In 1917, Harry Culver incorporated Culver City (after all, if you’re going to build a city, why not name it after yourself?) halfway between downtown Los Angeles and Santa Monica. Harry wouldn’t have known it at the time, but it went on to become most famous as the home of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. In 1924, Harry built and opened the Culver Hotel, which benefited from being just a couple of blocks from the studio. Consequently, a huge number of celebrated performers stayed there, including the 100 or so actors who played the munchkins in MGM’s “The Wizard of Oz.” This photo is from 1938, which is when that movie was in production (October 1938 to March 1939) so this is how it would have looked when they stayed there. Later owned by Charlie Chaplin, and then John Wayne, and then became a YMCA, the hotel is still around and is a 46-room boutique hotel and a thriving part of Culver City life.
In 1917, Harry Culver incorporated Culver City (after all, if you’re going to build a city, why not name it after yourself?) halfway between downtown Los Angeles and Santa Monica. Harry wouldn’t have known it at the time, but it went on to become most famous as the home of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. In 1924, Harry built and opened the Culver Hotel, which benefited from being just a couple of blocks from the studio. Consequently, a huge number of celebrated performers stayed there, including the 100 or so actors who played the munchkins in MGM’s “The Wizard of Oz.” This photo is from 1938, which is when that movie was in production (October 1938 to March 1939) so this is how it would have looked when they stayed there. Later owned by Charlie Chaplin, and then John Wayne, and then became a YMCA, the hotel is still around and is a 46-room boutique hotel and a thriving part of Culver City life.
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