CJ in Hollywood (in Across the Wide Missouri)

[Jeffrey Kopp]

I haven't seen the movie, but there was a book.  Surf on over to the
Internet Movie Database:
http://us.imdb.com/Details?Across+the+Wide+Missouri

The book was written by Bernard de Voto (1947) which won a Pulitzer
prize for nonfiction.  He also wrote "The Year of Decision: 1846"
(1943).  An overview of his work can be seen in the summary of his
collection at Stanford
http://www-sul.stanford.edu/depts/hasrg/ablit/amerlit/devoto.html.

The movie's story was written by Talbot Jennings, who also wrote the
story for "The Sons of Katie Elder," and the screenplays for the 1935
production of "Mutiny on the Bounty" (Oscar nomination for
screenplay), and "Anna and the King of Siam" (1946) (Oscar nomination
for screenplay).  A page describing him (actually the collection of
his work in the U Idaho) is at
http://www.lib.uidaho.edu/special-collections/Manuscripts/mg186.htm

Cowriter credited is Frank Cavett, who won Oscars for writing "The
Greatest Show on Earth" (1952) and "Going My Way" (1945).

So I'd guess one of these were the source of the Jargon heard in the
picture (most likely de Voto).  I'd like to find the video and/or the
book and check it out.

Regards,

Jeff

P.S. to the group:  I need to write a blurb about Voice Great Within
Us; if you've read the book, could you shoot me an email?  Thanks.
Jeff

On Sat, 27 Feb 1999 23:11:26 +0300, you wrote:

>Kampala, 27 February 1999
>
>I have waited for a lull in the scholarly discourse on infectious disease,
>lexical borrowings, etc., to pose a trivia question (an open question; I
>don't know the answer).  Does anyone know the story of how CJ came to be
>used in the movie "Across the Wide Missouri"?  I think it starred Carey
>Grant, and must date from the 1950's.  All the Indians spoke Jargon, whether
>in field or forest, desert canyon or snowy mountain pass.  There was also
>some pretty good Scottish dancing scenes in Montana, I think (pipers and a
>sword dance...but no tyees in tartans).
>
>Gregory Robison