Friday, December 14, 2012

The Patchwork Girl of Oz #3 -- December 14, 2012

"The new Plant of the Oz Film Company, conceded to be the most completely equipped and best appointed in California if not in America."

The Oz Film Manufacturing Company, located in Los Angeles, was formed in 1914 to produce movies based on stories by L Frank Baum, the creator of The Wizard of Oz.  The company made some movies, but was not a financial success. The ad is from the 11-July-1914 edition of Moving Picture World. It includes an image of their studio, on "Santa Monica Boulevard from Gower to Lodi streets."  Pierre Couderc, "direct from the Folies-Bergere," played the lead role in their first feature, The Patchwork Girl of Oz. He went on to write and direct movies.  Be sure to click on the image to see a larger version.

There was a shooting rampage in a Connecticut grammar school. This followed a rampage in an Oregon shopping mall and a massacre in a Colorado movie theater. Some people say this is not the time to "politicize" an event like this. If not now, when are we supposed to talk about how easy it is for unbalanced people to get guns and ammunition?  When are we going to address the issue of caring for people with mental illnesses? 

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