There have been many movies filmed in Orlando over the years – from award-winners like “Parenthood” in 1989 and “The Florida Project” in 2017, to kitschy titles like “Ernest Saves Christmas” in 1988 and “Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!” in 2015.
But Orlando had its first big-screen starring role in a 1914 silent movie that was shot around town and starred local residents. We know for certain it involved romance and Orlando, but we can’t quite pin down the movie’s title.
In various reports over the years in the Sentinel’s archives and ads, the movie has been called “Romance at Orlando,” “Romance in Orlando” and “Romance of Orlando.”
Whatever its name, it was a big hit with its hometown audience when it played at the still new Grand Theatre.
“More than 3,000 paid admissions at the Grand witnessed the production of the picture play, ‘Romance at Orlando’ Tuesday and Wednesday nights and Wednesday matinee,” the Sentinel reported on Jan. 15, 1914. “It was a pleasing picture made popular by the appearance of local characters.”
Despite the lack of a rave review, the novelty of seeing Orlando and some of its residents on the big screen was quite a draw.
When the movie was shot here in December 1913, the Sentinel provided daily front-page updates on its production.
“The representatives of the Civic Motion Picture company, of Tampa, who are in Orlando to make a picture play, made the first scenes at the Presbyterian church yesterday afternoon.” the newspaper reported on Dec. 10. “The title of the picture is ‘Romance at Orlando,’ and the principals in the cast are Miss Mary Rock, who takes the leading role as Mabel Mitchell, Jenkins Dolive playing opposite her as Jack Strong, and Joe Cheney as Bob Logan, one of Mabel’s suitors.
“A number of scenes of the plot will be taken on the business streets this morning, and at two o’clock this afternoon Joe Cheney and Jenkins Dolive will deliver political speeches at the band stand,” the Sentinel said, adding, “It is designed and desired that this feature shall draw a crowd of men. Thursday the Orlando fire department will make a run for the occasion and a fire scene will be enacted.”
When the big fire scene of the movie was filmed the next day, the Sentinel provided some more info on the movie’s leading man. The newspaper knew him pretty well.
“The hero, dear reader, was Mr. Jenkins Dolive, of the Sentinel staff, who had just enacted the part of rescuing his sweetheart Mabel Desmond, who in real life is Miss Mary Rock, also of Orlando, from Mr. Beacham’s residence, which had a smudge built beneath one of the windows for the sole purpose of making a heavy smoke,” the Sentinel noted. “The run of the fire department and the smoke fooled many people, and this added to the realism of the picture, much to the delight of the representatives of the Civic Motion Picture company.”
As for the “romance” part of the film, it ended in a big wedding of course and featured many prominent Orlando residents.
“The wedding scene was enacted true to life, and Mr. Donald Cheney played well the part of the minister who performed the ceremony,” the Sentinel account said. “The bridal party was composed of Mr. and Mrs. Geo. C. Keller, Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Yearby, Mr. and Mrs. Louis Dolive, Miss Glenn Cheney and Mr. Montcalm Broward, Jr., Miss Thornton and Mr. Voorhis, Miss Ruby Platt and Mr. Billy Beardall. The party filed out of the church and the bride and groom departed for their honeymoon in a large new automobile waiting at the curb. Edwin Beeman was the chauffeur at the wheel and lost no time in speeding away.”
Despite only being shown here for a couple of days, folks couldn’t get enough of the movie. On Jan. 15, 2014, the Grand issued an apology in an advertisement for its next feature. “Sorry we couldn’t accommodate all the people who wanted to see the local moving picture, “Romance in Orlando.”‘
But that wasn’t the end of the film. It came back to town for another showing months later at a different theater, sort of a pre-TV summer rerun.
It was shown at the Lucerne Theatre on Monday, July 6, 1914. The theater’s ad noted, “‘The Romance of Orlando’, a local film made here last December with local people. The film will be repeated for the benefit of those who did not see it last winter and those who wish to see it again.”
No “ats,” “ins” or “ofs” about it, Orlando found romance with the big screen.
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