Betsy J. Green

Bison Business

On March 1, 1925, the silent movie The Thundering Herd was released. Some sources say the bison on California's Santa Catalina Island are the result of filming for another movie titled The Vanishing American, but the documentation clearly points to The Thundering Herd as the source, including this item that was published at the time.

"Bisons as Screen Stars. Sixteen of the 86 surplus bison that were subtracted from the Yellowstone herd this season have gone to California to join the movies. The Yellowstone bison have often been filmed on their native heath, and during the present season performed a leading role in the production of The Thundering Herd. The contingent now bound for Hollywood will be active in completing this feature. When this has been completed, they will be released on Catalina Island." – News (Van Nuys, California), March 17, 1925

A Daredevil Actress

The "Flying A" actors were not the only ones who were caught up in stunts that did not go as planned. Actress Rhea Mitchell was gobbled up by a steam shovel, during the 1916 filming of the silent film Overalls. A nearby railroad was being repaired after having been damaged in a storm, and the studio was able to get permission to use the steam shovel in a scene.

"Advantage was taken of the operations by the gigantic steam shovel, which is removing a hill. It was so arranged in this scene that Miss Mitchell should not observe the shovel as it gnawed its way up to the brink where she was standing. She was caught with several tons of earth and dropped and caught on the edge of the shovel and remained hanging while it swung away. Within a few feet from the ground, she dropped . . . Miss Mitchell was not satisfied with the first try and made it again." – Santa Barbara Morning Press, January 23, 1916

Happy Birthdate, Beatriz Michelena!

Silent film actress Beatriz Michelena was born February 22, 1890, in New York City. She was a successful opera singer before appearing in a dozen or so silent films. In 1915, she starred in the movie version of the opera Mignon. Some scenes were filmed at one of the million-dollar mansions in Montecito, CA.

"It is a bold step indeed to present an old-world romance such as Mignon by the modern method of the cinematograph ... We welcome Mignon as a picturesque and decidedly artistic picture-play which, supported by the beautiful orchestral music of the opera, should make a lasting success." – Bioscope [London, U.K.], June 24, 1915

Happy Birthdate, Anna Pavlova!

The famous ballet dancer Anna Pavlova was born in Russia on February 12, 1881. In 1916, she appeared in the silent film The Dumb Girl of Portici. At first, it might seem odd that a silent movie is based on an opera. But the opera itself is based on a young woman who cannot speak, so that's a bit quirky to start with. The title, The Dumb Girl of Portici, sounds insulting to modern audiences, although a century ago, "dumb" simply meant "mute" or unable to speak.

The opera is sometimes called The Mute Girl of Portici or Masaniello (named for the mute girl's brother). Indeed, in the opera itself, the mute girl dances and pantomimes, so it's not much of a stretch to have a prima ballerina play this part. She spends much of her time dancing on the beach instead of doing something useful like cleaning and gutting fish.

Lois Weber directed this movie, which was filmed in one of the million-dollar mansions of Montecito, California as well as Santa Catalina Island.

Good news! This movie still exists and is available for viewing on Youtube.

A Wet and Soggy Experience

One of the reasons why filmmakers from the East came to California was the sunny weather. But every once in a while, it does rain in California. Remember? A group of "Flying A" actors and crew got rained out while filming the silent movie The Zaca Lake Mystery in Santa Barbara County  in 1915.

"Camp was pitched on the lakeshore. They were all ready to start work when the rain started to pour in torrents, and the wind blew so hard that the 'Flying A' camp was entirely wiped out. Fortunately, none were hurt during the storm, but the company did not remain to work on the picture. About a month later, when things had quieted down in the Zaca Lake district, they returned and staged the drama." – Billboard, July 10, 1915

The Amazing Big Glass Studio

In 1919, a reporter from the movie magazine Camera visited the "Flying A" studio in Santa Barbara, CA. The writer marveled at the studio's grounds. "One of the largest glass-covered studios in the world. Carried by trussed steel, the ground-glass rooves cover thousands of feet of spacious stages where there are often as many as 10 large sets constructed . . . The sets built on the stages are said by visitors from other film companies to be the equal of those used by any of the producing companies.

"Truly Santa Barbara may well feel proud of the beautiful "Flying A" studios, both as an industrial asset to the business life of the city and as a wonderful showplace of interest to its thousands of visitors from every corner of the globe."

Happy Birthdate, Harry A. Pollard!

Harry was born in Kansas on January 23, 1879. He began as a silent film actor, but soon switched to directing. In 1914, he starred in and directed The Dream Ship for Santa Barbara's "Flying A" film studio. This silent movie was filmed at a couple of the million-dollar mansions in Montecito, CA.

The luxurious settings caught a lot of attention. One movie magazine wrote, "The scenes were taken at the residence and grounds of millionaire Gillespie of Montecito, and he generously suggested the use of his treasures. One rug alone was worth $10,000, and the chair used was once the property of a Spanish king. Two pillars were from Pompeii." – Motion Picture News, June 27, 1914

Happy Birthdate, silent film actress Jessalyn Van Trump!

Jessalyn was born in Ohio on January 16, 1887. She made 80+ silent films between 1911 and 1928, more than 60 of these were made for the "Flying A" film studio in Santa Barbara. In 1912, she starred in The Law of God, which was filmed in Montecito. This was one of the seven silent movies filmed in Montecito that have a religious theme.

In the movie, Jessalyn is the daughter of a minister, and her boyfriend is an atheist. Hmm. Problem to be solved. (Spoiler alert – he eventually embraces religion and the girl.)

No copies are known to survive.

Saloon Men vs. Movie Men

Misunderstandings between film folks and Santa Barbara, CA residents started even before the "Flying A" settled here in 1912. The Essanay film company was filming here for several months in 1910, and accidentally caused some trouble.

A couple of local tavern owners mistakenly thought that the Essanay film company was making an anti-liquor documentary here when they were actually making a comedy called Method in His Madness. The movie scene involved a man who fainted outside a saloon and then was given a drink to recover. "Some of the saloon men and their friends thought the motion picture company was trying to bring disgrace to the city by picturing a drunken brawl with a liquor house for the background." – Santa Barbara Morning Press, January 26, 1910

One of the protesting saloon owners then stole a piece of the motion picture camera. Finally, the mayor and the chief of police stepped in and prevented the conflict from escalating into open warfare, and the film company promised to avoid making movies in front of the saloon.

A couple of years later, when the "Flying A" film studio settled in Santa Barbara, the misunderstandings started again. (More about that in future posts.)

Are Mermaids Naughty or Nice?

There's nothing like a mermaid movie to get people excited, one way or another. In 1915, Universal Studios was out on Santa Cruz Island in California filming Undine, a movie about mermaids, and it created quite a splash.

Some people objected to the scantily clad actresses playing mermaids. "The picture producer would have done better to have called Undine, Undressed, for never in any film production to date has there been so much female loveliness with so little draping. In fact, there were entire stretches of the picture when the female loveliness wasn't draped at all." – Variety, February 4, 1916

But not everyone agreed. "Although their clothing is scanty (and in some cases, entirely absent), there is nothing about the scenes which can give offense to anyone. Censors will look in vain for something to cut out. (Which does not mean that they will cut nothing.)" – Motion Picture News, February 12, 1916

Unfortunately, this seems to be one of the many silent films that are lost, so we will not be able to judge for ourselves.