East County News Service
June 29, 2026 (La Mesa) — Long before Hollywood became the motion picture industry’s preferred site, the streets of La Mesa and surrounding East County region served as the backdrop for some of the earliest American cinema.
In the span of just over a year — from August 1911 to July 1912 — one small storefront studio in La Mesa produced more than 150 silent films that drew rave reviews.
The La Mesa History Center will bring that era back to life in July.
Partnering with the Theatre Organ Society of San Diego, the History Center will host “Silent Movie Night” on Saturday, July 18, at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Spring Valley.
The evening promises an immersive dive into local cinematic history, featuring early films shot in East County, accompanied by a live theater pipe organ — the way audiences originally experienced most of the old time films.
The event kicks off at 6:30 p.m. with a historical presentation by La Mesa History Center President and Historian Jim Newland, who will explore the brief but prolific tenure of the American Film Manufacturing Company — better known as the “Flying A” studio.
What made this studio remarkable was not just its output, but the circumstances of its origin.
The story begins with a young scenario writer named Allan Dwan, who operated Flying A Studios in La Mesa for a time. Dwan also directed more than 400 motion pictures across his lifetime, including films like Sands of Iwo Jima (1949) and Robin Hood (1922)
Films shot locally by the studio include The Ranchman’s Nerve in La Mesa and Three Million Dollars in Lakeside, ranging from melodramas to comedies to westerns that addressed topics such as horse thievery, water rights, kidnapping and cattle rustling.
After an historical presentation starting at 6:30 p.m., the film screenings will begin at 7. Audiences will be treated to a pair of Flying A “two-reelers” shot locally in 1911.
Rather than experience these films in the austere silence that modern viewers might expect, they will be accompanied by live, original scores — just as silent film audiences did a century ago. Russ Peck, an expert on theater organs, will deliver the music on a Wurlitzer 4/24 Theater Pipe organ.
The evening will cap off with a screening of the 1916 silent film comedy Manhattan Madness, directed by Dwan and starring Douglas Fairbanks.
All proceeds from the family-friendly event will benefit the La Mesa History Center, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving and educating the public about the greater La Mesa area.
Trinity Presbyterian Church is at 3902 Kenwood Drive in Spring Valley. Tickets are $25 for the general public, $20 for La Mesa History Center members.
Tickets are only available in advance through the La Mesa History Center and must be purchased online. Physical tickets will not be mailed; they will be available for pickup on the day of the event.
To purchase tickets or become a member, visit lamesahistory.com. For more information, send an email to [email protected] or call (619) 466-0197.