This page lists any new developments or activities related to the Flying A. Check back from time to time and feel free to contact us with information to post.
Beppo (1914)
The Santa Barbara Independent ran an article about the film Beppo in 2024 titled, ‘Beppo’ | A Brief Moment of Cinematographic Fame.
[Right] A man playing an accordian and a child are posed on a porch in a still from the silent film referred to as “Beppo” during its production by the American Film Manufacturing Company. The film was shot in Santa Barbara, California, but the production company was based in Chicago, Illinois. | Photo: Chicago History Museum, ICHi-183729.
The Short, Happy Life of Flying A
The Santa Barbara Independent ran an article written by Barney Brantingham in 2010 about the brief life of the Flying A Studio entitled The Short, Happy Life of Flying A.
For years, there have been those who claimed that with better luck, Santa Barbara could have become the world’s moviemaking capital instead of Hollywood. Well, maybe. | Photo: Santa Barbara Historical Museum, 1965.232.497
The Hidden Treasure
An incomplete 16mm print of the 1912 split-reel film The Hidden Treasure has been discovered and digitized. Copyright fragment frames have been used to confirm that all but the final scene are represented in the print. The fragments also indicate that there are gaps within the scenes causing the occasional jump-cut but the narrative is intact. The print reveals that Ben Turpin worked briefly for American in Chicago.