These Are My Mountains: From the Chaplin Studios to the High Sierra The Life of Nellie Bly Baker O'Bryan

A forgotten woman of early Hollywood. A fearless life in California's Eastern Sierra. A story nearly lost to time.These Are My Mountains tells the remarkable true story of Nellie Bly Baker O'Bryan, a pioneering woman whose life carried her from rural Oklahoma to silent-era Hollywood, where she worked alongside Charlie Chaplin and appeared in motion pictures during the formative years of American film.But Nellie's story did not end in Hollywood. In 1939, she made her way to Mono County, California, where she became a resort owner, licensed guide, businesswoman, local historian, and beloved figure of the Eastern Sierra. From Happy Landing at Lundy Lake to her famous Upside Down House near Mono Lake, Nellie created a life as original as the mountains she loved.Drawing on family records, newspapers, journals, photographs, and archival research, Bonnie Henderson restores Nellie Bly Baker O'Bryan to her rightful place in the history of women, film, and the American West.For readers who enjoy women's history, silent film, Charlie Chaplin, California history, and true stories of independent women who refused to live ordinary lives. Read more