Silents on the Islands: Silent Movies on the Channel Islands

Hundreds of silent movies were filmed on the idyllic islands of California starring luminaries such as Gloria Swanson, Rudolph Valentino, Douglas Fairbanks, Buster Keaton, Oliver Hardy, Stan Laurel, and many more.

Daring actors and actresses jumped off cliffs, battled pirates, swam with sharks, thwarted evildoers, and rescued mermaids. The earliest films were five- or ten-minutes long and filmed on the beaches. Island movies later grew into million-dollar features with casts of thousands.

Join local author and hisotrian Betsy J. Green for a talk on her latest book, Silents on the Islands: Silent movies filmed on California’s Channel Islands.

Prisoner's Harbor, Santa Cruz Island, c. 1910

Silents on the Islands: Silent movies filmed on California’s Channel Islands is the third book in Green's silent-movie series. The others are: Movies & Million-Dollar Mansions: Silent movies made in Montecito, CA; and Behind the Scenes at the “Flying A”: The highlights, hijinks, and hazards! of silent-era filming in Santa Barbara.

About the Speaker

Betsy J. Green began her writing career while working as an editor at Reader’s Digest and World Book Encyclopedia before switching to freelance writing and publishing. She is the author of 10 history books, and also writes The Great House Detective column for the Santa Barbara Independent.

Host or Publisher Santa Barbara Historical Museum