In 1917, Hugo Ballin put his successful career as a portraitist and painter on hold to pursue a career in the film industry. He first worked as a set designer for Samuel Goldwyn Studios, then as an art director, director and producer. In 1920, he moved to Los Angeles to work in the burgeoning silent film industry in Hollywood, forming his own production company, Hugo Ballin Productions Inc. With competition very stiff in new industry, Ballin Productions did not survive. Ballin returned to painting, receiving his first commissions in Los Angeles through his relationships to other Jewish filmmakers there. This portion of the exhibit examines Ballin's career as a filmmaker and how it influenced two of his murals projects from the 1920s: those at the home of Milton Getz and those at the Wilshire Boulevard Temple. You can explore those commissions by following the paths below. 

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