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Hemet Heritage Foundation / Hemet Museum History Presentation
Hemet’s Forgotten Silent Movie Star - Monroe Salisbury
By Terral Metheny, Antique Collector
Monday, September 8, 2025
6:30 to 8:00 pm Doors Open at 6:00 pm
Location: Memorial Funeral Services
1111 S. State St. in Hemet, SW Corner of State & Stetson directly across from McDonalds on Stetson
The idea for this presentation came about in an interesting way…….our speaker for the evening, Terral Metheny, found some tickets to the 1920 movie, “The Blinding Trail” held at the Hemet Theater, featuring silent film actor Monroe Salisbury at a Hemet estate sale.
Terral was curious about this fellow and did some research on him. In the late 1910’s, Monroe bought a 40-acre citrus ranch in San Jacinto near the Soboba Indian Reservation, and, between pictures, it was his habit to drive out from Hollywood and drop in unexpectedly on the Native American overseer and his family who lived on the place and worked in the groves.
Monroe appeared in the first full featured version of “Ramona” in 1916. He made friends with the Soboba Indians who helped him portray authentically the lead character “Alessandro”.
Salisbury was a stage actor on Broadway before coming to California and becoming a famous silent screen movie star. When he arrived in Hemet, he became involved with a charity production at the Hemet Opera House called “The School Mistress”.
Terral Metheny has lived in Hemet for the past 5 years and frequents local estate and garage sales searching for memorabilia and antiques that he collects and resales. He is also a volunteer at the Hemet Historic Theatre.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Memorial Funeral Services, 1111 S State St, Hemet, CA 92543-7635, United States
