TWO MEDFORD (OREGON) MAIL TRIBUNE
Thursday, January 13, 1955
Bob Mitchum Fired From Picture
Filming for Dunking Co-Worker
Sausalito, Calif. (U.R) Movie
bad boy Robert Mitchum was
fired yesterday from the picture
"Blood Alley" for dunking a
250-pound co-worker in the icy
waters of San Francisco Bay.
His dismissal came after he
refused to apologize for "creat
ing disagreements among the
production staff' and after he
was first given an opportunity to
resign from the cast.
The firing was announced by
Bob Fellows, co-producer with
actor John Wayne of the Warner
Bros, movie. It followed a closed
door 45-minute session between
Fellows after receiving a letter
from "Blood Alley" director
William Wellman citing .the
dousing artd other "disagree
ments" between Mitchum and
the production staff,
Wellman," in his letter, had
recommended "some disciplin
ary" action be taken against the
he-man movie hero "for delay-
in? production" on the $2,500,
000 picture.
But as they sat out the "wait
ing period" in their quarters
at the swank Bermuda Palms
motel in San Rafael near here
the principals in the real-life
incident disclaimed that any
body was slugged, shoved, or
doused in the Bay.
Principals Silent
George Coleman, the hefty
"Blood Alley" company trans
portation manager who was
reported to have been shoved
into the bay by Mitchum. had a
single, terse comment: "Nobody
shoved me."
Mitchum, questioned by the
press in his room where he was
found in bed wearing blue and
white striped shorts and sipping
on a glass of red wine, said:
"Me push anybody? Who told
you that?"
Mitchum said that the inci
dent, which he termed "horse
play, all began when a ferry
boat being used in the shooting
of the war story became lost in
heavy bay fog.
After spending several hours
"kidding around" on a barge
tied to Angel Island off the
coast of Sausalito, Mitchum said
he suggested to Coleman when
shooting was finally called off
that he get a bus and run the
company into San Francisco.
Coleman, he said, declined be
cause "it would cost 25 bucks."
Went Into Drink
Mitchum, said that he then
offered to pay the $25 himself
and as he was boarding, via a
gangplank, a launch to take him
to shore he turned and told the
others to "Hold that man on the
barge." And as far as Mitchum
is concerned, that was the end of
the incident.
But witnesses said it progressed
further, with Coleman finally
going in the drink.
They say that as Coleman
started to follow Mitchum, who
weighs 215 himself, up the
gangplank the actor started
bounding the plank. And as
Coleman began teetering on the
board, Mitchum raced back and
gave him a healthy shove, with
Coleman tumbling into 12 feet
of cold water. ,
Wellman, who said he elicited
a promise from the "playful"
Mitchum prior to leaving Holly
wood that he would "behave on
set" during the filming of the
picture, then upbraided Mitchum
publicly and in front of some
150 Chinese extras, co-star
Lauren Bacall and the produc
tion staff.
Hells Canyon Brief
Deadline Extended
Washington U.R) Examiner
William J. Costello yesterday
extended until Feb. 4 the dead
line to file answering briefs by
all parties in the Federal Power
Commission's Hells Canyon case.
The answering briefs had been
due Jan. 10. However, this was
suspended by the examiner and
the commission, when an attor
ney for interests seeking a
single high federal dam at Hells
Canyon asked the FPC to deny
applications of the Idaho Power
Co. for a license to build three
low dams on the Snake river.
First briefs on the Hells Can
yon hearing were filed Nov. 24.
The answering briefs now will
be due Feb. 4, with a final brief
from Idaho Power due Feb. 21.
Mitchum's Firing Climaxes
Years of Pranks, Troubles
Hollywood (U.R) Robert
Mitchum's firing at Sausalito,
Calif., for pushing a fellow
worker into San Francisco Bay
climaxed years of his behind the
scene pranks and troubles.
He often set up a bar in his
dressing room.
Fist Fight with Soldier .
Mitchum had a fist fight with
a soldier three years ago on a
movie location at Camp Carson,
Colo. The actor claimed the GI
needled him into the fight, and
Mitchum was released by au
thorities.
He hit world headlines when
Bank Announces
Personnel Changes
Chester Irish, who has b'een
with the Medford branch of the
First National bank for the past
11 years, has been promoted to
commercial loan officer, C. E.
Hedberg, bank manager, an
nounced today. Irish has served
the local branch in various pos
itions, and more recently was
an installment credit loan offic
er. Lowell Edwards, an employee
at the bank for eight years, will
take Irish's former position, and
Orth Miller is being promoted
from a field representative to
the position formerly filled by
Edwards.
Irish will replace W. H. Pratt,
who has been with the Medford
branch for the past two years
as assistant manager. He is leav
ing the bank Jan. 15, and has
accepted a position in the admin
istrative department of the First
Western Bank and Trust comp
any, San Francisco. He will be
an assistant vice-president.
O&C Timber Safes Top
All Records During 1954
Portland (U.R) O&C tim
ber sales during 1954 topped all
records for volume, stumpage
value and prices received, ac
cording to a Bureau of Land
Management report.
The report listed 519 timber
sales during the calendar year,
foT a total of S15,845,833 and
averaging $21.76 per thousand
feet. An estimated 728,254,000
board feet were sold.
he was convicted in 1949 on a
charge of smoking marijuana.
He served a 60-day county jail
sentence. -
Most of Mitchum's set antics
were regarded as harmless and
seldom delayed production. He
constantly teased his co-workers
and staged practical jokes. But
sometimes there was property
damage.
Salty Language
Mitchum delights in shocking
reporters, set visitors and his
co-stars with his salty language.
Often he will bring a saxophone
or trumpet to work and practice
loudly.
For "Night of The Hunter,"
another recent picture, he booted
Shelley Winters in the behind
because, co-workers said, "she
wouldn't settle down to work."
A.C.JAMES LEONARD DUSENBURY
Operators of new Texaco station at Kings Hwy. and Stewart
Clerk's Receipts
Total $53,459.47
Receipts in the Jackson coun
ty clerk's office for 1954 totaled
$53,459.47, according to Mrs.
Bereth Hopkins, county clerk.
The receipts were for the cal
endar year. The office's fiscal
year budget, ending next June
30, totals $50,877.70, or $2,581
less than last year's receipt.
The 1954 receipts were re
ceived by the two divisions, with
recording, $22,838.82 and clerk's
department, $30,620.65. Under
the latter, dog licenses returned
$7,258.58 and marriage licenses
$1,323.
Of the total receipts, $45,503.
72 was retained in the county
treasury, and the balance turned
over to the state treasurer and
earmarked on a percentage bas
is for salaries for the circuit
judge and district attorney, with
a small percentage to the law
library,
As of Jan. 1, the office had
handled $88,914.15 in child sup
port and alimony payments for
283 cases.
HOPE FOR FUTURE
Providence, R. I. (U.R) A
newsman trying to reach the
attorney general's office dialed
the wrong number. "Is this the
attorney general's office? . he
asked the secretary. "Not yet,"
she replied. t
CONGER -MORRIS
Funeral Director
Announce
tht opening of
ASHLAND MORTUARY
(Branch)
4th and C Streets
Telephone 9-1531
Ashland
Gordon C. Hays
MANAGER
I, -
OFFICE OF DEPUTY CORONER
Opening Scheduled
For New Station
Grand opening of a new Tex
aco service station at the inter
section of Stewart ave. and
Kings highway will be held from
9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Sat
urday, it was announced today.
Proprietors of the station are
A. C. James, the owner, and
Leonard Dusenbury, lube and
tire specialist. '
Gifts, refreshments and favors
will be given out during the two
day opening, which is being held
with the cooperation of Ken
Teter, Texaco distributor here.
Prizes will include tires, gaso
line, lube jobs and others.
From John Day
James came here from John
Day, Ore., where he owned a
Marshall-Wells hardware store.
Prior to that he operated a Tex
aco station in Eugene. He and
his wife and two daughters mov
ed here recently. He has 'had
more than 25 years experience
in service station arid automo
tive business.
Dusenbury, a native of Med
ford, has had 15 years exper
ience in the business. He oper
ated a Texaco station in Cres
cent City, Calif., for five years,
and more recently . was with
Dick Kaye's Texaco service sta
tion on Court st, and with a sta
tion at Ninth st. and Central ave.
He and his wife and daughter
live in Medford.
Veterans' Pensions
Eligibility Rule Told
Veterans and widows receiv
ing non-service connected pen
sions should promptly report
any increase in income which
make them ineligible for the
VA (pensions, according to
Charles Holbrook, county ser
vice officer. '
By prompt reporting,- th e
beneficiary will not be penalized
retroactively, even though he
will cease to receive further
pension payments, the officer
said.
To be entitled to non - service
connected pension, the income
limitation of a veteran or widow
without dependants is $1,400 an
nually; with dependants, it is
$2,700.
Holbrook emphasized the im
portance of the tightened regu
lations and urged any recipients
to contact his office at the court
house, third floor, for aid in the
matter.
One of Nation's Most
Wanted Men Caught
Los Angeles -(U.R) Walter
James Wilkinson, 30, one of the
nation's 10 most wanted men,
today was arrested on federal
charges of unlawful flight to
avoid prosecution on charges of
armed robbery, burglary and
kidnaping in New York State.
Wilkinson, posing as a bus
boy under the name of Walter
Rogers, was arrested last night
by six FBI agents who quietly
surrounded his room in the base
ment of the exclusive Fox Hills
Country Club in nearby Culver
City.
The suspect did not resist ar
rest although a loaded .32 cali
ber automatic rested within
arm's reach in a suitcase on the
top of his bed.
The FBI said it found Wilkin
son because an alert citizen, who
was not identified by the agency,
recognized the fugitive from a
widely publicized photograph
and notified the FBI.
New Family Arrives
At Central Point
Central Point Mr. and Mrs.
Davis R. Offutt and their three
daughters arrived recently in
the valley. On Jan. 1 they as
sumed ownership of the Ross
motel at Central Point.
The family for the past five
years lived in South America
where Offutt was employed as
an alootriral nfinfi for 9 !
time with American Smelting
company, and also for the Beth
lehem Steel firm. He is a mem
ber of the American Electrical
Engineers institute and is a Mon
tana school of Mines graduate.
They lived in Bolivia, Peru and
Venezuela.
The daughters are Rena "Mary,
9. who is attending Central
Point Grade school; and twin
girls. Cleresse and Chesesse, who
are 5 years old. The motel sale
was handled through the Med
ford Realty company offices.
New Zealand has more than
two and a half cattle for each of
its 2,088.000 people. Its sheep
outnumber her people almost
YlVz to one.
Northwest Building
Sets All-Time Mark
Portland U.R) Construction
in the Pacific Northwest during
1954 reached an all-time high
doilarwise, according to incom
plete figures compiled by Equi
table Savings and Loan Associa
tion from building permits of 47
cities.
Permit valuations in Oregon,
Washington, Idaho and British
Columbia were $336,422,597, the
partial compilation showed. This
is nearly two and one half mil
lion dollars above the 1950 rec
ord. The association said the
major boom was in the state of
Washington.
Nineteen reporting municipal
ities in Oregon reported 85,449,
974, which is 44 per cent better
than last year.
Talen! Councilmen
On Fire Committee
Talent Two - Talent city
councilmen were appointed last
week by Mayor Keith Thoreson J
to a committee to reorganize
the Talent Volunteer Fire de
partment, according to Record
er Nona McAbee. 1
Named were Leo Jacobs and
James C. Henry. Other commit
tee appointments for 1955 by
Thoreson were Jacobs and Clar
ence W. Cooper' Jr., finance;
Wayne Reichstein and Henry,
streets, and Richard Bradford
and Rudy Conner, water.
Conner was also reelected
council chairman. Department
heads reappointed included Jim
Perdue, water superintendent,
and John Baldwin, police chief.
The meeting was the first of
the new year for the group.
Henry and Cooper are . new
councilmen and' the other four
were reelected. Thoreson is be
ginning his second term as mayor.
Boy Scouts
Troop 8
Members of Boy Scout Troop
8 will meet Saturday, Jan. 15,
at 8:30 a.m. at their meeting hall
for a hike to the Girl Scout day
camp and return by 2 p.m. At
a meeting Jan. 11, the members
discussed a board' of review for
Tuesday, Jan. 18, and a "snow
coming" also was discussed for
sometime in February or March.
Gene Harvey, Scribe.
Winter China & Glass
SALE
Some Patterns of
Fostoria Syracuse Miscellaneous Lines
PRICED TO CLEAR
; DONT MISS THESE BARGAINS!
2nd Floor
at
Sw
em s
217 East Main
Medford, Oregon
A
CITY APPLIANCE
for SYLVANIA TV
WITH HALO LIGHT
CITY APPLIANCE, INC.
127 No. Central Opposite Penney's - Ph. 3-5743
To Buy or Sell Use Trib,une Classified Ads
WouYJf bank for ihesel 3 3
Thrift Dept. Specials
for Thursday, Friday,
Saturday and Sunday
OUR ENTIRE STOCK OF
Fashion Jewelry
ft.
i wff r4 V.'W W
(MM
a i- ?
l? I "rnngs
OO 0 Bracelets
0 0 Pir,s
0
8
Featuring striking
Rhinestones, Pearl
and Tailored Designs.
Plus lots of other
glittering pieces.
BATHROOM
CABINETS
Single strength window glass mir
ror. Spot-welded steel cabinet
with baked-on white enamel fin
ish. Two welded-in steel shelves.
TEA
TOWELS DUSTERS
Linen finish. Multi-striped.
13'2x25 inch.
EACH
LIMIT 5
FEATHER
Made of genuine feathers.
Plastic handle. About 13 in.
long.
iriHFfc'S
dm
W jT ALUMINUM t M:
If Pie Tins
J I Made of pure rust proof aluminum. 1 't
I Eakes evenly. Cleans easily. 9 in. size. - I .
' W ALUMINUM if
f Colander Pan 1
1 The multi-purpose colander pan. The . I
A I modern successor to the old style col- I f
j I ander. Cooks, drains and steams all I 1
I in the same utensil. I vfi
I PANTS W
I Greasers A I
I Press trousers on your clothesline. No J f
I ironing. Made of flat steel. Adult and f
I i t I I.
tnnuren s sizes. J (jf
k Pair (3)C Jf
K
V