The U.S. movie industry originated on the East Coast, but by 1915 it had moved to Los Angeles—especially Hollywood. The Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History has some movie memorabilia on display.
According to the Museum display:
“Early moviemakers cranked out their films, making them quickly and cheaply. Los Angeles had everything moviemakers needed: free lighting from abundant sunshine, varied landscapes that could stand in for any place in the world and railway access, including streetcars.”
Shown above is a Pathé camera from the 1910s. Pathé cameras were made in France and used to film more movies around the world than any other brand.
Société Pathé Frère (Pathé Brothers Company) was founded in Paris, France, in 1896 by four brothers. They soon became the largest film equipment company and film production company in the world. In the early twentieth century Pathé designed an improved studio camera and was making their own film stock. In 1908, they launched the news reel which was shown in theaters prior to the showing of the feature film.
Shown above is a studio process auto body from the 1930s.
According to the Museum display:
“Silent movies could be shot in noisy locations outdoors, but when ‘talkies’ were introduced in the late 1920s, filmmakers needed better sound control. They built sound stages and used rear-screen projection like this to simulate outdoor locations. For driving scenes, actors sat in a modified car while footage of passing scenery was shown behind them.”
Another view of the studio process auto body.
While the first animated short movie, Humorous Phases of Funny Faces, was released in 1906, the development of cel animation by Earl Hurd in 1914 revolutionized the animated film industry.
Shown above a display about animated films. This is Walt Disney’s animation stand and chair from 1923.
Walt Disney produced his first animated short, Little Red Riding Hood, in 1922. According to the Museum display:
“Walt Disney built this stand from an old packing crate and a second-hand Pathé camera. Animators held drawings in place and slowly moved them as the filmed the artwork to make cartoons.”
According to the Museum display:
“In 1928, Walt Disney (1901-1966) created the iconic character Mickey Mouse on this animation stand, and his early team of animators used the device when Disney’s company was just an obscure Hollywood startup.”
Mickey Mouse first appeared in the six-minute short Plane Crazy. In 1932, Disney won the first-every Academy Award for Animated Short Film with its full-color Flowers and Trees. In 1937, Disney produced the first full-length animated feature, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. This film was not only a box office success, it also won Disney an Honorary Academy Award.
Shown above is the dress worn to the 1965 Academy Awards Ceremony by Ann-Margret. This has been called one of the worst Oscar dresses of all time.
The first Academy Awards Ceremony was held in 1929 at a private dinner function. The actress Ann-Margaret is best known for her roles in Bye Bye Birdie (1963), Viva Las Vegas (1964), The Cincinnati Kid (1965), Carnal Knowledge (1971), Tommy (1975), Grumpy Old Men (1993), and Grumpier Old Men (1995).
