Middleton was the manager of the local Middleton Motor Car Company and the son of a California timber baron . He introduced Michelena to his society friends and business partners , including the trustees of Charles Crocker 's estate who had rebuilt the St. Francis Hotel after the 1906 earthquake and fire . Middleton set up the California Motion Picture Company in San Rafael in 1912 for the purpose of shooting promotional footage of the automobiles he was selling . He determined that his pretty wife could star in movies made by his company . By 1914 , Middleton and Michelena were making three major films at the same time
1906 earthquake and fire
1906 San Francisco earthquake
California Motion Picture Corporation