Betsy J. Green

Happy Birthdate, Art Acord!

Silent film cowboy/actor Art Acord was born on April 17, 1890. He had a very serious accident while working for the "Flying A" in Santa Barbara, according to this article. He did make more movies, and lived until 1931, so perhaps this article is another example of "movie-magazine malarkey."

"Acord's part called for him to ride down a steep slope among boulders and through thick underbrush. At one of the most perilous points, the horse lost its footing and fell sideways down the incline. Feeling the horse going, Acord attempted to spring off on the upside. One of his spurs caught in a worn cinch, and he was dragged after the rolling, pitching, struggling horse. Before the animal could regain its feet, it had rolled over the rider inflicting severe internal injuries." – Moving Picture World, June 17, 1916

Happy Birthdate, William Russell!

Russell was born on April 12, 1884. The "Flying A" leading man had a bird of a birthday in 1916. "When William Russell, the popular local film player, approached his home . . . last evening, the house was dark and everything as quiet as a mouse. As soon as he entered the door, a flood of light was turned on and there were about half a hundred of American Film Company people and a few of his more intimate friends, who had adopted this method of surprise on Mr. Russell's birthday.

During the evening, Mr. Russell's pet turkey was injected into the proceedings, and the bird cut quite a figure as it strutted about among the guests." – Santa Barbara Morning Press, April 13, 1916

Happy Birthdate, Marshall Neilan!

Marshall Neilan was born on April 11, 1891. According to "Flying A" director Alan Dwan, in 1912, Marshall Neilan recommended Santa Barbara as the new headquarters for the "Flying A." Dwan recalled, "I thought we better get out of La Mesa [their former location]. It was getting a little cramped for us." So, Dwan asked Neilan to look around. "One day I got a phone call from Santa Barbara. He was down there at the Potter Hotel. I could tell from the way he was talking that he was feeling pretty good too. He said, 'I've found exactly what you want down here.' So, I packed up the outfit, put them on their horses and their wagons and off we went from La Mesa down near San Diego all the way to Santa Barbara." – Alan Dwan - letter on file at the Gledhill Library, Santa Barbara Historical Museum

(Neilan later went on to direct dozens of films, including Stella Maris with Mary Pickford. One of the scenes in that movie was filmed at a Montecito estate.)

Ramona released April 5, 1916

There have been several versions of Ramona in sound and silent versions. On April 5, 1916, a silent movie version was released starring Adda Gleason and Monroe Salisbury. It was 14 reels, a length which was unusual at that time. In fact, one reviewer mistakenly wrote that it was directed by D.W. Griffith, because The Birth of a Nation had been a similar length.

The movie was filmed in multiple areas. "Locations . . . have been selected at San Diego, Santa Paula, Santa Barbara, San Clemente Island, in the San Fernando Valley, and at San Francisco . . . On San Clemente Island, unusual pictures were made in which the ten thousand goats grazing on the rocky island took part." – Moving Picture News, October 9, 1915

Good news – this movie does exist at the Library of Congress.

Terror Island

Many people know about Harry Houdini, the magician, but did you know that he made a few silent movies as well? In April 1920, his movie Terror Island was released.

Houdini plays the part of a submarine inventor who tries to rescue a young woman held captive on a tropical island. Some of the scenes were filmed on California's Santa Catalina Island. Unfortunately, this seems to be another silent film lost to history.

Overheard at the Hacienda

A major misunderstanding occurred during the filming of the "Flying A" silent movie, The Ghost of the Hacienda. A journalist, who was new in Santa Barbara, got excited when he heard a woman at the Casa de la Guerra saying, "They have shot out all the windows and now they are smashing in our door." The newspaper man thought he had found a front-page story, until he noticed a cameraman filming the scene.

"The making of the scenes at the old mansion attracted quite a crowd. There was shooting and a very sensational piece of work when the door was battered in. The ['Flying A'], however, provided its own windows and doors, all of which were completely demolished." – Reel Life, September 20, 1913

Happy Birthdate George B. Field!

Field was a ruggedly handsome silent-film actor who was born on March 18, 1877. He appeared in dozens of Santa Barbara's "Flying A" films from 1913 to 1916. Field had been a performer in live theater before his filming career. I hope he also had some acrobatic training, judging from this description of a scene in Alice of Hudson Bay.

"It is considered the greatest actual drop ever made before a motion picture camera. It was made from the top of the shale cliff up the Sycamore Canyon Road." In the movie, two men are fighting, and one falls over the edge of the cliff.

"Measurements later made showed that Field traveled 120 feet . . . Strange as it may seem, Field was not quite satisfied with the first fall and insisted on doing it over again . . . the worst of it was that he grabbed a blackberry bush on the way down and was pretty badly cut by the thorns." – Santa Barbara Morning Press, September 12, 1915

Covered Wagons on Catalina

On March 16, 1923, the silent movie The Covered Wagon was released. Part of this movie was filmed on California's Santa Catalina Island, according to Lee Rosenthal in her book Catalina in the Movies, 2003.

Many of the covered wagons in the film were authentic, and the people riding in them were descendants of actual pioneers. In a way, it was an early reality production.

The Black Pirate is saved!

On March 8, 1926, Douglas Fairbanks' movie The Black Pirate was released. The good news is that this silent movie is among the 10% of the silents that were saved. It is available for viewing on Youtube. Some scenes were filmed on or around California's Santa Catalina Island.

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