COLORFUL CALIFORNIA

This short silent film by Billy Burke likely dates to the early 1940s, gives viewers a quick look at a few highlights of southern California. The film opens with footage of a golden field of California poppies, where a family picks the flowers. A little girl holds the flowers and smells them. She is then shown walking through the field (01:02). Next, viewers see an unidentified exclusive California hotel, possibly the Santa Barbara Biltmore. A bird’s eye view looks down on guests relaxing on the lawn; footage also shows the hotel’s swimming pool. A woman climbs onto the diving board and dives into the water (01:45), as other guests applaud her dive. The film shows Pebble Beach Golf Club (02:19) and several different fairways. A man puts on a green next to the ocean. Viewers then see the Mission Santa Barbara (03:06) and the Santa Barbara Biltmore Hotel, where a woman performs several dives at the hotel’s pool. Next, viewers see Los Angeles City Hall, Wilshire Boulevard (05:02), and a tennis match at Ojai Valley, dubbed the "Wimbledon of the West" (05:36). Entertainers skate and dance during a performance on an ice rink (06:24), and an illuminated float carries Santa Claus and a celebrity down Hollywood’s "Santa Claus Lane." Next, the film shows footage from the world premiere of the 1939 The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex at Hollywood’s Warner Bros. Theatre (08:19), which features red-carpet appearances by a number of stars, including Bette Davis and Olivia de Havilland. Next, the film takes viewers to Kellogg’s Arabian Horse Show (09:32), where men show of the horses’ nimble dancing and graceful moves. Two horses pull a chariot around the arena; a team of horses pulls a wagon. Next, viewers see two women hiking through Palm Canyon (11:01). The film concludes with footage from San Jacinto Valley’s outdoor performance of "Ramona" (11:31). There are several clips from the outdoor play, which features a cast of 450 people. A woman sings and dances during the play, which concludes the film.