August 25, 2003
*Hollywood Origins
The weather in California had little to do with it becoming the movie capital of the United States. It was chosen not because of its good weather but because of its proximity to the Mexican border.
In the 1910s the movie industry was based in New York and dominated by the Motion Picture Patents Company. No one could legally make a movie without its permission, and those who tried faced stiff penalties.
The Patents Company's cautious approach to film making spurred some people to leave New York for areas where they could escape prosecution. Some went to Cuba, while others went to Florida and Los Angeles. Cuba had too much disease, Florida was too hot, and before long everyone had moved to Hollywood.
The new movie capital had good weather, cheap labor, and it was close enough to the Mexican border to allow for quick escapes from the law.
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