Yesterday's Heroes

Los Angeles: Twentieth Century-Fox, 1940. Final script for the 1940 film.

The AFI Catalog notes: "According to a Twentieth Century- Fox press release, this was the first writing effort for Fox sound man William Brent. After his story was bought, Brent was made a writer at the studio. [Also the first screenwriter assignment for] Irving Cummings, Jr. and William Conselman, Jr. Both men were "second generation Hollywood," as Cummings' father was a director and Conselman's a screenwriter.

"According to Twentieth Century-Fox press releases, the football sequences were shot at the Los Angeles Olympic Stadium and at the Pasadena Rose Bowl. Despite a summer heat wave, the extras were required to wear heavy winter coats. As such, large wind machines behind huge cakes of ice were used to cool off the fields. Thirty-four college football players from local universities were used as extras in this film. They included USC's Ambrose Schindler, Bill Howard, Red Morgan, Tony Tonelli, Ollie Day and Owen Hansen, and UCLA's Billy Bob Williams, Bill Overlin and Bill Radovich. Location filming was done at the Inglewood Railway Station as the station received little use. Because only two freight trains used the station each day, movie extras were the only passengers ever to use the station. The press release also reported that the rental cost of a four-car train at the station was $150 per day. HR reported that Fox borrowed Lewis Howard from Universal Pictures for this film."

A Fox programmer about a doctor reflecting on his college days, how he was lured onto the football team and away from his studies, a flirtation with a widow and meeting his true love. A strong early vehicle for actor Robert Sterling, and featuring two notable women from the serial film era, Jean Rogers,

Pale blue titled wrappers, noted as FINAL on the front wrapper, rubber-stamped copy No. 149 and production No. 518, dated June 24, 1940. Distribution page present, with receipt intact. Title page present, dated June 24, 1940, noted as Final Script, with credits for screenwriters Conselman Jr. and Cummings Jr. 135 leaves, mimeograph duplication, with blue revision pages throughout, dated variously between 6/25/40 and 7/1/40. Pages Near Fine, wrapper Good plus bound internally with three gold brads.

[Book #130425]