When San Mateo tried to be Hollywood

Lesser known is the story of Pacific Studios, a film company that in 1921 invested more than half a million dollars, which would be worth around $7 million today, in San Mateo facilities that included two enclosed four-story-high film stage units, special effects equipment and, according to the late historian Alan Hynding, laboratories capable of processing 40,000 feet of film a day.

In his book “From Frontier to Suburb,” Hynding wrote that the company had more than a dozen contracts with Hollywood producers but only made two movies. Pacific Studios had to overcome several disadvantages, not the least its independent status, which kept it from access to the distribution outlets controlled by big Hollywood film companies, a hurdle that would stand until a Supreme Court ruling ended the monopoly after World War II. There was also sheer bad timing. Talkies were just around the corner and Pacific apparently didn’t see that sea change coming. It was not geared to produce sound movies.

A detailed company history appears in “San Mateo: A Centennial History,” written by historian Mitch Postel to mark the city’s 100th anniversary year in 1994. Calling Pacific Studios a “fabulous failure,” Postel noted that those backing the San Mateo venture felt Southern California had been “shot to pieces” and too many locations had to be “faked.” In addition, San Mateo offered better weather for outdoor shots.

The movies made at Pacific were the Alaskan adventure “The Great Alone” and a drama titled “White Hands.” The former saw the construction of an entire village that required hauling 60 tons of salt from the nearby Leslie Salt plant to stand in for snow. The six-reeler “White Hands” was filmed at Coyote Point and Ocean Beach in San Francisco where the sands became the Sahara Desert. One report in 1921 said “White Hands” led to the creation of “an entire Algerian village” at the studio. The sets consisted of dance halls, cafes and homes.

The American Film Institute described “White Hands” as the story of a scoundrel of a sea captain who wanted to harm a missionary girl. However, the hands of a child stopped him, and he changed his dastardly ways. In December of 1921, both Moving Picture World and Exhibitors Herald carried reports about the movie. The highlights included a character killed by a shark, a knife fight and “a dramatic series of double exposure scenes” showing the sea captain “fighting with his own evil spirit.” In hindsight, the film’s historical importance was the debut of George O’Brien, a bit player who would go on to star in 75 films over 40 years. Many of his credits came in forgettable Westerns, but O’Brien also appeared in some John Ford epics, among them “She Wore a Yellow Ribbon.”

The Feb. 1, 1922, issue of Moving Picture World reported “White Hands” premiered in January at the 3,000-seat Granada Theatre in San Francisco. Another report, however, said it made its debut at the Garden Theater in Burlingame where it drew viewers who must have been disappointed when the credits said “Made in San Francisco.”

Pacific Studios went out of business in 1927, but its administrative building at 430 Peninsula Ave. still stands, although it has played several other roles.

The Rear View Mirror by history columnist Jim Clifford appears in the Daily Journal every other Monday. Objects in The Mirror are closer than they appear.