The Painted Desert selected Higgin to direct the film, as well as naming the stars of the film, William Boyd and Dorothy Burgess. Later in the month it was reported that Higgin would head to Arizona to begin location scouting for the film, accompanied by fellow director, Tay Garnett, however in August Higgin began scouting in the Arizona desert with the screenwriter, Tom Buckingham. It was announced that the film would employ over 300 extras. Higgin was familiar with the area, having working in and around Flagstaff, Arizona as a lumberjack prior to his entering the film industry. Towards the end of August
The Painted Desert he did not know how to ride a horse prior to this film, and learned specifically for his supporting role in "The Painted Desert". However, Gable had been a horseman since his early years, and merely took several lessons in Griffith Park prior to the commencement of filming in order to hone his skills. William Farnum was a large star during the silent era in Hollywood, starring in one of the earliest and most popular Westerns, the 1914 film "The Spoilers". When he was injured during the filming of 1924's "The Man Who Fights Alone", that effectively ended his leading