The Legendary Lost Biopic Of Pancho Villa

It all started In early 1914 when Harry E. Aitken, the head of the Mutual Film Company, had a novel idea he believed would be a boon for both himself and Pancho Villa. Aitken sent a film agent into Northern Mexico where Villa and his soldiers were camped out who embedded himself with the rebels for several weeks while the agent hammered out the film contract with the general.

Legends about the film contract have grown over the years that included stipulations that Villa's army only fight during daylight hours since the cameras of the era didn't allow for nighttime shoots and that Villa would reenact battle scenes for the camera. "There was absolutely no mention of reenactment of battle scenes or of Villa providing good lighting," Villa biographer Friedrich Katz told Smithsonian Magazine. "What the contract did specify was that the Mutual Film Company was granted exclusive rights to film Villa's troops in battle and that Villa would receive 20% of all revenues that the films produced."

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