An edit of our favourite British spy done as an application to The National Film and Television School. Bond vs Bond set to Moby's remix of the theme. Enjoy! Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Watch celebrity culture ebb and flow. 49 Seconds with a whole bunch of famous movie people. Somewhere down there in that swarming bunch of ants and popping paparazzi flashes are: Bradley Cooper, Julia Roberts, Jennifer Garner, Ashton Kutcher, Jessica Alba, Jessica Biel, Emma Roberts, Anne Hathaway, Jamie Foxx, and director Garry Marshall. This is Hollywood at its finest... and fastest.
Come see this romantic 3 story Spanish Revival view home in the Whitley Heights Historic District, an enclave which was once home to many of Hollywood's early stars including Rudolph Valentino, Tyrone Power. Gloria Swanson and Judy Garland.
It was a chance meeting with David Horsley that changed the dynamics of the world. How did Whitley know that this Industry in its infancy would be so powerful? Others would try but Whitley was able to convince the majority of directors, producers and stars to settle in his new town Hollywood. On October 26, 2011 be sure to be part of this historic 100th anniversary of the first Hollywood Studio filming in Hollywood. The movie was filmed at the Whitley Estate on the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Whitley Avenue. If by chance you are unable make it to the event be sure to cast your vote for the 100 Stars for 100 Years celebration. Stars have been entertaining us for decades but who do you think is the best of the best. You’ve watch hours and hours of movies and now you are going to be given a chance to nominate your favorite stars of the century at http://www.thefatherofhollywood.com/top_100_stars.asp . It won’t be an easy job. Whitley would probably vote for his favorites Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks and Jean Harlow. It’s hard to compare them with Harrison Ford, Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts. Popular culture is epitomized in the movies. They sharply etch the nuisances of our culture. From toddlers to senior citizens we instantly recognize the images we view on the big screen: Charleston Heston, as miracle man who parted the Red Sea in Cecil B. DeMille.s Ten Commandments, Russell Crowe as the sword wielding Roman in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator, and Harrison Ford who is fighting the evil emperor in George Lucus’s Star Wars. Even if you missed a few movies it is still likely that you will respond to advertisements and television shows that incorporate these characters. So when did Hollywood get it first studio? A new and exciting era arrived in Hollywood in 1911 ushering in the movie industry. H J Whitley, the ”Father of Hollywood” had spent over a decade and millions of dollars developing Hollywood. The one thing it lacked was a viable industry for its resident. Whitley was fortunate to cross paths with David Horsley one day and suggested he lease the Blondeau Tavern on Sunset and Gower. To cement the deal he offered to let Horsley do a film test on his property. On October 26, 1911 Hollywood history was made. The Whitley’s orchard was used as a set. The movie was directed by David and William Horsley and Al Christie. The next day they opened Nestor Motion Picture Company. By May 1912, a merger occurred in which David Horsley agreed to accept shares of stock in Universal as a payment for his business interests. Whitley being a wise business man work non-stop to entice the rest of the Film Industry into settling in one spot Hollywood. So remember to nominate your favorite stars for the 100 Stars for 100 Years Celebration before October 26, 2011 at http://www.thefatherofhollywood.com/top_100_stars.asp. Hope to see you all at the celebration.
If there is one thing I’ve learned from my great-grandfather about life it is that friendship is one’s greatest asset! HJ Whitley changed the world in many ways and now his newfound friends can help him win the honor he deserves. We're going to do our best to make “The Father of Hollywood” a best seller and here's what you can do to help. I appreciate anything and everything you're able to do!! 1. Buy it! HJ Whitley would be honored if you chose to buy “The Father of Hollywood” for yourself and for any of your friends or colleagues. It is available at your local bookstore or by going to our website: www.TheFatherofHollywood.com or Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1616634758?ie=UTF8&tag=thefatherofho-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1616634758 2. Email Email everyone! As HJ Whitley taught us word-of-mouth is one of the best recommendations anyone can receive. It would be great if you could email your friends and tell them about "The Father of Hollywood" and where they can purchase it. Need help? Here's is a suggested email you can send: "My good friend, Gaelyn Whitley Keith, the great-granddaughter of H J Whitley, has just written a book that's soon to become a best seller. It's entitled "The Father of Hollywood. It's available from Amazon.com , through your local book stores and the Keith website www.TheFatherofHollywood.com . You may know her from her numerous appearances on radio and television. Thanks for spreading the word. It’s a wonderful life!” 3. Facebook Facebook is a wonderful place to tell friends about friends! Anything you are able to post on your own Facebook page about the book, either your thoughts about the book or about HJ Whitley, would be greatly appreciated! Please join our Facebook fan page! http://www.facebook.com/pages/www.thefatherofhollywood.com/56376692545 and share it with your friends! IMPORTANT: Sharing our Facebook fan page with your friends and encouraging them to also become a fan can be one of the best ways to spread the word for "The Father of Hollywood" to become a best seller!! 4. Tweet One way to make things go viral is to tweet about the book because Twitter is able to reach a large number of people. Some tweet topics include 'you are buying a book', 'giving the book as a gift', 'passing it out to co-workers and employees', attach a picture of where you're reading it, shout-out your favorite chapter or re-tweet someone else's comments. The key is to keep the conversation going with the Twitteratti!! Another Tweet idea is to add hash tags so that other people can follow and help the news propagate. Use any of these popular hash tags: #biz, #social, # entrepreneur, #success, and #TheFatherofHollywood. A sample tweet could be: I just read "The Father of Hollywood" from and you should too!! Order it from Amazon! 5. Meet up/Tweet up: Another idea is to hold a gathering of friends, co-workers or customers and have Gaelyn stop by while on her book tour and meet/greet everyone, talk a few minutes about the book and have a book signing. If interested, please contact us at info@thefatherofhollywood.com to find out when she might be visiting your city. 6. Webinar A great way to utilize Gaelyn Whitley Keith’s excellent speaking skills is to invite her to do a Webinar you may be hosting or by suggesting her to someone you may know who is utilizing this online medium. Think about using Gaelyn and the topics around "The Father of Hollywood" as the subject matter for your Webinar discussion. Contact Randy via info@TheFatherofHollywood.com to schedule your Webinar soon. 7. Media Interviews! Interviews! Interviews!! TV, radio, newspaper, magazine, newsletters, blogs, online or offline media!! If you have any contacts to any online, offline, print or broadcast media where Gaelyn could be interviewed about the book, please contact Randy via info@TheFatherofHollywood.com 8. Blog Do you have a blog or know someone who does? If so, consider an interview with Gaelyn or write about your own personal feelings about HJ Whitley. You may also want to blog about your favorite topics from the book. If your blog is a business one, and you would like to do some kind of promotion or give-away with the book, please contact us about your ideas. 9. Pictures Pictures say a thousand words - so take a picture of yourself in an interesting place holding the book and post it on www.TheFatherofHollywood.com , or HJ Whitley Facebook fan page http://www.facebook.com/pages/www.thefatherofhollywood.com/56376692545, your own blog or tweet one. Our Facebook fan page has a contest going for people sending pics of themselves reading the book all over the world. So far we have pics of people reading on the beach, in a park, and of course Hollywood! 10+. Word of Mouth No rocket science here - tell co-workers, friends, family, and people on the street: "Have you read the new blockbuster by Gaelyn Whitley called "The Father of Hollywood" ??" Extra points given to people who wear sandwich-boards while walking the streets handing out "The Father of Hollywood" flyers 11. Book Signing If you would like to help organize a book signing, please contact us at info@theFatherofHollywood.com so we can schedule one in a city near you! Our team will work closely with a local independent, Barnes & Noble or Borders book stores. 12. Write a review Go to www.amazon.com or www.barnesandnoble.com and write your own takeaways and thoughts as a result of reading "The Father of Hollywood." Some already have and we would welcome your recommendation too! Thanks in advance for your help to making the "The Father of Hollywood" a best seller!!! 13. Nominate HJ Whitley to the California Hall of Fame. The California Hall of Fame provides inspiration for future generations. HJ Whitley is someone whose achievements should be recognized. Nominate him today. Go to http://www.californiamuseum.org/exhibits/halloffame/nomination-form and nominate HJ Whitley into the California Hall of Fame. 13. 100STARS * 100YEARS Stars are ready for your votes! Go to www.TheFatherofHollywood.com. You've watched hours of movies spanning the decades and now we're giving you a chance to nominate your two favorite stars of the century. Cast your vote by October 20, 2011. Then come back on Wednesday, October 26, 2011 the 100th anniversary of the first Hollywood Studio filming in Hollywood, to learn the people's choice for the Top 100 Stars of the Century. Do you know someone who deserves recognition for their outstanding acting? Nominate them today.
When you say the name “Hollywood”, images of movie studios and glamorous stars instantly pop into your mind. However when HJ Whitley came to California in the late 1800’s he stood on a hillside overlooking a fertile valley of orchards and farms and dreamed of what he could develop here.
It was at that moment that a Chinese immigrant approached driving a wagon pell mell towards the Whitleys. Whitley asked, “What are you doing here?” The Chinese man answered in broken English, “Work hard, hauley wood.” There he sat in a wagon full of wood being hauled to town. And that is how the “Entertainment Capital of the World” got its name!
The area is now home to the Kodak Theatre, Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, and the famous Magic Castle. It is an incredible journey back in time when Whitley was the only one who was singing, “Hoorah for Hollywood!” or should it have been "Hoorah for Hauling Wood"
Little-Known Facts about How Tinseltown Came to Be
First Hollywood movie filmed on Whitley Estate on October 26, 1911.
Of all the products of popular culture, none is more sharply etched in our imagination than the movies. Most Americans instantly recognize images produced by the movies: Harrison Ford, as Indiana Jones, as an adventurous archeologist in Radars of the Lost Ark. Sean Connery, the gun-toting James Bond in Gold Finger, and Carrie Fisher, the beautiful princess who is fighting the evil emperor in Star Wars. Even those who have never seen ET, Casablanca or Gone With the Wind respond instantly to the advertisements, parodies, and TV skits that use these films' dialogue, images, and characters. So when was the first Hollywood movie filmed?
According to Hollywood myth, the first film made there was produced Cecil B DeMille's The Squaw Man in 1914, after the director decided not to alight in a snowbound Flagstaff, Arizona, but to proceed to Los Angeles. However, in 1911 a new exciting era of Hollywood was ushered in. The motion picture industry already had several studios in the heart of Los Angeles. The movie In the Sultan’s Power was produced in 1908 by Colonel Selig. It was the first full-length motion picture shot in an old mansion at Eighth and Olive.
The motion picture industry did not come to Hollywood until HJ Whitley, The Father of Hollywood, spent over fifteen years and millions of dollars developing and beautifying the area. Considering how strenuously others urged producers and directors to settle in a number of other excellent sites, it is amazing that one man could convince the majority of them to settle in Hollywood. The first Hollywood motion picture taken by a Hollywood film company was taken on October 26, 1911. Although the movie never really had a name, it was a true piece of Hollywood’s history. The Whitley home was used as its set. The movie was filmed in the middle of their groves. The motion picture was directed by David and William Horsley and Al Christe. HJ was fortunate to meet the Horsley brothers as they were touring Hollywood and suggested that they might be able to lease the Blondeau Tavern on Sunset and Gower. He felt sure that it could easily be converted into a movie studio. In the fall of 1911, the Nestor Motion Picture Company opened the first motion picture studio in Hollywood in the Blondeau Tavern. In May 1912, the Universal Film Company was formed and David Horsley and other small studios merged, each accepting shares in Universal as payment for their business. HJ realized at once that he had found a rare, untapped jewel that would make his town stand out from others. The rules of the game he now played were simple, much like the game of marbles he played when he was a child. The games would last several minutes, and the best player would leave with all the jewels. In this new game, the jewels were movie producers and directors. Others would try; but HJ possessed a decisive edge, a mystical power that drew people to him. HJ’s charm disarmed strangers and made them instant friends. He was a friend to everyone, one who would cheer you on when you were successful and who would support you when the going got rough. It was difficult to explain just how HJ created these bonds. After knowing HJ for just a few hours, it was like you knew him all your life; and you knew you would be friends forever. HJ stood out from others because of the levels of concern and service he offered.
David Horsley was walking down Hollywood Boulevard near the Hollywood Hotel and looking a little lost and confused when a pleasant, well-dressed gentleman appeared and asked if he could help. David told HJ what he was looking for. HJ not only pointed him in the right direction; he escorted him all the way down the street to his destination. David asked him his name and occupation. To David’s surprise, he introduced himself as the developer of Hollywood. “I built the bank and hotel at the corner of Highland and Hollywood Boulevard.”
When HJ spoke, his face lit up with an inward fire. He was transfigured. As the conversation wore on, an instant friendship developed. HJ even offered David the use of his elaborate gardens for filming. HJ was thrilled with the idea that this young, budding filmmaker would soon be opening a studio that would enhance the face of Hollywood.
Horsley’s studio achieved great success; and soon, many other studios were drawn to the area. HJ convinced David to purchase three lots: 3639 Whitley Heights, 3737 North Heights, and 4546 Whitley Heights Park Tract. He never lost a chance to make a sale. Hollywood began to grow by leaps and bounds, attracting many others to its famous hills.
The Hollywood Hotel which HJ Whitley built played an enormous role in placing Hollywood on the world map. Industry giants, such as Jesse Lasky, Carl Laemmle, Louis B. Mayer, Harry Warner, and Irving Thalberg would stay at the hotel. Producers, directors, and writers held conferences on its broad verandahs. There was a continuous flow of silver screen stars arriving daily.
Many of the famous silent screen movie idols made it their home. They were a lively bunch who attended dances held every Thursday night in the ballroom. Rudolph Valentino taught tango lessons to an influential studio executive, June Mathis, who later offered him the lead in Metro’s The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. The movie was a commercial and critical success and the beginning of Valentino’s career as a star. The Hollywood Hotel gained celebrity status when Valentino impulsively married actress Jean Aker in the lobby days after meeting her there. Rudolph Valentino lived in room 264.
Where there were stars, there was gossip about their adventures. It was considered the place to be seen, and many business deals were transacted in its rooms. HJ made a suggestion to movie mogul Joe Schenck to put his entire company, including his movie star wife, Norma Talmadge, at the hotel while moving his studio from New York to Hollywood. Many years later, Norma would be their neighbor in Whitley Heights. HJ and Gigi (his wife) became friends with other notable stars that stayed at the hotel. The hotel register listed Charlie Chaplin, Norma Shearer, Douglas Fairbanks, Fatty Arbuckle, Lillian and Dorothy Gish, King Vidor, Lon Chaney, Carrie Jacobs Bond, Blanche Sweet, Mary Pickford, Lionel Barrymore, Buster Keaton, and countless others. As a thank-you to their faithful patrons, the hotel painted stars on the ceiling of the dining room with the actors’ names inside them. That way it was easy to identify which table belonged to which star. When the hotel was demolished in the 1950s the Hollywood Chamber decided to continue the tradition with the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Silent film stars danced and romanced in the hotel’s Dining Room of the Stars. As Hollywood grew, the hotel had a continuous flow of silent screen movie stars making it their home. Many ordinary citizens would stay at the Hollywood, hoping to get a glimpse or an autograph of their favorite star.
The Cahuenga Pass also played its part by offering a route through the hills to the Valley. It had originally been a simple, winding trail over which cattle had been driven. In 1909 H J Whitley headed a land syndicate that purchase 48,000acreas to develop the San Fernando Valley. In 1911, the tracks to the Red Car were laid. When the San Fernando Valley became a center for the movie studios, the pass was the main link between it and Hollywood. For the biggest stars in Hollywood, there were mansions. The hills of Hollywood were filled with directors, producers, writers, stars, HJ and Gigi’s close friends. But the crews and struggling extras that stood in line daily, hoping to get picked for parts, needed less expensive places to live. HJ saw that the Valley offered such a spot. Soon, thousands of hopeful young men and women came to California seeking fame and fortune in the motion picture industry.
Not long after Nestor Company opened in Hollywood Cecil B. DeMille and D. W. Griffith began making movies in Hollywood. They had been drawn to the community by HJ Whitley marketing campaigns. By the early 1920s, Hollywood had become the world's film capital. It produced nearly all films shown in the United States and collected 80 percent of the revenue from films shown abroad. During the '20s, Hollywood strengthened its position as world leader by recruiting many of Europe's most talented actors and actors, like Greta Garbo, Rudolph Valentino, Marlene Dietrich, Charles Boyer and Hedy Lamarr, directors like Ernst Lubitsch and Alford Hitchcock, as well as camera operators, lighting technicians, and set designers. Silent cinema defined a new art form in the comedies of Chaplin, Keaton and Lloyd and the psychological dramas of Erich von Stroheim and King Vidor.. They joined a homegrown supply of actors — lured west from the New York City. By the end of the decade, Hollywood was the nation's fifth largest industry, attracting 83 cents out of every dollar Americans spent on amusement. The studios that made the first silent classics in Hollywood would continue to grow for the next century and become the giants of today. Warner Brothers Pictures incorporated in 1923. In 1924, MGM, Columbia Pictures and MCA were founded. In 1926, Famous Players-Lasky Corporation spent $1 million on United Studios' property where Paramount Pictures have been located since 1935. Want to learn more about Hollywood visit www.TheFatherOfHollywood.com. Just imagine on October 26, 2011 we will be celebrating the 100th anniversary of the first film produced in Hollywood. Also may you could help get the word out to nominate H J Whitley, The Father of Hollywood into the California Hall of Fame. See the link
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is an internationally-recognized Hollywood icon. With about 24 induction ceremonies annually broadcast around the world, the constant reinforcement provided to the public has made the Walk of Fame a top visitor attraction. The Hollywood Walk of Fame is undoubtedly one of the most successful marketing ideas ever produced.
Accomplishments: Whitley was the “Father of Hollywood.” He was able to convince the majority of producers, directors and actors to settle in Hollywood forever branding it as the film capital of the world.
Lasting Contribution: Made Hollywood the film capital of the world.
Inspiration: He never forgot a favor; nor did he fail to note a kindness. His prime directives were to always do what he felt was right and to keep his word.
Just cut and paste the answers into the entry form at the California Museum Hall of Fame entry form. Thanks for your support.
CA Hall of Fame Candidate Information Nominee's Name : Hobart Johnstone Whitley (HJ Whitley)
Accomplishments: H J Whitley was one of the nation's most successful land developers, founding over 140 towns during his lifetime. Elected to the Board of Directors of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad he built over 100 towns along the railroads right of way. In 1886, he honeymooned in southern California and while on a horseback ride in the country meant a man hauling wood down a winding trail. When he asked the man what he was doing the Chinese man replied in broken English, "haully wood." HJ took a shine to the hilltop that had views to the ocean and shook hands with the owner of the property to option the purchase of 480 acres which he called Hollywood. Returning east, he established towns for the Northern Pacific. Whitley opened his personal bank in the Dakotas and unarmed, fought off a group of bandits intending to rob the bank. In 1886, Theodore Roosevelt spoke at the bank during the Fourth of July celebrations. Whitley and Roosevelt and Roosevelt became good friends. Roosevelt taught HJ wife Gigi to shoot at his ranch and HJ accompanied Roosevelt on the cattle roundup that fall. With the opening of the Oklahoma Territory in 1889 Whitley staked out land which soon became Guthrie, the future capital of the state. Asked to be Governor, Whitley refused. However, he was instrumental in the development of laws for the new state and was President of the Chamber of Commerce. Returning to California, he built his home at 839 South Flower Street and opened a jewelry store at 111 North Spring. The business became the largest diamond merchant in the west, “Tiffany’s only rival.” In 1889, he finalized the purchase of the 480 acres of the Hurd Ranch north of Prospect Boulevard, now Hollywood Boulevard, between La Brea and Cahuenga. The area called Whitley Heights is north of Franklin and east of Highland, overlooking the Cahuenga Valley. His home was located at 6643 Whitley Terrace on a lot he and his bride had chosen on their honeymoon years earlier. For the opening of Whitley Heights, he planted 10,000 trees and shrubs and invited 1,000 people to a barbeque. He has ever since been called the “Father of Hollywood.” In 1900, he formed the Los Angeles-Pacific Boulevard and Development Company assuming the position of President. In 1902 the company developed the Ocean View Tract, started the Hollywood National Bank, and built the Hollywood Hotel on a strawberry patch fronting a block at Hollywood Boulevard at Highland. He also convinced General Moses Sherman and Eli Clark to extend their trolley line to Whitley Heights. As president of a syndicate he promoted the construction of Sunset Boulevard from downtown to the sea, which opened in 1904. While president of a land and a loan company, he purchased 32,000 acres in the San Joaquin and started development of Corcoran, California. On one of his trips to Egypt, he brought back seeds of the coveted Egyptian long-staple cotton to plant on his lands in California. This was the beginning of the cotton industry in California. In 1920, with members of the Board of Control, the Los Angeles Suburban Home Company purchased 47,500 acres of the San Fernando Valley. Whitley was the General Manager in charge of development. On opening day of the first subdivision, the company hired the telephone company to call every subscriber in Southern California to invite them to a barbeque at the Patton Ranch, a 10,000 acre property which was the headquarters of the American Beet Company, the largest single field in the world, 10 miles long. Whitley was the father of telemarketing. Whitley built a 10,000 square foot villa in Van Nuys as a second home. He was an officer in five valley banks and was directly responsible for the establishment of the cities known as Van Nuys, Reseda and Canoga Park. As the motion picture industry began to grown in Southern California, Whitley Heights became the preferred home of its stars and producers. Included among the residents of the Heights were Jean Harlow, Ethel Barrymore, Charlie Chaplin, Marion Davies, W. C. Fields, Harold Lloyd, Rudolph Valentino, and latter Tyrone Powers, Bette Davis, Norma Shear, Maurice Chevalier, William Faulkner and Wallace Berry. It is amazing how Whitley attracted all of them to one town Hollywood. The first motion picture shot in Hollywood was filmed on October 26,1911 on the Whitley estate. Whitley also bought the 30,000 acre Sacramento Ranch and the 18,000 acre Estrella Ranch near Paso Robles and started the town of Whitley Gardens. He was also part owner of the Tejon Ranch. He supervised construction of the Ridge-Route connecting Southern and Northern California and kept the state from splitting and becoming two States. Whitley died at the age of 83 in 1931. Whitley Heights is on the National Registry of Historic Places. His obituary in the New York Times called him “The Great Developer” and the “Father of Hollywood.
Lasting Contributions
Whitley was the “Father of Hollywood.” He was able to convince the majority of producers, directors and actors to settle in Hollywood forever branding it as the film capital of the world. First movie filmed in Hollywood filmed on Whitley Estate October 26,1911. Whitley built Sunset Boulevard. Whitley had the first electric lit sign in Hollywood and came up with the idea for the Hollywoodland sign. Whitley built the towns of Hollywood, Reseda, Canoga Park, Van Nuys, Corcoran and 100 others. Whitley brought the cotton industry to California. Whitley received funding for the Ridge Route which included $10,000 of his own money and supervised its construction causing California to remain one state rather than splitting into two states. Whitley was the first developer to do hillside development and changed California architecture from Victorian to Mediterranean style. Whitley invented telemarketing. Whitley brought electricity to Hollywood and had the first electrified house on his estate. Whitley was environmentally conscious and planted over 10,000 trees in Hollywood. Whitley brought rapid transit to Southern California by offering the Pacific Electric the right of way to lands in Hollywood and the San Fernando Valley. Whitley had built the Hollywood Hotel. The stars in the ceiling of the Hollywood Hotel that marked the table of certain movie stars had historic value and needed to be preserved. When the Hotel was scheduled to be torn down a member of the Chamber of Commerce conceived the Walk of Fame from this idea.
Inspiration: Whitley loved his family, community and his nation. He never forgot a favor; nor did he fail to note a kindness. His prime directives were to always do what he felt was right and to keep his word. He was willing and able to help others. He often told others “that those who say they can and those that say they cannot are both right. Words are the most powerful things in the universe. The words you say will either put you over of hold you in bondage. There is a creative force within you. Learn to use it wisely.” Whitley taught others that success does not go to those with “luck”, rather, success is 99% hard work and perhaps, 1% luck. Whitley believed making a positive difference in the lives of others is what life is all about. Perhaps Whitley’s most inspirational attribute was that although he faced many heart-breaking tragedies as a young man he was able to overcome them and become a successful man who in the process was able to inspire others to keep striving for their own dreams.
Of all the products of popular culture, none is more sharply etched in our imagination than the movies. Most Americans instantly recognize images produced by the movies: Harrison Ford, as Indiana Jones, as an adventurous archeologist in “Raiders of the Lost Ark”. Sean Connery, the gun-toting James Bond in “Goldfinger”, and Carrie Fisher, the beautiful princess who is fighting the evil emperor in “Star Wars”. Even those who have never seen “ET”, “Casablanca” or “Gone With the Wind” respond instantly to the advertisements, parodies, and TV skits that use these films’ dialogue, images, and characters. So when was the first Hollywood movie filmed?
According to Hollywood myth, the first film made there was produced Cecil B DeMille’s “The Squaw Man” in 1914, after the director decided not to alight in a snowbound Flagstaff, Arizona, but to proceed to Los Angeles. However, in 1911 a new exciting era of Hollywood was ushered in. The motion picture industry already had several studios in the heart of Los Angeles. The movie “In the Sultan’s Power” was produced in 1908 by Colonel Selig. It was the first full-length motion picture shot in an old mansion at Eighth and Olive.
The motion picture industry did not come to Hollywood until HJ Whitley, The Father of Hollywood, spent over fifteen years and millions of dollars developing and beautifying the area. Considering how strenuously others urged producers and directors to settle in a number of other excellent sites, it is amazing that one man could convince the majority of them to settle in Hollywood. The first Hollywood motion picture taken by a Hollywood film company was taken on October 26, 1911. Although the movie never really had a name, it was a true piece of Hollywood’s history. The Whitley home was used as its set. The movie was filmed in the middle of their groves. The motion picture was directed by David and William Horsley and Al Christe. HJ was fortunate to meet the Horsley brothers as they were touring Hollywood and suggested that they might be able to lease the Blondeau Tavern on Sunset and Gower. He felt sure that it could easily be converted into a movie studio.
In the fall of 1911, the Nestor Motion Picture Company opened the first motion picture studio in Hollywood in the Blondeau Tavern. In May 1912, the Universal Film Company was formed and David Horsley and other small studios merged, each accepting shares in Universal as payment for their business.
HJ realized at once that he had found a rare, untapped jewel that would make his town stand out from others. The rules of the game he now played were simple, much like the game of marbles he played when he was a child. The games would last several minutes, and the best player would leave with all the jewels. In this new game, the jewels were movie producers and directors. Others would try; but HJ possessed a decisive edge, a mystical power that drew people to him. HJ’s charm disarmed strangers and made them instant friends. He was a friend to everyone, one who would cheer you on when you were successful and who would support you when the going got rough. It was difficult to explain just how HJ created these bonds. After knowing HJ for just a few hours, it was like you knew him all your life; and you knew you would be friends forever. HJ stood out from others because of the levels of concern and service he offered.
David Horsley was walking down Hollywood Boulevard near the Hollywood Hotel and looking a little lost and confused when a pleasant, well-dressed gentleman appeared and asked if he could help. David told HJ what he was looking for. HJ not only pointed him in the right direction; he escorted him all the way down the street to his destination. David asked him his name and occupation. To David’s surprise, he introduced himself as the developer of Hollywood.
“I built the bank and hotel at the corner of Highland and Hollywood Boulevard.”
When HJ spoke, his face lit up with an inward fire. He was transfigured. As the conversation wore on, an instant friendship developed. HJ even offered David the use of his elaborate gardens for filming. HJ was thrilled with the idea that this young, budding filmmaker would soon be opening a studio that would enhance the face of Hollywood.
Horsley’s studio achieved great success; and soon, many other studios were drawn to the area. HJ convinced David to purchase three lots: 3639 Whitley Heights, 3737 North Heights, and 4546 Whitley Heights Park Tract. He never lost a chance to make a sale. Hollywood began to grow by leaps and bounds, attracting many others to its famous hills.
The Hollywood Hotel which HJ Whitley built played an enormous role in placing Hollywood on the world map. Industry giants, such as Jesse Lasky, Carl Laemmle, Louis B. Mayer, Harry Warner, and Irving Thalberg would stay at the hotel. Producers, directors, and writers held conferences on its broad verandahs. There was a continuous flow of silver screen stars arriving daily.
Many of the famous silent screen movie idols made it their home. They were a lively bunch who attended dances held every Thursday night in the ballroom. Rudolph Valentino taught tango lessons to an influential studio executive, June Mathis, who later offered him the lead in Metro’s The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. The movie was a commercial and critical success and the beginning of Valentino’s career as a star. The Hollywood Hotel gained celebrity status when Valentino impulsively married actress Jean Aker in the lobby days after meeting her there. Rudolph Valentino lived in room 264.
Where there were stars, there was gossip about their adventures. It was considered the place to be seen, and many business deals were transacted in its rooms. HJ made a suggestion to movie mogul Joe Schenck to put his entire company, including his movie star wife, Norma Talmadge, at the hotel while moving his studio from New York to Hollywood. Many years later, Norma would be their neighbor in Whitley Heights. HJ and Gigi (his wife) became friends with other notable stars that stayed at the hotel. The hotel register listed Charlie Chaplin, Norma Shearer, Douglas Fairbanks, Fatty Arbuckle, Lillian and Dorothy Gish, King Vidor, Lon Chaney, Carrie Jacobs Bond, Blanche Sweet, Mary Pickford, Lionel Barrymore, Buster Keaton, and countless others. As a thank-you to their faithful patrons, the hotel painted stars on the ceiling of the dining room with the actors’ names inside them. That way it was easy to identify which table belonged to which star. When the hotel was demolished in the 1950s the Hollywood Chamber decided to continue the tradition with the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Silent film stars danced and romanced in the hotel’s Dining Room of the Stars. As Hollywood grew, the hotel had a continuous flow of silent screen movie stars making it their home. Many ordinary citizens would stay at the Hollywood, hoping to get a glimpse or an autograph of their favorite star.
The Cahuenga Pass also played its part by offering a route through the hills to the Valley. It had originally been a simple, winding trail over which cattle had been driven. In 1909 H J Whitley headed a land syndicate that purchase 48,000acreas to develop the San Fernando Valley. In 1911, the tracks to the Red Car were laid. When the San Fernando Valley became a center for the movie studios, the pass was the main link between it and Hollywood. For the biggest stars in Hollywood, there were mansions. The hills of Hollywood were filled with directors, producers, writers, stars, HJ and Gigi’s close friends. But the crews and struggling extras that stood in line daily, hoping to get picked for parts, needed less expensive places to live. HJ saw that the Valley offered such a spot. Soon, thousands of hopeful young men and women came to California seeking fame and fortune in the motion picture industry.
Not long after Nestor Company opened in Hollywood Cecil B. DeMille and D. W. Griffith began making movies in Hollywood. They had been drawn to the community by HJ Whitley marketing campaigns. By the early 1920s, Hollywood had become the world’s film capital. It produced nearly all films shown in the United States and collected 80 percent of the revenue from films shown abroad. During the ‘20s, Hollywood strengthened its position as world leader by recruiting many of Europe’s most talented actors and actresses, like Greta Garbo, Rudolph Valentino, Marlene Dietrich, Charles Boyer and Hedy Lamarr, directors like Ernst Lubitsch and Alfred Hitchcock, as well as camera operators, lighting technicians, and set designers. Silent cinema defined a new art form in the comedies of Chaplin, Keaton and Lloyd and the psychological dramas of Erich von Stroheim and King Vidor.. They joined a homegrown supply of actors — lured west from the New York City. By the end of the decade, Hollywood was the nation’s fifth largest industry, attracting 83 cents out of every dollar Americans spent on amusement.
The studios that made the first silent classics in Hollywood would continue to grow for the next century and become the giants of today. Warner Brothers Pictures incorporated in 1923. In 1924, MGM, Columbia Pictures and MCA were founded. In 1926, Famous Players-Lasky Corporation spent $1 million on United Studios’ property where Paramount Pictures have been located since 1935. Want to learn more about Hollywood visit www.TheFatherOfHollywood.com Just imagine on October 26, 2011 we will be celebrating the 100th anniversary of the first film produced in Hollywood.
Also maybe you could help get the word out to nominate H J Whitley, The Father of Hollywood into the California Hall of Fame. Link to California Museum Hall of Fame
I had always thought of goal setting as a discipline that made you work for what you wanted. Until I attended a business seminar on goal setting a few years ago, I never set goals. It was too much TROUBLE! Besides that, it made me feel guilty and pressured.
As I participated in this seminar, I did a list of the things that I wanted to see happen in the next year and even 5 years down the road. I did not work consciously towards the goals, but I had written them down 2 or 3 times. Imagine my surprise when I looked at my list 6 months later and had several of those goals!
What I began to realize was that I had planted a seed and it grew to fruition! The seed sprung up and I didn’t know how it happened. My spirit received the desire that I set to achieve and sought the means of fulfillment. The goals that I wrote down set the course.
My previous experience with setting goals felt like work…write it down and work like crazy to make it happen. Not only that, but make it happen in a certain period of time! Imagine if we planted a garden that way. Plant the seed and stay with it constantly, watering, checking, digging it up to see how it is doing every day. More often than not, this is how we think it works.
HJ Whitley followed a different philosophy. From him I learned something new that seemed to work better. I now realized that if a person planted a seed and basically forgot about it or at least goes about business and doesn’t worry about it something miraculous happens. The seed has the power to spring forth after being planted in the warmth of the soil. It doesn’t matter if the seed planter knows how this all works or not. Likewise, when you write down a desire you have, you do not need to know how it will happen. Just like the seed, the desire when planted on paper or spoken with your mouth into your heart, will grow up and manifest in your life. That is how HJ Whitley was able to start over 140 towns – a feat most men would never accomplish.
When I say “define your desires” you probably would go to a want list. I like to offer you a better option and one HJ Whitley used. Redefine your want list into principle ideas. Rather than “I want a job at _______, state I have a vocation that is fulfilling. Or I want support from my family and friends, is better stated, I feel supported emotionally. What is the difference? If you “want” something, you live in “want.” I encourage you to write down your desires, redefining them in a positive already accomplished manner.
Once you have made you list, redefined it into principles, ask yourself, “As I walk and live in these principles, where do I see myself in 1 year, then 5 years. Jot it down quickly without analyzing it. Do it again a week or two later without looking at the old list. Include business, family, spiritual, financial, personal (health and fitness) and fun for me goals. By doing so, you are setting your intent.
Having a love of animals, I once studied a course on dog training. This theory of training turned out to be more of a “people training”. It turns out there wasn’t much wrong with the dogs, they were only doing what their owners were subconsciously telling them to do. As the owners we were actually setting goals for them.
This is what goal setting can do for you. By writing your intent on paper, you are turning where you look and setting a place to go. Your spirit brings it to pass and you don’t know how. I hope you will write me and let me know the many goals you have now learn how to accomplish.
Dear Readers: I want to take this chance to ask all of you to submit questions for Book Group Discussion. I thank each and every one of you for your interest in my book and for submitting your questions so that I will know what additional information you would like to know about the Whitley Family.
I hope the questions will cover an entire spectrum of topics. Although it may not feasible to answer every question, I will sift through them and select the most recurring ones.. And again, let me say a heartfelt thanks for your interest, support, and continued encouragement. It means the world to me.
That’s it for now. As ever, I thank you for visiting this site and for all of your support.
Until next time. Gaelyn Whitley Keith
P.S. Books that I am currently reading/looking forward to reading: The Time Traveler’s Wife Audrey Niffenegger; The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows and Julie and Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously by Julie Powell.
Congratulations to Abi of Guthrie Oklahoma who won 3rd place in regional competition for her topic: H.J. Whitley. I'm very excited for her and I wanted to thank her for spreading the word about the Whitley family's amazing saga.
Who would you like to see play the leading role in "The Father Of Hollywood" movie? I have added a quick video to give you some suggestions. Hope you enjoy it.
HI...IT'S BEEN AWHILE SINCE I'VE TALKED TO SOME OF YOU...I WANTED TO SHARE THIS BEAUTIFUL TECHNIQUE OF FAMOUS FACES WITH YOU AS A SMALL CHRISTMAS GIFT IN APPRECIATION OF ALL THE SUPPORT YOU HAVE GIVEN ME THIS YEAR. IT'S AMAZING HOW IT IS DONE. SIT BACK AND ENJOY !!! I HOPE YOUR HAVE A BLESSED DECEMBER.
Do you have a secret—something hidden deep down struggling to get out? I did. It's something that has been dwelling beneath the surface for more than one hundred years. It's something I promised my mother I would tell the world about. At last the truth needs to be revealed.
Don't miss your chance to find out the true story of the founding of Hollywood. Discover what happens when passion, romance, and business come together in this amazing true heartwarming saga. Or give it as a special gift this Christmas to a dear friend. There's nothing quite like the pleasure of a good book, is there? The Father of Hollywood by Gaelyn Whitley Keith is now on sale at Amazon.com.
It’s a wonderful life! Gaelyn Whitley Keith www.TheFatherOfHollywood.com
People often ask me, "How did you find the time to write "The Father Of Hollywood" when you were working? What motivated you to keep going?
For most of the six years that I worked on the true story of the founding of Hollywood I had a full-time job as a Realtor that often kept me busy in the evenings and on weekends. As a result, I plodded along ever so slowly on my book. There were many who thought I was foolishly hopeful. One never knows if publication awaits, or merely the desk drawer.
One reason I persevered is that I knew that vital history would be lost forever if I did not complete the project. It occurred to me that no where else in the world could you find the true history about the founding of Hollywood. Over the years many had tried to take credit for events they played little or no part in.
I was surprisingly motivated while visiting the Dickens House in London. This is where Dickens lived for a couple of years as a young man and wrote Oliver Twist. I was struck by how faithfully he managed to produce his work. He's the perfect example of grinding out words on a schedule, but what words and what stories.
As a writer I have experienced bad days and bad months. But I think the most important thing for any creative person is to set aside time for the work, and then remove judgment about what happens when you're doing it. Creativity is a life long adventure.
What I have found over the years is my great-grandparents voices became more distinct and alive to me. That's what made me want to rush back to complete the saga. The book is a love story in which many of life's lesson are learned.
Over the last year, I have traveled across the country and met with readers like you, who showed up to hear me speak about The Father of Hollywood. I have received countless letters and e-mails in support of The Father Of Hollywood, and have always been moved by how passionately readers continue to embrace my first historic memoir. In my encounters with readers--be it in person, or by letter/e-mail--I've answered every imaginable question. But one that kept coming up -and one for which I still do not have an answer is "When is the next book coming out?"
