 and began filming in Idaho during the summer of 1919 in the Lapwai area (mostly south of Lapwai in Lawyers Canyon) and in Kooskia area along the Selway and Clearwater Rivers. The film was released in September 1919.
The filmmakers wanted to use Native Americans rather than Hollywood extras which was unusual for the time. They hired hundreds of Nez Perce Indians who wore their traditional clothing. The filmmakers were sympathetic to the Indians and tried to accurately depict the Nez Perce way of life. The gathering of Nez Perce for the making of the film was the first time they were allowed to publicly gather together since the Nez Perce War in 1877. Among the participants were survivors of the 1877 war and flight. The movie was a success when it opened in 1919 and it was also shown in Europe. It was chosen for a special screening for an event for General John Pershing to welcome him home from leading the Allied troops in World War I.
In 1986 a film historian and professor at Boise State University, Tom Trusky, was researching lost Idaho films. An archivist suggested to him to check the Soviet film archives because the Russians had become very interested in the new art form after the Russian Revolution. The Soviet film archive didn't have the films he was looking for but they did have two reels of the six reel Told in the Hills film. He was able to purchase a copy of it to bring back to Idaho.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
Photographs made during the filming of the movie Told in the Hills made in the area of Lapwai and Kooskia, Idaho in 1919. The photographer is unknown.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Alternative Forms Available
View the digital version of the collection
Restrictions on Use
Status of creator's copyrights is unknown; restrictions may exist on copying, quotation, or publication. Users are responsible for researching copyright status before use.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Folder | item | ||
1 | 1 | Robert Warwick as Genesee Jack with woman | 1919 |
1 | 2 | Charles Ogle as Davy MacDougall and Joe Kentuck as Grey Eagle | 1919 |
1 | 3 | Charles Ogle with Nez Perce men, including Joe Kentuck and John Moses (?) | 1919 |
1 | 4 | Nez Perce men in traditional dress | 1919 |
1 | 5 | Nez Perce actors in traditional dress | 1919 |
1 | 6 | Two Nez Perce actresses in traditional dress | 1919 |
1 | 7 | Nez Perce actress in traditional dress standing next to horse | 1919 |
1 | 8 | Nez Perce actress in traditional dress holding ladle and bucket | 1919 |
1 | 9 | Nez Perce actor in traditional dress holding a spear | 1919 |
1 | 10 | Group of Nez Perce actors on horseback near teepees | 1919 |
1 | 11 | Large group of Nez Perce actors near hillside | 1919 |
1 | 12 | Nez Perce actors with film crew | 1919 |
1 | 13 | Actors on horseback with bows and arrows and firearms | 1919 |
1 | 14 | Actors on horseback with weapons | 1919 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Indian motion picture actors and actresses--Photographs
- Motion picture actors and actresses--Photographs
- Motion picture locations--Idaho--Kooskia--Photographs
- Motion picture locations--Idaho--Lapwai--Photographs
- Motion pictures--Production and direction--Photographs
- Nez Percé Indians--Photographs
- Visual Materials Collections (University of Washington)
Personal Names
- Ogle, Charles, 1865-1940--Photographs
- Warwick, Robert, 1878-1964--Photographs
Geographical Names
- Idaho--In motion pictures--Photographs
- Kooskia (Idaho)--In motion pictures--Photographs
- Lapwai (Idaho)--In motion pictures--Photographs