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230 THE HOUSE THAT SHADOWS BUILT
of their spectacular rise. The Astor was as a mining camp where the newly rich, in exalted bewilderment, bandy fortunes and chatter in millions. . . .
And three thousand miles away, Hollywood had advanced far along the road from its origin as a sleepy Western village dozing among orange groves to its bizarre destiny. Already it was coming to be the most famous town of its size in the world. Lasky with The Squaw Marly first long film produced in the West, and with his subsequent productions, had crystallized that. Doubtless in any event the business would have found its centre of production near Los Angeles. That region offers open winters, a maximum of sunny days, actinic light, infinite variety of scenery and architecture; and the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, in soliciting new industries, misses few tricks. But except for the accident of the rented bam, destiny might have struck some other suburb than Hollywood.
American production began, of course, in New York, the theatrical centre. By 1916, however, some of the greater companies were working exclusively in Hollywood or its sub-suburbs. Culver City and Universal City. For a long time. Famous Players-Lasky split its artistic forces. Zukor, when he began his series of combinations, was planning his great studio in Long Island City, twenty minutes by subway from Times Square. Completed, Famous Players-Lasky used it for nearly ten years. After 1916, however, the Hollywood