I suspect that some enterprising photographer took an aerial shot of the back lot set for “Lost Horizon” (1937) on the Columbia Ranch on Hollywood Way in Burbank because at the time, the Lamasery (upper right corner) was the largest single standing set (in terms of square feet) built for a motion picture of the sound era. It shows us what a massive undertaking it was—especially for the normally tightfisted Columbia studios. The Columbia ranch now belongs to Warner Bros. And, as you would expect, all those empty fields (the movie was shot over the summer of 1936) surrounding it are now fully developed suburbia.
I suspect that some enterprising photographer took an aerial shot of the back lot set for “Lost Horizon” (1937) on the Columbia Ranch on Hollywood Way in Burbank because at the time, the Lamasery (upper right corner) was the largest single standing set (in terms of square feet) built for a motion picture of the sound era. It shows us what a massive undertaking it was—especially for the normally tightfisted Columbia studios. The Columbia ranch now belongs to Warner Bros. And, as you would expect, all those empty fields (the movie was shot over the summer of 1936) surrounding it are now fully developed suburbia.
It’s not dissimilar to the set for the 1974 picture.
Love this sort of stuff! Pure catnip to LA-obsessors!
very cool! I love shots of the old back lots and I’d never seen this one. Thanks!
Thanks David. I love shot of the back lots and this one was new to me, too.