Here we have a shot of Hollywood history in the making. When the Warner Bros. first moved west to California, they built a filming stage on a block of land at 5800 Sunset Blvd, Hollywood, which puts it between Bronson and Van Ness Aves. It opened around 1920, so I’m guessing this shot is circa 1919 (especially as that car parked out front is a circa 1918 Scripps-Booth.) So what we’re seeing here is the birth of Warner Bros. west coast filming, which is pretty neat, if you ask me.
This is what The Barn looked like when it was finished. This shot is from circa 1920:
The Barn is no longer around, but the location developed into a much more sophisticated studio lot and was where “The Jazz Singer” was filmed. These days, it’s known as the Sunset Bronson Studio, and is home to KTLA 5 Television.
I love knowing the history of this location. I’ve driven past the current building a hundred times and always wondered what it was. I was pretty sure it had a fascinating history and it turns out it does.