By Betsy J. Green
The American Film Company, the “Flying A,” settled in Santa Barbara in 1912, but other silent film studios shot here prior to that. In truth, films made by other film business might have motivated the “Flying A” to move here.In 1911, the Selig Polyscope studio shot here, probably to utilize several of our adobe homes. I asked regional adobe professional, John Woodward, about the adobe in the photo. He told me that it may be the Nicholas Den adobe on La Patera Lane in Goleta.
The motion picture’s title is “In Old California When the Gringoes Came.” It takes place during the late 1840s when California entered into the United States, and concerns the story of an unethical American guy who is trying to cheat a Spanish family of their estate.
An Objective padre gets included, so some scenes may have been recorded outside the objective. At the end of the motion picture, the bad person is killed, and the 10-minute motion picture has a pleased ending.
This film may have been shot at the exact same time that “The New Faith” was recorded at one of the million-dollar estates in Montecito. That movie was likewise made by Selig Polyscope in 1911, and shared the same leading star– Hobart Bosworth.
Betsy’s Way Back When book– Movies & & Million-Dollar Mansions– is now offered in regional bookstores and at Amazon.com. This is the seventh book in her series on the history of Santa Barbara. Learn more at betsyjgreen.com.
Source: https://www.edhat.com/news/movies-way-back-when-in-old-california-when-the-gringoes-came