$18.29 sale price when purchased online
$24.95 list price
Target Online store #3991
About this item
Highlights
- "This absorbing tale, documenting the forgotten history of early moviemaking in St. Augustine, is a must-read for film enthusiasts.
- About the Author: Thomas Graham is professor emeritus of history at Flagler College.
- 216 Pages
- History, United States
Description
Book Synopsis
"This absorbing tale, documenting the forgotten history of early moviemaking in St. Augustine, is a must-read for film enthusiasts."-Janelle Blankenship, coeditor of European Visions: Small Cinemas in Transition "Very few people have any idea that St. Augustine played any role in early film history. This book brings St. Augustine into a much larger film conversation."-Christina Lane, author of Magnolia "This richly detailed book tells the story of early filmmakers' adventures in St. Augustine and captures the excitement of their moviemaking escapades."-Kathryn Fuller-Seeley, coauthor of One Thousand Nights at the Movies: An Illustrated History of Motion Pictures, 1895-1915 "Given that the great majority of these early films are now lost, Graham makes an important contribution to the study of Florida's image on film."-Jan-Christopher Horak, author of Saul Bass: Anatomy of Film Design "The 'reel' history of Florida and its contribution to the development of American film history has been left out of mainstream textbooks and accounts. Thomas Graham's book is a link in the chain of that history and an important addition to film scholarship."-Susan Doll, coauthor of Florida on Film: The Essential Guide to Sunshine State Cinema and Locations "Through entertaining stories of how St. Augustine lured studios and enriched filmmaking with Henry Flagler's railroad and architecture, Graham adds new detail to our understanding of the silent film era."-Rita Reagan, Norman Studios Silent Film Museum Before Hollywood, when America's rising motion picture industry was based on the East Coast, early film stars like Rudolph Valentino, Thomas Meighan, Ethel Barrymore, and Oliver Hardy made movies in St. Augustine, Florida. Silent Films in St. Augustine tells stories of the leading film producers and actors who escaped New York winters-and kept the studio doors open-in St. Augustine's sunshine and warm weather. Scenes for more than 120 films were made in St. Augustine from 1906 to 1926 by film companies including Thanhouser, Lubin, Éclair, Pathé, Edison, Vitagraph, and Paramount. The first feature-length Frankenstein movie, Life Without Soul, was partly shot in St. Augustine. Theda Bara became a "vamp" sensation for her role in A Fool There Was. Sidney Drew acted in the genderbending A Florida Enchantment. Noted directors Edwin S. Porter, Maurice Tourneur, and George Fitzmaurice also set up shop in the beach town. Filmmakers used St. Augustine's striking architecture to create backdrops for movies set in exotic foreign locales. The famous Castillo de San Marcos, the stone houses on the narrow streets, and Henry Flagler's Spanish Renaissance palace hotels were reimagined as Spain, Italy, France, Egypt, Arabia, South Africa, Brazil, and Hawaii. Residents of St. Augustine loved seeing film teams in action on their streets and would gather around the camera to watch the actors and marvel at the outlandish costumes. Cast as extras in larger productions, locals packed theater houses to catch a glimpse of themselves and their neighbors on the screen. Describing the lavish sets, theatrical action, and New York movie personalities that filled St. Augustine, Thomas Graham evokes an intensely creative time and place in the history of American moviemaking.Review Quotes
"This totally engaging, compact treatment of early U.S. film history is packed with information and a lot of fun."--Florida Weekly "Richly illustrate[s] film scenes and vivif[ies] bygone directors and actors. . . .[and] successfully contextualizes specific events within the history of the early film industry."--Journal of Southern History
"Before there was Hollywood, there was an incipient "First Hollywood" beginning at the end of the 19th century in Jacksonville FL, amply documented by Shawn Bean in his 2008 monograph, The First Hollywood: Florida and the Golden Age of Silent Filmmaking. But, St. Augustine, too, had an early crack at becoming America's film center when, in the first decade of the 20th century, films were made in Florida's oldest city. More than 120 films were produced in St. Augustine between 1906 and 1926 and many of Hollywood's famous silent film stars including Ethel Barrymore, Theda Bara, Sidney Drew, Evelyn Nesbitt, Norma Talmadge, Edith Story, Oliver Hardy, and scores of others made their early pictures there. Narrating the vicissitudes of the many film production companies and producers who set up shop in St. Augustine, Graham (emeritus, history, Flagler Coll., FL) elucidates a very important part of American moviemaking history. This slim volume includes a filmography of the films made in St. Augustine as well as a list of the actors who appeared in these movies. VERDICT This recommended title will be of interest to both specialists and general readers of American film history as well as those who want to know more about the history of Florida and St. Augustine."--Library Journal
About the Author
Thomas Graham is professor emeritus of history at Flagler College. He is the author of several books, including Mr. Flagler's St. Augustine.Dimensions (Overall): 9.1 Inches (H) x 6.1 Inches (W) x .9 Inches (D)
Weight: .95 Pounds
Suggested Age: 22 Years and Up
Sub-Genre: United States
Genre: History
Number of Pages: 216
Publisher: University Press of Florida
Theme: State & Local
Format: Hardcover
Author: Thomas Graham
Language: English
Street Date: September 5, 2017
TCIN: 1003272057
UPC: 9780813054537
Item Number (DPCI): 247-18-9206
Origin: Made in the USA or Imported
Shipping details
Estimated ship dimensions: 0.9 inches length x 6.1 inches width x 9.1 inches height
Estimated ship weight: 0.95 pounds
We regret that this item cannot be shipped to PO Boxes.
This item cannot be shipped to the following locations: American Samoa (see also separate entry under AS), Guam (see also separate entry under GU), Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico (see also separate entry under PR), United States Minor Outlying Islands, Virgin Islands, U.S., APO/FPO
Return details
This item can be returned to any Target store or Target.com.
This item must be returned within 90 days of the date it was purchased in store, shipped, delivered by a Shipt shopper, or made ready for pickup.
See the return policy for complete information.