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More Merton / LaVarre Family photos from Rick Sparks
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 (Courtesy of Rick Sparks and the LaVarre Family) John Merton on the left and his son Bob LaVarre on the right in a photo taken during the filming of Cecil B. DeMille's THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (Paramount, 1956). Sitting is DeMille and standing is Henry Wilcoxon, who was associate producer and had a role in the film. And below is a closeup of Bob LaVarre and Merton. Rick notes that family lore is that DeMille told his Grandfather to change his name from Myrtland V. LaVarre to John Merton.  (Courtesy of Rick Sparks and the LaVarre Family)  (Courtesy of Rick Sparks and the LaVarre Family) John Merton behind the camera ... and wearing a six-gun. There's no date or location info, but looks like mid to late 1930s.  (Courtesy of Rick Sparks and the LaVarre Family) Merton constructed his own western town / street in the backyard of his rental home at 1040 North Laurel Avenue, in what is now West Hollywood. Rick mentioned that the house is now gone, replaced by an apartment building.  (Courtesy of Rick Sparks and the LaVarre Family) The six kids in front of the western town / street. Left to right are Claudia, Bobby, Helen, Gloria, Geraldine (Rick Sparks' Mom) and Myrt (Lane Bradford). No date on the photo but probably circa 1938 - Bob Lavarre appears to be 5-6 years old and was born in 1933 and Lane Bradford was born in 1922 and looks to be in his mid teens.  (Courtesy of Rick Sparks and the LaVarre Family) Family photo of John Merton, wife and children which was shown on a prior webpage. Left to right are Gloria, Myrt (Lane Bradford), Bob, wife Esther, John Merton, Geraldine (mother of Rick and his brother Jim), Claudia, and Helen. Both Merton and Lane Bradford are costumed. Merton's dress appears to be from his role as villain "Lord Hampton" in the serial SON OF THE GUARDSMAN (Columbia, 1946). |