bjgreen
By Betsy J. Green
The earliest commercial movie that was filmed in Montecito dates to 1911. “The New Faith,” a religious film, was released on March 4, 1911. If you look closely at the two photos, you can see the place on the “El Fureidis” estate where it was filmed. (This silent movie predates the “Flying A,” since that group did not settle here until 1912.)
The local paper wrote, “James Waldron Gillespie’s Italian villa in Montecito was used as the background for a Roman play, The New Faith.” This million-dollar estate was one of the most popular locations for movies made in Montecito. (Copies of this film no longer exist.)
Betsy’s Way Back When book — 1919 — is now available in local bookstores and at Amazon.com. This is the sixth book in her series of the history of Santa Barbara, one year at a time. Learn more at .
