The Flying A: Silent Film in Santa Barbara

The Flying A: Silent Film In Santa Barbara ( Exhibition ) January 26 through August 19, 2012) From 1910 to 1912, the American Film Company’s western unit consisted of half-a-dozen actors and a handful of cowboys shooting one-reel westerns around southern California. Known as the Flying A, by 1915 they had built the nation's largest studio in Santa Barbara with some of the industry's top directors, actors, and writers. From historic adobes to magnificent mansions, sandy beaches to mountain peaks, the cameras of the Flying A cranked out hundreds of westerns, dramas, and comedies. The film pioneers of the Flying A left a legacy that continues to influence the movies and television shows of today. The exhibition features original Flying A artifacts, documents, photographs and a selection of original Flying A silent films (which will play on our Sala Gallery Wall Theatre). This groundbreaking exhibit, on view from January 26 through August 19, 2012, will run through the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, and mark the centennial anniversary of the Flying A’s arrival in Santa Barbara. The Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm and Sunday from noon to 5:00 pm. Docent led tours are offered on Saturdays & Sundays at 2:00 pm. Santa Barbara Historical Museum, 136 East De la Guerra. (805) 966-1601