More than 250 silent movies were filmed on the Channel Islands circa 1910 to 1930. Famous actors in these movies included Gloria Swanson, Rudolph Valentino, Douglas Fairbanks, Buster Keaton, Oliver Hardy, and Stan Laurel.
The earliest films were only 5 or 10 minutes long, and filmed on a beach. Island movies later grew into million-dollar features with casts of thousands.
On Saturday, October 5, a new exhibit – Silents on the Islands – will open at the Chrisman Channel Islands Center in Carpinteria.