By: Alan Aptheker
In the early 1900s, Jacksonville was home to more than 30 movie studios. At that time, movie makers needed natural sunlight—and lots of it—to make films. The industry was centered in New York and New Jersey, and their gray, overcast winters meant a virtual shut-down for months at a time. The Jacksonville studios churned out hundreds of silent films until filmmakers discovered Southern California, and the rest is Hollywood history.
