The Columbia Ranch-Another Rooftop Story From Yesteryear

Maureen and I had to pay a final visit to show our respects and we ended up being the center a “Code 3.” The Burbank Police showed up after an irate guard threw a frenzy as we took pictures at the entrance. We are 63 years old at this point in time. We will start here in the present -before going back in time.

The culprits:

They seem innocent …

Grown up version of this same duo of troublemakers over at the former East End of MGM Lot 3…We never stop playing this game!

We don’t cause trouble-it follows us.

I hear trouble behind me…

Behind me is one upset guard with his camera out and calling police.

The police have arrived with sirens no less, we didn’t think it was for us until, they positioned themselves on the street corners. One police car went inside the lot. I quickly concluded it’s time for Bonnie and Clyde to make for the getaway car. We hid behind the white truck before driving past this developing situation. We decided to cover our tracks, literally in a Pullman car at nearby Travel Town to process what just happened. It wouldn’t be the first time a Pullman car would provide a hideout for us. Calmly like the 63 year olds we are, we left the area with one final memory. Maureen and I love backlots – We plead guilty to that charge!

These Stages once used by Bewitched, The Monkees, and The Partridge Family. An entire forest was viciously destroyed in this now desolate area that once was Fantasy Island. Foreground was a lush forest…”we don’t need those anymore.” says the project manager…Disgraceful!

Backside New York Street.

Once Upon a Time this was our entrance.

Gate 11 in better days…

“Come and get me Mr. Security Guard- Be careful not to fall in the trench”

Fountain foreground, pool behind me. My color and Black and White pictures years apart.

Let’s go on top of the buildings off in the distance. Keep your eyes out for guards…

I can be found on backlot rooftops…

Same rooftop-years apart.

Looking towards Forest Lawn Drive from the highest vantage point on the Columbia Ranch

Gate 11-Hollywood Way-located behind trees.

Same rooftop, same angle, years apart.

The backside view from same roof–a silver spaceship, off in the distance, left side of building.

Subtle changes-years apart

Transportation/picture cars. Columbia Ranch stages

Same roofs looking toward Western Street. Very few shots exist from rooftops, these are special-I’m like an owl, watching over everything…

Hoot hoot…

Those rooftops overlook the backlot, a fountain is situated on the front side-in a park setting.This place is like a kid’s toy chest. I’ll take you up there in today’s story, a night time trespassing adventure…

The pool area-fountain is just out of frame.

Dive on in…

Steel structure contained hand props, really cool stuff inside. Trees in back of frame is where Fantasy Island-studio version of Queen Anne Cottage in Arcadia, California. A seldom used nearby location. This ranch reproduced that location.

My pal Jimmy as we approach this backlot version of Queen Anne Cottage. Exterior set duplicated on the Columbia Ranch. Discovery after discovery around every corner.

Welcome to Fantasy Island…“You guys remember me?” I met “you all” on your second ever episode-over at MGM lot 2… “Pleasure to be here!”…I have an amazing story to share on this set in 1977, when I spent the day with this cast and crew. My story is titled “Glass Onion” You will trip out, literally. This colorful event will be in book three, not yet titled- so Stay tuned!

This is a picture of set duplicated at the Ranch. This is the real Queen Anne Cottage.

What’s real and what’s illusion?

Fantasy Island Storage Company-Set decorations as simple as a palm tree, a sign, and tropical jungle reeds save going on location. I was on set at MGM for Fantasy Island. Bert Convy and Robert Clary guest starred with MGM legend Ricardo Montalban. The show had not yet aired, second episode. Plot was about escape from Devil’s Island. This story will be in my 3rd book. Episode Directed by Gene Levitt. Famous for his Combat history at MGM, he also was the Director on The Phantom of Hollywood. A film the parallels my dealings at MGM in the beginning of the 70’s. I’m that Phantom- that plot is ghostly-because it’s my story at that studio. That’s why I’m –The Phantom of the Backlots

TBS Backlot

Walton house over at Columbia Ranch

Replica barn -Columbia Ranch for Waltons reunion.

Original barn set-picture taken by me in 1975. We would later on that holiday afternoon drive a car used in this series and dress in clothing found in trunk as we toured the backlot, in a Waltons car, dressed as family members.” “Hey, where is everybody?…When’s supper?”

“There’s those trespassers again… Kami go back inside…these boys are up to no good!”

Let’s check out that spaceship…yonder –apparently we’re not alone

He was a Sheriff on earth–I had a fort in his house!

I’ll take the window seat

This backlot is a portal to…Outer Space!

Water tank set on backlot-real homes across from studio on Hollywood Way

This corner was where we entered for over a decade, the parking lot of a shopping center. We would park here, listen to music and plot. That’s the water tank, surrounded by scaffolding. Actors swim inside as cameras film from windows. Universal and MGM also had these heavy duty steel drum sets. Esther Williams made her living in one of these at MGM. Plus she had a deep pool to dive into…

Recent picture where all my adventures began…

As time passed…More barb wire was added and a moat full of alligators…Just to keep me out!

Church from outside studio

Church inside studio

Backlot fencing, covered with ivy. On the other side is a utility road. This public street is Oak St.

I love this studio because it was nestled in with real life normal people living everyday life with a balcony view of the studio. Maureen’s apartment growing up was just outside MGM’s fences. Sequence of pics from off lot, behind house and front door. Picture one of Bewitched house from Oak St. The address used for this fictitious house is 1164 Morning Glory Circle.

Just inside the fence on Oak St.-This utility road separating the public street “Oak” from Samantha Stevens home in Bewitched.This is picture 2 of 3

The most familiar angle of the three...The front door of the Bewitched home.

This series aired from 1964 to 1972. Created by Sol Saks. 254 episodes were created, most directed by William Asher. Hanna-Barbera produced the opening and closing animated credits…

Bewitched is rated number 50 in TV Guides fifty greatest TV shows of all time.

When I started in the business as a Teamster-driver I met drivers from shows with stories to share. One of these men was Elizabeth Montgomery’s personal driver. No star was as nice as this beautiful witch. Very caring, generous and giving. She is famous for special Christmas presents. One of my first TV Star crushes!

The studio residential neighborhood- a slingshot from real people’s homes with everyday normal lives.These homes were built between 1946 and 1951.

Front and side view– Dennis the Menace’s house.

1981 Ghost Town-This is where trespassers are hung!

Ghost Town bus break down...Partridge Family 1970 Christmas episode.

Gold Rush turns to Ghost Town. A window/wild wall put up for this shot-middle of street. Atmosphere extras replaced by tumbleweeds blown by a wind machine.

1970 meets 1981

Is that David Cassidy on those steps strumming his guitar? –Andy Griffith is also a Singing sheriff over at Desilu

Merry Christmas from the Partridge Family- 1970

Same Saloon entrance-10 years apart…

More backlot musicians policing the old west. The Monkees were not an organic band. They were successfully cast by Hollywood for this series. Picture on left- you can see sky through upstairs windows. Picture on right in same saloon the Partridge Family wished you a very 70’s Merry Christmas.

The Monkees became a huge pop culture sensation with four chart topping albums and three chart topping songs. “Last Train to Clarksville,” “I’m a Believer” and ‘Daydream Believer.”They sold 75 million records world wide…A little know fact is- David Bowie’s real name is David Jones, he changed it to Bowie because of the success David Jones was having as a Monkee… The rest is history!

This Ranch is like a movie museum…

The stories these old sets can tell…

Sets used in Hooper- I met Burt Reynolds and Hal Needham back here when this was going on. Story in detail in- Book Three.

I love Stunts…I loved this studio!

Welcome to season three of…The Phantom of the Backlots

Or does it?…

Introduction...I hope all is well with my fans- I look forward to personally reuniting with all of you. I disappeared to focus on my books. Out of the mist, under the cover of darkness-I’ve reappeared. The Uninvited Visitor is now available on Amazon.

On the One Hundredth Anniversary of MGM Studios, I’m proud to go back 50 years with my own stories and experiences at this legendary movie studio that ended up having a major impact on how my life would play out. The MGM Effect is real, I salute you MGM as I would any dear friend I’ve known so long. We shared so much fun together, you’re forever part of my DNA. From hundreds of tiny wooden slivers, a few small yet still distinguishable scars from cuts and stitches from long ago that required a few trips to the ER for repairs. And a tooth that broke and ripped through my lower lip while running through buildings on New York Street. That’s not counting several other…near misses!

A third book detailing MGM’s final years 1977-80 will be my next and final installment. T.U.V will travel back through 1975/1976. A lot happened in these two years including my final stories involving Desilu as it disappears and literally becomes… Gone With the Wind.

Meanwhile a blockbuster film titled King Kong moves in at MGM and that set becomes my home. I will take you to Skull Island. Climb the walls with me in a story titled Dark Side of the Moon. I even briefly go inside Kong as he arrives on the backlot. That story is titled…Welcome to the Machine.

So without further ado, sit back, relax, smoke a cigar and enjoy the show…it’s a 70’s Rock and Roll-experience, like no other. As MGM celebrates 100 today, lets trespass back in time to the most recent backlot no longer in existence.

My favorite books on MGM Studios. Arnold Gillespie was truly The Wizard. His career at MGM was so long that he worked on the original Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925) and its remake Ben-Hur (1959) and the original Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) and its remake Mutiny on the Bounty (1962). Buddy G. will explain how each challenging scene was put together and captured for eternity. When you finish this large book, you will have an engineering degree involving how movies are made. A tip of the hat to Mr. Robert Welch on such a marvelous presentation on his legendary grandfather.

Dear Pal- Steven Bingen captures a history both in pictures and interviews in his two hard covered books pictured here. Proudly, I’m part of “The MGM Effect,” no one ever was probably more “effected” than me in that fairy tailish wonderland I had the pleasure of growing up inside of.

Warner Bros. Closes the Gates on what was a very special…backlot

Pretty amazing the final events that have taken place around this Burbank facility. The fact it’s so popular makes you wonder why tours were not offered in the Warner Studio Tour. This lot wasn’t always connected to Warners or TBS, it had rich history as Columbia Pictures. I am positive many historians would have flipped a hundred dollars for a final Curtain pulling event on this backlot.

Who doesn’t love studio history-Studio executives -that’s who!

Maureen and I have seen this movie before at- MGM, lots 2/3, and Desilu in Culver City. Now this legendary backlot all TV Land viewers have grown up inside of-has bitten the dust. The difference was the internet didn’t exist then and only we seemed to care. Apparently, this tear down spread like wild fire thanks to this cyber world we all now live in. You can’t rebuild it now and many things could have been auctioned and a more creative demolition or reimplementation in this land of captured memories. The park and fountain, and some wonderful mature trees who were part of all this backlots history could and should have been incorporated to respect the past in what will now be a concrete jungle of endless stages. A campus setting blending past, present and future- Not to be-thanks to contemporary visionaries.

At least MGM, RKO/Desilu and 20th Century Fox offered up incredible bargains of a historic nature. Desilu was like some circus that left town and not everything was packed on the train.

But not this place, not this legendary ranch “don’t even look inside or I’m calling the cops!”

“Go ahead, just saying- Hi, is all” was how my exchange with security at Gate 11 began as Maureen and I paid our last visit.

Whatever happened to the Ken Hollywoods of the world, security guards who double as legends themselves. The icons of MGM security, who wore bright smiles above shiny silver badges. Friends to movie stars and trespassers alike. Guards such as him who would introduce this impressionable teen ager to MGM’s legendary talent. Complete with decades of stories of how wonderful the magic of Hollywood touched all of us. Both those who wear shiny black shoes and those of us wearing worn out tennis shoes…we embraced history under that famous Lion logo.

For my third book which is in the works, ironically, I have a story that starts at this exact gate… Gate 11-Columbia Ranch. The story is Hooper, starring Burt Reynolds. Security, back in 1978, greets me and my actor friend Tim that morning, reminding us the speed limit and rules we should know. Tim was a bit actor in this and many other films.

If I followed every rule, we wouldn’t have all this content I present you. The Ten Commandments are the rules Maureen and I were taught to follow in our Catholic upbringing way back in our early years, we rationalized that trespassing isn’t specifically addressed as a sin in any one of those commandments. Never did we feel we were doing wrong…because this is not on Catholic school lists of sins.”…Thank God!

Like a King and a Queen, we’ve sat in carriages used by movie royalty. We occupied Castles, steeples of every size and shape, including trying on left behind wardrobe from ancient times. From tree stumps with tunnels underneath to famous prisons, we became part of the dangerous landscape…literally. We kept finding things others who preceded us overlooked. Most recently, Marion Davies and her Divine spirit allowed me to rescue a vital link dating back to Hollywood’s earliest days. As if we were selected to pass on these magical heirlooms of motion picture history.  We gratefully accept the challenge bestowed upon us. You can be anything you wish to be once inside these fences. These backlots were where we grew up, truly our “Home Sweet Home.”

January 3, 1981-we begin our rooftop story:

The Boys and I love a good challenge, my gang tonight are all good friends who have grown up together on movie backlots- along side me. You may recognize their names-Jimmy, Pat and Danny from previous adventures. Tonight, we’re going to do something special –trespass the Columbia Ranch at night. We have done Warner Brothers and Universal in the dark and of course the MGM lots and Desilu, but we’ve yet to tackle this 40 acre ranch.

We arrive by way of Jimmy’s square back VW and park in an empty parking lot behind a barb wire cage that protects Hollywood from onlookers. We sit momentarily staring at a sharply covered brick wall, Blondie sings “Call Me” on the radio and we get out the car and stand on our horseshoes. “They’ve added more barb wire since last visit” I point out. The four of us are sizing up the situation. Looking for the path of least resistance. We see a section of brick wall not wrapped in wire.

This is where the rubber meets the rode and in 30 seconds we are all now taking cover in near by bushes inside the backlot. We use a climbing method so simple it childish. One kid puts his hands together forming a cup, the next kid puts his foot in that cup and is lifted high enough to pull himself up to the top. Once there-that kid on top pulls the kid who boosted him upwards by his extended arms. It’s almost like cheating it’s so easy and quick. All you need is the right fence situation, meaning no sharp barbs or edges.

We lurk slowly towards Fantasy Island, which is as dark as you can get. We let our eyes turn into night vision goggles, on the look for the slightest movements. Employees move around in the daylight, but spirits travel at night. We fit right in.

Clocks are unnecessary since we have no where we need to go-we’re in exploration mode. We’ve all been here before and know certain sections better than others. It takes time to learn every square inch of a backlot-it took a couple years of “all the time visitations” to master the MGM backlot 2. The area we that attracts us is the rooftops on the tall New York Skylines. Weaving in between parked Police cars, ambulances, Army trucks, all boxed in tight formation like a Hot Wheels carrying case.

As tempting as it is to sit inside some of these unlocked picture cars from from various shows, it’s just not safe yet, that still needs to be determined. Roof tops will determine exactly what and where is safe. Soldier on…we continue behind buildings and through every kind of doorway possible, we arrive at the staircase that takes you 4 stories high where we can get a handle on what we may be in for tonight.

Much of this interior ascension upwards is in Braille- meaning you can’t see. Slowly proceed up each step, making sure- there is a step. Just because- it’s long fall the higher you go. The rooftop is our sanctuary. It overlooks the entire backlot, this set is in the middle of the backlot with very long distances in each direction to reach safety if being chased. Anythings possible, but no time to worry, rather time to celebrate…No risk-No reward moment!

We quickly light a joint and take in all our surroundings. A cold breeze blows off tiny sparks like fireflies towards our faces. You know- Danny’s high- when he goes into a music trance and everything becomes part of a Slingerland drum set. Everything…His lap, the wood he’s sitting on, and the guy he’s sitting next to are all make shift drum set pieces. Just the other night we enjoyed Buddy Rich on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.  Danny went completely nuts over this band leader, drummer extraordinaire as did Doc Severinsen. Buddy is the real deal. Rodney Dangerfield added humor as only he can deliver.

Just 3 months ago, exactly where are car is parked tonight, the F.M radio dial, 95.5 KLOS informed us John Bonham, Led Zeppelin’s drummer, passed away. That afternoon we all trespassed this same wall… with very heavy hearts. I digress…

Still up on the roof– Jimmy and I pass this Bomber doobie while game planning what to expect in tomorrows championship football game between the Raiders and the Browns, while Pat sits fixated on the picture cars below. He’s a trespassing Transportation Captain, specializing in cars that aren’t his. Pat and Danny have beards, and Pat has on a Fedora he picked up at MGM awhile back. Up on this roof we must look like an Allman Brothers record cover. The only thing missing are the instrument cases.

We can relax up here because we have the upper hand. No one knows we’re here, and we can see everywhere. There is always anxiety when – traversing in the backlot- since these studios are 24/7. Never take anything completely for granted but it appears tonight it’s just us. Very few lights are on and none where we choose to go.

We retrace the stairway back down and cross a paved street, passing a large circular fountain and square pool. We are a slingshot away now from the Dennis the Menace house now, which I enter for the first time at night. “I too- my little blonde friend- am extremely accurate with rubber band attached to a stick” I say as I open the front door. Just in case he’s hiding in here…

It’s always fun when a group of kids get in character when entering a set with a glorious past-we become that family that was …canceled!

In the dark, at ground level, the large buildings we were just on top of look so imposing. We have a tendency to compare sets we are on to other sets at other studios and that’s because…we’ve seen and touched them all. Both daytime and night time. The night winds down without any unwanted visitors or interventions as we quietly touch back down on the asphalt parking lot where this night began…

40 years later here we are again…

We came to the guard shack with high hopes of sharing a little past history and perhaps getting a snapshot or two. We were appropriately dressed. She said I looked like I just stepped out of “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” and she was wearing her “C’mon Get Happy” Partridge Family t-shirt.

Ch-ch-changes… The former Columbia Ranch is now run by Warner Brothers. Columbia Pictures can now be found on the iconic and still standing MGM lot. Just the names changed. This backlot was entered off a street named Hollywood Way and was the best backlot still standing … it will truly be missed.

I conclude this post with another picture drop presentation of my pictures tied into the past, from a couple of old folks who cherish places like this and will never forget all things we experienced inside. Put up all the cameras and barb wire you wish- but you can’t take our memories Warner Brothers.

Written and lived by Maureen Miller and Donnie Norden.