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Joe and Mark are joined by London, Ontario author and journalist, Mark Kearney, to talk about an early pioneer of Hollywood, Al Christie. (The one on the right in the photo.)
Christie went to Hollywood in 1911, when it was just a village, some fruit trees and farms. “There had been a few directors shooting in and around Los Angeles, but Christie was the first to film in Hollywood,” Mark says.
Prior to film companies moving to California, they were based on the east coast. The weather was a problem, as was Thomas Edison, who had all the patents on the cameras the industry used, and liked to sue.
Mark was drawn to the topic when he learned that Christie was born in London, Ontario.
Christie became famous for his short comedies. Joe, Mark and Mark Kearney discuss one of these comedies which is typical of Christie’s work, Know Thy Wife, in some detail [you can watch it below].
The three have a fascinating conversation about the early days of Hollywood, how the film industry worked and developed, and the nature of comedy.
As discussed in the podcast, to support Al Christie’s nomination to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, check out this FAQ.
Support Our Guest
Mark Kearney lives in London, Ont. where he teaches writing and journalism at Western University, writes books, magazine articles and humor pieces.
His work has appeared in some 80 publications in North America, and he has co-written 13 books, four of which are bestsellers, and contributed to three other books. Mark, who is known as one of Canada’s “Trivia Guys”, has written on everything from actors to zebra mussels. He has won several awards for his writing and his teaching.
His newest book, and his first solo effort, is Al Christie: Hollywood’s Forgotten Film Pioneer.
Get the ground-breaking biography at Amazon, at Indigo, at Barnes and Noble, or wherever you buy your books!
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