GLENDALE : Tribute Planned for Silent Film Pioneer

Historians and film buffs will pay tribute next month to a female pioneer of the silent cinema who was known for adventurous epics in which women often saved the day--and they’ll use the filmmaker’s turn-of-the-century Glendale home for the site of the event.

From 1912 to 1924 Nell Shipman starred in, wrote, directed and independently produced a series of silent movies noted for their strong-willed heroines, outdoor scenes and the use of trained wild animals. With interest in Shipman’s career growing, the Glendale Historical Society will pay tribute to the filmmaker at the Doctor’s House, a Queen Anne home where Shipman lived from 1917 to 1920.

“People have been looking back recently and admiring her work,” said Terry Richman, an organizer of the event. “She was very progressive. The lead character was usually a woman. She also loved the wilderness, and scenery was a big part of her films, whereas most people were filming in studios.”

The Doctor’s House, which got its moniker because a succession of Glendale doctors lived there during the early 1900s, was located on Wilson Avenue when Shipman and her family called it home. It was moved to Brand Park in the 1980s for preservation by the historical society as a landmark.

The Shipman tribute, which will run four consecutive Sundays beginning Oct. 2, will feature docent-guided tours of the house, publicity and family photographs, movie stills, posters, magazine articles and the showing of a video of one of her movies. Much of the background information the historical society has compiled on Shipman’s life came from interviews with Shipman’s son Barry, also a prolific screenwriter, who recently died.

Shipman, who died in 1970 at age 78, has also been researched by film scholars in recent years, and her autobiography has been published.

Her biggest film was “Back to God’s Country,” which was filmed in Canada and released in 1919. Shown internationally, the film made a 300% profit. Shipman also founded her own production company, opening a film studio in Idaho that was large enough to house the animals that appeared in her movies. She stopped making films in 1925 but continued to write novels and magazine articles for years, Richman said.

The Doctor’s House is at 1601 Mountain St., Glendale. The exhibit will be open from 1 to 4 p.m. Oct. 2, and from 2 to 4 p.m. the following three Sundays.