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
Painted Desert (1938 film) a valuable mineral deposit, so he and Carol, the granddaughter of the discoverer of the mine, who has been forced to sell it to a crook, start operations on it. Fawcett, the crook, schemes to get the mine back, but is outwitted at every turn and loses his life in the dynamiting which he inspired. Painted Desert (1938 film) Painted Desert is a 1938 Western film directed by David Howard and starring George O'Brien and Laraine Day (billed as "Laraine Johnson"). The picture is a remake of "The Painted Desert", which stars William Boyd and features an early appearance by