31:
357:
343:
230:
248:. Other filming locations included undeveloped portions of Sonoma, Santa Cruz and Marin counties. In San Rafael, the studio boasted a large glass-walled and -roofed building that let in light but not wind so that shooting for indoor scenes could take place in full light without the telltale flapping of tablecloths and clothing blown by gusts. Considered expensive at the time, the company used a
160:
134:
Stage actress
Michelena married George E. Middleton, a prominent San Francisco automobile dealer, on Sunday, March 3, 1907. The private wedding took place at 232 Divisadero Street, the home of the parents of bridesmaid Margaret McGovern, "a lifelong friend of the bride". The couple spent a few weeks
125:
An announcement of the company's incorporation gives a San
Francisco main office address at 356 Pine Street and lists the board of directors as: James Woods, manager of the St. Francis Hotel; Baldwin Wood, attorney; Charles Payne, President Payne Real Estate Company; Thomas B. Eastland, President
66:
era. The company lasted from 1914 until
January 1916 when it went bankrupt. It was subsequently renamed and lasted until 1920. It produced at least 15 films. The film company is known for its feature-length films about early California history. Alex E. Beyfuss managed the company.
334:, Middleton and Michelena stopped making movies altogether. She returned to her singing performances and he returned to his car sales. They reportedly divorced in the mid-1920s, though Middleton told the 1930 US Census that they were married. The union produced no children.
315:. Michelena's lead character was a white woman raised by American Indians, a woman who does not realize her racial heritage until after she falls into forbidden love with a white man. The movie played for only a week in San Francisco in 1919, and did not return a profit.
155:
in 1912 for the purpose of shooting promotional footage of the automobiles he was selling. He determined that his pretty wife could star in movies made by his company. By 1914, Middleton and
Michelena were making three major films at the same time.
310:
Middleton and
Michelena bought the bankrupt film company for "a few thousand dollars" in 1917 and renamed it Michelena Studios. Their new company was called Beatriz Michelena Features, and shooting began on their next feature-length film,
753:
275:, and almost all CMPC movies had her as their star. Unfortunately, Michelena's ego expanded with the glowing reviews of her skill, and her demands for star treatment brought heavier expenses to productions that continued to lose money.
224:
with an assured place on the modern operatic stage, a girl with a wealth of artistic tradition behind her, Miss
Michelena's gifts do not stop there. She has rare beauty, vivacity, wit, intellectual attainments and athletic
126:
Coast Realty Co.; A. M. Johnson, Attorney; and Robin Y. Hayne, Capitalist as well as officer from a steamship company and
Pacific Telephonen and Telegraph. It was billed as the largest film company in the west.
138:
Middleton was the manager of the local
Middleton Motor Car Company and the son of a California timber baron. He introduced Michelena to his society friends and business partners, including the trustees of
267:
did not return a profit (likely due to second-string distribution channels), its favorable reception convinced
Middleton that his wife could challenge the world's top
748:
380:
82:
330:
in 1920. American audiences had grown more sophisticated, yet
Michelena Studios was still employing their earlier production techniques. After shooting
191:'s Salomy Jane Clay, an energetic daughter of an emigrant miner. She is wooed by four men but prefers a fifth played by British heartthrob
732:
1930; Census Place: San Rafael, Marin, California; Roll: 176; Page: 10A; Enumeration District: 0020; Image: 981.0; FHL microfilm: 2339911.
703:
198:
The movie saw limited nationwide distribution and was judged a hit by viewers who were impressed by the wild California scenery: giant
584:
624:
565:
148:
653:
207:
245:
440:
303:
was not done by January 1916, and CMPC president Herbert Payne shut the film company down and filed for bankruptcy.
404:
203:
530:
260:
were made of each scene. A second $ 700 camera provided a third reel of the same scene, from another perspective.
241:
478:
428:
388:
348:
420:
456:
412:
372:
182:
165:
94:
76:
36:
464:
257:
152:
55:
45:
448:
362:
199:
71:
256:
movie camera, worth about $ 37,600 in current value. The camera held two reels of film so that two
107:
30:
657:
433:
396:
144:
88:
17:
503:
Anne T. Kent California Room – Sun Valley, San Rafael, Once Home to Early Motion Picture Studio
711:
356:
111:
585:"Marriage Comes as Sequel to Romance of School Days: George E. Middleton Weds Miss Michelena"
547:
253:
212:
115:
625:"Salomy's last dance: A flashback to Marin's century-old quest for cinematic superstardom"
140:
704:"The Lily of Poverty Flat: A Visit to Mimic Pioneer Village Where Movies Are Being Made"
319:
187:, screened initially at the St. Francis Hotel by invitation only. Michelena's role was
99:
742:
516:
299:
which was in production in 1915 was given until the end of the year to be completed.
272:
628:
342:
229:
192:
178:
170:
119:
59:
41:
498:
221:
206:
Michelena's dominant portrayal of the title role was also an appeal. Journalist
63:
268:
188:
159:
244:, where Middleton's father had established a timber holding now known as the
74:
has a digital collection related to the studio. Their productions included
220:"Daughter of a renowned tenor of San Francisco's pioneer days, herself a
754:
Defunct film and television production companies of the United States
499:"Sun Valley, San Rafael, Once Home to Early Motion Picture Studio"
355:
341:
228:
158:
29:
151:. Middleton set up the California Motion Picture Company in
579:
577:
575:
169:, Michelena posed for a publicity still with leading man
295:
all failed to turn a profit, and a lavish production of
240:
One CMPC shooting location was on family property near
102:was one of the actors who worked for the studio.
648:
646:
218:
697:
695:
468:(1920) a Beatriz Michelena Features production
689:(Obituary for brother of George E. Middleton)
202:, winding roads hugging rocky bluffs and the
8:
618:
616:
614:
612:
610:
608:
606:
531:"Moving Picture World and View Photographer"
432:(1916), advertized as an adaptation of an
322:, was unable to find the right market for
702:Leonard, James P. (February 16, 1915).
542:
540:
490:
210:wrote of her in the June 1915 issue of
233:Michelena and actor Andrew Robson in
122:also directed films for the company.
52:California Motion Picture Corporation
7:
749:Cinema of the San Francisco Bay Area
135:in Los Angeles for their honeymoon.
623:Walsh, Jason (September 26, 2008).
110:was a director with the studio and
318:The moviemakers' new distributor,
25:
18:California Motion Picture Company
381:Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch
83:Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch
143:'s estate who had rebuilt the
1:
654:McCracken, Josephine Clifford
627:. Pacific Sun. Archived from
683:"William H. Middleton, 82".
658:"Bret Harte in "The Movies""
208:Josephine Clifford McCracken
54:was a film company based in
770:
591:. March 4, 1907. p. 7
566:"The Moving Picture World"
552:contentdm.marinlibrary.org
293:The Rose of the Misty Pool
106:survives in its entirety.
685:Marin Independent Journal
242:Boulder Creek, California
479:List of World Film films
421:A Phyllis of the Sierras
389:The Lily of Poverty Flat
285:A Phyllis of the Sierras
281:The Lily of Poverty Flat
235:The Lily of Poverty Flat
149:1906 earthquake and fire
163:During the shooting of
589:The San Francisco Call
413:The Rose of Misty Pool
367:
353:
237:
227:
181:completed by CMPC was
174:
56:San Rafael, California
48:
708:Santa Cruz Daily Surf
465:The Flame of Hellgate
359:
345:
332:The Flame of Hellgate
328:The Flame of Hellgate
232:
162:
33:
27:American film company
307:was never released.
72:Marin County Library
457:Who's Your Servant?
441:The Woman Who Dared
114:a leading actress.
108:George E. Middleton
95:Who's Your Servant?
37:Who's Your Servant?
664:. pp. 487–497
517:"AFI|Catalog"
434:Edwin Milton Royle
368:
354:
238:
175:
49:
254:Bell & Howell
145:St. Francis Hotel
112:Beatriz Michelena
16:(Redirected from
761:
733:
730:
724:
723:
721:
719:
714:on June 26, 2010
710:. Archived from
699:
690:
688:
680:
674:
673:
671:
669:
662:Overland Monthly
650:
641:
640:
638:
636:
620:
601:
600:
598:
596:
581:
570:
569:
562:
556:
555:
544:
535:
534:
527:
521:
520:
513:
507:
506:
495:
449:Heart of Juanita
363:Heart of Juanita
324:Heart of Juanita
251:
213:Overland Monthly
116:Harold Entwistle
21:
769:
768:
764:
763:
762:
760:
759:
758:
739:
738:
737:
736:
731:
727:
717:
715:
701:
700:
693:
687:. May 29, 1962.
682:
681:
677:
667:
665:
652:
651:
644:
634:
632:
622:
621:
604:
594:
592:
583:
582:
573:
564:
563:
559:
546:
545:
538:
529:
528:
524:
515:
514:
510:
497:
496:
492:
487:
475:
340:
249:
246:Middleton Tract
141:Charles Crocker
132:
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
767:
765:
757:
756:
751:
741:
740:
735:
734:
725:
691:
675:
642:
602:
571:
557:
536:
522:
508:
489:
488:
486:
483:
482:
481:
474:
471:
470:
469:
461:
453:
445:
437:
425:
417:
409:
405:Salvation Nell
401:
393:
385:
377:
339:
336:
320:Robertson-Cole
289:Salvation Nell
131:
128:
100:Frank Erlanger
26:
24:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
766:
755:
752:
750:
747:
746:
744:
729:
726:
713:
709:
705:
698:
696:
692:
686:
679:
676:
663:
659:
656:(June 1915).
655:
649:
647:
643:
631:on 2011-07-19
630:
626:
619:
617:
615:
613:
611:
609:
607:
603:
590:
586:
580:
578:
576:
572:
567:
561:
558:
553:
549:
543:
541:
537:
532:
526:
523:
518:
512:
509:
504:
500:
494:
491:
484:
480:
477:
476:
472:
467:
466:
462:
459:
458:
454:
451:
450:
446:
443:
442:
438:
435:
431:
430:
429:Unwritten Law
426:
423:
422:
418:
415:
414:
410:
407:
406:
402:
399:
398:
394:
391:
390:
386:
383:
382:
378:
375:
374:
370:
369:
365:
364:
358:
351:
350:
349:Unwritten Law
344:
337:
335:
333:
329:
325:
321:
316:
314:
308:
306:
302:
298:
294:
290:
286:
282:
278:
274:
273:Mary Pickford
270:
266:
261:
259:
255:
247:
243:
236:
231:
226:
223:
217:
215:
214:
209:
205:
204:Russian River
201:
200:redwood trees
196:
194:
190:
186:
185:
180:
172:
168:
167:
161:
157:
154:
150:
146:
142:
136:
129:
127:
123:
121:
117:
113:
109:
105:
101:
97:
96:
91:
90:
85:
84:
79:
78:
73:
68:
65:
61:
57:
53:
47:
43:
39:
38:
32:
19:
728:
716:. Retrieved
712:the original
707:
684:
678:
666:. Retrieved
661:
633:. Retrieved
629:the original
595:November 30,
593:. Retrieved
588:
560:
551:
525:
511:
502:
493:
463:
455:
447:
439:
427:
419:
411:
403:
395:
387:
379:
371:
361:
347:
331:
327:
323:
317:
312:
309:
304:
300:
296:
292:
288:
284:
280:
276:
264:
263:Even though
262:
239:
234:
219:
211:
197:
193:House Peters
183:
176:
171:House Peters
164:
137:
133:
124:
120:William Nigh
103:
93:
92:(1915), and
87:
81:
75:
69:
60:Marin County
51:
50:
42:Yukio Aoyama
40:(1920) with
35:
548:"CONTENTdm"
373:Salomy Jane
360:Still from
346:Poster for
338:Filmography
265:Salomy Jane
222:prima donna
184:Salomy Jane
166:Salomy Jane
104:Salomy Jane
77:Salomy Jane
64:silent film
62:during the
46:Lois Wilson
34:Still from
743:Categories
485:References
313:Just Squaw
269:movie star
189:Bret Harte
177:The first
153:San Rafael
147:after the
718:April 14,
668:April 13,
635:April 13,
258:negatives
473:See also
98:(1920).
86:(1914),
80:(1914),
568:. 1914.
533:. 1916.
225:grace."
179:feature
130:History
460:(1920)
452:(1919)
444:(1916)
424:(1915)
416:(1915)
408:(1915)
400:(1915)
397:Mignon
392:(1915)
384:(1914)
376:(1914)
366:(1919)
352:(1916)
277:Mignon
252:1,250
89:Mignon
305:Faust
301:Faust
297:Faust
58:, in
720:2010
670:2010
637:2010
597:2010
436:play
326:and
291:and
250:US$
118:and
70:The
44:and
195:.
745::
706:.
694:^
660:.
645:^
605:^
587:.
574:^
550:.
539:^
501:.
287:,
283:,
279:,
271:,
216::
722:.
672:.
639:.
599:.
554:.
519:.
505:.
173:.
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
