bjgreen
By Betsy J. Green
The “Flying A” released “For the Flag” on August 25, 1913. This silent movie takes place about 1900 during the Philippine-American War, which was fresh in people’s minds back then, but is mostly forgotten today.
A young soldier named Jack, newly graduated from West Point, is wrongly accused of messing with his captain’s wife, so he changes his name and heads off to fight in the Philippines. And, wouldn’t you know it, his old troop and the captain end up there as well. (Where would movies be without coincidences?)
There’s a heck of a lot that goes on in this silent film that was only one-reel long (about 10 minutes.) It was filmed at the Gillespie and Coleman estates. The Gillespie estate is still around, but I’m not sure about the Coleman estate. The film does not exist anymore.
Betsy’s Way Back When book — Movies & Million-Dollar Mansions — is now available in local bookstores and at Amazon.com. This is the seventh book in her series on the history of Santa Barbara. Learn more at betsyjgreen.com.
