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AVALON, CATALINA ISLAND - This weekend the Catalina Island Museum opens a special exhibition "Hollywood's Magic Isle" to highlight the Island's illustrious history of moviemaking and celebrity visits. Santa Catalina Island has served as the location for the filming of over 500 motion pictures, documentaries, television programs and commercials over the past 90 plus years. Throughout this history, the Island has been transformed into the coast of North Africa, from Tahiti to the American frontier and back again. It was home of that famous mechanical shark, Jaws and has been mistaken for the lost continent of Atlantis.
During the 16 years of silent film production, many notable directors and actors frequented the Island and produced many classic films. D.W. Griffith was one of the first directors to film on the Island in 1912. Many of the large studios followed Griffith's lead and began utilizing the Island as the backdrop of their films. Universal, Lasky Film Corporation, Paramount, Fox, Metro-Goldwyn, and United Artists were among the many production companies. The introduction of sound to motion pictures ushered in a new era of film production for Hollywood and Catalina Island. The Island continued to be a prime location for many of Hollywood's best filmmakers.
The frequency of filming on the Island introduced several of Hollywood's screen favorites to the charms of Santa Catalina. Many famous actors and celebrities were spotted on the Island and off the coast in their palatial yachts. Catalina Island became a playground for Hollywood's elite and many celebrities would often remark that the Island was for them an excellent get-away from the hustle and bustle of Hollywood.
The onset of World War II changed life on the Island and in Hollywood significantly. Only a few movies are known to have been filmed on the Island during the war, but soon after the war ended filming picked up again. The 1950s ushered in the world of television and a host of new producers and directors discovered the Island once again as an exotic, yet convenient location. Since 1950, more than 150 commercials, television programs and music videos have been shot on the Island, as well as countless catalogs and magazine shoots.
The exhibition features a wealth of photographs documenting movies filmed on the Island and many celebrity visits over the years, reproductions of movie costumes and a few very special artifacts on loan from private collections. The exhibit includes a video station with clips from two of Catalina's most famous films Mutiny on the Bounty and The Glass Bottom Boat, an interview with actor Gregory Harrison and fascinating documentary footage. Also, included in the exhibit is an interactive component of fun facts for kids of all ages. The exhibition opens on July 4, 2009 and will remain on display at the Museum through January 3, 2010. For more information, call (310) 510-2414 or visit our website.
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