Whitley's Hollywood

HJ Whitley should have been the inventor of epiphanies (you know when a light bulb goes off in your head). He had a way of bringing the future into the present. It was as though he found a little piece to the puzzle and he was now able to see the whole picture. The motion picture industry did not come to Hollywood until HJ Whitley, The Father of Hollywood, had a major epiphany about the movie industry. He recognized it as the jewel - one that would make his new town world famous. Considering how strenuously others urged producers and directors to settle in a number of other excellent sites, it is amazing that one man could convince the majority of them to settle in Hollywood. On October 26, 2011 it will be the 100th anniversary of the first Hollywood motion picture being taken by a Hollywood studio, Nestor Motion Picture Company. It was a short screen test that is a major piece of Hollywood’s history. The Whitley Estate was used as its set. The motion picture was directed by the Horsley brothers and Al Christe.

HJ was fortunate to meet David Horsley when he was touring Hollywood and looked a little lost. Not only did HJ point him in the right direction he escorted him all the way to his destination. As their conversation wore on HJ had an epiphany. He realized that the movie industry would enhance Hollywood by offering it a new technologically advance industry. HJ offered David the use of his estate for filming and suggested that he might be able to lease the Blondeau Tavern on Sunset and Gower. He sould have is crew stay in H J Whitlely's Hollywood Hotel until they were able to build homes.

On October 27, 1911, Nestor Motion Picture Company opened the first Hollywood movie studio located in the Blondeau Tavern building on the northwest corner of Sunset Boulevard and Gower Street. The first motion picture stage was built behind a tavern. David along with his brother William and Al Christi operated Nestor Motion Picture Studios until May 20, 1912, when they formed Universal Film Company with Carl Laemmle. Over time and several mergers the company evolved into Universal Studios.

Soon Cecil B. DeMille and D. W. Griffith were drawn to Hollywood by HJ Whitley’s marketing campaigns. By the 1920s Hollywood was the world’s film capital. Hollywood was able to recruit the most talented actors and actresses. Rudolph Valentino, Charlie Chaplin, Jean Harlow, Gloria Swanson, W C Fields, Judy Garland, Rosalind Russell, Bette Davis, Carmen Miranda, Carol Lombard, Boris Karloff, Judy Garland, Ethel Barrymore and many others lived and held legendary parties in Whitley Heights.

You may wonder what other epiphanies H J Whitley had. There are so many that I will only give you a clue to a few of them: Hollywood’s name, the first electric lit sign in Hollywood, the world’s first telemarketing, Sunset Boulevard, Egyptian cotton, Hollywood stars, and much, much more. So have fun exploring and learning more about The Father of Hollywood, H J Whitley.

Check out Whitley's Hollywood on Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLdDLeFbVow