In Old California

In Old California is a 1910 American silent Western film. It was the first film shot in Hollywood, California. It was directed by D. W. Griffith of the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company (then based in New York City). The film is a melodrama about the Mexican era of California. Background Director D. W. Griffith discovered the little village of Hollywood on his trips to California and decided to shoot there because of the beautiful scenery and friendly people. On May 6, 2004, a monument was erected at 1713 Vine Street, just north of Hollywood Boulevard. The monument was made by Hollywood Forever Cemetery, and the film which was once thought lost was screened at the Beverly Hills Film Festival. This was the first time the film had been seen by the public in 94 years. The film was scheduled for restoration, with the restored version to be premiered at a later date. For years the first film thought shot in Hollywood was Cecil B. DeMille's feature film The Squaw Man (1914), which does hold the record of first feature film made in Hollywood. The discovery of Griffith's film made it the first film of any length shot in Hollywood. Synopsis This story starts some time before Mexican independence was proclaimed in California, which occurred in 1822. Perdita Lergnello, the pretty Spanish senorita, is beloved by Jr. Manuella, a wealthy young Spaniard, who has migrated to the new world in search of adventure. A man of fine qualities, he surrenders his claim upon the girl when he finds out that her heart has been given to Pedro Cortes, a handsome troubadour from the village. Of a poetic temperament, she yields to his plea and marries him.