In Old California (1910)

An historical dramatization of a Spanish woman during the reign of Spanish and Mexican owned California in the early 19th century.

Director:

D.W. Griffith

Writer:

Stanner E.V. Taylor

Stars:

Frank Powell, Arthur V. Johnson, Marion Leonard

Cast

Credited cast:
Frank Powell	...	Governor Manuella
Arthur V. Johnson	...	Cortes
Marion Leonard	...	Perdita
Henry B. Walthall	...	Perdita's Son
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Charles Craig	...	Soldier
Francis J. Grandon	...	Soldier
W. Chrystie Miller	...	Indian Messenger
Anthony O'Sullivan	...	Soldier
Frank Opperman	...	Governor's Servant
Alfred Paget	...	Soldier
Mack Sennett	...	Soldier
Charles West	...	Soldier / Governor's Servant

Storyline

No land nor period was more given to romance than the Spanish American in the early part of the 19th century. The influence of the warm constant sun, without excessive amenity was conducive to lethargy and lethargy is the seed of romance. The dreamer is a romancer. This Biograph story starts some time before Mexican independence was proclaimed in California, which occurred in 1822. Perdita Arguello, the pretty Spanish senorita is beloved by Jose Manuella, a wealthy young Spaniard, who migrated to the new world in search of adventure. A man of qualities, he surrenders claim upon the girl when he finds her heart is given to Pedro Cortes, a handsome troubadour of the village. Cortes is just the sort of fellow to impress a thoughtless and unsophisticated girl with his gentle persuasive manner together with his talent as a musician. Of poetic temperament, she yields to his plan and marries him. But what a calamity! Twenty years later we see the result of her folly. Cortes proved to be a ...

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Plot Keywords:

hispanic | partially lost film | hollywood | latino | lost film | 

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Genres:

Short | Drama | History | Western

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 March 1910 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Biograph Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

17 min 17 min

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The monument to this film was erected and dedicated near the site on which this film was made at the Forbidden City Restaurant. The 2.8 ton monument was stolen overnight, under mysterious circumstances in April 2005, but was found almost one year later near a garbage bin not far from where the monument stood on Vine Street in Hollywood. Because of this vandalism and questionable theft of the monument, and its controversy that the first movie in Hollywood was of a Latino based storyline, the company felt this was discriminatory to the Latino community, and disassociated its business with the district of Hollywood, and moved its corporate headquarters to downtown Los Angeles. Today Biograph's main corporate headquarters are in Beverly Hills, CA.

User Reviews

The First Movie Made In Hollywood

This was the first actual movie made in Hollywood. This precedes "The Squaw Man" made by Cecil B. DeMille by over 3 years. This historic movie is in the process of restoration by us, the company that made it (The American Mutoscope and Biograph Company).