90.5 WESA: Pittsburgh is no stranger to the cinema. From blockbusters like “The Dark Knight Rises” to the cult classic, “Night of the Living Dead,” the Steel City has a long and close relationship with Hollywood. Pop culture contributor Joe Wos says the region’s film industry has been strong for a century, beginning with the production of the feature “Cupid’s Garden Party.”
11 comments:
This was so cool to read. When I decided to come to Carnegie Mellon, part of the draw was that it is located right in Pittsburgh, which is rich in history and theater. Reading about the start of how Pittsburgh began in the film industry was really eye opening. I have never heard of Joe Wos, but his movie which was shot here in Pittsburgh began a new road for Pittsburgh and the film world, creating ties to Hollywood. The most interesting part, which is not explained in depth in the article, was the fact that the original movie was never seen because it vanished in a fire. The piece of history that movie would be, could it some how be saved would be incredible. I am glad to say I am now living in Pittsburgh!
Before I came to Pittsburgh, I really didn't know much about its history or its culture in general. In Basic Design class with Susan Tsu, I got my first look into the theatre rich culture that Pittsburgh creates and I think its really amazing. I think that to be in a city that is so supportive of theatre gives us theatre students a great environment to learn and grow. It is nice to learn that Richard Rowland and James B. Clark made the effort to not just follow in the big corporations footsteps but to use what they had to create something truly unique and set precedent for many to come. I have only been here for a short time but I really do think that Pittsburgh is a diverse city with many unique qualities to offer the the entertainment industry.
When I came to Carnegie Mellon, I made my decision purely based off the school, its program, its structure and its connections. People always told me how important the setting of your college is to your experience, but I really didn’t care all, I just wanted to learn what I needed to learn. I came to Pittsburgh with such little information about its history and culture, and everyday I have been here I have learned something new and I have fallen just a little bit more in love. I still can’t believe this one city can have so much history in so many different areas. Much like the rest of America, I had no idea film started in Pittsburgh. In my interpretation and argument class I learned that the first movie theatre was built in Pittsburgh. This podcast was so informative, I loved how it told the story of a upcoming town that could do everything Hollywood could do. I’m so proud that so many cinematic innovators have come from here, I love the story of Metro Pictures deciding to make their own work and deciding to make it in the place they loved. I hope the rest of the modern day film world will see the culture and history of Pittsburgh and decide to keep creating something new here.
I think the experience of watching a film made in the city one calls home is something truly rare and awe-inspiring. It makes the story all the more real, all the more palpable. As a native Houstonian, watching the film Boyhood was so incredible to me because I was able to watch children not unlike myself doing the same things I did in the places I know and love. Houston's history means a lot to me, and I know from being here only a month that Pittsburgh's history means just as much to its natives. I'm sure that any movie made here is that much more amazing to those who have called this city home for generations. Watching Boyhood gave me the eery sense of being a fly on the wall in my own life. To imagine how the many films made in Pittsburgh can make its natives feel is mind-boggling. More so, I see a lot of other places in both Houston and Pittsburgh. Each is a very versatile landscape, which started with one purpose and now has countless equally important reasons to keep evolving. The film industry would have to be blind not to see the opportunity in that, not only for flexibility of resources but also for audience relatability. The more diverse cities like these get (and they will) the more incredible the possibilities for an industry which seeks to make reality of dreams. It is only logical that audiences from all over love watching movies made in Pittsburgh, and that more not only can but should be produced here among such rich history.
When I came to carnegie mellon and Pittsburgh I never thought of the city as a film city. The cities that stood out to me were Chicago, new york and L.A. After finding out that the dark knight was filmed here in Pittsburgh I went onto IMDB and was blown away by how many films were made here. Living in the city for a year i can see it gives a production company a wide array of settings to use in a film. From old abandoned warehouses to urban streets to green hills and forests. Money is a huge part of entertainment and I think the fact that a company can come here and set up camp is key. In a place like New York if you film a scene in Manhattan and then a forest you have to transport everything to the nearest forest either in new jersey, Long Island, or upstate new york. I've also noticed that pittsburgh has many different time periods in regards to city layout and architecture. There are many buildings from the steel era and there are many now coming out of the modern city era. All in all the article brings up a good point that Pittsburgh is a little haven for film making because it has a wide palette of things to offer. As we've seen with previous films it sets a tone that an audience likes to watch.
To be honest this article was a little disappointing. I was expecting it to go into more detail about the film industry in Pittsburgh and how it’s evolved over the years. I know that our staff tailor Marlene frequently works on films in town during the summer, even making silk shorts for boxers in South Paw. I did learn that part of MGM started here in Pittsburgh, which is a lovely trivia fact. It did also make me sad that the film “Cupid’s Garden Party” was lost in a fire. I would be interested in seeing what Pittsburgh looked like back in the day. Of course the innovation of these men wanting to make their own movies instead of just distributing them is inspiring. The film itself seems to be purely a business venture. People would go to theatres owned by the Metro team to see Pittsburgh featured for the first time on film. Sneaky.
As a big film buff, Pittsburgh's rich film history is extremely exciting and only adds to my appreciation for the city. If you were ever to ask me what places in the country I think are significant in film history, before this year I don't think the city of Pittsburgh would have ever come to my mind. Interestingly enough my film studies teacher was telling my class a few weeks ago about some of the first nickelodeons in the U.S. popping up right here in Pittsburgh, and about Metro Picture Company starting off in the city. In terms of film history, Pittsburgh is a much more significant place than most people might think, and I think city organizations should do a better job of acknowledging it, as it plays a meaningful role in the city's culture. I hope a copy of Cupid’s Garden Party is found so the history of film in the city can be more completely understood and further explored, as I personally think it's a very exciting aspect of the city's rich culture that has been overlooked by many for far too long.
I honestly never knew Pittsburgh to play such a prominent role in cinema. Admittedly, I’m not much of a cinema buff, or even a regular movie watcher actually, but I thought I had a pretty good idea of where the industry had its roots. I know that a lot of movies are based out of Los Angeles, and a number use less expensive foreign locations to shoot (i.e. Canada, New Zealand, etc.). I also knew that some films used areas that closely resembled, or actually were, the scripts setting. It just never occurred to me that Pittsburgh could be one of those places. But the fact that one of the bigger films of the early 20th century was made in Pittsburgh sheds a bit of light. People want to pay tribute to the classics, so they consider Pittsburgh as a location. I think Pittsburgh could be a great place to host all sorts of films. The city has a very distinct vibe, that I’m sure translates well in film. Hopefully this trend will continue, and I’ll soon be able to recognize Pittsburgh sites up on the big screen.
I am a huge film geek and love the history of film. It's delightful knowing that film has been cultivated here for many years. one of my biggest draws to CMU actually was the aspect of working with people who have worked with film in Pittsburgh. I hope that they are able someday to find and salvage this work because that would be amazing for the city and for film history to see the footage.
This also reminds me of another article that talked about the identity of cities in films. Pittsburgh is recognizable in many movies, most notably for me would be Perks of Being a Wallflower, where there are locations that I recognize from my short time here in the city. As someone who doesn't know Pittsburgh very well, I can get the sense that the movie takes place in Pittsburgh with just a few recognizable places- but I am sure that as a native of the city there are discrepancies that pop up. As a Seattle native, I can definitively say that no movie that supposedly takes place there is very accurate to the actual city map. People start in one place that I know and end up in another either too quickly or by passing something in a totally different part of town. As frustrating as this is, it is still too interesting and fun to see one's own city on the big screen and recognize where the action is taking place. So maybe in the end it doesn't matter that it's accurate, but only that it is a recognizable environment for native and non-natives alike.
I never knew Pittsburgh had such a strong tie to the film industry! When film was just coming into existence, I knew that it centered in the New York City area so it is exciting to learn that it made its way further west to this culturally vibrant city. Now it seems that we are coming back full circle, as many major motion pictures have filmed right in the heart of Pitt, and one has to only look around to understand why--so much history, so many unique neighborhoods with their own charms and specialties. Frequently in travel magazines I see Pittsburgh listed as one of the top cities to live in, as it has all the quirks of a big city yet has small-town prices.
Back to the article, I would love to see "Cupid's Garden Party"--early documentation of day-day life using film fascinated me and it would be wonderful to see how these neighborhoods looked at the turn of the century. It would be a wonderful asset for historians and plebeians alike to understand more about the background of the city we all inhabit!
Post a Comment