Dam’s Doom: St. Francis Falls 1928

This 1928 silent film, Destruction of a Dam, dramatizes the St. Francis Dam’s catastrophic collapse near Santa Clarita, California, using intricate models and miniatures. Filmed shortly after the March 12 disaster that killed over 600, it recreates the concrete gravity-arch dam—built 1924–1926 under William Mulholland—shattering at midnight, unleashing a torrent through San Francisquito Canyon. Miniature floodwaters sweep away homes, while aftermath scenes show rescuers combing debris for survivors. A stark cautionary tale, it reflects the tragedy that ended Mulholland’s career and stunned 1920s Los Angeles.