Submit News

Movies Way Back When: The Romance in Montecito

by bjgreen February 12, 2022, 9:00 am 3.4k Views 1 Comment

By Betsy J. Green

This 1913 romantic drama was released on February 15. The film begins with a wealthy young lady who’s rather bored. Life is pretty mundane in the mansion on the hill overlooking the sea. Well, just how long can you look at the walls of a mansion, and out at the water that’s just – water.

But when a handsome and wealthy young man enters the scene, life at the mansion starts improving at the tempo of a ragtime beat. This movie was filmed at the first “Bellosguardo,” one of the million-dollar mansions in Montecito. (This home was rebuilt after the 1925 earthquake.)

Betsy’s Way Back When book — 1919 — is now available in local bookstores and at Amazon.com. This is the sixth book in her series of the history of Santa Barbara, one year at a time. Learn more at betsyjgreen.com.

Written by bjgreen

Betsy J. Green is a Santa Barbara historian and author. Her books are available in local bookstores, and at Amazon.com. (Shop local if you can.) Learn more at betsyjgreen.com.