In Old California is a silent movie filmed in 1910. It was the first movie shot in Hollywood, California. It was directed by D. W. Griffith of the Biograph Company (then based in New York, New York). The film is a melodrama about the Mexican era of California.
Background
Director D.W. Griffith discovered the little village of Hollywood on his trips to California and decided to shoot there because of the beautiful scenery and friendly people. On May 6, 2004 a monument was erected at 1713 Vine Street, just north of Hollywood Boulevard. The monument was made by Hollywood Forever Cemetery, and the film which was once thought lost was screened at the Beverly Hills Film Festival. This was the first time the movie had been seen by the public in 94 years. The film was scheduled for restoration, with the restored version to be premiered at a later date.
For years the first film thought shot in Hollywood was Cecil B. DeMille's feature film The Squaw Man (1914), which does hold the record of first feature film made in Hollywood. The discovery of Griffith's film made it the first movie of any length filmed in Hollywood.
References
External links
- In Old California at IMDB
- In Old California at the TCM database