Tag Archives: Movie Studios
Aerial photograph of Thomas Ince’s aviation field, Venice, California, circa mid 1910s
That Thomas Ince fellow sure packed a lot of living in his 44 years. It wasn’t enough that he became a pioneer filmmaker who practically invented the Hollywood studio system and the Western. He also developed a 460-acre tract where … Continue reading
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Tagged Aerial photographs, Airports Aircraft Airlines, Movie Studios, Venice Beach
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Aerial shot of William Fox’s Fox Hills studio, 10201 Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, 1928
These days, we know this movie studio as 20th Century-Fox, but back in 1928, when this aerial photo was taken, it was still called the Fox Hills studio, named by William Fox after he bought the 100-acre site on Pico … Continue reading
The Warner Bros. filming stage known as “The Barn” under construction at 5800 Sunset Blvd, Hollywood, circa 1919
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 … Continue reading
Metro Pictures main entrance at 6300 Romaine St, Hollywood, circa early 1920s
Before they merged with Goldwyn Pictures in 1924 to become Metro-Goldwyn (L.B. Mayer didn’t get his name added until a year later) Metro Pictures had a four-block studio lot in Hollywood at Romaine St. and Cahuenga Blvd, which opened in … Continue reading
Universal City movie studio backlot, San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles, circa late 1910s
The movie studios were (and still are) so vast that they’re almost cities unto themselves, with their own post office, fire department, police force, and power generators. Universal Pictures went one step further and called their studio lot Universal City. … Continue reading
Color photo looking south down Gower St toward RKO studios at Melrose Ave, Hollywood, 1954
From Dave DeCaro’s glorious archive comes this vibrant (Kodachrome, I assume) photo looking south down Gower St toward RKO studios at the Melrose Ave corner. It was taken in 1954, when the studio was still producing movies, albeit chaotically under … Continue reading
Mother Goose Pantry restaurant, 1959 E. Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, as seen in MGM’s “Los Angeles: Wonder City of the West” Fitzpatrick’s Traveltalks short (1935).
I was recently watching an old movie on TCM, and after the closing credits ran, a Technicolor short from MGM started playing. It was from the popular travelogue series, called “Fitzpatrick’s Traveltalks.” The series goes all over the world, but … Continue reading
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Tagged Color photo, Memetic architecture, MGM, Movie Studios, Pasadena, Restaurants
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Three soundproof camera booths on the set of “Showgirl in Hollywood” at First National (Warner Bros) studios, Burbank, late 1929
This shot gives us a glimpse into what it was like to film one of those new-fangled talkie pictures. Back then, cameras were so noisy that the microphones needed to record dialogue would pick up the racket they made (which … Continue reading
Striking unionized motion picture workers clash with authorities outside Warner Bros movie studios, Olive Ave, Burbank, October 1945
Starting in the late 1930s and continuing during the WWII years, the two main unions operating in Hollywood—the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IASTE) and the Confederation of Studio Unions (CSU)—slowly headed toward heated conflict. One of the most … Continue reading
Looking north up La Brea Ave from around De Longpre Ave toward the Charlie Chaplin Studios on a rare snow day, Hollywood, January 22, 1921
Los Angeles rarely sees snow these days, but for most of its existence, it has gotten snowed on roughly once every ten years or so. Friday, January 22, 1921 was one of those special days, and thankfully some quick-thinking photographer … Continue reading