Humboldt in the Movies

A Lass of the Lumberlands

            Those of us who live in Humboldt County know what a beautiful, dramatic place this is. We share this fact, not just with tourists, but with movie fans around the world.

            In the early 20th century, this area’s isolation came to an end. Highway improvements and the 1914 completion of the NWP Railroad made our scenic locales accessible to the film industry. They quickly took advantage of it and have been doing so ever since.

            At first, films produced in the silent era focused on stories with Humboldt-like settings. The 1916 Lass of the Lumberlands was a damsel-in-distress tale with lumber trains and even a shipwreck. Then came adaptations of the 1918 best seller Valley of the Giants based loosely on timber wars and the Carsons. Over the years, it produced four versions, silent and talkies. Filmed locally, they used our woods, towns and train trestles, and even built and blew up dams and had authentic train wrecks.  

            But Hollywood soon learned that our area could be used for more diverse settings. In l948, it was far easier for the studio to film Green Dolphin Street along the Klamath River than in a Mauri village in New Zealand where the story was supposedly set.

            Our towns and architecture impressed Hollywood too. Street scenes and Carson homes made many appearances, and the town of Ferndale was made-over for several film settings including Salem’s Lot, Outbreak and The Majestic.

            But Humboldt’s cinemagraphic existence wasn’t confined to this reality or even this planet. E.T., The Enchanted Forest, After Earth and A Wrinkle in Time made use of Humboldt settings. Jurassic Park dinosaurs stalked Patrick’s Point State Park, and Star Wars scooters raced among the trees at Grizzly Creek. You can watch the films and then go to the parks to identify the exact vistas and fallen logs.        

            This Hollywood fixation with Humboldt did more than just share our beauty with the world. It brought us lots of money and excitement. Hotels and restaurants prospered with the influx of actors and film crews. People thrilled to watch filming and see movie stars walk our streets. Locals scrambled for chances at walk-on parts and to glimpse themselves on the big screen.

            The list of Humboldt-made films is too long to give here. But records of local film making, like all aspects of local history – mundane, dark or glamorous – are available at the Humboldt County Historical Society. Visit us.