More history on this part of Desilu than you can imagine. Gone With the Wind, King Kong proceeded Stalag 13 standing for 10 years…1964-1974. This site also ties to the first ever movie compound on Lucerne Ave.
This list was found by myself inside a P.O.W barracks and lo and behold-Mr. Bruce Bilson happened to be directing it.
What is really neat is this paperwork was found where it was filmed, I became the Stalag 13 caretaker, that was my favorite set. But I also had a fort in Andy Griffith’s house at this time-1973
Gray skies over Desilu in this picture I took today. I went on a nostalgic journey today after hearing of Bruce Bilson had passed. He was my friend, I looked up to him when I would see his name as First A.D on the Andy Griffith series and then Director on Hogan’s Heroes. I never thought I would ever touch base with this legend…
Amazingly- I would be given his contact- so I nervously called him and kinda picked his brain on his career as he sat outside his home. I told him my stories too…Like taking the Tree Stump from Hogan’s Heroes and having a fort in the Taylor Home. I have a lot of history in my Radio Flyer Wagon myself.
How honored am I, this man that as a kid I respected because he directed all my favorite T.V shows. I was the Opie no-one knows. Sneaking around this backlot, building forts, grabbing props, even making out in the Stalag 13 Guard Towers. I was like a blood-hound on all things Desilu and Bruce Bilson rained supreme all over this backlot. Bruce is pictured here with my book-Hole in the Fence-one of my greatest honors, never did I in my wildest dreams did I ever think I we would connect.
Pictured here is The Mayberry Group that connected Bruce Bilson with my book. Dixie Griffith, Andy’s real life daughter, wearing the Cowgirl Hat.The lit mirror you see is from Desilu, last used in Hogan’s Heroes and first used by….Marion Davies.
From the hilltop above Desilu, let’s look back down this real life….Memory Lane
From the hills above Desilu great television and film played out.
A Farewell to Bruce Bilson involves a heavyweight guest list!-Desilu lies in the background-The Tara Plantation can be seen here. Let’s follow Superman to the 40 Acre’s Backlot today-upon hearing this news of Bruce, let’s see those sets today!
Desilu Forever…This is The La Ballona Creek, how to best trespass this backlot.
The Mayberry Courthouse stood right here–
Inside the Courthouse Door, on the floor inside, was the sign….Mayberry Courthouse
The Courthouse as it looks today on the day of the Bilson passing. Studio 43 replaced it. The wooden framed window looks like a typical thing you would see at RKO. A friendly homeless guy is sleeping just out of view at this entrance.
“Who’s that guy asleep out there? I want out of this Studio 43 jail cell !”
“Do not disturb” now hangs out in front of this once alcohol prohibited town of Mayberry.A Man in no hurry fell asleep right at what was the -entrance to the jail!
Meanwhile, at the former Stalag 13, we have another Hollywood empty stage as the industry shifts to A.I. Catering is taking place where Gomer Pyle once ate catering, now we have Court T.V . From the Mayberry Courthouse to Court T.V…The shifting sands over time!
Epilogue of the passing of Bruce Bilson…
I’ve had the privilege to meet and work Ron Howard-Apollo 13 and The Grinch, Andy Griffith,-on Matlock, and Bruce Bilson. These 3 individuals all started together on this backlot. All became legendary Hollywood Stalwarts – this lot is where it began. My first experience here involved seeing Batman. I was lucky enough to see in real life that Super Hero I emulated, I’d wear a cape and mask, bought with Blue Chip Stamps, like a million stamps were needed -but so be it!
Only Ron Howard is left now to shed light on this legendary figure. I was always in the shadows, grabbing props, building forts and living my own life on this backlot. I was my own Indiana Jones, before the character existed. Hanging out here at the Desilu Studio was funner when you could connect dots on all the series and shows that preceded me.
Clues were everywhere, signs on buildings referred to business’s in Mayberry, ammo boxes were stored in the Stalag Barracks-both in English and German. We decorated our forts with those. Plaster white snow surrounded the Stalag and some slabs- full of spider webs- found there way into my hide outs. I had four forts…The Taylor Home, until it burned down, The Mayberry R.F.D Home, we turned that farm upside down, the parties we had upstairs at that set. I had a saloon fort that for awhile had a rolling phone that called both on and off the studio backlot, and one in the Cantina that also burned down when Goober’s Gas Station went up in flames.
Needless to say I was living my own movie, I even filmed a western with an 8 millimeter camera on the aforementioned western street, I pretended to be …Bruce Bilson.
This was a very special moment today as I retraced his footsteps as a director here, a gathering of spirits followed my every move. A calm and quiet revisit with a town drunk and television caterer before me in real life. His legend will never disappear around this lot, another soul from this glorious movie studio, is now-Gone With the Wind
Streets and places I had forts…
R.I.P Bruce Bilson, thanks for being my friend-
Written and lived by….Donnie Norden.
Phantom of the Backlots 
I truly enjoyed this particular post and I look forward to th
I appreciate that, came from the heart – Desilu needed to be visited as soon as I heard of his passing.
I guess you could say this over 50 year account of seeing him in all my favorite show credits