First Movie Shooting
Fer Dal Motion Picture Company Operates in City Today

The first movie shooting of the Fer Dal Motion Picture Company located in Santa Cruz was done this morning on the street before crowds of spectators. The members of the company who arrived from Universal City at Cherry Court are Miss Jean Taylor, Miss Laura Prather, Jack T. Jones, Clarence E. Hodge and J. Carleton Weatherby.

This morning the first click of the camera was taken in front of Jensen Bros. Garage and then in front of one of the oldest land marks in town, the Foster Blacksmith Shop. There were many notables to witness the operation, Mayor Howe and members of the Board of Directors of the Chamber of Commerce close by. In all the windows were crowds, Judge Knight and County Clerk Miller in the court room window, Judge Bias and others in the Leonard building, County Recorder Lindsay and deputies at her office and with the sheriff's window and those at the City Hall with other spectators.

Mr. Flanagan's racing car was used and the work of the scenario as he gave directions was watched with interest as were the highly made up and painted actors and actresses. They are giving the play, "The Tip." The car was receiving gasoline at the walk supply tank. Phoney money was given the garage keeper. A detective appears, accused the fellow of passing bad money, but he gives a plausible story and the garage man is thrown with force into an auto and taken in custody.

The next shot is of Jean Taylor, the leading lady, taken seated in an old wagon in front of Foster's shop. The third was a restaurant scene in front of Conklin's on Pacific Avenue. Another, a cigar store scene, was taken this afternoon in front of Rohan's.

It gave great entertainment to the people who were around the cameraman by the hundreds today. Yesterday many were out to the studio site at Laveaga Park, where men were digging wells for the water supply. The walls of their structures have been completed and the roofs would have been on them Saturday but for the rain. Twenty-four employees of the Fer Dal Company were paid their salaries at the Chamber of Commerce on Saturday, which was their first pay day in Santa Cruz."

Source: Santa Cruz Daily Surf , page 8
Date: 1916-03-06
Type: NEWS; DOCUMENT
Coverage: 1910s
Rights: Copyrighted by the Santa Cruz Daily Surf. Reproduced by permission.
Identifier: LN-1916-03-06-1067

Collection

Citation

“First Movie ShootingFer Dal Motion Picture Company Operates in City Today.” Santa Cruz Daily Surf , page 8. 1916-03-06. SCPL Local History. https://history.santacruzpl.org/omeka/items/show/134758. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.