Cook put together an expedition with the idea of making the first attempt to climb Mount Everest and producing a documentary film about the attempt.  He departed the US in 1915, but once he got to India his movements were restricted by the British because of the war, and he was unable to get into Tibet.  He returned to the US by way of Russia and Europe, arriving in January 1916.  Although he made no progress in the goal of the expedition, he made a side trip to Borneo and got some interesting footage of the reputed head-hunters there. 
     From the footage shot, he put together a film entitled “To the Antipodes,” but it was a commercial failure.  Cook then went to Wyoming and became interested in the nascent oil boom there.
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