I do love finding a photo of the RKO studios, especially when it was taken at the corner of Gower St and Melrose Ave and their iconic globe with the radio tower was still in place. And the fact that it’s in color is the (bright red) cherry on top. For years, RKO advertised their big releases on the billboards placed on the wall of the soundstage that ran along Gower. When this was taken, their big picture was the John-Wayne-starring, Josef-von-Sternberg-directed “Jet Pilot” whose LA premiere was held on September 25, 1957, and was the final picture von Sternberg directed. There wouldn’t be many billboards after this one – 1957 was the year RKO ceased production.
This is how that corner looked after Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz had acquired the studios and converted it to Desilu:
This is how that view looked in December 2002. The RKO lot is now part of Paramount. The soundstage is their Stage 21. RKO’s globe is still there, but the radio tower is long gone. (Probably because it’s an earthquake hazard.) They still have billboards, but Dr. Phil isn’t quite the same.
I drove a 53 Studebaker just like the one shown at this time.
When I see vintage photos with automobiles from this era, there are always Studebakers. I wonder how a car this seemingly popular ever went out of fashion/business.
Removing the tower from the globe was a terrible idea!!! That was a Hollywood landmark and should have remained as it was. I do not like one thing about the current photo and as far as Dr. Phil. Just another has been
Under RKO, this was originally Stage 14. It was renumbered to 21 later.
As long as we’re looking at something Desilu related, here’s a bit on studio backlots directing us to Forty Acres at Culver City with some Gone With The Wind sets…especially delightful since they also filmed street scenes for the oft-renamed grindhouse-goofball Switchblade Sisters (1975) there: http://apolloarchive.com/40acres_final_years.html