100 years ago in Spokane: A movie star who was known for a scandalous premiere planned to shoot her next picture in town

“Popular outdoor movie star” Nell Shipman was about to give the dying Minnehaha movie studios in Spokane a new boost.

She committed to shooting films in Minnehaha for at least a year and using the surrounding forests and mountains as locations.

Shipman from British Columbia was already an established star and has made numerous outdoor adventure films such as “God’s Country and the Woman” and “Back to God’s Country”.

“Miss Shipman is a well-known athlete who excels at outdoor work, is a strong swimmer and an experienced flyer,” said WW Philbrick of Minnehaha Studios. “She never lets another actress ‘double’ for her in dangerous stunts.”

She was also a successful screenwriter.

Philbrick didn’t mention that Shipman was known for another, more sensational, reason: she was the first actress in “legitimate film” history to film a completely nude scene, a swimming scene in “Back to God’s Country”. It was short and relatively discreet, but its notoriety helped make the film a Canadian box-office hit.

Philbrick said Shipman will start work on her next film, The Grub Stake, before Christmas.

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(From the Associated Press)

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