Betsy J. Green

A First in Santa Barbara

The earliest reference that I've found about movies being shown in Santa Barbara, California dates to 1898. An article in the local paper about a vaudeville show at the opera house (the original Lobero Theater) mentioned that the show included "the Waragraph, a scientific wonder of life, showing the recent naval events, the military parades and a Spanish bull fight." – Santa Barbara Morning Press, October 16, 1898

The "recent naval events" mentioned were scenes from the Spanish-American War in Cuba in 1898, produced by the Edison Wargraph Company. These were some of the first moving images that audiences here had ever seen projected on a screen.

On September 8, 1913, the movie For the Crown was released. Santa Barbara's American Film Company, the "Flying A," filmed most of this two-reel historical costume drama at a big estate in Montecito, California.

The plot involved plenty of swordplay, a fair maiden who needed rescuing, and ended with the vanquishing of baddies. This film is one of 63 silents that were filmed in Montecito. It is considered "lost."

On September 4, 1911 (109 years ago today), the one-reel silent movie How Algy Captured a Wild Man was released. The movie was filmed on California's Santa Cruz Island. The Santa Barbara Weekly Press called it, "A real 'sure-'nuff' dandy show. Anyone with any sense of humor will enjoy this picture story."

This is one of about 250 movies that were filmed on California's Channel Islands.

First X-rated Movie in Santa Barbara?

The Hollywood rating system had not been invented yet, but in July 1914, the Mission Theater on State Street in Santa Barbara, California was not allowing unaccompanied minors to view the four-reel movie Sapho. (Among other things, the main character has a child out of wedlock.)

This restriction was in spite of the fact that the paper noted that "the censorship board has eliminated all objectionable features . . . there is nothing of the objectionable character in the play. Many of Santa Barbara's leading citizens saw the play last night and no one was heard to criticize it."

Celebrity Sightings

Two of the largest comedy actors from the Keystone Movie Company appeared in an exhibition baseball game in Santa Barbara, California in May 1914. Marie Dressler was umpire, and Fatty Arbuckle, aka the "Human Roundhouse," played shortstop.

"The Revolution Will Not Be Televised"

This was according to a beat poet in 1970, but the Mexican Revolution was shown on the big screen at Santa Barbara, California in April 1914, where the main feature was billed as, "Mexican War Pictures . . . Actual photographs of the present war, the pictures taken on the battle line. Biggest and best pictures ever shown of the great Mexican rebellion."

The Mexican general Pancho Villa had signed a movie contract with the Mutual Film Company in January, 1914, and battle scenes were seen everywhere in the United States.

Meteor Falls in Mission Canyon

You may or may not have spotted the distant comet that cruised by recently, but plenty of folks saw something a lot closer to home in 1914.

"Entire Northern Sky Illuminated for Several Seconds," wrote the Santa Barbara newspaper. The meteor described as "a ball of fire that was bright even in the moonlight, is believed to have fallen in upper Mission Canyon. The aerial visitor made its appearance about 7:00 last evening and was seen and heard by several persons in the vicinity of the Old Mission … The meteor first made its appearance above Cold Springs … The meteor was in plain sight about four seconds and as it fell, there was a swishing sound … The ball of fire was about a quarter the size of the full moon, and as it disappeared, its entire course was a trail of sparks."

It's Show Time!

Back in July 1914, the newly constructed Recreation Center on Carrillo and Anacapa streets was getting ready to open its 850-seat auditorium. The seating seemed to be the star of the show, according to one article in the local paper. "The chairs are roomy and do not shake or collapse . . . Neither do the chairs squeak, and they are tasteful."

The Recreation Center was indeed well built. It would survive the 1925 earthquake, and moreover served as an emergency shelter in the quake's aftermath.

Walks on the Mesa in the 1870s

The reporter for a local paper wrote about his walk in our area on a sunny morning in June. "The sunshine struck the Mesa early this morning and stayed there a long while." This remark might have made the news because, as we know, the month of June is known for its gloom. The writer could have been on the Mesa to check out the views, and recommend them to visitors.

"Of several different views [of Santa Barbara], two of the most remarkable and the most attractive are that from the old Mission … and that from the lower part of the Mesa, whereon a fine house is proposed … to be built." The "fine house" mentioned was Punta del Castillo, the Mesa's castle, the home of Thomas Bloodgood and Francisca De la Guerra Dibblee. This was one of the first Tuscan-style mansions built in the Santa Barbara area, and was located where the eastern campus of Santa Barbara City College is situated today. The mansion was damaged in the 1925 earthquake, and so is no longer with us.

Since the mansion was such a landmark, it was frequently commented upon in the press. To one writer, the home resembled a fort. "Dibblee's place on the Mesa presents the appearance of a fortification." It was jokingly suggested that it should have a gun aimed out to sea. (More about the Mesa in the 1870s next Monday.)

Ancestry

Here are a couple of images that made me very happy when I was researching silent movies made in Montecito. I knew from reports in the local newspaper that this 1916 movie was filmed at a certain estate there. On the left is a scene from the movie Ancestry, and on the right is an image of the estate on an old postcard. If you look carefully, you can see that the location is the same.

Thanks to the fact that there are numerous early photographs of the Montecito estates, I was able to do similar match ups for about 20 movies of the 60+ movies filmed there.