Betsy J. Green

The Law of God

This movie was released on September 12, 1912. Jim, an atheist, falls in love with a minister's daughter. (You can see where this story is headed.) She and her father give him the heave-ho, so he joins a gang of robbers, which pretty much confirms their assessment of his character, I'd say. But don't worry, folks! Jim reforms before the credits roll.

Many of the 60+ silent movies filmed in Montecito, California were set in exotic locales such as Hawaii, Ancient Rome, or France in the 1500s. But The Law of God, actually took place in Montecito somewhere along the train tracks. Not the most picturesque spot in the community, but this one-reel movie dealt with a would-be train robber who got religion at the last moment.

This was one of several silent movies filmed in Montecito with a religious theme. It was filmed by Santa Barbara's "Flying A" (American Film Company) studio.

No copies are known to exist.

How Algy Captured a Wild Man

This movie was released on September 4, 1911 – one of the earliest movies filmed on California's Channel Islands. It was filmed on Santa Cruz Island and Santa Rosa Island.

The movie involved a group of people who encountered a caveman while yachting around the islands. The actor who played the part of the caveman caused a bit of a disturbance while traveling to the islands.

"Wild Man in Moving Pictures. Passengers returning from Catalina . . . reported having seen a wild man on the edge of the breakwater . . . the long flowing hair garments of fur plainly indicated that the man was out of touch of civilization . . . The 'wild' man was part of a troupe . . . To give the films a real wild touch, a part of the scenes was taken on Santa Rosa Island." – Motography, August 1911

No copies are known to exist.

The Song of the Seashell

Santa Barbara's "Flying A" film studio released this one-reel romantic fantasy on August 28, 1914. Some scenes were filmed at the Gould estate in Montecito, California. The movie starred glamorous Charlotte Burton, who plays a maiden who uses a seashell to create beautiful music. Since it's a silent movie, we just have to imagine how it sounds.

No copies are known to exist.

Down to Earth*

This Douglas Fairbanks film was released on August 16, 1917. It was one of 18 movies that were filmed on California's Channel Islands this year. Many of the scenes of this movie were filmed on Santa Catalina Island. 

An athletic young man has a girlfriend who has checked herself into a sanitarium full of hypochondriacs. He believes their problems are all in their heads, so he takes them on a boat ride and then pretends that the boat is stranded on a desert island.

*Good news! This romcom is available for viewing on Youtube.

Ashes of Vengeance*

This movie starring Norma Talmadge was released on August 6, 1923. It is a historical drama that takes place in the 16th-century – a time when men wore tights and short pants, and women wore fancy dresses – even when it wasn't Sunday. Much of the movie was filmed at a seaside estate in Montecito, California.

*Good news - this movie can be viewed here: http://www.franklloydfilms.com/FEATURE_FILMS.html

Life's Darn Funny

This six-reel comedy was released on August 1, 1921. Some scenes were filmed on California's Santa Catalina Island. A female violinist decides to ditch the violin and form a partnership with a young man who is a struggling dress designer. Complications follow as their relationship develops and they struggle to make ends meet. Finally, their business is a success, and the movie comes to a happy end.

Reviewers agreed that it was a darn funny movie. "A glorious comedy drama." – Evening Post (Wellington, New Zealand), December 13, 1921

No copies are known to exist.

The Fallen Angel

This movie was released on July 28, 1918. Some scenes were filmed on California's Santa Catalina Island.

As you can probably guess from the title, this movie contains a strong moral lesson, and I'm guessing that plenty of moms took their daughters to see it. A young woman who works in a department store has an affair with her boss, a married man. After he passes away, she falls in love with a young man. However, when he learns about her past, he suggests that they shack up instead of getting married.

Here's one strongly worded review. "It rips away the purple, alluring mist of tawdry romance." – Tribune (Salt Lake City, Utah), August 18, 1918

No copies are known to exist.

Purity*

This controversial movie was released on July 23, 1916. It was filmed in several millionaire-estates in Montecito, a suburb of Santa Barbara, California.

Audrey Munson, the star of this movie, was famous for posing au naturel for sculptors, so you can guess what happens in this film produced by the "Flying A" studio. To give the appearance that this is an "art" film and not porn, the movie begins with a scene from Greek mythology showing Pandora opening a box and letting evil escape into the world. This is also an excuse for actresses to traipse around in flimsy costumes that you know their mothers would disapprove of.

One reviewer warned theaters: "Let it be said at the start, that Miss Munson appears several times in the picture unhampered by garments of any sort whatsoever, and there is scene upon scene in which she walks about thinly and diaphanously clad . . . however beautiful and non-salacious such scenes run, their chief spectators will be curiosity seekers." – Motion Picture News, August 5, 1916

*Copies of this film do exist.

The Blood Ship*

This movie about a captain-from-hell was released on July 18, 1927. It was filmed on or around California's Santa Catalina Island.

An African-American actor, who had a small part in the film, received a special mention from a film magazine that was probably unusual for the time.
"There is a colored gentleman in "The Blood Ship" cast who rejoices in the name of Blue Washington, and who certainly can act . . . I wondered why producers do not provide more prominent parts for negroes . . . Quite often we see white men playing blackface parts, which becomes ridiculous when you consider how many clever fellows we have who could play them without makeup." – Film Spectator, December 24, 1927

This film still exists.

Man's Genesis*

This D.W. Griffith movie was released on July 11, 1912. It's a caveman story filmed on California's Santa Catalina Island that starts off with the theme "might makes right" and then evolves into "but brains are better." Two cavemen love the same woman (actress Mae Marsh), and it seems like the one named "Bruteforce" will win the love contest against his rival named "Weakhands" – until, wait for it – Weakhands invents the stone hammer and overcomes Bruteforce.

*You can find a shortened version on Youtube and see what you think, but it did get some good reviews at the time, such as this one: "A most remarkable picture, and one which should create some stir. It is an effort to supply the 'missing link,' and it is a consummately clever effort." – Bioscope (London, England), July 18, 1912