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237:. 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
123:
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
114:
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
55:
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.
323:, 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.
304:. 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.
144:
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.
299:
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,
264:, 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.
213:
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
115:
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.
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127:
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
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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
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453:
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in 1920. American audiences had grown more sophisticated, yet
Michelena Studios was still employing their earlier production techniques. After shooting
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351:
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180:'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
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1930; Census Place: San Rafael, Marin, California; Roll: 176; Page: 10A; Enumeration District: 0020; Image: 981.0; FHL microfilm: 2339911.
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The movie saw limited nationwide distribution and was judged a hit by viewers who were impressed by the wild California scenery: giant
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was not done by January 1916, and CMPC president Herbert Payne shut the film company down and filed for bankruptcy.
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were made of each scene. A second $ 700 camera provided a third reel of the same scene, from another perspective.
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movie camera, worth about $ 37,600 in current value. The camera held two reels of film so that two
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492:
Anne T. Kent California Room – Sun Valley, San Rafael, Once Home to Early Motion Picture Studio
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141:
44:
700:
574:"Marriage Comes as Sequel to Romance of School Days: George E. Middleton Weds Miss Michelena"
34:
536:
188:
60:
614:"Salomy's last dance: A flashback to Marin's century-old quest for cinematic superstardom"
8:
96:
693:"The Lily of Poverty Flat: A Visit to Mimic Pioneer Village Where Movies Are Being Made"
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176:, screened initially at the St. Francis Hotel by invitation only. Michelena's role was
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which was in production in 1915 was given until the end of the year to be completed.
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Michelena's dominant portrayal of the title role was also an appeal. Journalist
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233:, where Middleton's father had established a timber holding now known as the
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has a digital collection related to the studio. Their productions included
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30:
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209:"Daughter of a renowned tenor of San Francisco's pioneer days, herself a
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Defunct film and television production companies of the United States
488:"Sun Valley, San Rafael, Once Home to Early Motion Picture Studio"
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140:. Middleton set up the California Motion Picture Company in
568:
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564:
158:, Michelena posed for a publicity still with leading man
284:
all failed to turn a profit, and a lavish production of
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One CMPC shooting location was on family property near
91:was one of the actors who worked for the studio.
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637:
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457:(1920) a Beatriz Michelena Features production
678:(Obituary for brother of George E. Middleton)
191:, winding roads hugging rocky bluffs and the
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599:
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520:"Moving Picture World and View Photographer"
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421:(1916), advertized as an adaptation of an
311:, was unable to find the right market for
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691:Leonard, James P. (February 16, 1915).
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199:wrote of her in the June 1915 issue of
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222:Michelena and actor Andrew Robson in
111:also directed films for the company.
41:California Motion Picture Corporation
738:Cinema of the San Francisco Bay Area
526:
124:in Los Angeles for their honeymoon.
612:Walsh, Jason (September 26, 2008).
99:was a director with the studio and
13:
307:The moviemakers' new distributor,
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370:Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch
72:Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch
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132:'s estate who had rebuilt the
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643:McCracken, Josephine Clifford
616:. Pacific Sun. Archived from
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672:"William H. Middleton, 82".
647:"Bret Harte in "The Movies""
197:Josephine Clifford McCracken
43:was a film company based in
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461:
10:
759:
580:. March 4, 1907. p. 7
555:"The Moving Picture World"
541:contentdm.marinlibrary.org
282:The Rose of the Misty Pool
118:
95:survives in its entirety.
674:Marin Independent Journal
231:Boulder Creek, California
468:List of World Film films
410:A Phyllis of the Sierras
378:The Lily of Poverty Flat
274:A Phyllis of the Sierras
270:The Lily of Poverty Flat
224:The Lily of Poverty Flat
138:1906 earthquake and fire
152:During the shooting of
578:The San Francisco Call
402:The Rose of Misty Pool
356:
342:
226:
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170:completed by CMPC was
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45:San Rafael, California
37:
697:Santa Cruz Daily Surf
454:The Flame of Hellgate
348:
334:
321:The Flame of Hellgate
317:The Flame of Hellgate
221:
207:
151:
22:
16:American film company
296:was never released.
61:Marin County Library
446:Who's Your Servant?
430:The Woman Who Dared
103:a leading actress.
97:George E. Middleton
84:Who's Your Servant?
26:Who's Your Servant?
653:. pp. 487–497
506:"AFI|Catalog"
423:Edwin Milton Royle
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343:
227:
164:
38:
243:Bell & Howell
134:St. Francis Hotel
101:Beatriz Michelena
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703:on June 26, 2010
699:. Archived from
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651:Overland Monthly
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438:Heart of Juanita
352:Heart of Juanita
313:Heart of Juanita
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202:Overland Monthly
105:Harold Entwistle
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676:. May 29, 1962.
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235:Middleton Tract
130:Charles Crocker
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394:Salvation Nell
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309:Robertson-Cole
278:Salvation Nell
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89:Frank Erlanger
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645:(June 1915).
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620:on 2011-07-19
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418:Unwritten Law
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262:Mary Pickford
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705:. Retrieved
701:the original
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673:
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655:. Retrieved
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622:. Retrieved
618:the original
584:November 30,
582:. Retrieved
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252:Even though
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182:House Peters
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160:House Peters
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109:William Nigh
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82:
81:(1915), and
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70:
64:
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49:Marin County
40:
39:
31:Yukio Aoyama
29:(1920) with
24:
537:"CONTENTdm"
362:Salomy Jane
349:Still from
335:Poster for
327:Filmography
254:Salomy Jane
211:prima donna
173:Salomy Jane
155:Salomy Jane
93:Salomy Jane
66:Salomy Jane
53:silent film
51:during the
35:Lois Wilson
23:Still from
732:Categories
474:References
302:Just Squaw
258:movie star
178:Bret Harte
166:The first
142:San Rafael
136:after the
707:April 14,
657:April 13,
624:April 13,
247:negatives
462:See also
87:(1920).
75:(1914),
69:(1914),
557:. 1914.
522:. 1916.
214:grace."
168:feature
119:History
449:(1920)
441:(1919)
433:(1916)
413:(1915)
405:(1915)
397:(1915)
389:(1915)
386:Mignon
381:(1915)
373:(1914)
365:(1914)
355:(1919)
341:(1916)
266:Mignon
241:1,250
78:Mignon
294:Faust
290:Faust
286:Faust
47:, in
709:2010
659:2010
626:2010
586:2010
425:play
315:and
280:and
239:US$
107:and
59:The
33:and
184:.
734::
695:.
683:^
649:.
634:^
594:^
576:.
563:^
539:.
528:^
490:.
276:,
272:,
268:,
260:,
205::
711:.
661:.
628:.
588:.
543:.
508:.
494:.
162:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
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