mutualfilm

PANCHO VILLA'S ARRANGEMENT WITH THE MUTUAL FILM COMPANY: "In January 1914, Pancho Villa became Hollywood's first Mexican superstar when he signed an exclusive contract with the Mutual Film Corporation. In return for $25,000, he agreed to keep other film companies from his battlefield, to fight in daylight whenever possible, and to reconstruct battles if the footage needed reshooting. "Now the subject of an HBO film starring Antonio Banderas (And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself), Villa is one of the main protagonists in Margarita de Orellana's vivid account of the American movie industry's fascination with the events of the Mexican Revolution. "Through memoir accounts, newspaper reports, and analysis of the films themselves, "Filming Pancho" reveals much about how Mexico was constructed in the American imagination and how the film images reinforced and justified American expansionism and racial and social prejudices." --From a description, on Amazon, of a documentary movie of Hollywood's treatment of the Mexican Revolution. (The DVD is available for purchase from various Amazon vendors.)

A brighter view of the scene:

Info about Abraham Gonzalez and Francisco Villa, from Wikipedia: "Villa's hatred of ['usurper' Mexican Presidente] Huerta became more personal and intense after March 7, 1913, when Huerta ordered the murder of Villa's political mentor, Abraham González, who had worked with Madero and Villa since 1910. González had been one of Madero's political advisors. He recruited Francisco Villa in 1910 to support Madero with the Plan de San Luis which started the first part of the Mexican Revolution with the armed movement of 20 November 1910. The Plan de San Luis was conceived to force Dictator Porfirio Diaz (Mexican president for 33 years) to leave the presidency and allow for a Mexican democracy.[3] Villa later recovered González's remains and gave his friend a proper funeral in Chihuahua."

Wystan: Thank you for catching the typo in Gonzalez's name. We will fix the record when we update.

don't forget Wystan's question about "General", Governor seems more accuate see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Gonz%C3%A1lez

International uproar over British National killed in Villa's headquarters query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=F20A15FD355D13...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodolfo_Fierro

Other Bain/LOC photos of the Mexican revolution, with Mutual Film Co. copyright notices: Mrs. Pancho Villa:

A unos dias de la Batalla de Tierra Blanca (21 a 23 de noviembre de 1913), el derrotado General Mercado, el resto de sus hombres, las fuerzas irregulares y cientos de civiles salen de Chihuahua con destino a Ojinaga. Este viaje fue conocido como "la caravana de la muerte" Dr. Roberto Duarte

This picture is also found in the Wheeler collection

Ver mi comentario en la foto 3018-4 Dr. Roberto Duarte

PANCHO VILLA'S ARRANGEMENT WITH MUTUAL FILM CO.: "In January 1914, Pancho Villa became Hollywood's first Mexican superstar when he signed an exclusive contract with the Mutual Film Corporation. In return for $25,000, he agreed to keep other film companies from his battlefield, to fight in daylight whenever possible, and to reconstruct battles if the footage needed reshooting. "Now the subject of an HBO film starring Antonio Banderas (And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself), Villa is one of the main protagonists in Margarita de Orellana's vivid account of the American movie industry's fascination with the events of the Mexican Revolution. "Through memoir accounts, newspaper reports, and analysis of the films themselves, "Filming Pancho" reveals much about how Mexico was constructed in the American imagination and how the film images reinforced and justified American expansionism and racial and social prejudices." --From a description, on Amazon, of a documentary movie of Hollywood's treatment of the Mexican Revolution. (The DVD is available for purchase from various Amazon vendors.) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Some more Bain/LOC photos of the Mexican Revolution, bearing copyright notices of the Mutual Film Co.:

If you turn the photo to mirror view it can be seen the date month x, day 21, year 16. This picture matches Ojinaga's take which hapenned on january (1) tenth (10), 1914 (14). On 1916 Villa was hustled by Pershing (Punitive Expedition). Dr. Roberto Duarte

Thanks Wystan, for finding the information and linking the other Mutual Film images. In addition to the Bain images, the library has another great photo in our New York World- Telegraph & Sun Newspaper collection, www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2005695716/ showing Pancho Villa with members of the film crew. We'll fill in the caption information in the records for these images the next time we update them.