CULVER CITY'S LOST BACKLOT: 40 Acres of Glamour and Mystery with Marc Wanamaker
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ต.ค. 2024
- Authors and historians Marc Wanamaker and Steven Bingen gave a presentation on April 17, 2019, based on their book "Hollywood's Lost Backlot: 40 Acres of Glamour and Mystery." At various times, the 40 Acres Backlot was owned by Cecil B. DeMille, David O. Selznick, Howard Hughes, Desi Arnaz, and Lucille Ball. It had areas known as the African Jungle Set, Mayberry, the Arab Village, Stalag 13, and Tara.
www.CulverCityHistoricalSociety.org
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After seeing this I ordered my copy of the book and look forward to getting it and going through it. I've been fascinated by the history of the 40 Acre lot ever since I learned about it years ago. Growing up watching all those shows from my youth brings up so many memories.
What a great talk. The energy and excitement of these two guys fairly burst thru your device. Not to mention those in attendance! Ordering the book tonight
Thank you all so much for all that you're doing. This information and the fantastic memories that the Culver City Historical Society have preserved keeps our imaginations and hopes alive from the past, present and the future.
I live for history and have always been fascinated by the movie studio backlots. And like you, I have a constant desire to protect and Preserve this great history.
We are living in a streaming TV world.
But I seem to be only interested in the classics from my childhood era, and the classics that were made even before I or my parents were even born.
You have made me very happy to know you are doing this great work.
I wish I could be a part of this preservation work with you.
Again, Thank You So much for all that you are doing.
Your kind words are much appreciated. We love fans like you! And you are welcome to join our efforts in any capacity. Please get in touch through our website.
Fantastic overview of a place that until now only lived on in our memories. Can't wait to get my copy
Wow! Fantastic presentation about a profound part of the putative Hollywood industry. Among my heartbreaks was the destruction of the Hal Roach studio lot and administration building. Superb historical research and preservation. I hope the "industry" engages with these important researchers. A side note: I wish this type of research and preservation could be done in Orange County, especially the eastern area of the city of Orange and the Irvine Park.
My son, aged 16 had become OBSESSED with old Hollywood films, my Amazon Prime account is proof, what started as a handful of Gene Kelly films has now morphed into purchases encompassing almost his entire catalog, as well as a large portion of Frank Sinatra & Bing Crosby. The pandemic had this one good effect, extra time fueled his deep dive into old Hollywood films.
We’ve now gotten into books on the subject, I purchased a copy of MGM: Hollywood's Greatest Backlot by Steven Bingen, published in 2011 on the subject and my son has been glued to the pages.
Now I’ll be looking for a copy of this book. These films are so much better than the ones available today, I don’t mind that he wants to buy them and watch them repeatedly.
"Jaded Gal" How fortunate your teenager is that you've supported his interests, his hobby both financially and emotionally. Furthermore, that his interests are harmless, inspiring, educational, worth pursuing -- AND, the fruits, the end results are so easily and enthusiastically shared with others -- resulting in time spent together consisting of some fascinating, spirited conversations resulting in shared memories to last your respective lifetimes.
"Congratulations."
Nice presentation. Lucky kid to know Mr Courage and get on set! 50:53 They are Klingons nor Romulans, with the great actor John Calicos as their leader - from the episode: "Errand of Mercy". Cheers.
Just recently read this book. Superb video presentation. For informative purposes the Star Trek episodes referenced were all first season episodes. The first photo is of the Klingons from the episode "Errand of Mercy." The second photo of the devastated town is from the episode "Miri." Notable as that episode guest starred Kim Darby and Michael J. Pollard. The photo of William Shatner and Joan Collins is from the episode, "City on the Edge of Forever, arguably one of the best episodes of the series. Thanks to both authors and the Historical Society for posting this presentation.
You are a Star Trek Cognoscenti. Thank you for enjoying it and contributing.
"Joe C." You make good points with specifics re "Star Trek" TOS. The sad, hidden reality is that most of the iconic series' local, location filming occurred in its first season, 1966 - 67. In addition to the outstanding book accompanying this TH-cam report -- "Hollywood's Lost Backlot: 40 Acres of Glamour and Mystery" -- authors Marc Cushman's and Susan Osborn's indispensable, three-volume study, "These Are the Voyages," are brilliant in providing specifics and an understanding on the look of the show.
Lucille Ball [ed. - yes, that Lucy], via her own company, Desilu Productions ("Star Trek"'s producer), was the show's champion in both developing it and supporting it throughout its first season. As soon as she sold Desilu to Gulf + Western, the conglomerate that owned Paramount Pictures, a new regime and a different business model -- as far removed from the realities of film and television production as could be -- made life miserable for certain key show personnel. And challenged fans, regular viewers.
The new mandated dictums were a reduced budget and shortened shooting schedule plus a draconian order, "no overtime" -- something unheard of in Hollywood, whether film or television. So, there went the frequency of location filming, which by the third season was close to none. In Hollywood it's a given that TV series' budgets traditionally INCREASE every season, in part to compensate for the talents' contracted annual "bumps." Plus inflation and other unavoidable factors. A significant portion of these added charges are covered by the network (i.e., NBC) paying an increased "license fee" each year -- to cover the production costs in exchange for Desilu and / or Paramount to deliver two 35 mm positive prints and two 16 mm positive prints of each episode [ed. - WAY back in the days of film]. The new overseers, corporate types, bean counters all the way, would have none of it. Losing Lucy was one of the worst things that could have happened to the "Star Trek" family -- cast, creative staff, production crew, NBC -- and the fans.
This is a long reaction to the true joy seeing portions of 40 Acres in those first-season shows. And why that "look" of at least getting off the sound stage is sorely missed for the bulk of year two and year three episodes.
@@scvandy3129 Thanks for the comments. Just sorry to see this is all gone now. Too bad it could not have been preserved as a historic site back in the 70's.
My heart broke when I saw what happened to so many great sets. I know time goes by, but if they can save the "Psycho" house, they could've saved Tara.
"Duffy Boston" Over the past 60 years the "Psycho" mansion has been planted on a minimum of three different spots within Universal's backlot; "struck" and relocated; "struck" and relocated. That's an indication of how determined the studio is to preserve this iconic set from being razed and lost to time. Oftentimes its appearance adjusted and then sometimes left as is, the eerie facade has been used for other movies and episodes of TV shows (e.g., "Murder, She Wrote," "Alias Smith and Jones"). And as millions of tourists from the past half century and more will attest, the Bates mansion is a highlight of their experience taking the ever-so-popular, and always evolving itinerary of the Universal Studios Tour.
So, "Duffy Boston," this response to your impassioned, valid comment shows preservation of Hollywood doesn't 'just happen;' people who cared had to 'make the call.'
What you do not understand is the studio backlots are forever in constant change .
Because at the end of the 60’s was when great decline happened and nobody cared about saving anything or rebuilding a old movie sets unless it was gonna make a profit. Preserving Hollywood props and creativity and even the landmark sign was in Decay. It is also hard to hold on to a backlot later on as well ..revisit Ted Turner’s purchase and loss of MGM late 80’s thur the 90’s . 🎬 This is and will very frustrating and fragile and unstable to experience as many longterm producers have discovered. 🎥
With Google Earth, a lot of current movie sets, especially in Europe and Hollywood, are now preserved in 3D in their databanks. For example right now the town square set at Golden Oaks Ranch used in "WandaVision".
Love the enthusiasm of these guys, I'll have to get this book.
What’s the title of this book and where can I order it ?⬅️🆗➡️
About the Tara house: This was on an episode of History Detectives on PBS some years ago..
I would watch these shows in the 60s and walk and drive by the Culver City long block of movie sets on the other side and I and my friends never knew my dad was a cameraman for many of them but I was never home to hear them I was always at the beach fishing surfing or walking with my girlfriends
Fascinating...thank you
Wonderful program! I have thoroughly enjoyed the book too.
The KING KONG GONE public art sign reads, "Near this site in 1927 the set for Cecil B DeMille's KING of Kings was built, used in 1932 as the gates for King KONG which later became the burning city of Atlanta for GONE With The Wind, which was destroyed December 10, 1938." It can be found on the south side of Hayden Pl. near the sidewalk.
Thanks for sharing that fact. Its great to know where it happened.
Very informative and enjoyable. Thanks so much for sharing this with us here.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank goodness, also, that Debbie Reynolds bought so many costumes from classic movies in the same vein.
Harry Culvers Interment is in Inglewood Park Cemetery.
How did Culver City allow Amazon and developers to all but totally demolish the main lot this past year? Absolutely heartbroken and angry.
Inky Tatts It's a simple answer $$$$$$$$$$$.
very interesting
It's all so fascinating. Can someone say if the Andy Griffith "farm" scenes were at an on-location real farm, or did they bring in chickens and livestock to the Desilu backlot.
46:25 - 48:08 "The Real McCoys" farmhouse was very adaptable to use on "TAGS." Quite possibly the very same firm supplying chickens and livestock to "McCoys" was the same one commissioned for those various "TAGS" shows where a farm with livestock / 'critters' was needed.
On a sitcom budget -- where time and money are always at a premium -- no way would the company leave the lot when they had this generic looking farm set. However, requirements for the lake were a different matter; that's when "TAGS" filming unit WOULD go to a local location, the ever-so-convenient-&-popular Franklin Canyon Reservoir.
. . . . If the larger, more upscale "Guestward Ho" rural set was also used by the the Griffith folks, I don't know. But now that we have the relatively new, fascinating book and here, this TH-cam video documentation it's no longer 'looking for a needle in a haystack.' Hopefully you have the time and the interest to get out your DVD sets of the series and spot the particular episodes about which you're curious. Then OF COURSE, SHARE your earth-shattering discoveries with all here.
. . . . You are indeed right, "Randy Henry," it's 'fascinating.' And the sound of just that word -- enunciated quite often by Leonard Nimoy -- will bring an entirely separate audience here, one bedazzled by the "Star Trek" TOS connection to 40 Acres!
@@scvandy3129 - Wow, that explains a lot. I inadvertently thought of Gomer Pyle's military huts as occupying where the Real NcCoys barn was, but he left TAGS after those many cool farm scene episodes occured.
SC Vandy - all of us 40 Acres enthusiasts appreciate your post.
I bought the book tonight.
Cool. Its a great book with lots of fascinating facts and stories.
🤘😎🤘
When I grow up i wanna be Kevin Brownlow.
Great presentation!
Glad you liked it!
So they are serving up human beings right !!!
Better known as Soylent green.
♥️👌
😰 sad what has become of 40 acre backlot.
🎥❤👈🔥👉❤🎬
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are you going to do a video about me and my parents and my career the royal protocol of my identity has been in the media since i was born