Hollister and San Benito County ‘full of great filming
locations’
Hollister – Whether its sweeping rural vistas or roaring biker past, local residents can easily attest to the unique character and beauty of San Benito County.
And believe it or not, this same charm has attracted film directors not only from Hollywood but around the world looking for that perfect shot over the past 100 years.
“Hollister and San Benito County is still full of great filming locations,” said San Benito County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Liz Sparling.
The county’s first brush with stardom was “Rose of the Rancho,” a silent film directed by the famous Cecil B. DeMille in 1914. While not filmed in the county, the movie tells the story of Ersa Kincaid, who plots to steal the rancho of the Castro family in and around San Juan Bautista, and US agent Jim Kearney who must hold him off until the cavalry arrives. Paramount Pictures remade the film in 1936, billing it as “A Drama of Old Mexico.”
In 1919, Ralph Radnor Earle, a Hollywood director with his own motion picture company, came to San Benito County to make a film about one of California’s greatest bandits, Triburcio Vasquez. Earle was fascinated by the stories of Vasquez – dubbed “The second greatest bandit in California” by the San Francisco Examiner – who allegedly used the caves in what is now Pinnacles National Monument as a hideout and base of operations. Vasquez reportedly terrorized townspeople throughout California and even “inaugurated a carnival of blood” in the sleepy hamlet of Tres Pinos when an attempt to rob the general store got out of hand.
Earle announced his intent to make “Vasquez of the Pinnacles” and opened a contest for young San Benito County ladies interested in playing the romantic leading lady. Earle narrowed the girls down to the 11 most photogenic, for “As we all know, there are beautiful girls who always take poor pictures, and others, who may not be so beautiful, whose pictures always show up nicely,” explained the May 14, 1919 edition of the Free Lance.
Locals paid for the privilege of voting for the finalist they thought most deserving of the lead role, revenues from which, along with a $500 grant from the Chamber of Commerce, were used to help finance the movie’s production. Over 40,000 ballots were cast, and Miss Margaret Hain won the contest by a 5,000 vote margin. The rest of the girls were given supporting roles and a number of men from Hollister and the surrounding area were given parts as well. The actors were not paid for the efforts and had to provide their own costumes.
The picture was filmed on location at the Pinnacles and Paicines Ranch as well as in and around Hollister over the course of about a week.
“Vasquez of the Pinnacles” premiered in Hollister July 9, 1919 at the Opal Theatre to a standing-room only crowd. It played in town for a number of days and was shown around the Central Coast.
“The Primrose Path,” another silent feature, was filmed in the county in 1925, according to records from the county chamber of commerce. It starred “It Girl” Clara Bow, largely considered one of Hollywood’s first sex symbols, as Marylin Merrill, a cabaret performer who falls for Bruce Armstrong, a young man addicted to alcohol and gambling.
Filmmakers stayed away from San Benito County for nearly 20 years, until director László Benedek came to film the 1953 cult classic “The Wild One,” based off the infamous “invasion” of Hollister by biker gangs over the 4th of July holiday in 1947. Starring a young Marlon Brando – “Driven Too Far By His Own Hot Blood,” as the film’s promotions read – the movie is considered one of the first Hollywood pictures to embrace youthful rebellion.
Portions of the 1955 favorite “East of Eden,” starring James Dean and Burl Ives, were filmed in San Benito County’s agricultural regions, as well as the Spreckles Sugar Factory in Salinas. Based on John Steinbeck’s epic novel, the story is a retelling of the Cain and Abel parable, set in the Salinas Valley and Monterey.
The Oct. 18, 1957 edition of the Evening Free Lance features of a photograph of crewman filming Alfred Hitchcock’s “Vertigo” at the Mission San Juan Bautista. Many consider the picture, starring Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak, to be Hitchcock’s finest and most personal work, and it was designated as “Culturally Significant” by the Library of Congress. The most famous scene in the film takes place at the top of the Mission San Juan’s belltower – which had been destroyed in a fire at the turn of the century. Hitchcock added the belltower using special effects in post-production.
“Vertigo” will be celebrating its 50th anniversary in October 2007, and volunteers are already organizing a dinner event to celebrate the occasion and raise funds to preserve the mission. City Manager Jan McClintock said that the city is currently looking for an organization to sponsor a film and/or music festival to be held in honor of the anniversary, as well.
“This anniversary has given us an excuse to get back in touch with the film industry,” she said. “We’re hoping to re-introduce them to the San Juan area and promote the positive aspects of the community as a filming location.”
McClintock said the community’s buildings, which represent a broad range of architectural styles and time periods, as well as bountiful ag land and wilderness, make San Juan an ideal filming location. City Hall staff are currently writing a new ordinance that would make obtaining filming permits as easy as possible for companies interested in shooting in San Juan.
Between 1957 and the late 1980s, a handful of made-for-TV movies were shot in the area, including a television remake of East of Eden. No major films were shot in the area, however, until 1987’s La Bamba, a film about the life of Richie Valens, the first Latino pop idol who perished in a plane crash with Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper when he was only 17 years old. The film was based on a play by El Theatro Campesino founder Luis Valdez, who befriended Valens’ family and involved them in the making of the film.
Several made-for-TV films were shot in the area after La Bamba, including a production of La Pastorella, El Theatro’s Christmas play that has become a tradition for many residents, that was aired on PBS. A Japanese film entitled “Sutoroberi Rodo” (“Strawberry Road”) was filmed in the county 1991, which tells the story of a Japanese family who emigrate to rural California and start a strawberry farm. The last film shot in San Benito County was a 1992 feature entitled Esperanza Del Valle.
According to Sparling, the chamber of commerce belongs to several organizations that scout locations for directors using e-mail rings. Most recently, a prominent bank filmed a commercial in downtown Hollister.
“Anything that can create publicity or recognition for Hollister is definitely a positive thing,” she said.
