"The Marines Fly High"

Lucille Ball and Richard Dix star in "The Marines Fly High" (RKO 1940), at least partially filmed at Ernie Hickson's Monogram Ranch in Placerita Canyon (later called Melody Ranch).

Publicity photograph, 8x10 inches, slightly trimmed at bottom.

In this pseudo-Western runup-to-war film, the U.S. Marines are fighting bandits in the South American jungle. Ball co-stars as Dix's love interest; the other credited players are Steffi Duna, John Eldredge, Paul Harvey, Horace McMahon, Dick Hogan, Kirby Grant, Ann Shoemaker and Nestor Paiva. Uncredited roles are played by Abner Biberman, Selmer Jackson, Ethan Laidlaw and John Sheehan.

The film debuted March 4, 1940, in New York City.

That same year, Ball (August 6, 1911 - April 26, 1989) met and married the dashing young Cuban bandleader Desi Arnaz (1917-1986).