Headlines in History: Motion picture players at Fort Marion for ‘So This is Hamlet’

Editor’s note: The St. Augustine Evening Record published this story on Jan. 20, 1923.

Leaving Hotel Alcazar about 9 o’clock Jan. 20, 1923, in all their “war paint and features,” members of the Mastodon Film Company from New York continued their work on the farcical production of “So This is Hamlet,” which they are making, with some of the most important scenes being taken in St. Augustine. Today’s location was at Fort Marion, where the castle scenes are being taken, and scores of visitors in the city watched the filming of some very amusing scenes.

Charles Murray, for years leading comedian with March Sennett, plays the part of Claudius in the production, Billy West takes the part of Hamlet, and Dorothy Allen plays the role of Ophelia. Miss Allen has appeared with noted players in New York, playing with Ethel Barrymore for two seasons, appearing with Otis Skinner, and taking a part in the original production of “Irene.” She recently finished working with the Fox Company on a production of A.S. M. Hutchinson’s “If Winter Comes,” in which she played the part of “High Jinks.”

The Mastodon Film Company releases through Hodgkinson and First National. Richard Thorpe, general manager and producer for C.C. Burr, owner of the Mastodon Film Company, is with the company now in St. Augustine.

Dell Henderson, director, was in St. Augustine two years ago when Montagu Love, Carlyle Blackwell, and other notable stars were here working on the film play, “Three Green Eyes.” That company was at Hotel Alcazar for several weeks, and the members of the all-star cast came to be well-known figures in the city.

Mr. Henderson says that he is here now looking over locations, with a view to making plans for future productions to be filmed in this city. He declares that St. Augustine has marvelous possibilities, and that he knows of nothing like it anywhere, the settings are so quaint and so unusual, with narrow streets and old coquina buildings to give an air of antiquity. Florida as a whole as a motion picture producer’s paradise was given enthusiastic praise by Mr. Henderson this morning, when he talked with a representative of the Evening Record at Hotel Alcazar, and then, upon being questioned as to local conditions and his opinions thereof, he paid tribute to the Ancient City.

Mr. Henderson has been directing James Oliver Curwood pictures recently, filming those stories of the Great Northwest, which Curwood has made immortal. The last one he directed was “The Flaming Forest,” featuring Lew Cody, Marguerite Courtot, Sheldon Lewis, Effie Shannon, and other well-known figures in the motion-picture world. This picture is to be released in May 1923.

This article originally appeared on St. Augustine Record: This week in history: ‘So This is Hamlet?’ filmed at Fort in 1923