New Book on Silent Movies in Santa Barbara

Author and historian Betsy J. Green became hooked on silent movies when she was working on her series of books known as the “Way Back When” series, which focus on life in Santa Barbara during the early twentieth century, specifically in the “19teens”. Betsy says she combed the Santa Barbara newspaper archives from that time period day by day, looking for interesting topics. The deeper she got into her research, the more that articles about The Flying A studios captured her attention. She also noted which movies were playing in the theaters at the time, and tried to watch them online. They were all silent films, since ‘talkies’ didn’t debut until the late twenties. “Silent movies are a fun way to learn about history – how people dressed, what their homes were like, transportation, people’s attitudes, etc. For me, silent movies are a form of time travel,” Betsy shared.

This love of silent films turned into plans for a trilogy of books on the subject. Last year, Betsy released “Movies & Million-Dollar Mansions, Silent Movies made in Montecito, CA” and earlier this month, she released the second book in the series: “Behind the Scenes at the “Flying A”; the highlights, hijinks, and hazards of silent-era filming in Santa Barbara.”

“Behind the Scenes…” contains more than 300 photos of actors, actresses, and scenes from the movies, and includes dozens of vintage movie cartoons to color or just enjoy. Most of the stories focus on the Flying A Studios, which were located here in Santa Barbara, while a few of the tales involve Hollywood studios that filmed here locally.

When asked about her love for silent movies, Betsy explains, “I’m a very visual person, so I don’t really miss the dialogue. Of course, most silent movies had subtitles (intertitles). I also enjoy seeing how the acting styles changed over the years. In the earliest silent movies, actors used very broad gestures that they had used in live theaters so that audience members sitting in the last row could see them. As time went on and the camera moved closer to the actors, the gestures and expressions became more natural. As the years progressed, the movies became longer and had more elaborate plots. The earlier movies always showed an actor from head to foot. Later on, closeups of the face or hands were added.”

Betsy plans to release the third book in the series next summer, about silent movies filmed on the Channel Islands. She is the author of the Great House Detective column in the Santa Barbara Independent real estate section, and a frequent lecturer on houses and history.

Signed copies of the book are available at local bookstores, and unsigned copies are available on amazon.com. To learn more or to contact Betsy, visit betsyjgreen.com 

REALTORS®: Share your industry info in “REAL ESTATE SCOOP.” Email sarah@independent.com for details.