William Molina's enduring fascination with Hollywood cinema can be traced back to the 1920s, when his grandfather, under the screen name Charles Molina starred in pioneering silent films. Regrettably, numerous of those cellulose nitrate films, dating back a century, have deteriorated and decomposed permanently, resulting in their loss forever.

The only two known films starring Molina and his bull were "A Bully Pair", directed by Gilbert Pratt and produced and distributed by Universal. Gilbert Pratt was one of the great comedy directors working in the short comedy format during the late teens and twenties.

The first short film was released November 6, 1922. The second Universal one-reeler was "A Lot of Bull", which was released shortly thereafter November 13, 1922.

"Sources disagree as to whether this was a Universal Comedy or a Star Comedy. Trying to find information on comedy shorts of the silent era is often like trying to find the proverbial needle in the haystack,” recalls Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Archivist Samuel A. Gill.

Consequently, any information pertaining to these films is rather limited and sparse.



Archivist Samuel Gill recounts, "I have a feeling that "A Bully Pair", and perhaps even the hiring of your grandfather and his bull, was to capitalize on the tremendous success of the Paramount feature "Blood and Sand" starring Rudolph Valentino, which was released in August 1922. The comedy companies had a ball making spoofs of this film with its bullfighting theme, the most famous of which was Stan Laurel's "Mud and Sand".

Regrettably, a film print of "A Bully Pair" no longer exists, leaving behind only a published storyline: Charlie and Charlot, two tramps, run afoul of the sheriff in the village where they are dropped from their side-door Pullman. By a ruse they manage to slip under his guard and find accommodations at the local boarding house, where they both fall in love with the landlady's daughter. The sheriff, they later find out to their amazement, lodges at the same boarding house. When he arrives there for lunch he finds sitting at the table the two tramps whom he thought he had driven from town that morning. He resumes operations immediately, however, and after an exciting chase in which Charlot shows his dexterity as a bull-rider, the sheriff and his posse foiled and the two tramps and the bull finish their meal in peace. (Universal Weekly November 11, 1922)

Pictured above on the left is my grandfather Enrique Molina aka Charles Molina. The gentleman standing next to him is cinematographer and director José Gaspar. The photograph, signed in 1920 by Enrique to his brothers', commemorates his recent film achievements in California.

The surviving storyline of "A Lot of Bull": The scene of this swift comedy is laid in Mexico, a merry-go round's only rival for revolutions. Charlie, an auto salesman selling Detroit corn-poppers, falls in love with a senorita first clip out of the box. Her sweetheart, however, a big Mex., interferes and throws Charlie out into the street, then chases him. Charlie takes refuge in a barber shop, donning a beard. The Mex. comes in. He is the barber and starts to shaving Charlie, but discovers who he is. Charlie gets away in his flivver. He goes to a store and comes out dressed as a woman. He vamps several men and when one gets fresh knocks him down. His masquerade is discovered by another would-be lover. Things quiet down a bit and Charlie arranges for a demonstration of a flivver. The flivver blows up. The crowd chases Charlie, who gets away by taking refuge in the jail. He goes to sleep. Next day he goes to the bull fight. And is chased by the bull. Charlie protects himself with a mattress, narrowly misses being gored several times, as the toreadors and the crowd look on. With a broom he finally chases four bulls from the arena. (Universal Weekly, November 25, 1922)

Unfortunately, there's not much known about Molina's early silent films or Hollywood career.

My grandfather eventually ended up back in Europe (presumably Brussels) and established a small production company, Molina Filmes (Portuguese for films). Once again, little is known about his film production endeavors or his numerous other ventures. However, the Spanish inventor and his family fled Europe during World War II, leaving everything behind.

Enrique and his family, English wife and three children including fifteen month old Edward (my father) were actually "barred" from entering England in January 1939.

Twenty years after his days in Hollywood, Molina was apparently visiting his old amigo Gaspar on the set of the Spanish film "Sol de Valencia" (1941). Enrique Molina can be spotted in the photos wearing his distinguished fedora hat. The child sitting below Molina is my uncle Jerry (my father's older brother). Of course Molina always found a way to trifle with the leading ladies, Maruja Gomez and Leonor Fabregas.