In researching railroad history, I stumbled across some movie history.

One bit of history I found was about a photographer named Harry Buckwalter. He had a pretty good Denver commercial photography business, but when movies came along he tried that, too.

It was around 1901 that he started making historical films. Buckwalter’s film company shot the first footage of this area’s tourist attractions, and he also shot films of everyday sights and scenes. Buckwalter had regular showings of his films at various spots around the area. He often set up in parks, where he put up his own screen and hosted movie nights.

One of Buckwalter’s popular theaters was in Stratton Park, an amusement park down in the Cheyenne Road area. His films were advertised in the newspapers. The subjects included the Pikes Peak train, mines in Cripple Creek, farms near Black Forest and Fountain, Garden of the Gods, early automobiles and even people shopping. He sent film crews all over the state as the demand for something new grew.

Soon Buckwalter was showing his films outside of Colorado. The films were very popular at home and away. In Colorado Springs, the streetcar line brought in groups from as far away as Manitou. Local residents often came to see if they appeared in any of the films. The film crews roamed the area in tour cars loaded with cameras and crews. A few local attractions were the most popular filming spots, but a few actually did not want to be in the features at first. That is, until they started to see the results! Unfortunately, the introduction of sound and regularly opened theaters forced Buckwalter to stop making his movies.

None of these old films can be found today. The film used was very early plastic and was terrible. It dried up and crumbled, and worse than that it could spontaneously erupt into flames! The film companies found a better plastic formula during World War II.

In the 1920s, we saw the arrival of a better known film outfit right here in Colorado Springs — Alexander Film. Their forte was commercials that were shown before feature films. They made advertising films for local and national brands. Many of these feature our local landmarks. New cars driving around the Garden of the Gods, or up Pikes Peak, were regular scenes. This company became a victim of television, more than anything.

E.M. “Mel” McFarland is an artist, historian and railroad enthusiast. He is a Pikes Peak region native and has written a handful of books and guides highlighting the area’s rich history. Contact Mel at mcmidland@yahoo.com.

In this 1955 photograph, a woman holding a loaf of Peter Pan bread stands in front of the wall with canned goods, facing lights and cameras during a advertising production shot with the Alexander Film Co. One man is operating the camera, one sits by the lights, one is reading papers in foreground and another sits facing the woman. (Margaretta M. Boas

photograph collection, courtesy of pikes peak library district, 001-713)