Jacksonville and The Movies
E
veryone is familiar with the three words
In 1914, Oliver “Babe” Hardy, later of the comedic film duo Laurel & Hardy, began his motion-picture career in Jacksonville.
with luxury resorts and high-rise buildings.
that signal the start of the filming of a
In 1914, Oliver “Babe” Hardy, later of the
movie. But what you may not know is
comedic film duo Laurel & Hardy, began his
that these words were heard over and
motion-picture career in Jacksonville. Silent-film
over again in the early 1900s in none other
stars such as Rudolph Valentino, Lionel and
than the City of Jacksonville, Florida. Production
Ethel Barrymore and, by some accounts, Mary
studios were built in a day, silent-film stars could
Pickford, also made their way to Jacksonville.
be seen strolling down Main Street, and crowds
In 1915, Theda Bara, a.k.a. “The Vamp,” filmed
would spontaneously gather in the street to
the movie A Fool There Was almost entirely in
and may be seen from the Arlington Expressway.
watch. Here’s how it all happened.
St. Augustine.
The studio buildings recently were added to the
That same year, Joseph Engel started Metro
National Register of Historic Places, largely due
Early Move to Jacksonville
Studio, later merging with another production
to the efforts of a local nonprofit group.3
In the first decade of the 20th century, the
company to become the now-famous studio
That group has been actively renovating the
nascent motion-picture industry was based
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). In 1917, the first
buildings in an effort to create a silent-film
primarily in New York City. Thomas Edison
feature-length movie made in Technicolor, The
museum and greater national recognition for the
owned most of the industry’s patents, while
Gulf Between, was filmed in Jacksonville. In total,
contributions Norman made to the industry.
Eastman Kodak owned the patent on raw stock
more than 300 silent films, mostly short, one-reel
film. In 1902, Edison began notifying distributors
movies, were made on the banks of the St. Johns
Demise as a Film Production Center
and exhibitors that they would be subject to
River over a 10-year period.
In the beginning, the political climate of
litigation if they did not use Edison machines and
Jacksonville favored the growing film industry.
Bringing Film to Segregated Audiences
After the Great Fire of 1901, Jacksonville eagerly
competitors, along with Eastman Kodak, reached an agreement known as the “Edison
Around the same time, Jacksonville also played
as a way to stimulate its economy. However,
Trust.” The Trust established a virtual monopoly
a crucial role in bringing the film industry to
for a variety of reasons, the film industry lost
on all aspects of filmmaking, including where
African-Americans. In 1920, the former Eagle
its original glamour and by 1915 it took the
films could be screened, the content of film
Studios and its five-building complex were sold
successful re-election of J.E.T. Bowden, who had
and methods of cost control, using federal law
to Norman Laboratories. Richard Norman, a
been mayor during the Great Fire, to see that the
enforcement officials and “thugs” to prevent any
producer of films from nearby Middleburg, made
film industry survived in Jacksonville for at least
unauthorized use.
the complex his creative center. Norman, who
another two years. Bowden was a big booster of
was white, had been bothered by the way black
the film industry and held election parties hosted
film historian and professor, “it was largely
movie actors always appeared in subservient
by Oliver Hardy.
against this background that independent
roles; he also saw an untapped market for
moviemakers began looking for a new location
segregated black audiences.
films exclusively. In 1908, Edison and his principal
1
According to Dr. Nadia Ramoutar, filmmaker,
to film.”2 As Dr. Ramoutar explains, the
sought to rebuild and embraced the film industry
But, by 1917, even Bowden could not save the industry in North Florida. As Dr. Ramoutar
Norman began to make movies that portrayed
explains, “Jacksonville’s relatively conservative
independents were “attracted to Jacksonville
black actors in a more positive light and utilized
residents had enough of the disruption of
with its warm climate, exotic locations, diverse
black crew in all aspects of production. Known
their daily lives by the never-ending film crews,
architecture, excellent rail access (the end of
as “race movies,” these African-American films
the number of swarthy individuals who took
the line at the time), local political support, and
continued to be made by Norman Studios
advantage of the less sophisticated citizens, and
cheaper labor.”
throughout the 1920s. One of those films,
the far too risqué nature of the filmmakers and
The Flying Ace, was shot in 1926 in both
their stars.
Kalem Studios was the first to open a permanent studio in 1908, and over 30 silent
Mayport and rural Arlington. Still in existence,
film companies followed within 10 years.
the film is archived at the Library of Congress.
Kalem produced 18 films during its first winter,
“For example, some filmmakers pulled fire alarms so they could capture speeding fire trucks
But Jacksonville’s silent-film production
on film. One advertised a parachute jump from
including Civil War yarns and numerous
eventually dwindled. Norman Studios lasted
a tall building so he could draw the large crowd
sensational stories about Florida “crackers”
almost 10 years more, but never made the
he needed. Another drove a car into the river,
drinking, killing and cheating. Jacksonville earned
transition to “talkies,” even though it touted
not letting on that it was just a movie. And on
the title of “The Winter Film Capital of the
the equipment to do so. The five buildings
Sundays, when everyone was at church and the
World” and became a thriving tourist destination
comprising Norman Studios are still standing
streets were empty, that’s when they could shoot
TRUST THE LEADERS | Summer 2015 | SGRLAW.com
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