Image: Illustrated Films Monthly, September 1913
For the Crown
Some of the earliest movies that Santa Barbara's "Flying A" studio filmed in Montecito, CA were costume dramas. One million-dollar mansion in particular was perfect for the 1913 movie For the Crown, which was set in France in the 1600s. It was one of about 18 silent movies filmed at the famed Gillespie estate.
It was fairly common for Santa Barbara residents to watch movies being filmed, even on the large estates. (These estates had fewer privacy and security issues a century ago.) One movie magazine wrote, "As is usual on outside locations, a crowd gathered to witness the taking of the picture." – Motography, September 6, 1913.