2014 Winner: Santa Cruz Silent Cinema

Project Information
Santa Cruz Silent Cinema
Arts
Film and Digital Media: Critical Studies
My thesis is a website detailing the intricate history of silent film in Santa Cruz County. Between 1910 and 1925 there were over eighty films made in Santa Cruz and the surrounding mountain towns of Boulder Creek, Ben Lomond, and Bonny Doon. Sadly, most of these films did not survive and the locations where filming took place are either unknown or transformed beyond recognition. This website is my attempt at rekindling interest in this lost history and creating conversation in the community where I was raised. Also, I have found that interest in silent film studies within the UCSC film program is lacking, and I want my fellow students to not only increase their awareness of film history but also bring their attention to the city in which they study. I look at two films in particular, Romance of the Redwoods and The Lily of Poverty Flat, and then focus on the different individuals who were relevant to the films made here. I hope to continue with this project after I graduate with a possible exhibit at the local Museum of Art and History.
Students
  • Seth Martin Crumrine (Merrill)
Mentors