The Channel Islands Maritime Museum presents “The Sheik and The Shriek of Araby, A Film History of Hollywood-By-The-Sea”, with writer and local historian Richard Senate. For 22 years Senate worked as historian and historical interpreter for the city of Ventura.   He has studied film history and films made in Ventura County and that includes “The Sheik”, a low budget film with, a hard to work with actor, Rudolph Valentino.  It proved to be a hit!  It was made in the sand dunes of Hollywood by the Sea in Channel Islands Harbor (before it had that name). The locale was used in several other films as well, including the parody made by Mack Sennett “The Shriek of Araby” with the Ben Turpin playing the Valentino role. Real estate developers changed the place and the movie companies found other locations.

Speaker Series is a lecture series held every third Wednesday at the Channel Islands Maritime Museum 3900 Bluefin Circle, Oxnard CA. Refreshments are served at 6:30 pm and the lecture begins at 7:00 pm. Entry is free with CIMM membership, $7 for non-members, $5 for seniors.