Axios San Antonio
March 27, 2026
1 big thing: Our forgotten Westerns
Before Hollywood became a film mecca, the industry briefly ran through San Antonio's South Side.
Why it matters: San Antonio played a pivotal — but often forgotten — role in shifting filmmaking from New York to helping set the stage for Hollywood.
The latest: Kathryn Fuller-Seeley and Frank Thompson's new book, "The First Movie Studio in Texas," explores the stretch from 1910–1911, when French filmmaker Gaston Méliès set up Star Film Ranch near the Missions.
- "No major book that covers the silent period of Westerns ever mentions the San Antonio company," Fuller-Seeley tells Axios.
Flashback: In the early 1900s, filmmaking was dominated by Thomas Edison and centered in New York City.
- Studios shot on rooftops, limited by stage-like scenes and gray winters.
- Meanwhile, audiences moved from short magic-trick reels to wanting longer, story-driven Westerns.
- Méliès searched for the real thing and landed in San Antonio, where the landscape matched the American imagination of the West and transportation made it accessible.
What they did: The troupe produced about 70 silent films, sometimes as many as three per week, starring Edith Storey and Francis Ford.
The big picture: San Antonio became a proving ground where filmmakers learned that shooting outdoors and scaling up Westerns worked.
- "Francis Ford learned everything about movies in San Antonio that he then turned around and taught his younger brother [John Ford], who goes on to become this great Hollywood director," Fuller-Seeley tells Axios.
Yes, but: San Antonio didn't last as a hub. In the mid-1910s, filmmakers moved to California for more varied landscapes and cheaper land.
- Much of the history faded — films were lost or scattered worldwide, the Star Film Ranch home burned down, and early figures like Francis Ford didn't promote their work and slipped into the background.
What's next: Historians believe more San Antonio-made films may still sit in archives or private collections.
- At least one, "Billy and His Pal," has been recovered and digitized.
The intrigue: A familiar script is playing out in Texas today as the state is using incentives and lower costs to lure filmmakers back.
2. It's still cheaper to rent
Renting is cheaper than owning a home in San Antonio, according to a LendingTree analysis.
Why it matters: The same holds true for all 100 of the largest U.S. metro areas as housing costs have soared nationwide, with stubbornly high home prices and mortgage rates weighing on would-be buyers.
- Nationally, homeowners with a mortgage now pay around 37% more per month than renters, researchers found.
By the numbers: The median monthly gross rent in the San Antonio area was just over $1,400 in 2024, based on the latest available Census Bureau data, compared with monthly costs of over $2,000 a month for mortgaged homes.
The big picture: In 22 of the 100 largest metros, owning costs at least 50% more each month than renting, including utilities, fees and taxes.
What they're saying: "The cost disparity here could be enough to convince someone that they'll never be able to own a home in some areas, and — unfortunately — they may be right," Matt Schulz, LendingTree's chief consumer finance analyst, said in a statement.
- Some homebuyers may have to move to another city to find a place within reach, he says.
3. Inside the Loop
4. 🚫 No Kings protests planned
5. Two, one oh 🤩: All the pastabilities
Axios San Antonio
