by George Webber, SVFF Historian 100 YEARS OF JACK LONDON, SONOMA VALLEY'S MOST FAMOUS AUTHOR...AND FILM WRITER! Jack London’s romantic novel The Valley of the Moon describes two lovers searching for the perfect valley... a place with rich land, streams of clear water, and plenty of sunshine. Jack’s novels never strayed far from his own life, and he wrote his classic while happily ensconced in the heart of heavenly Sonoma Valley at Beauty Ranch above Glen Ellen in 1913. He was the best selling and highest paid American author of his time, and was translated into many languages. In the novel our heroes find their perfect valley: “...it was their first sight of the Sonoma Valley and the wild mountains that rimmed its eastern side. To the left they gazed across a golden land of small hills and valleys. Beyond, to the north, they glimpsed another portion of the valley, and, still beyond, the opposing wall of the valley-- a range of mountains, the highest of which reared its red and battered ancient crater against a rosy and mellowing sky. He looked at Saxon, noted the ravished ecstasy of her face, and stopped the horses. All the eastern sky was blushing to rose, which descended upon the mountains, touching them with wine and ruby. "I've got a hunch," said Billy. "Let me say it first," Saxon begged. He waited, his eyes on her face as she gazed about her in rapture. "We've found our valley," she whispered... The Sonoma Valley Film Festival is proud to highlight the contributions our most famous local author made to the world of film. Jack London’s action filled stories are perfect for screen adaptations. Beginning 100 years ago in 1908 with the movie For Love of Gold (directed by the legendary D.W.Griffith), 111 movies have been made from his tales. Jack London movies have appeared every decade since the 1900’s, and five already since 2003. Many of these have been foreign films; Jack’s stories are universal in scope and content. He was also a screen actor: appearing as a sailor in the first of twelve versions of The Sea Wolf in 1913, the same year he wrote Valley of the Moon. You can visit Beauty Ranch at Jack London State Historic Park a few miles above Glen Ellen, at the north west corner of the Sonoma Valley. The park contains the cottage where Jack wrote books, short stories, articles and letters. There is a museum in “The House of Happy Walls,” which Mrs. London built in a redwood grove. A three-quarter mile walk takes visitors to a dam, lake and bathhouse built by London. Other hikes lead through fir and oak woodlands to views of the Valley of the Moon. Another trail leads to Jack London’s grave and to “Wolf House,” London’s spectacular dream house, which was destroyed by fire in 1913. Jack London State Historic Park is at 2400 London Ranch Road in Glen Ellen, about 15 minutes north of Sonoma. BEAR FLAG REVOLT! On the morning of June 14, 1846 the still air of the Sonoma Plaza was suddenly filled with horse hooves and gunfire. Wild looking men with coon-skin caps and dirty long hair hammered on the door of Casa Grande, the home of General Mariano Vallejo. “Open up, General!” they cried. “We’re takin’ over!” Hurriedly dressing, the General greeted thirty-three adventurers with these laconic words: “And to what do I owe the honor of a visit from so many fine gentlemen?” Thus began the “Bear Flag Revolt,” the curious military action that makes Sonoma famous in American history. The revolters grabbed General Vallejo and tied him to a chair, demanding he relinquish control of Mexican California. “But Gentlemen,” he cried, “I feel as you do, that Mexican California should be annexed by America. But why are you not in the uniform of the United States Army?” Their answer was simple and to the point: “Cause we ain’t the U.S. Army!” Today the California state flag is patterned after the Bear Flag made that day, and a walk on the Plaza presents historical buildings at every turn. In fact, there is more history in one square block of Sonoma’s Plaza than any other town in California. The Sonoma Valley Film Festival is proud to spotlight this fact, and to build historical awareness through the magical medium of film. Film is a unique cultural tool; it transcends time and space, bringing a visceral awareness of the past into our lives. CHECK BACK HERE FOR MORE TALES OF LEGENDARY SONOMA... stories of the amazing characters and events that have given Sonoma its outsized importance to American history. You will hear about Jack London, Ulysses S. Grant, John Charles Fremont, and a host of others that make a stroll around Sonoma’s Town Plaza an experience in time travel. Our Film Festival's Official Historian GEORGE WEBBER is a local history tour operator who makes history come alive on the Sonoma Plaza. General Vallejo, Mark Twain and others are all portrayed by Sonoma's Professional Multiple Personality Artiste! INFO AT: www.georgewebber.com