Betsy J. Green

Dead Whale Tales

Dateline: October 1917

There was a total of 10 articles about the moribund sea mammal on the beach at Serena (between Summerland and Carpinteria).

"Dead Whale at Serena," was the title of the first article on October 9.

"The monster … was towed out to sea, strapped with sand and bags to sink it, but the buoyancy of the carcass carried the sandbags ashore. Then, like the famed cat, … it came back, washing up on the beach at Serena … Quite a number of people, however, holding their noses, bravely essayed a trip to the scene to view the uninvited guest."

It even made the pages of the "Los Angeles Times," which stated that the carcass measured 72 feet.

Babe Ruth plays here

Dateline: October 1924
You don't have to be a rabid baseball fan to recognize the name Babe Ruth, one of the most famous hitters in history. Well, the Babe himself was here to play an exhibition game in Santa Barbara's Pershing Park.

The Santa Barbara Superintendent of Schools allowed students in city schools to leave school early in order to watch the Big Bambino and his Santa Barbara All-Stars play a game here with the Ventura Elks. Babe and his team won – 10 to 3.

A boar hunt

Dateline: October 1917
A group from Universal Studios was filming a mermaid movie on Santa Cruz Island when they ran out of food. (The island did not have any restaurants, or much else for that matter.) So, the director had to get creative.

"How to feed 75 persons with no food available was the problem that recently confronted Allen Holubar, while directing the six-act Jewel super feature, Sirens of the Sea . . . two wild boars . . . were brought to headquarters. The meat was barbecued and lasted until the following morning when the supply boat showed." – Santa Barbara Morning Press, October 7, 1917

They're Baaack!

Dateline: September 1924

Back in March 1924, Santa Barbara pilot Capt. Lowell Smith joined a group of U.S. pilots who were trying to be the first group of pilots to fly around the world. Finally, after close to six months, the record-breaking group landed in Santa Monica completing the first-ever round-the-world journey. The leading plane was piloted by Santa Barbara's Lieut. Lowell Smith. "The 'greatest reception any place in the world' greeted the fliers . . . There were more than 100,000 on the field to roar a welcome to the fliers."

Although the city fathers in Santa Barbara had hoped that he would make a stopover on the new municipal airfield here, he was only able to attempt a flyover. But, in the end, even that was cancelled because of fog. – Santa Barbara Morning Press, Sep 24, 1924

Silent Movie Actors on the Road

Dateline: September 1912
"The automobile plays an important part in the taking of moving pictures . . . The ['Flying A'] cowboys all go by horseback to the scene of a picture to be taken . . . The players make up at the studio on a morning when they are instructed to be ready for work. Very seldom do they know where they are going, but after climbing into the car, they are speeded to the scene . . . This strange mixture travels in a classy automobile." – Santa Barbara Morning Press, September 22, 1912

Quite a nice fleet of "Flying A" cars, eh?

A Radio Lunch Truck? Every Town Should Have One!

I had a really fun time with Bryan on his Radio Lunch Truck broadcast. In between chuckles and snappy tunes from the roaring 1920s, I shared interesting tidbits about local history. Here's a link to copy and paste for the free 1-hour program:

https://www.mixcloud.com/lunchtruck/

Treasure Hunt in West Beach

Dateline: September 1924

After the majestic Potter Hotel burned in 1921, homes and hotels began to be constructed in that area. "Whispers of lost jewels and gold in the ashes of the once stately Ambassador [Potter] Hotel started after [it] burned to the ground in 1921 . . . Since that time, workmen occasionally have discovered jewelry of varying value among the ruins, and for years, many people carefully scrutinized the ashes at every opportunity in hopes of recovering some of the lost treasure.

"Recently . . . a workman on the hotel grounds was reported to have discovered a diamond brooch valued at approximately $15,000. The following day, he failed to reappear at the grounds for his daily work. Furthermore, inquiries revealed that he had left the city, and his whereabouts were unknown.

"Since that date, workmen excavating for new residences on the hotel grounds, have shown renewed activity in their work. The site of the old hotel is a continuous attraction, and explorations through the debris in search of sparkling solitaires and necklaces has become a favorite pastime." – Santa Barbara Morning Press, September 21, 1924

Hard at work; biting my nails!

I am excited to be featured in the Channel Islands newsletter this week. I am hard at work (and biting my nails) prepping for my museum exhibit at Carpinteria's new CCIC.

(Click on the image above to read more about it.)

An Authentic Stagecoach on the Screen

Dateline: August 1912

Shortly after the "Flying A" silent movie folks moved to Santa Barbara in 1912, they were able to use the old Lompoc stagecoach in their films. One of the first films that the studio created here was The Jack of Diamonds.

Some of the scenes were filmed on the stagecoach. "The exteriors were taken in the vicinity of the Hollister Road [upper State Street], about a mile from the studio. The old stagecoach which was used in early days out of Lompoc was called into play for the first time. It will add considerable color to the story." – Santa Barbara Morning Press, August 16, 1912

Top Secret Submarine Stuff

Dateline: August 1916
The release of the "Flying A" silent-movie serial, The Secret of the Submarine, was held back for a while because there was some concern that too many secrets were revealed in the filming. (This was during World War I.)

"The first chapter shows plainly the technical workings of a submarine never before displayed upon the screen. Although [the "Flying A"] had the cooperation of U.S. naval officers in the making of the picture, there apparently are some secrets not supposed to become public." – Motography, May 20, 1916

Eventually, the concerns were addressed, and the serial was released.