Movies Way Back When: Using Local Disasters as Scenery

By Betsy J. Green

Back when movie makers did not have the budgets to stage their own natural disasters, they took advantage of real-life disaster scenes – such as the devastating fire in Ojai, California in 1917 – and wove a plot around them.

“Following the army of firefighters, came an army of motion picture companies from Los Angeles, and these latter are busily engaged working on the details of fire scenes, rescues, and firefighting using the actual actors in the thrilling scenes of the past week for their dramas.

A dozen scenarios are being worked out in different locations, and men who never saw a motion picture camera until three days ago are becoming quite blasé in leading roles.”