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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
 Posted - 09/06/2009 : 06:27:04
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What on Earth? #39: Movie Mecca
This once quiet, rural community was a major center of the early motion picture business. Major Western and comedy stars worked here, and great silent films were made, but within a few years, movie history passed the community by. The filmmakers and stars relocated, and the studio burned down. An early silent theater, once owned by Edison, still operates here.
1. What is name the name and location of the community?
2. What is the name of the motion picture studio that was here?
Click for larger version
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
Edited by - HalfMooner on 09/06/2009 06:44:25
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Hal
Skeptic Friend
USA
302 Posts |
Posted - 09/06/2009 : 09:10:21 [Permalink]
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This is the area once known as Niles, California, now part of Fremont. It was once home to the Essanay Film Manufacturing Company.
Now home to the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum.
http://www.nilesfilmmuseum.org/
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Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.
Martin Luther King Jr.
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tw101356
Skeptic Friend
USA
333 Posts |
Posted - 09/06/2009 : 09:31:43 [Permalink]
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1. Fremont, CA, The Niles neighborhood of Fremont was the location of the early studios. The image shows Niles Blvd. The old Edison Theater is in the center of the shot at 37417 Niles Blvd.
2. Essanay Studios (actually, Essanay-West studio as the main studio was in Chicago)
Essenay hired Chaplin away from Mack Sennett and he made The Tramp at Essenay-West.
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- TW
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tw101356
Skeptic Friend
USA
333 Posts |
Posted - 09/06/2009 : 09:32:55 [Permalink]
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| Dang, Hal beat me to the punch as I was typing the answer. |
- TW
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Kil
Evil Skeptic
USA
13477 Posts |
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26022 Posts |
Posted - 09/06/2009 : 17:16:13 [Permalink]
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I can't find anything like the image Mooner posted in either West Orange, NJ, or in Fremont. Specifically not at the coordinates that Wikipedia offers for the film studios named...
...oops, there it is. Wikipedia's coords for Essanay were in Chicago. Congrats, Hal. |
- Dave W. (Private Msg, EMail)
Evidently, I rock!
Why not question something for a change?
Visit Dave's Psoriasis Info, too. |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 09/06/2009 : 17:32:28 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by Hal
This is the area once known as Niles, California, now part of Fremont. It was once home to the Essanay Film Manufacturing Company.
Now home to the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum.
http://www.nilesfilmmuseum.org/
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Bingo! Two points for you, Hal!
It's just a short drive from where I live in Union City, California. When Chicago-based George K. Spoor and Gilbert M. Anderson (the "Ess" and the "Ay" in Essanay) wanted to have a new studio near good film locations for making Westerns, they chose Niles, California. Anderson was a Western star, himself, known as Broncho Billy.
Wiki says:| Essanay produced silent films with such stars (and stars of the future) as George Periolat, Ben Turpin, Wallace Beery, Francis X. Bushman, Gloria Swanson, Tom Mix, Ann Little, Helen Dunbar, Lester Cuneo, Virginia Valli, Edward Arnold, and Rod La Rocque. The mainstays of the organization, however, were studio co-owner G. M. Anderson, starring in the very popular "Broncho Billy" westerns, and Charlie Chaplin. |
Comedic actor Ben Turpin was a local Niles man who started as a janitor at Essanay.
The Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum was formerly the Edison Theater. It is at coordinates 37°34'37.84"N, 121°58'48.89"W. They show great silent films each weekend, with piano players to accompany the flicks. I love thjat place. It's run as a non-profit, with an endowment from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Those running the museum are very knowledgeable about their subject. Along with a full house crowd of regulars, I like to go to that theater on weekends.
The standings:
- tw101356, 22 points
- bngbuck, 19 points
- Dave W., 14 points
- lorddix, 9 points
- Hal, 5 points
- Moakley, 4 points
- Steinhenge, 4 points
- Hawks, 3 points
- Simon, 3 points
- astropin, 1 point
- Dude, 1 point
- Filthy, 1 point
(Ties above are listed in alphabetical order.)
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
| Edited by - HalfMooner on 09/06/2009 18:37:17 |
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WoE: Movie Mecca
