In November 1924, movie director/mogul Thomas Ince died, leaving behind him a studio that his widow had no interest in running. The following year, director Cecil B. DeMille acquired it and renamed it DeMille Studios. This photo shows us the big dedication ceremony that took place in front of the wide administration building that faced Washington Blvd in Culver City. I imagine DeMille is one of those people standing on the steps, but with so many well-wishers, it’s hard to make him out. His tenure didn’t last long. By 1928, the studio was in the hands of RKO, and in the 1930s they leased the studios to David O. Selznick.
These days, those studios are simply called The Culver Studios and are now home to Amazon. This image is from March 2023.
The road in front of the studio is now a pedestrian walkway. Culver City really modernized the nearby area at some point for shopping, restaurants, a movie theatre, etc. Does anyone remember when this area became a walkway?
It’s the first time I believe I’ve ever seen lawn chairs, of the Adirondack variety no less, out in front of the building! Does this mean we’re invited in to set a spell?
I’m guessing they figured DeMille could be long-winded and people would need seats…
Wasn’t this also David O Selznick’s studio – at least while he was making Gone With The Wind?
Yes, it was his in the mid to late 1940s.