News from July 7th, 1907

With all the talk about today being July 7, 2007, I went back to July 7, 1907 to see some of the news stories from that era. One thing I didn't see was any articles about it being 7/7/07, in 1907.

Most of the following stories are from California. July 7, 1907 came on a Sunday.

I didn't find any big articles about films, for live stage productions were still king of entertainment in 1907. The top feature in the LA area was the live play 'Peter Pan'.

There was still unrest in the Philippines, as the US was involved with a war in that area for several years.

The heat was on everyones mind in Southern California, as Los Angeles hit the 100 degree mark on July 6, 1907. The fisherman were blaming the 'unprecedented heat and absence of trade winds' for the current 'red water' (an epidemic of Peredinium), that was killing the local fish and shell fish off the coast.

The heat also helped cause a 10,000 acre wildfire in the Las Cruces area in Santa Barbara County. It started the afternoon of July 6th and raged into the hills very quickly.

In Bakersfield, California an oil refinery was being repaired after fire nearly destroyed it. The property had no insurance and the article said:

"...it is being almost impossible to place any (insurance) on refineries like this. It can never be done except under the very exacting conditions, and than only at exorbitant rates."

Hollywood has 'quarter of a million dollars' spent on new buildings in the area, with $200,000 on 55 new homes and the rest for the new Mountain Inn ($22,000), The Penman building ($12,000) and Central Block ($9,000). Many of the homes were for sell in the $3500 to $15,000, with the bulk of the two-story homes in the $3500 to $5000 range.

Prices were soaring for navel oranges, lemons and grapefruit, as demand was exceeding supply.

A move was on to 'push' the push-cart salesmen off the city streets of New York. The city was starting a licensing fee for anyone to sell anything off the streets. The fee was high enough to place many out of business.

And as people talk about climate today, so were the people in Los Angeles in 1907.

SAVE THE CLIMATE! was the headline, as the State Medical Society and the board of Health started a campaign to stop the pollution of the air in the LA area.

"It cost more to make smoke than to burn fuel properly, but it is futile to attempt to arouse the owners of smoking stacks from their solid indifference to their own interest. The only way to pound sense into their head is to fine them for being stupid" , the LA Times reported.

And that is just a bit of news for July 7, 1907...

City Lights week engagement at Castro Theatre

July 6th - 12th, 2007 - Charlie Chaplin's City Lights week engagement starts today at the Castro Theatre, followed by opening of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival.
Times for City Lights at this link.

Record Heat...

Like so many places, we are getting our record heat now, with over 100 degree temperatures. We never needed air conditioning, because it always cooled off into the 30s and 40s at night. I hope those days are not gone. It does mean switching hours to work, because the office hits 90 degrees by noon, and I have to shutdown.

That means it may slow up Sea Gull, as business has to be done first, but a lot of Sea Gull work has been done recently. Just into my least favorite time of the year.

Hope you are staying cool and have some refreshing rain (not too much), where ever you are! Thanks for visiting during the hot summer days or wintertime if you are far south!

Note: I have looked up the forecast for Lovelock, Nevada: averaging 103-105 degrees for the foreseeable future, record breaking heat. With thunderstorms (which means dry lightning storms included.)

Family Flickers - New Silent Film Creations

"Learning to laugh again. Enjoying a thrill instead of gruesome images. Having a ‘good guy’ to root for again. That’s what Family Flickers was created to help people to do. The creative team at Family Flickers noticed some time ago that the works of classic film comedians like Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Laurel and Hardy have created laughter in audiences of all ages, long after the cameras had stopped rolling." - Family Flickers

Family Flickers - Silent Films Anew
Tired of all the sex and violence in so much entertainment today, Mark Margulies, the founder of Family Flickers are recreating the art of silent films for a modern day audience.

"Any of the images, any of the action that is going to take place is all built with the idea of action, adventure, thrills and laughter, no gratuitous sex, no unnecessary violence, no graphic violence, no graphic images of any type," Margulies said.

The films can be viewed at their website i-flick.com. The film I watched was a bit jumpy and wasn't totally in time with the music (this is watching it with a cable modem, but problems maybe worked out overtime. Good to see someone creating new silent films for a modern era. more>

Edna's First 4th of July in Lovelock

On July 4th, 1899, Edna Purviance was three years old and enjoying her first Fourth of July in Lovelock, Nevada. The family moved to Lovelock in November of 1898, where her parents leased The Singer Hotel.

By July 4th, the family were very settled in their new town and were part of the Fourth of July celebration, as Edna’s sister Bessie and mother Louise, sang at the special day long event. Being three years old, she wouldn’t remember much about it, but she met her uncle William Purviance for the first time, who was the oldest brother of Edna’s father Madison.






















The day was filled with events everyone in the Big Meadow Valley shared in from parades, horse races, a series of fun races for young and old (tug a wars, egg races, slippery pole climbs, etc.) followed in the evening and well into the morning of July 5th - a grand ball (dance with live music) and dinner.

Below is just a ‘taste’ of some events held on Edna’s first 4th of July in Lovelock, Nevada.

The Fourth of July in Lovelock - 1899
Lovelock Nevada - Lovelock Tribune

“The Fourth was a gala day in Lovelock. It was one long round of pleasure from the first firecrackers in the early morning till the last strains of the music in the ball room died away in the dawn of another day.

Grand Marshal of the Day Grannis with appropriate sash and decorated horse was on hand to lead the parade and a respectable turnout followed.”

“It was high noon when the crowd was assembled under the big trees in the Ruddell Grove. It was the enjoyment itself to sit in the shade with the cool wind blowing through the leafy boughs. Mr. Ruddell had carefully laid fresh-cut alfalfa over the bare places left by the burning of the old houses and one walked as on a carpet. Strong planks gave ample seat room. The children romped in a big awing nearby. The lemonade and ice cream stand offered refreshments to all. It was a regulation picnic ground and a more suitable place would be hard to find in the valley.”

“In the absence of the president of the day, Hon. W.C. Pitt and C.H. McIntosh took his place and introduced Rev. Bott, who delivered the invocation. In the choir were Mrs. Stautts, Mrs. (Louise) Purviance, Mrs. J.A. McIntosh, Mrs. Williams’, Mrs. White, Miss Stroke, Miss (Bessie) Purviance, Miss Marshall, Prof. Lynips, C.H. McIntosh and Rev. Bott.

The choir sang the Star Spangled Banner. Miss Marshall gave an instrumental selection.”

“A pleasing interlude at the picnic was the singing of the “Lost Ship Maine” by Mrs. (Louise) Purviance and Miss Bessie Purviance.”

“C.H. McIntosh as orator of the day, spoke against expansion. He contrasted the glories of the flag in the past with the war now going on in the Philippines.”

Well, some things don’t change...

As an added note, Charlie Chaplin was on tour with the Eight Lancashire Lads in 1899. By July 1899, he was on his seventh month with the group that begin touring in late December, 1898.

Footnote: In the ad, it mentions 'purses will also be offered'. In case you didn't know, a 'purse' was award money given in the form of usually gold dollar coins, presented in a leather pouch. In the case of pole climbing, a $3 purse was placed on the top of the pole. The first person to reach the top of the pole won the price. Today, $3 might buy a cup of coffee and a newspaper. In 1899, it represented two days worth of wages, working a good 10 or more hours each day in the haying fields.

Le Cafe - French Tribute to Chaplin

With it being sort of a holiday week for me, using most of the free time from normal business to work on The Sea Gull and cataloging of the Edna Purviance Collection. I like to thank again everyone who has entered the Sea Gull drawing from around the world. Right now, we are in the middle of production just before the first full book test printing.

Thought I share this French tribute film to Charlie Chaplin. The film is called 'Le Cafe' created in 2006. The film sort of gets it idea from The Immigrant and a few other Chaplin films. You can see it at this link at Internet Archives.

Also, to our state side visitors, Happy Fourth of July!

TCM has Chaplin films in July

Can't make it to Bologna, Italy or London for special Chaplin events? Turner Classic Movies has a few films this summer starting on July 9th, with Modern Times and A Dog's Life. Later, on July 23, they will show A King of New York.

Check this link for more Chaplin films this summer...

Sessue Hayakawa: Silent Cinema and Transnational Stardom

He became an actor at the right time. Here is a link to a book review to the new book: "Sessue Hayakawa: Silent Cinema and Transnational Stardom". Written by Dasuke Miyao and produced by Duke University Press, it covers the life of Sessue Hayakawa, one of the most successful Japanese stars that ever was.

"In 1916, Hayakawa was, for example, "ranked number one in the Chicago Tribune popular star contests," and in a poster advertising "A Mammoth Triple Feature Program," reproduced in Daisuke Miyao's "Sessue Hayakawa: Silent Cinema and Transnational Stardom," the space accorded to Hayakawa is equal to that devoted to Hart and Charlie Chaplin, indicating that, Miyao notes, "Hayakawa had ... by 1917 achieved star status equal to that of Chaplin and Hart." - asahi, David Cozy

Grand View City Council Meeting June 26th on Video

If you are interested in hearing the June 26th Glendale City Council meeting, which covers Grand View, you can go to this link and look up the June 26th, 2007 City Council Meeting to see the full video of the meeting.

The video is over 5 hours, but you can move the video ahead, by dragging the center in and out cursor. The Grand View section of the meeting starts about 2 hours and 15 minutes into the video. The Grand View part lasts about one hour, with many details covered. A PDF file will also appear when you upload the video for viewing, outlining the evening events.

If you didn't see the meeting or live out of the area, it will help you understand the issues involved in keeping the cemetery open and hear from some of the lawyers in the current court case. They are looking to hear good ideas, too. more>

Note: With the current court case continuing, with varies opinions that it could last months to years, it leaves little for Edna's situation at this time.

Article on the new book Valentino

Here is a link on an article about David Bret's new book about silent film star VALENTINO. more>

City Lights to be shown in Santa Barbara

August 22, 2007 - Campbell Hall - University of California, Santa Barbara - A new 35mm print of City Lights is scheduled to be shown at the University of California Campbell Hall, August 22, 2007.

Tickets for this event are available. more>

Grand View to be opened, but....

This evening the Glendale City Council held a public meeting on the future of the Grand View Cemetery for visitations.

After over a one hour meeting on the issue, they voted to keep the cemetery open at the same schedule arrangement as now, but due to the current condition of the trees on the property, they will need to look into options into dealing with the trees and possible future watering of the property. Watch for new opening dates.

Lisa Burks has a report on her blog. And here is the link to the latest story from the Glendale News. Posted June 27th (available for free, 14 days): article>
As far as the class action suit being settled, no one really give a clear answer, since there are thousands of claims.

Note on seeing the June 26th meeting on video: more>

Looking for 'The Melody Lingers On'

I am looking to see if any films exist of the 1935 United Artist release called 'The Melody Lingers On'. It starred Josephine Hutchinson and George Houston. Thanks... L

Update: I have found this film playing in theatres in 1939 and 1951.

NOTES: Hutchinson played the role in North by Northwest as the senator's wife who claimed Grant's character drank too much at a party at her house. She also played the wife in The Story of Louis Pasteur. Hutchinson's mother played Mrs. Meade in Gone with the Wind.

SILENT BITE - WYOU - Madison, Wisconsin is using Charlie Chaplin to promote their new local public station. more>

10th Annual Broncho Billy Festival - Update

From the Argus press: Festival in Fremont

"We're showing these films in a Nickelodeon-era theater that showed these films when they first played," said David Kiehn, Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum historian. "We have an unbeatable combination here." - Argus, June 25th, 2007

Times keep Changing...

I have been going over the material about Lovelock and Paradise Valley, Nevada for Edna Purviance's biography and have always been interested in reading how the area looked like in her childhood days.

It had many farm fields, home gardens full of plants and flowers, fruit trees of many varieties, and fresh fruit and vegetables available during the growing season - from fresh strawberries in the spring, to loads of tomatoes in the fall.

I remember that same kind of landscape where I grew up too.

Both of our areas in Idaho and Nevada were created out of desert. Irrigation was the key in making it an oasis.

The Lovelock area (and all desert areas in the west) have always had problems with water, with new pressures today from cities like Las Vegas trying to buy water rights from northern Nevada to pipe down to Vegas. Every time a farmer or rancher sells their water rights, they get that much closer to turning their land back into desert and losing valuable natural wetlands.

On our trips to Lovelock, I could see areas returning back to sagebrush desert, I never realized how quickly that could happen, until I recently saw some images of my old farm in Idaho.

I always remember my farm as a very green place, just on the edge of sagebrush land. On my side of fence there was a variety of fruits and vegetables to eat, green pastures for the horses, and a pond for the ducks to play and nest around.

I knew the other side of the fence could look like my, if it only had water. And it continued looking like desert until a new landowner bought the property and removed all the sagebrush and started watering. He turned it into a hay field, and it looked as green as my side of the fence.

Our water came from a local dam and we paid for water rights to have so many acre-feet each year for the growing season. I always thought our farm would look the same, (at least in some form), but the era of small family farms was coming to a close in that district, and I just lived there during the sunset years.

Well, to keep a long story short, one of my relatives has given up the family farm due to reasons unknown to me. I was viewing images of it recently and it is nothing like I remembered.

Our once green pastures, where I spent every spring picking wild asparagus, riding horses, taking walks, etc. is now back to desert. Sagebrush and desert dry grass have replaced tall green grass, bean and hay fields.

I know it is back to its natural state, but doesn't make it easy to look at. But the pioneers did look at that desert, and saw an oasis and turned it into one. It is just their great grand kids are returning it back to sage.

At least it gives me a better idea what Edna must have felt when passing by Lovelock the last time, and seeing her old home gone, ranches she horseback ride gone, and towns she use to visit as as child, abandoned. Times surely keep changing...

(Oh, as for my pond on the farm, it is gone too.)