Hidden Sanctuary

Hidden Sanctuary: Saint John’s Cemetery was commissioned to tell the history of San Mateo county through its “Pioneer Cemetery” called Saint John’s.   It was quite a challenge to write a script about graves and tombs, but thanks to the many colorful characters buried at Saint John’s, from mayors to mobsters, we were able to make the story come to life.

Length: 30 minutes.

They Lived In Great Houses: Uplands, The Templeton Crocker Estate

Great Houses: Uplands was the first of a PBS series on the grand mansions built during the early 1900s in the San Francisco Bay Area.  This particular home, Uplands, was built by the wealthy and eccentric C. Templeton Crocker, grandson of the founder of the Central Pacific Railroad. 

Templeton Crocker led an eclectic life, partly devoted to the arts, and partly to the sciences.  He built a magnificent seagoing yacht, the Zaca, which he used to support scientific expeditions to the Galapagos Islands.  He also wrote an Opera, Fay-Yen-Fah, which premiered at the Monte Carlo opera house.  Today, the elegant mansion is home to the Crystal Springs Uplands School, a private academy.

Great Houses was nominated for two Emmy awards and won for cinematography.

Length: 30 min.