For over 100 years, Los Angeles and Hollywood in particular, have been associated with the motion picture industry.
The pioneers of the silent era paved the way for the incredible development of today's movie makers. Yet there aren't many places in and around Los Angeles that pay tribute to these giants of early American cinema.
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WATCH HEREOne such location was dedicated in September of 2021. An alley in Hollywood, long neglected, that happened to be the place where three comedic stars of the silent films each practiced their craft. Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd each used different areas of the alley to shoot portions of what would become landmark films.
For Chaplin, "The Kid." For Keaton, "Cops." And, for Harold Lloyd, "Safety Last."
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SIGN UP So it was appropriate that descendants of these geniuses and others came together to mark the alleys' location with a sign and a plaque.
Also among those attending was John Bengtson, an author of three books about silent films (as well as "the great detective of silent film locations" - New York Times). It was John who was able to identify the alley in a number of silent films by matching unique architectural details. His blog and YouTube page (both listed below) offer a number of outstanding videos and articles showcasing silent era film locations and how they look today. It is a website you must visit if you are interested in the history of silent films in Los Angeles.
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Another place to learn about the early days of cinema in LA is the Hollywood Heritage Museum. Located on Highland Avenue, across from the Hollywood Bowl, the museum is usually open on weekends and offers exhibits of photographs, costumes, props, posters and more. It also has an incredible selection of books you can purchase. All of it is enclosed in the oldest existing motion picture production building in Hollywood.
Other locations connecting early 20th Century movie makers and the Los Angeles of today are the site of Buster Keaton's studio in Hollywood and the original Chaplin Studios on La Brea Avenue, which has an interesting connection to comedian Red Skelton and Vincennes University in Indiana.
So please, join our host Danielle Smith and learn more about the remnants of Hollywood's silent era.
