The filmmakers at the Goldwyn Studios (fomrerly the United Artists studios) at Santa Monica Blvd and Formosa Ave in Hollywood had an extra headache when using the backlot. It was the enormous Hollywood gasometer, which was a holding tank for natural gas. I would imagine they came up with all sorts of clever ways to mask it—or maybe they had a standard matte painting they would superimpose over every shot the gasometer loomed over—which was probably every shot. I’m guessing this photo was taken in the 1930s.

Robert E. says: “Gas from the LA Oil fields, just south of there, initially powered the studios (they had generators that ran on cheap field gas) which is why studios were/are located in Hollywood.”

Andie P says: “During the fifties, it had some huge panels of what looked like fabric hung on one side of it for a year or so.”

Steven L says: “When I was young there was a whole farm of these in downtown Los Angeles where the Staples Center is now.”

Here is a photo taken from the blimp at around the same time (I’m guessing.) It shows how the gasometer really towered over everything. It didn’t come down until the mid-1970s.

This is how that area looks now. The old Goldwyn studios is now simply known as The Lot. This image is from May 2022.