Broncho Billy and the Essanay Film Company

by David Kiehn

Before Clint Eastwood, before John Wayne, before Gary Cooper, William S. Hart and Tom Mix, there was Gilbert M. Anderson. In 1910 Anderson created and portrayed a screen cowboy named Broncho Billy, the prototypical good/badman with a strong sense of moral right and wrong. Billy was often an outlaw, but he could also be an honorable sheriff struggling to maintain law and order, a crafty gambler with a sympathetic heart, a poor rancher fighting the hardships of western life, or just a plain old cowboy roaming the range. Whatever his occupation, Anderson infused Broncho Billy with a winning personality, and it made him the first western movie star. His Essanay stories of the old west were filmed in the real west, and set the pattern for western movies as we know them today. Anderson and a skilled troupe of technicians, actors and real cowboys visited Denver, Golden and Morrison, Colorado, El Paso, Texas, and the California towns of Santa Barbara, San Rafael, Redlands, Los Gatos, San Diego, Santa Monica, Lakeside, Petaluma, Santa Rosa, Fairfax and Los Angeles before finally settling in Niles to take advantage of its scenic canyon. A state-of-the-art studio was built and they made over 300 westerns in four years, as well as many comedies with the likes of Ben Turpin and Charlie Chaplin. Here is a rare, inside look at a silent-era movie company in action, told in an engaging manner. The book includes 270 photographs, personnel biographies, a complete filmography and index.

448 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2003

Reviews

[Deborah Stoiber]

This is a well researched book about the history of Essanay Film Company and its years in Niles, CA. I picked this up years ago and finally took the time to sit down and read it. So glad I did! Wonderful photos and information about the actors and crew at the small studio, and the rise and fall of the company. The author writes in a way to make the people involved to be human, not just facts and figures.
The short biographies and summaries of films made in Niles is excellent! I have to give the author credit for this type of meticulous in researching all of this information. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in movie history.

[Audrey]

This was a very well-written and researched history of the West Coast Essanay studio. There was a heavy dependence on interviews that were done in the past, and it made me feel very grateful that anyone had thought to do them while those folks were still alive. Included were insights from the people of the town of Niles, and some of the smaller players, which added a lot to the richness of the story. I love the complete filmography and biographical information for all of the players.

[Robert]

This is a fine book--part biography and part studio history. Well researched, nicely written, and packed with many great photos, the book details the life of G.M. "Broncho Billy" Anderson, the movies' first cowboy star, and the studio he established in Niles, California/ An added bonus is the section of mini-bios on many Essanay Film Mfg. Co. personnel. Hightly recommended.