Uncategorized – Page 4 – Phantom of the Backlots

Inside the Enigmatic World of Film Set Adventures

March 15, 2025 Phantom of the Backlot3 Comments

Your Mission-if you choose to accept, involves slave trade in a foreign land. Follow maps pictured. Mine is the elaborate one involving chases and fires. This village featured today burned to the ground in 1976.

Rather amazingly, this I.M F map looks very akin to my chase map I drew at school one “one- day dreaming afternoon.” I made my map in 1975, having never seen this episode at that time. Me and my merry band of trespassers were “our own” I.M.F force.

A Mosque where women are bought and sold as slaves…

Roof top reconnaissance vantage point, arch entry way. Picture taken 1973

Neighboring sets include the Tara Plantation and a trackless train depot, both built in 1938. This village featured is the oldest set on 40 Acres, built in 1927 by Cecil B. DeMille.

This is a job for Cinnamon Carter…

A deal is being structured in a village where anything can happen…trust me on that!

A roadblock on Freedom Road.This dirt highway actually connects Mayberry to Stalag 13.

“We sure bluffed those guys !”

“A prize potential slave has arrived in our village. Go grab her!”

Dirham and dinar will be offered in abundance is this Islam State for this slave.

More I.M.F has arrived in force for the upheaval to come…

The I.M.F has multiple disguises. Cinnamon is being offered up for slavery. “This where the rubber meats the dirt!”

A Goat is offered as trade. There will be no more human slavery. This decision was made after a brief but powerful meeting with the cleric in charge. The goats name is now…Cinnamon.

A “happy ending” indeed as the I.M.F exits this Desilu Mosque.

Turn your television to 1967…

I’ve spent a lot of time in this middle eastern village. This was the oldest set on the back lot. Built in 1927, and it survived everything this studio could dish out until a fire in 1976.

A land of Kings, Wayfarers, and Gypsies proceeded the even more turbulent 1970’s. Marines, Trespassers, and scantly clad Winches walked in the same footprints in exactly the same fashion. The last film ever made in this section was an “adult movie.” I stumbled across it one afternoon while ditching school. I was pleasantly flabbergasted. Women were topless as they pulled buckets of water out of a fountain positioned center of town.went Provocative hunter-gatherers lined every awning and doorway in this outside Bazaar.

The deal orchestrated by the I.M.F no longer was in place in 1976. The haram has changed in this topless village, now void of rules involving body cover. “Allah” would punish this village only two months later with a devastating fire that obliterated this ancient village. It spread to another famous set-Goobers Gas Station, as fire and ash reigned supreme. I was there as wood crackled in an orange blaze before collapsing in a volcano of sparks.

I could not help to shed some tears. My upstairs fort collapsed in a plume- gracing the night sky. It was once used by Elvis Presley in Harum Scarum. Millions of sparks became airborne, blowing in every direction, like translucent orange butterflies. The challenge for the fire department was limiting this blaze to just backlot and not surrounding hillside and neighborhoods.

The end of a kingdom that stood fifty years was taking place this evening. This was the hub of this backlot, it stood in the skyline for every classic film ever filmed here. This set was a close as could be for the Burning of Atlanta sequence in Gone With the Wind. Fire equipment was everywhere on the backlot and the Baldwin Hills that look down from above. This village was so close during the filming of that iconic moment that fire and effects were stationed here. The heat spread intensely like a solar flare. Everyone involved could feel it while capturing Hollywood’s most legendary night, December 10, 1938 to film.

In 1938, this scene was filmed. The village in our story lies directly behind this special effects fire. One of the first scenes filmed in the classic film. This was a harbinger of the future involving this studio. No studio in Hollywood had more fires. Almost every set burned here. The backlot was similar to a war zone in the civil war, especially in the 70’s.

Being so old, rooftops became perilous, friends of mine have fallen through through to the floors below. Perils exist everywhere. This village, even when not being used in a particular show, was a cornerstone of R.K.O / Desilu history. It was also the longest lasting fort on this backlot built in the oldest set of all.

We lived among...Spirits in the Night

This area could not be more pitch black at night. No city lights, no studio lights here, just…50 Shades of Black. Briefly, we could see our images. Navigate by moonlight, like owls. We flicked our Bic lighters while we smoked hashish. We were in a land very much akin to where this Moroccan waterbased hash was compressed for export. After ignition, we took a deep inhalation from our Hookah pipes. Our images transformed into figures from films of the past. Coming alive all but briefly, yet eternal, as to never leave.

Like we possessed the keys to this ancient kingdom. We became teenagers from the past living in the future.

I spend more time on these backlots then I do at school. This is fine because I’m getting a specialized education in film history. A class not offered in my schools. I was my own professor of movie making, my students were required to trespass, risking, capture, incarceration, and worse…injury. No guarantees on how “class” would finish once you’re inside. We have no clocks, just never ending blowing sand. Your here until your not…

We didn’t have books, We had T.V’s…

Reruns were scriptures of the events that took place before us. Dial in those “rabbit ears” to distant decades. The Outer Limits is reachable here. Like being an electron inside an atom. Anything is possible. Look about the landscape, things still exist and those that don’t…reappear. Powerful stuff-TV’s become “Time Machines.” We transport ourselves with help from a rotary channel changer and a rooftop antenna. Channels 2-13 and many in between, constantly replayed Desilu’s glorious past.

We all grew up here, I was just became the caretaker, or steward if you prefer. You didn’t need to set foot in here because your penetrated this backlot with episodes and images of your childhood. A fascinating place for kids to stumble into. We actually live …our T.V sets in ways unimaginable. In someways, it’s like finding out there is no Santa Clause and the North Pole is just a set!

We progressed. We started taking the most beat up television you have ever seen into sets on the backlot. These sets had “utility convenience outlets” for powering up our Time Machine. An extension cord was like an umbilical cord. Creating one dimensional life in a three dimensional setting. Channels changing required a pair of pliers. The antennas were broken also, you carried it with one hand, like football. We had to climb fences with this five pound box full of transistors and tubes. Always being on guard for “guards.” This magic-portal resembled a football helmet with dings all over it. It never refused to pull in a picture…

Time for Rod Serling wisdom; “You’re about to enter another dimension. It is a dimension not only of sight and sound, but also of mind. A journey into a wondrous land of imagination.You’re moving into a land of both Shadows and substance of things. And ideas- you have just crossed over into the Twilight Zone”

No truer words, put out your cigarette Rod, this a place best known for fires.

Televised segments from long ago, sparks from the past so to speak. In then sets they were created at years and decades before. Even Rod would have appreciated the extent we went to journeying …Back to the Past.

Written and lived by…Donnie Norden

A Guard Tower at Stalag 13

February 21, 2025 Phantom of the Backlot2 Comments

Reflections of the way life used to be.

Through the mirror of my mind, I go back to a place and time I can remember so clearly. I flash back to simpler times on this lot and cling to the memory for comfort.

In the summer of 1973-this story begins…

Teenagers will be teenagers; fun can be had anywhere. Anywhere for me almost always involves a backlot. I have a pretty girlfriend, named Maureen. She’s a female me, she likes excitement and smoothly and efficiently climbs razor sharp fences, usually in cut offs. We trespass at MGM Lot 2 all the time, it’s part of living so close. But my shiny new first ever girlfriend has heard so many cool stories about Desilu. She wants me to show her around. Like a 13-year-old Gentleman, I agree.

A Green- Culver City bus drops us off on the corner of Van Buren. The driver reminds us, “Bus service stops at 10 pm.” We cordially nod in approval. I paid our fare with change from my dad’s Blue- Santa Monica Bus coin dispenser. It’s like my own personal piggy bank. Nickels, dimes, and quarters are at my beckon call when dad mistakenly leaves this money contraption on our kitchen table. Yes- my dad is also a bus driver with the Venice/Santa Monica beach route. Sometimes Jimmy and I ride with him just for the views. There are always plenty of nice girls riding along with the newest trends in beach attire. This attire is barely any attire at all. It’s cultural and educational.

Maureen and I exit the folding glass doors across from the Culver Hotel, at a Richfield Gas Station. It’s just a short walk from here to the La Ballona Creek. As we head in a southern direction, we small talk back and forth as we briskly walk to our destination. We slow the pace down. We pass where Bruce Lee once lived during the filming of The Green Hornet. “He lived upstairs here,” I point upwards to the second floor in a duplex right behind Desilu. Every teenager “Digs” Bruce Lee and sadly he just passed on at the age of 32…His death shocked me. It was like when Jimi Hendrix died. Or when Vince Lombardi, Pete Duel, and Venice legend Jim Morrison died, all recently. It seems to us young teens… The Good Die Young!

We pause in respect like…he’s here!

We continue down the street and climb down a cement slope and into the La Ballona Creek. This is where most trespassers begin their journey. There is no fence at all. Barb wire chain link surrounds the studio, but no obstacles here. Guard Dogs have disappeared that used to guard this place. It has a new owner, Laird Studios, and Hogan’s Heroes was just canceled last year. That is the main destination tonight, Stalag 13. The time is just past 6 PM. It is a summer night. The bright orange sky highlights itself against a gracefully aged backlot.

We hold hands as we go up that same cement embankment. We peek between eucalyptus trees that line the creek on one side. A dirt road leads all the way to Mayberry on the other side. The first set we pass is Goobers Gas Station. I show her around, first inside where empty shelves used to sell motor oil. There is still a pump and an icebox, left behind out front of the filling station. Off to the side is a dirt pit that cars drive over so Goober or Gomer can change your oil. There are a lot of holes around this backlot. We both jump over the pit at the same time because- “we saw Opie Taylor do it!“

I cut through some Eucalyptus trees. I pull Maureen behind me through a face full of leaves. We enter the King of Kings set, built in 1927 by Cecil B. DeMille. “Me and the boys just built this fort” as I proudly walk upstairs to the second floor. It’s narrow inside and we have a table and chairs…they are actually boxes that say Explosives that we found at the camp. I quickly realize there is no comfortable place here to relax and talk school. This is a man’s fort– so we move on.

Downstairs and after one last farewell glance backward, we move ahead under a plaster archway. We’ve now entered the old west. Like a pair of tumbleweeds, we roll through town. All’s quiet so far, we are the only people here this evening. The sky takes on a more dramatic orange hue. White clouds are whipped up above us. We head towards the infamous Hogan’s Heroes tree stump.

I hold open the lid. Maureen proceeds down a 6-foot wood ladder into the dark abyss. She does not hesitate at all. The remaining daylight lights the entrance. It suddenly turns to pitch black as I slam shut the hatch. Just me and her in the pitch dark interior of the most famous tree stump in the world.

I have the advantage; I control the lid. Her laughter turns into a scream as I grab at her childishly. She finds me in the pitch blackness. She begins punching me when I reopen the lid for my own safety. I help her out of this wood and composite stump filled with spider webs. I notice her forehead and hair have some fairly large cobwebs on them. They look like camouflage.

We reset our bearings to approach our next target- Klink’s Office. We enter from the backside of his headquarters while walking and taking in 6-foot-tall licorice plants. The entire backlot looks and smells like this wonderful fragrance gift from nature. We arrive quickly. We take one step into the tiny, widely exposed backside. We stand between a wild wall that hides this field from the camera. Then, the front door opens. It’s my turn. I twist that black metal door handle. We step out on the covered porch overlooking the Stalag. At this moment, we are like – Colonel Hogan and Helga.

I really want to make out, so does Maureen…I think. I feel electricity usually reserved for when I’m being chased. Or when I’m hitting a home run. Or when I’m scoring a touchdown. It’s that feeling!

We walk to the dog kennels located next to a wishing well and a utility hut. I tell her “I want one of these for my dog Pebbles”- who sometimes trespasses herself. I know all the tricks here. I say “under one of these 6 dog houses another backlot hole exists.” She finds it and celebrates like some hidden Golden Easter Egg. You feel a certain moment of satisfaction. It occurs when you see this particular camp entrance. This entrance supposedly begins at the tree stump yonder. Here it is- in all its glory.

Next, we browse into a P.O.W. bungalow which happens to have… rope cots. We sit, then lay on them but we reject them as very uncomfortable, like potential “rope burn” uncomfortable. Close but no cigar. We open the P.O.W. door and look toward the main gate. “let’s go climb up into the guard tower, shall we?”

We run in anticipation, stopping to look in the Red and White striped guard shack. Close by, a ladder invites you upwards toward the guard lookout vantage point. The gigantic searchlight has been removed as was the machine gun. We look over the Stalag as the sky just begins to darken. We are in the Tower farthest right looking outward beyond the Main gate, toward the grassy snow-covered knolls.

A lot of kids watch sunsets at the beach. Maureen and I dig backlots. We find Stalag 13 very romantic. Eventually we get sick of standing and just lay on the floor of this tower…making out like sophisticated 13-year-olds. I remind her to be careful not to fall through the hole the ladder rises up through. Maureen looks beautiful as the sun sets on her already golden blonde hair. As I remove one more cobweb…”We begin the Art of Making Hickeys” on each other’s necks to the sensual sound of crickets.

Definition…These are marks left on the skin. This usually occurs after sucking. They can take 10 days to disappear.

Sometimes, I just like to soak in my surroundings. She likes to talk. I guess it’s what you call “pillow talk.” I find myself fading in and out but hear something that spikes my interest. She said, “when I get older, my first time has to be special.” It should be like in a barn with hay and moonlight. I nod in polite concurrence. She may think I’m not listening. However, I feel that we have ratified an agreement. It’s like a treaty between two countries. I think to myself… Desilu has three barns. Three! Whee! Three! Be careful what you wish for young lassie. Pillow talk… I can dig it.

We watch the episode of Hogan’s Heroes when General Burkhalter arrives at that main gate. Every time, we share a secret. We were the last scenes at this Stalag…with those same two giant Southern California Palm Trees off in the distance. We each gave our personal stamp of approval on this iconic set. “Don’t let your mom see this for Ten Days-at least! “

We’re off to Desilu! The Number 7 takes you past not only MGM- but Desilu too. MGM Studios pictured on the right.

A street named Van Buren is located directly behind the Desilu. This pulsating iconic legend lived here in 1967 while filming –The Green Hornet. A salute to Kato is always in order.

The tower farthest is our landing spot. This is where we discover “necking and hickeys”.

Just behind those Eucalyptus trees lies Camp Henderson from Gomer Pyle. The Baldwin Hills looks downward like a balcony seat.

Future Trespassers- Location, location, location… Proximity to the studios would set our fate. At this age, machine gun fire echoed through our street from the T.V. series Combat, filming close by. I was born in the middle of WW 2-on T.V. anyway.

Partners in crime…Maureen on the left/Donnie on the right. Yearbook photos at Culver Jr. High. Funny thing here is “I never carried Identification, but I did carry a brush-everywhere.” We were constantly brushing our hair. She was always reaching in my back pocket. That’s life in the 70’s.

A four-foot-deep square hole lies under one of the six dog houses. This was where the POW’s would enter and exit the camp. The tree stump tunnel was how our Heroes snuck back into Stalag 13. They were both just- holes in the ground.

Of the three stumps, only one opens. This lid shuts by that rope handle. It had an incandescent light at one time for the actors that were put inside. This evening had no such amenities…Pitch black darkness awaits us.

This wooden cross piece was part of the top lid that opened and closed. It is all that remains from my tree stump. It was towed across town on a steel wheel cart when Stalag 13 was torn down.

This is a story from my second book, The Uninvited Visitor. Trespass with us through the Golden Age of Hollywood. Back to the 70’s we go… Advice…If I start running, you better keep up!

Written and lived by Yours Truly...Donnie Norden

The Outer Limits of MGM Lot 3

January 26, 2025 Phantom of the BacklotLeave a comment

This sensational MGM Lot 3 photo is compliments of Todd Spiegelberg. Todd and David Barns excel at matching pictures of sets on these studio lots. They connect these pictures to the films and T.V shows filmed on these dusty old streets…

“**Please Stand By”**…That was your standard test pattern. It was also the original title for this series that lasted two seasons. The creators feared audiences would change the channel. They thought this was an emergency broadcast system interruption, so the name was scrapped.

“***Leave my TV alone!”***…*Donnie Norden*– 1963

“*Looks like a friendly planet*“…***The Zanti Misfits*** *1963.*

“*Look Out Kid*” –***The Zanti Misfits***…*Terrorizing TVs everywhere.*

***Vasquez Rocks.***..A very popular location. I have filmed there, Sliders-TV series. Wind Machines…blowing dust and tumbleweeds.

“*Another film company rolling in here again… I’m sick of terrorizing these idiots!”*

*MGM Lot 3 and Vasquez Rocks blend together.* *MGM has Baldwin Hills as a western backdrop.*

“*I think I got bit”…”I’ll get help if I don’t die first*“

**MGM Lot 3-** Two other sci-fi series film back here. **The Twilight Zone** and **One Step Beyond.** All three, including **My Favorite Martian** used this very street. One of two church steeples on Europe Street can be seen sprouting behind the western corner. Combat filmed this lot regularly in 1963.

The simple two window, one door set right of the driving M.P. appeared in the Dust episode of the Twilight Zone. In that episode, a man gets saved from a gallows pole by some Magic Dust. This building was the jail where the man was incarcerated.

*This picture of mine is same angle as screen grab. Notice The Mutiny on the Bounty masts are sticking up above the Western Street- far end.*

*Zanti set two years prior- The Twilight Zone episode “DUST”*

*Wait till the Zantis get a hold of you!*

*The MGM grip department mounted* *this capsule on the roof. A studio union operated spacecraft.*

*This kind of stuff ends up in our property storage on the backlot. And possibly, it will land at my house to complete its mission. Two kids could easily carry this to my MGM version of Mission* *contro*l.

*These Zantis are available for purchase on-line…duplicates of course.* *Technically,* “***Zantis are trespassers!”***

“*Where’s MGM security when you need them?”..*.

“*Air Police- MGM Police- everybody open fire!”*

“*I got some grenades off the Combat set”…*

*Zantis, Germans*, this lot has ammo everywhere…This is where- **War is filmed.**

*The camera twists in the wind as the TV tries to regain* *control through its roof antenna.* *Moving the antenna doesn’t fix this problem*, *it’s just magic.*

These trains block the view into the lot, we work this fence line. An irrigation drain is on the public side of a chain link fence. We run up and down it to view into the lot. We look in between the wheels. The **Horse Soldiers** is a film starring John Wayne. John Ford directed it. The movie had one of the best battles ever staged out of these trains.

This is a hiding spot, but MGM was well aware of it. Salt Rock guns shoot at you here as you attempt to exit. The irrigation run -off trench worked like a WW 1 trench. Many Culver Residents met their fate in this gully that still occupies and exits along what is now Raintree condos. This area was like Gettysburg. If you’re going to get shot, it’s probably in this location.

*That’s a real good name for this town…*

This is my MGM Art Department photo of this street in this story.I am fortunate to have been given my own private stash of MGM backlot pictures from Tony Vallone, he headed the Department. He was hired by MGM in 1938. He was a kid in the Real Boystown when MGM went on location to film in Nebraska. Over the decade of the 70’s, my backlot notoriety spread through the studio as I became…**The Phantom.** I spent an entire afternoon going through cabinet after cabinet of MGM stills. I was handed an envelopes and told “take what you wish!

I felt like Burgess Meredith in “Time Enough at Last.” I met this Penguin at MGM on the film “Rocky.” He was hanging out outside a stage. I went up to him. I told him how much I love his Twilight Zone episodes. “Mr Dingle” I call him…

This irrigation catch basin trench still exists along the southern border of Raintree. It was there back when MGM was. This was a very strategic trench; we could see clearly into Lot 3. Trains partially blocked our views down the Western Streets. Security chases often conclude here. You’re successful if you escape without a buttocks full of salt rock. This was like a trench from W.W1. Its purpose was to protect MGM, now Raintree, from storm runoff water. Three other catch basins on the oil field side provided additional protection. The runoff cascades down these hills toward the old backlot. There have been times where this backlot flooded. But we had canoes and several different watercrafts to overcome flooding.

*Lot 3 looking west-* *Raintree Condos now surround a smaller but original lake.*

This picture from an oil derrick captures Lot 3, Raintree in a similar current angle today. The field in the foreground is currently a Pumpkin Patch for kids… Mr. Bones will greet you here. The eucalyptus trees are original to MGM and that straight line is the Eastern MGM Lot 3 boundary. The best place to sneak in at. There is usually no one around these parts and when you’re inside the studio, the jungle is your friend. Some rusted old fence posts with barb wire still stand, representing MGM. Chain link fences were used facing hills, so camera doesn’t pick up a wooden fence. Those were used on Jefferson and Overland Blvd. Half the lot had green wood fences with- No Trespassing Signs, Forbidden by Law, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer attached everywhere.

**Charles Bronson** *close up Death Wish 4. Plexiglas camera protection*…**shots fired!**

**Lee Marvin, Charles Bronson, and Telly Savalas** appeared in the Twilight Zone before making this film.

*This pointed ear concept developed for* *David McCallum would be* *used on Leonard Nimoy as Spock.*

1963- MGM Backlot 3

The Outer Limits filmed a few episodes on the MGM backlots in its two-year run. Joseph Stefano wrote most of the episodes. He just completed work with Alfred Hitchcock. He wrote the screenplay for Psycho. He was this show’s –Rod Serling. Many monsters and props got reused after the show was canceled. Many of the crew ended up on a new series-Star Trek. William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy both appeared in The Outer Limits before liberating outer space.

The process used to make David McCallum’s ears pointed in The Outer Limits would be copied for Spock.

Talent existed everywhere and Cinematographer Conrad Hall photographed 15 episodes. He was the man behind the lens for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid in 1969. This series ended abruptly due to a schedule change. it would be located as the lead in for Lawrence Welk. The opposition was Jackie Gleason, my dad’s favorite guy. It was an attractive show for a younger audience, so this change to a mature time zone lead in failed. I watched it. I love this show’s opening television take over. It seemed real. You can tell by my kid picture. This TV is for watching Combat, back off Space Men.

My last post was located on the Universal Backlot, featuring The Birds, in 1963. 21 miles away, these Zanti creatures were terrorizing MGM, by way of The Vasquez Rocks. MGM Lot 3 fits the landscape needed to match up those real rocks with sets built at MGM. Lot 3 is the most rustic backlot ever built.

A 67-acre playground of bombed out European Villages, Western Towns… complete with blowing tumbleweeds, jungles with canoes, tall ships and even a paddleboat. Half-tracks, tanks, jeeps, trains and planes are parked everywhere. All these sets have a 1400-acre oil field directly behind it.

The Baldwin Hills are the backlot extension very few are aware of. But you have seen them. Laurel and Hardy and The Little Rascals used dirt roads. These roads can easily get you lost. They are located right behind MGM Lot 3. I worked on Beverly Hills Cop 2 in the hills overlooking these sets. We were firing bazookas; “Dent Industries” was an fictitious oil company. I recently saw an episode of the Highway Patrol. It starred Broderick Crawford himself in 1955. He was pursuing oil larceny suspects. They were robbing payroll with a Bazooka of all things. If you live long enough, everything happens twice. Bazooka attacks, 30 years apart. I also met Charles Bronson up here, overlooking this studio, on Deathwish 4.

We chatted about the Twilight Zone episode titled- TWO. He starred with Elizabeth Montgomery in that classic on MGM Lot 3. We were pointing sets out, where they stood, from atop these hills. Then we talked –The Dirty Dozen. The famous climax on a backlot located in England. Yep, “The Chateau” was on a backlot across the ocean at MGM’s British Studio. Lee Marvin, Charles Bronson and John Cassavetes fought for their lives as the Chateau goes up in flames. This show happens to be my all-time favorite movie along with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. My 3rd favorite is Kelly’s Heroes.

So, these hills are extensions of the backlot, and Howard Hughes owned a hilltop overlooking Desilu. Howard was going to build a mansion up on the top. It would overlook Los Angeles and the distant Hollywoodland sign in the Hollywood Hills. However, something happened in 1924. Richfield/Standard Oil discovered oil reserves up here. An oil boom sprouted wells surrounding this entire area. Howard sold the property to Charles Wright. He stated, “The last thing I want to see is oil wells out my living room.” Wrightcrest became a Culver City Street. Charlie built himself a mansion where Howard had planned to build one. This change came after crude was discovered.

Rance McGrew and Mr. Garrity and the Graves have the hills off in background in those classic Twilight Zone episodes. Combat avoided camera angles that would connect to these hills.

What’s cool was this lot was a wildlife area due to its location. Skunks, possums, raccoons-like the one that took out hunting dog- Rip and Hyder Simpson. This is-that place, The Hunt was done here. Rod Serling would walk these trails developing concepts and plots. I daydream here too.

Owls, hawks, crows, and doves combine aviation forces here. Snakes, squirrels and gophers complete this fun backlot. Horse stables still exist up in these hills. When Combat filmed, birds took flight and rodents took cover on the safer oil field side. Filming turned into escape time for these critters who fled this studio home when Combat yelled “ACTION”

When the lot was quiet, you could hear the churning oil wells. MGM Lot 3 was the best backlot in history. The legend of Arnold Gillespie and his MGM ocean still resonates back here in this wilderness area.

Lastly, The Zanti Misfits was ranked #98th on TV Guide’s 100 Greatest Episodes of all-time.

That’s today’s story, everywhere I go –I kick up movie dust

Good news…I have regained control of my TV- just in time to watch some quality reruns!

Written and lived by…Donnie Norden

The Cruise-Snap shot- 1924

January 18, 2025 Phantom of the BacklotLeave a comment

Yes, this property with the oldest Make-up trailer in existence is more than it seems nearly 100 years later. One doesn’t need to look to closely to visually see clues linking this parcel to a green past. Fact is- everything is green. Every door on the property has green on it somewhere. That includes Marion’s portable room. While removing some handles inside, the color green appeared as a base color.

Green happens to be the color Paramount/RKO. It’s my believe that this Make-up trailer was built at Paramount Studios in the silent film days. Do to the lack of distribution connections to theaters, it was a pivotal transition period. To go big, you need theaters. MGM’s rapid rise was do to the Loew’s theater chains.

Universal was starting its monster movie tradition at the time. They began with The Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Phantom of the Opera. Lon Chaney was the Marion Davies of monster movies. Carl Laemmle was not a big player in Hollywood’s early years. However, his films have stood up to the test of time. The world, as uncle Carl found out, loves to be scared.

Hollywoodland was a chess board. Studios sprouted up from Lankershim Blvd in Hollywood to Washington Blvd in Culver City. They appeared in various locations in between. Paramount studios lies in the center of Hollywood. It is positioned between the Culver City lots and the San Fernando valley movie facilities. These facilities include Warner Brothers and Columbia.

Adolph Zukor and Jesse Laskey joined forces formed Famous Players Film Company in 1916. The deal resulted in the incorporation of eight film production companies making up this newly formed company. The results would be one of the most successful silent film companies in it’s era.

Cosmopolitan Pictures, Randolph Hearst’s company, was headquartered in New York City, from 1918, to 1923. It’s then, he moved his Silent Motion Picture company to the west coast. Basically, he is following in the footsteps of Thomas Ince, who followed the sunset west just a few years before. Thomas Ince started his left coast facility on the beach, Inceville Studios was born. The studio with lighthouse, most have simple water towers…

But difficulties with weather do to gray skies and wind blowing sand made Mr. Ince think twice about his location. Soon after, he relocated his studio to what is now Sony. It was previously known as MGM and, before that, Triangle Studios. Thomas Ince’s friendship with city founder Harry Culver grew stronger. As a result, Thomas Ince left the Triangle Colonnade. He built another studio just a couple blocks away.

The Plantation Building, styled after George Washington’s Mt. Vernon estate, would become the Ince facility and location this man dreamed of. But the cost of such a first class facility reached deeper into Mr. Ince’s pockets that he had change for.

Enter; Randolph Hearst

Both entrepreneur’s having moved west when the studio systems were getting off the ground, had leverage. Ince is Swiss army knife of all things in making films. Randolph Hearst has content. His Cosmopolitan stories are all potential- movies to be. They have huge readership, so films based of these stories have a huge publicity advantage. Plus, he had a leading lady he promoted named Marion Davies. Randolph was a one star film producer, all things Marion… his true love!

Feb 12, 1924- it is around this time in 1924 that puzzle pieces were being set up. Nowhere is Paramount part of the contract. A move was on from Paramount to Culver City and Ince and Hearst were planning out the next moves. MGM was not the plan.

*Charlie Chaplin and Marion Davies were tied at the hip…*

Randolph and Marion’s trip west started off on the Paramount lot. It’s here that it’s my belief this mobile 100 year old dressing room was built. Green paint, found under some of the handles- is the big clue. The Make-up trailer is built with incredible craftsmanship. The arch door entrance and the mirrors built into the walls behind the entrance are proof to this day. Even the trailer wheels are cleverly hidden in the walls. You do not see the 1915 era tires when inside this once carpeted lavish trailer. A trailer pulled by –horses.

In my research of this property in Culver City where this trailer has ended up, I keep finding more connections. They link to a famous and somewhat romantic time in history. This horse drawn trailer is located just beyond a Koi pond. A statue from antiquity stands in the center of the pond. A house, completed in 1924 provides shelter for the star who this was set up for. The living room looks out into this backyard compound. The kitchen window looks out into the Ince backlot. In later years, this area adjacent to this compound was where Stalag 13 would be situated.

*Statue from antiquity, peers inside this Make-up trailer*, *from a dried up Koi Pond.*

My belief is this was the center of what was to be a Cosmopolitan Pictures, Ince Productions merged corporation. The foundation for this merger was set before the ill-fated cruise aboard the Hearst yacht. Unfortunately, something went terribly wrong. If Mr. Ince had survived that voyage on the night of November 19, 1924, Hollywood’s history would be different. This corner would have become the Cosmopolitan section of this merger. Ince has his corporate office in the Plantation Building.

Had this cruise gone as planned, the Hearst newspapers would be touting this company merger. It was all set up. There would be no MGM involvement. We wouldn’t need to deal with Louie B Mayer’s dictatorship. Just two producers have agendas that can work together, or so I believe. Hearst built a famous 19-room bungalow for Marion at MGM. This happened after the failed merger. It would have been built right behind this compound. It is actually where you would build it due to utilities connections and sewer tie-ins. The backlot or ranch only had one bathroom for the entire lot. It was located along Higueria street because that was the utility tie-in for the backlot.

Hal Roach Studios is a short walk as is the Ince main lot. Even MGM is a bike ride distance away. This was being set up as the Cosmopolitan Center of the Culver City Film universe. It’s ironically Triangle shaped, this parcel of land time forgot.

This cruise involved Marion Davies, Thomas Ince, Randolph Hearst, and Charlie Chaplain. If it had returned to shore without incident, this was the new big player. But since details of what happened differ on board, that we will never know.

Imagining the stories these mirrors can tell create *goose bumps.*

It’s said, Thomas Ince most likely died of indigestion. A combination of salted almonds and alcohol. Marion Davies would claim that as his cause of death. It was completely accidental. A clue to verify indigestion was found inside the make-up trailer itself.

*Page’s Silver Mints*…***aid digestion.***

*Digestion mints were popular in this ancient trailer that also sports bottles of imported Italian wine. These tins were inside on shelves.*

*This make-up room probably knows everything, imagine the discussions in front of these mirrors the days following Mr Ince’s death* *and the rumors of scandal that* *reverberated through Hollywoodland.*

But what I do know is this, a brand new house in 1924 still exists. On this probably soon to be developed property lies a very mysterious Koi Pond. Original to the house, exquisite tiles, large Koi, and statue, from probably Rome. A Make-up room is accessible next to it. A house with mysterious items is covered in some cases with green paint, even if only lightly.

But for the compound being green, that will be in my story going ahead. I am still involved with this area actively. I want to make sure we don’t lose items that have been overlooked for decades. This is private property and well protected, don’t get any ideas.

It is my conclusion that this yard is a snapshot in 1924 history. This area is more proof that Ince/Cosmopolitan was going to be a major player and competitor to MGM. Because of Ince’s death, MGM was plan B.

Proof of my theory is- all these things still exist in this infamous time line. I reconnected with this item, which I first came in contact with in 1972. I had to cut the lock off. Once the door opened, the spirits that saw all this history were awoken. They know what indeed was going on here. These spirits have now become part of my life. The mirrors in this room have seen more history than just these legends that brought this corner together.

This is the ultimate alternate ending to what was and what was suppose to be…

If there was ever a more appropriate title...

I send out this invite:

I would give anything to have a conversation with someone. This person should have been inside here while working on a film or TV series. This trailer was still in use for Hogan’s Heroes. Lucie Arnez would be a person of interest. Her father installed the modern intercom/stereo system. It was custom built by the Panatron Corporation. I have that confirmed by the Panatron company itself.

Desilu would be the last film connection. After that, this trailer disguised itself as a garden shed for the next 50 years.

***Marion’s trailer*** was in use before and after this event, imagine the stories it’s heard from those involved. It’s too bad this section of Hollywoodland was forgotten when this film was produced. **Marion’s Make-up room** *should have been used,* if you like **realism**… anyways.

“*Bon voyage everybody.*..when we return, we will be **Ince/Cosmopolitan Pictures**“

**Front page news**…*The Hearst Newspaper had this story on 3rd page, adding fuel to the speculation…*

Take a deeper dive on – Phantomofthebacklots –You Tube

Written and lived by Donnie Norden…

Film Department-MCA

January 17, 2025 Phantom of the BacklotLeave a comment

“Slip on a coat we keep it cool inside here” Authentic original stalk prints, decades of television.

Much of this battle footage can be edited for combat in television and film. These sequences are difficult to technically and safely achieve.

Somewhere here, we already filmed that scene. Reuse where it applies…

T.V Guides promoted this rack in time…

***Classic posters greet you as you enter the theaters 1,2 and 3.*** No longer do these theaters stand, nor the tunnels beneath them. Even the **Phantom of the Opera** had to disappear somewhere else for now. *Iconic Stage 28 has launched it’s own curse*– ***Good Luck NBC!***

Castles gone too!

Before Marvel…

“What an operation he has going on”

**Projection room for studio theater house…**The projectionists here end up going to homes from Lew Wasserman -on down for special viewing parties for V.I.P’s. *Old days- before digital dependency*

*The view of the screen and private seating. A sound mixing console is what looks like a table with chairs.*

Cut and Print;

That’s the final command you hear. The director is satisfied with what was just captured on film by his inner troupe. The number of “takes” the actor does varies. It depends on the difficulty of the scene. It also depends on the challenges the director may face in capturing the required vibe.

In my time in the business, I saw first hand how editors become efficient directors. They know which scenes are needed and which are not. Those directors go home on 12 or less hours, but the green around the edges directors never stop shooting …ever. Tropic Thunder, I say no-more. “Inside joke”

Film needs storage at temperatures that don’t decompose the celluloid. The film stored inside here is post- 1947. This is -not Nitrate film. Film earlier to 1947 needs a blast shelter for storage. Extremely flammable, film like this is specially stored away from other film or assets. Our classic monster films were of this nature, very scary and highly flammable. The fire scene at the end of Frankenstein could easily have been started by the print itself.

I first managed access to a film vault at- Desilu Studios. This vault contained films dating back to RKO Studios during the era of nitrate film. Fortunately, we lived to tell about it. We were teenagers sneaking in to an explosive situation. We handled it like children, because we were, and were lucky we picked a vault with less volatility. Television shows were not nitrate film.

Twice in my career, New York Street burned down at Universal. The entire city, entirely gone…Twice! In each event, the fire departments battled to save these buildings and the prints inside. New York Street stood just out side, but also does the lake. Helicopters doused this area as fast as they filled up, saving prints of endless classics.

Irreplaceable

“After all, it was just another fire”…say Universal.

Written and lived by…Donnie Norden

The Scenic Art Department…MGM

January 17, 2025 Phantom of the Backlot5 Comments

**Is it real bird, or is it a painting?**

In the movie business, there is no such words as TWO BIG…

We will explore this iconic building. Scenic artists created canvas paintings large enough to change the view out of the living room. They could even cover your house completely. Anywhere and everywhere, pick your era, it probably is rolled up inside here. The creations made here are museum quality, and J.C Backings operated out of this iconic building from 1972 until recent. The building and the Art Department itself date much farther back. Basically, this place is the museum of movie backdrops.

The building itself is so iconic it has doubled as an exterior film set. In Somebody Up There Likes Me, it is part of a prison. In Soylent Green, it is hidden in a matte painting of future New York.

The elevator that greets you as you walk inside this structure is fit for a king. A king from the thirties named Irving Thalberg. In the 1950’s, his personal elevator moved from the Thalberg Building. Louie B Mayer resided there. It found its way to this iconic facility. It does more than just take artists up to the painting platform, it’s more like a Time Machine.

The fact the vendor J.C Backings has relocated has created rumor’s this building may be torn down. It has outlived it’s usefulness if there is such a thing. CGI can green screen images where paintings once occupied window and patio spaces, along with rolling vista’s.

This building is designed to capture all the natural light the sun has to offer. I will take you on the roof as to show you the concept capturing sky light through clever engineering. This place is a palace few outside the studio know or appreciate.

If indeed Sony does remove this iconic building, Hollywood needs to salvage Irving’s Thalberg’s elevator. This building in it’s entirety should be a Hollywood Museum.

This scenic backdrops still get rented and are part of J.C ‘s stockpile of history that sits silently, collecting dust. Many canvas paintings have been rolled up for decades from the looks of things. The Sony Tour refuses to walk you inside even though the tour starts right outside. They should at least allow you to poke your head inside. You should at least look up at this uniquely designed art house. At least, let folks see this elevator.

Today, I will take the liberty to show you around the MGM Scenic Art Building…

***The upstairs exit***
*The coolest elevator I’ve been in since **Blade Runner** at the **Bradbury Building**. My pictures don’t do it justice, this is a thing of beauty.*

*The West entrance to the scenic art building…*

*The entry as you walk inside the Scenic Art Department*

This not look like much but, there is a ton of engineering involved here. To get these massive canvas’s to become a picture easel. Old artist’s would teach “hands on” to the next generations of artists. This place was integral to the Motion Picture Industry.

*A Quote from Arnold Gillespie,* *Art Director, Head of Special Effects*. *1924-1965.* ***The True Wizard of MGM.*** *Grasp this depth best needed by these artists.*

Let’s take this opportunity to access the roof…

Even the roof is slotted and glass. Painting can be done at night and lighting used on sets helps light these backdrops inside this department. In the day time, existing day- light is sufficient.

*The studio water tank for filming actors swimming while the camera never gets wet…This was removed a few years back. It sat at the base of the side of the Art Building that has all the windows.*

*This area doubled as a prison in Paul Newman’s- Somebody Up There Like’s Me*

*The bottom of this picture is the live half. The top is a matte painting. This scene took place on Lot 1 below the scenic art building. **Soylent Green** 1972*

*The scenic art building in a matte painting in Air Raid Wardens*

The Overland Gate expansion. This picture is taken from upstairs in the Filmways building across the street. It is the Sony Studio’s west entrance today. It was still MGM when this was taken. It is a construction entrance only at that time. The right side of the photograph has an edge of the scenic building. The movie sign above the studio, left of the water tank has the title… Why Would I Lie ?

*Hopefully, The Clock never strikes Mid-night at this legendary Scenic Artist Facility that almost secretly ignores time…*

Written and lived by Donnie Norden

Logan’s Run

January 5, 2025 Phantom of the Backlot6 Comments

I share today a story from my second book…The Uninvited Visitor. Available on Amazon, this story took place on the MGM backlot in 1975. The last film that ever used the Girls School we “boys” call Boystown. I was fifteen, Farrah Fawcett was the poster girl on every boys wall. My girlfriend Maureen could double for her, but the star we see much more of is…Jenny Agutter.

I Welcome you to the 23rd Century in the story that follows: Logan’s Run

Fade in -1975

I have come to think of MGM as my personal play park. I have more fun here than I do anywhere else. Jimmy is with me today and when we arrive, we notice new activity on Lot 2. There’s a crew building a set right in front of Boystown. Another one is on New York Street, inside the building we kids call, “Crow Top.” The name comes from all the blackbirds that congregate on the roof of this Grand Theater on 5th Avenue. I guess they think it’s their private play park, too.

There are three fairly large temporary sets going up here, on old Backlot Number 2. One set is a stairway leading up to the Lincoln Memorial. It is being put together in front of our Boystown fort. The other is a cemetery, which is being moved to a dirt road in between a row of trees. The biggest of the three is the redesigning of the theater on 5th Avenue.

Popi just left that street when the series was canceled. This big feature comes in. MGM continues to stay quite busy. This is despite rumors of a sell pending of this glorious backlot.

Stairway to the mockup of The Lincoln Memorial

Cemetery behind the newly constructed stairway

Mule carts are bringing back the tombstones to this end of the lot again. The cemetery for this film is just behind the stairway to Mr. Lincoln.

These two sets come together at the same time, so each one is ready to go whenever production is ready. The first bit of info I get is from laborers who are sweeping and cleaning the street. I’m told the title is Logan’s Run. These guys are really excited. The point of interest seems to be the fact that Farrah Fawcett is in it. Her pin-up poster hangs in the room of practically every boy my age. Not mine though… I have linebacker Dick Butkus on my wall.

At my house, my bedroom door and my sister’s door are open together at times. Her poster of David Cassidy smiling looks directly at my poster of Dick Butkus growling. He looks like the Giant “Bear” that he is. It’s obvious Dick wants to wipe that smile off silly boy’s face…

I don’t have a Farrah poster. However, MGM guards say my girlfriend Maureen looks just like her. She gets treated differently than the boys around this backlot. Maureen even climbs fences like a shampoo model, slow-motion, skimpy cutoff jeans, with flowing long blonde hair. No one looks so Angelic on top of a sharp metal fence. One thing we all do share with David as teenagers is pukka shells, they are very popular. Sorry Dick…

Jimmy and I are now behind a temporary wall. It keeps us out of sight, but gives us an ample view. We can continue monitoring the set-up process. I make a peace sign gesture to the guys with brooms.

I will endear myself to the crew somehow! What’s funny is we share a common bond. The labor department on this show likes to smoke doobies. They enjoy getting lost in these old sets. It just so happens that we have something to barter with.

And it looks like my impromptu plan is working. I’m quickly being accepted into this community. I’m now like a special crew member, thanks to some high-quality Skunkweed we just shared. Let’s just say, you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours. They provide me with the item I need the most… a shooting schedule. I hate to be late to the party. Most importantly, I realize I have a bargaining chip for future crews that I may meet here. I am now touring MGM’s biggest show with stoned laborers. I could do this job! where do I sign up?

Through glassy eyes, we see that every existing pole and support is being covered with gold. Men stretch up to the top floor with the help of scissor lifts and ladders. There will be a key sequence taking place here. Our stars become fugitives, or “runners,” as they are called.

Well, welcome to my world, Michael York. I’m a runner! MGM security can tell you that.

The view from the Church looking toward Boystown

Shoot Day One

Our plan is to filter in seamlessly as soon as production arrives. It’s just Jimmy and me. We should be able to move swiftly. A bigger group inevitably entails complications, but we can avoid them. We decide we better get there early so we can take stock of the situation before we make our move. The church steeple is the perfect lookout tower. The birds had it right all along.

This set has been very generous with us, but we can’t take it for granted. Only amateurs would let their guard down. The crew knew we were trespassing. They were kind enough to offer up information on what will be filmed. We even managed to score a call sheet. MGM security continually makes appearances and when the workday ends, they secure this hot set.

Today, we will have to deal with the film crew. They are usually a bit more conservative. They are also a lot pickier about who’s hanging around. The whole production team is a different animal altogether; not as free spirited as the crews that build these sets. Right now, we watch them from the steeple as they shuffle around like working ants. And these “production ants” always want to please the king and queen, or in other words, the executive producers!

The future has arrived and you get 30 years to get it together!… The cars sure are modern.

**My Boystown Fort is alive and well at the top of the building that the cast is walking in front of.**

This row of trees became a cemetery

These gravestones are the same ones we hid behind in the cemetery at the original Hole in the Fence… our very first trespass on this lot! Molen is my old friend, yet his grave is in its third location. He is coming out of a gig all the way over at New York Street. He and several other stones provided cover in the climactic Chuck Connors/Charlton Heston shoot out in Soylent Green. We hid behind these things. The Rifleman and The Omega Man participated in a gun battle shootout. They concluded the battle through the narrow streets and alleys of New York. Then, they moved through this mobile cemetery.

R.I.P. Molen, old tombstone friend!

We are in a bit of a precarious position up here. We lean around a column to get a good look at the scene being filmed. We keep our bodies hidden while doing so. We become perfectly still as soon as we hear the magic word, “ACTION”. And then, the only things moving are the cameras and the actors. For a moment, you can hear a pin drop… that’s how still everything becomes. We can’t hear the dialogue if there is any.

It’s a bit awkward and uncomfortable to hold ourselves in this position. But it’s only until we hear “CUT”. Then, we can shift and move again. We don’t mind at all; this is what we do! It’s all part of the job. But we should ask for swivel chairs next time. And an all-access pass to Craft Services. We watch as the stars walk by the front of our fort, like they are lost or looking for something… aren’t we all?

This scene is quickly captured. The crew sets up the next shot. It involves the Lincoln Memorial, which was just constructed 50 ft. adjacent. Stairs leading to Mr. Lincoln were just put in for this scene. The President will be added later in post-production…

We see every scene in its entirety, from the privacy of our balcony “seating,” up in the loft, atop this church.

You need to hang out of this opening in order to look towards Boystown. There’s always a risk of being seen. Oh, and falling!

I often hear my mom’s voice, echoing through my head… “Be careful, Donnie!” Of course, I try, but a kid’s gotta do what a kid’s gotta do!

Blending In with the Crew

The stair scene is a wrap. Next is the cemetery scene, but trees are blocking our view. As the leaves blow, we struggle to see through and become antsy. We want to see what the female star is wearing, which isn’t much. We decide to come down from the church and make like we’re part of the crew. We know better than to gawk, but we whisper to each other at the same time… “That’s Michael York from “The Island of Doctor Moreau”. But neither of us have seen this woman. What we do see though, seems to be everything!

We try real hard to be casual and blend in with the crew… but there is an important matter here: We need to confirm the undergarment situation with this actress.

Oh my…!

We become like a couple of bloodhounds. Jimmy and I smell female blood. We are determined to keep ourselves at an angle, for optimal viewing potential. Our eyes never leave their target. We always stay close to her. We position ourselves either behind her or a short distance in front of her. We are able to shift around and get ourselves into little hidden places during the lulls, when cameras change angles. They are working and setting up equipment all around us. They are too busy getting things just right to worry about us. For Jimmy and me, the only equipment on duty are our eyes and our very active imaginations.

The movie business is fantastic. And with the cemetery scenes now complete… Company Move! New York Street set is our next location.

All that Glitters is Not Gold

Everything here is shining like gold. It’s like we’ve walked into a universe where the only substance available is… GOLD. Gold fabric is draped over everything, wrapped around props, and hanging from walls. Gold sparkle lacquer has been applied to props and decorations. The set lighting makes it all glitter and blend together. You can’t tell where one gold thing ends, and another begins. It’s just a blast of golden light everywhere you turn. There’s more gold here than Fort Knox. Nothing has been forgotten. Even Soylent Green has been painted gold.

**Our four-story slide, on the left side of this photo, abruptly ends on the concrete floor. We lay down an old mattress to soften the blow as the high-speed slide comes to an otherwise painful end!**

**The props were in the big toy chest storage area. Once again, the future brings the past back to life. “Never throw anything away” used to be the motto around here.**

This set is used as the background in many scenes, so it quickly becomes crowded on the ground level. We decide to go up to the top and watch these scenes from the fourth floor. This building is as big as an airplane hangar. We know it well because it’s our go-to building for everything… not just filming, but for plain old horsing around, too. We love it and it’s nice to see it in all its glory, buzzing with filming activity.

We can see the entire length of New York Street from the windows at our new spot. We can even see Big George down there, driving an electric cart around the set. He’s doing a good job! Keeping the place free of trespassers! We watch as he peeks inside, but then he quickly retreats. He’s probably hungry. Probably off to get a sandwich… or three!

Those electric carts are slow. We can outrun them easily. With his 280 pounds on top of it, he’s lucky it moves at all. He needs the Bronco for his wide load. There are kids below us now… seems like school just let out. But these kids are in costume, and they get to slide down poles, legally. They rehearse and do a couple of loose takes, before the final scenes are shot with a loud rumble sound.

**A four-story slide… what fun this is to slip and slide on.** ***This production made it look like an escalator, but for us it’s a four-story slide.***

**One of two stairways upwards in this building. This is the interior of the famous 5th Avenue theater.**

Well, looks like we’ve seen all there is to see. We decide to depart. In typical showbiz fashion, workers are striking cable. They are taking down walls. A forklift is moving an abandoned picture car. Hours earlier, partially clad movie stars were here. But before you know it, it will be our very own deserted playground again. We decide to stay long enough to pay the Boystown fort a visit.

Another film credit can be chalked up for this old edifice, whose unique tower can be seen from my house. I love this fort, this lot, my life and this world, called MGM. You never know what’s next around here, and that’s the charm.

Written and Lived by… Donnie Norden

“Now Showing” at a Theater Near You

December 29, 2024 Phantom of the Backlot8 Comments

**5th Avenue-just needs a new billing to regain its former glitz and glamour.**

Through the eyes of Maureen…

Peace, Love and Jamocha Almond Fudge

Today, I will ride cross town on the handlebars of Donnie’s 10-speed. Every kid knows all the back alleys and short cuts in this town, every hill to ride down screaming, “No brakes! No brakes!” and every pothole. He manages to hit every single one and crack up. “Oh sorry, sorry…” This immature humor keeps him entertained at my expense. I endure all this because I want my Thrifty ice cream. Three scoops for 15 cents.

As we pass the Studio Drive-in, they are changing the marquee to advertise the next movie playing. The Fortune. “Hey, I remember that set. I got invited. You had to sneak in,” I recount. “I saw you and Jimmy hiding in the church tower. I flipped you the bird!” I laugh. “I remember it well.” he mutters as he purposely hits another pothole. Watching that guy put the letters up gives me a thought, nay a brilliant idea. I can feel the lightbulb shining over my head. “Hey, we have a marquee… Ouch!” another pothole jolts the idea from my brain…

**This Studio Drive-in screens many films we watched get made on the backlots-it’s like a backlot movie theater.**

We sit outside of Thrifty’s on some kid rides that we are way too big for. We choose the stagecoach as there is room for two. He politely asks, “Should I put my last quarter in and fire this bad boy up?” “No thank you” (I’m too proud to tell him I am already saddle sore from the ride over.) After some vanilla, strawberry and jamocha almond fudge, we head back. Pretty soon the streetlights will come on, my cue to get home.

***The Pony Express, where we eat* *and* *horse around.***

I remember my plan in sewing class, the next day. I tell Ms. Burum I want to make a banner. I want to paint a message on it like, “Go Big Blue.” I ask her what type of material I should buy. “About three yards of 54” vinyl should work well,” she concludes. Bless her heart, she thinks she is helping to boost student pride. She will never know she is an accomplice to a young trespasser’s quest.

It’s a tough choice spending my hard-earned babysitting money on vinyl and I’m not talking about 33rpm vinyl. I guess I can go without Slurpees and Abba-Zabbas for a while.

I know Donnie will buy in to the simple plan. I catch him on his way home from school. I excitedly explain, “We will hang a sign. The sign will display what is, Now Playing on the theater marquee in MGM!” “Sure, no sweat,” he agrees, like it’s a routine request. I’ll bring the material and you get the paint.” “Sure thing!” This leaves me feeling a little dumbfounded. However, I just shrug my shoulders and head home to a mountain of homework. I guess it’s just another day in the lot to him…

We make the sign in Donnie’s backyard. Mrs. Norden peeps her head out now and again. “It’s for a special presentation!” I blurt out. She gives us the fisheye as she sees it drying out on her clothesline. She just goes about her business with a certain non-spoken approval. I love it when Mrs. Norden is home. She makes Donnie offer me refreshments. Tang? Why yes, please. Ice? If it’s no trouble… They have a new-fangled fridge with an ice maker. No more refilling trays in the modern age. His mom makes him offer me some jelly tarts. He is clearly reluctant to give these homemade treats up, so naturally, I generously help myself. Mmm, mmm delicious! I make sure to emphasize my enjoyment of every bite. That’ll show him for riding me over all those potholes I think to myself.

Once the sign is dry, I roll it up, tuck it under my arm and bring it home. Now, we just need a quiet day in MGM. Christmas Day will present just that opportunity.

Merry Christmas Baby

We meet at the laundry room behind my apartment and exchange gifts. St. Christopher’s. Just a secret between us two. We’re not mushy about it. Today, we’ve got an agenda. I’ve got the sign. Donnie carries a long-handled broom and a roll of duct tape. He is wearing a bright red Santa Cap. Even Bronco Bob wouldn’t shoot Santa on Christmas morning…would he?

The North Pole…Theater District

We are armed with stuff we got in our stockings. He is toting a couple of toy paratroopers. I have a pocket full of mini candy canes.

Our antics today are a little naughty but should prove harmless. Our mission: to hang the banner on the marquee to promote what is “Now Showing” at a backlot near you.

We swiftly make our way over to 5th Avenue with sign and broom in tow. The marquee is quite high, so I get up on Donnie’s shoulders. The top left corner of the sign is being lifted by the broomstick. I need to stick it to the marquee. Once that’s done, the rest will be easy. It is heavier than I thought but fairly easy to control. This is complicated by the fact that we are laughing, and Donnie I think is purposely wobbling. “Stand Still!” We’re determined, we’re focused, we’re screwed! We WAY underestimated this. It’s too high! Abort! Abort! I say and nearly tumble to the pavement. Oh well, it was fun getting up on Donnie’s shoulders anyhow.

**The marquee displaying The Band Wagon as seen in The Long, Long Trailer… It looks a lot lower than it really is.**

**The Marquee from the top story of this theater building we named Crow Top. The name applies due to the large number of black birds that roost on this rooftop.**

We’ll have to work from the top like billboard hangers, he says. Genius except for the up high scary part. We climb the stairs to the top of crow top to survey our options. I understand the name now. “Proceed with ‘Caw’- tion” I nervously pun.

It’s because crows congregate on wires that are suspended over the street. They were once used, in conjunction with black tarps, to create the illusion of nighttime in daylight. From the rooftop, you can easily see that this 4-story structure is the hub of the lot. It may have been the hub in the past. As you look down from above, you see four different roads below. They take four separate shapes and lengths.

Wires converge on this roof, like the mast of a pirate ship. The spot where you would climb with a telescope looking for land. Old, rusted metal wires with rings attached spread out like a Spirograph. Donnie starts playing on this roof which overlooks the entire city. “The wires can be balanced like teeter totters,” he says. “Just hold one and stand on the other,” he demonstrates. He offers me a turn. “Thanks anyway Matey!” I impulsively refuse the offer as I regain my sea legs and clear the lump out of my throat.

**Wires connecting more wires traverse like highways above MGM’s New York Street sets.**

These steel cables make like teeter totters and they extend over the streets in every direction.

I remind Donnie we are here on a mission and need to formulate our execution. We stare downwards to our target. Then we both look at each other at exactly the same time and announce, “Santa was here!” To our amazement, we see ladders. They are set up leading from the windows of the 3rd floor to the actual marquee itself.

*Whoever left these ladders were unknowingly aiding and abetting*…

We go back down two floors and climb out the window. We descend the ladder when suddenly my enthusiasm takes a beat. This set was used in many old timely classics. It featured in The Long, Long Trailer with Lucy and Desi. Therefore, the structure itself is vintage, classic MGM too. I am hesitant, so Donnie steps forward “I’ll take it from here.” “He is unnervingly agile, traversing this unbalanced territory. Draping, unrolling and sticking the sign while I clutch my St. Christopher and say a little prayer. Donnie uses the long-handled broom in a downward sweeping motion to make sure the tape adheres all the way down. It’s working so well, like the marquee wants to be recognized again. I will have to give Ms. Burum a thank you card.

Phew! That seemed like it took a really long time and I for one am grateful to go back down. Donnie lingers for a minute to drop his paratroopers into enemy territory, which is really only 5th Avenue.

We stand back in admiration, candy canes hanging from our mouths.

“EAT MY DUST BRONCO BOB!” is prominently displayed on the theater marquee as if it were a premiere feature film starring- us!

Baby It’s Cold Outside

As nighttime brings reflections on the day, I try to imagine the look on the guard’s face. It will be when he sees our Holiday Greeting. I enjoy a satisfied smile. It’s fun having secrets. My lava lamp is hypnotizing me into a dream state, your eyes are like wax… melting wax… you’re getting sleepy… sleepy… when I hear a tap on my window. It’s Donnie. I quietly run out to greet him. He gives a cruelly long laugh at my Elf pajamas. Then, he dangles a sprig of mistletoe over my head. He expects a kiss as the old tradition commands. We reach for each other’s St. Christopher just to see if the other is actually wearing it, and smile. “I just wanted to say good night under the lights.” He is referring to the strands of lights visible from the Vet’s Memorial tower. “They’re beautiful.”

“I have one more gift for you,” he says “hold out your hand.” Wrapped in a napkin is a warm, freshly baked jelly tart. “Mmm…” I purr, as I split the gooey treat to share. “I must have been awfully good this year, Santa. They’re magically delicious.”

Our film advertisement was ripped down in less than 24 hours, most likely by Bob himself!

“My name is”, think quick, “John Orden.”

Windy

December 25, 2024 Phantom of the BacklotLeave a comment

I Share with you a story on this Windy Christmas Morning about a windy day on the MGM Backlot. Follow me knowing this -“If I run- you better run faster!”

***Picture taken from same roof as the picture below*– *the Small Town Courthouse***

Windy days on the backlot are exhilarating. The wind can choose to be gentle, romancing you into the peaceful backdrop, or she can irrationally shift her mood. You can hear the rustling when her temper gets riled up. My eyes get wide at her warning not knowing how tumultuous her fury may manifest itself. It’s wildly fun.

During the day, rooftop views are those of fairy tales. The distant villages and steeples have extra vibrancy, like a brand-new color TV. Chimneys on the cottage roofs endure another high velocity test. They still maintain their fake red brick storybook appearance.

*The rooftop of the courthouse in Small Town Square is located at the center most point of the lot.* *This roof is equal in distance to the fence in almost every direction.* *This is dead center of this* *lot-Looking North.*

***Andy Hardy’s House is behind the Arco sign,* *the opposite side is the Hardy front door.***

**Pictures taken on a windy afternoon on the MGM backlot from the same rooftop…**

Who’s peekin’ out from under a stairway
Calling a name that’s lighter than air
Who’s bending down to give me a rainbow
Everyone knows it’s Windy

Who’s tripping down the streets of the city
Smilin’ at everybody she sees
Who’s reachin’ out to capture a moment
Everyone knows it’s Windy

And Windy has stormy eyes
That flash at the sound of lies
And Windy has wings to fly
Above the clouds

-The Association

Earth, Wind and Fire are three elements. They have shaped not only this planet but also the backlots I traverse daily. When the wind howls at my house, it’s like an invitation to explore my backlot under conditions similar to war. All my friends know what I’m talking about. The wind opens up new horizons and changes the landscapes, then slams those same doors shut, all within seconds. Like some backlot magic act by invisible magicians.

The stirring breezes invite you, no words needed. It’s magic time on a backlot, cherishing the earth’s moods. The planet must feel exceptional today, every direction I turn is pure crystal blue persuasion. Accompanying sounds can be deciphered many ways. A mad influx of studio history mingles with the present-day vibrations. These vibrations resonate all around us. We enter this windy old place for an unplanned, spur of the moment afternoon…

Don’t be afraid…it’s just the wind!

***Wind inspired this Twilight Zone episode*–*The Grave***

The MGM sound department should record these haunted wisps. They conjure up so much imagination on windy days and nights on their ghoulish backlot. The winds kick up swirls of dust. It’s as if they are trying to recompose famous scenes that took place on these dirt and cobblestone roads. Ghostly images dance in period costumes. Spirits come and go through doorways as they wish. They magically disappear only to reappear in a window or archway across the way. It’s playtime, spirit wise, in this dream factory.

Every landscape, village, and courtyard come to life in its own unique style. Tall mature trees dance to whistling howls. Revolving doors on the fronts of New York Street try revolving. They muster up just enough energy to partially turn. But it’s plenty enough to scare any nearby trespasser. But this is the fun part, everything is alive inside here.

***An Eskimo has no* *life*– *an igloo at the base of this old castle***

I imagine security has a hard time, noise-wise on patrols. It’s like kids are everywhere. At nighttime, I bet the guards are even a touch frightened. Strange goings on take command of the landscape. Old, decrepit walls often blow over. Even the arch on Combat Street met its fate from a very strong wind recently. The weather finished off what W.W 2 couldn’t.

Rooftops are supreme on these windy afternoons, the views are sharp, clear and priceless. The keys to my imagination are engaged, the breeze of MGM’s past filters through my lungs and into my brain. I never want this moment to fade away. This magic is what life’s about!

The wind only enhances what is always here. The spirits use the opportunity to present their pent-up energy and flirt with us. A glimpse, a feeling, a hint of where they want us to go next. Whose memory are we chasing? Is it The Little Rascals? Or perhaps Laurel and Hardy. We often feel them here with us. The wind is a stimulant and makes my senses keen. Wild eyed and willing to follow wherever they push us.

I think Rod Serling probably did exactly what Jimmy and my other friends do on these special spirited days. The Lee Marvin episode, The Grave, about outlaw Pinto Sykes seems inspired by a MGM backlot on a windy night. “Hey- is that Lee over there, with Battling Maxo?”

Anything and everything has happened here, the wind simply turns back pages in the MGM history book. The wind creates sound from past troubadours and whips them into spinning shapes that appear as fast as they disappear. Each page is its own story. It is its own place. It is not linked to a clock. It is just a magical place built with extreme imagination.

*Battling* *Maxo,* *fresh off the bus, Small Town Square-MGM lot 2, on skates no less.* *I’ve roller skated there too.*..

Writers often wander this lot for inspiration which can easily be drawn into their imaginations from these desolate villages. Every twist and turn is stirring in some way when you take a walk around this lot. You might jot down notes with a pencil and paper. Alternatively, you could talk into a cassette recorder. Many stories actually originate from inside here, from the backlot. It’s where they will be filmed so the saying, “You got to see it to be it”, applies here.

I’m caught in the MGM jet stream. It’s like I’m a character in a book or movie. The backlot will become my personal Genie in a Bottle, where all my wishes come true.

Curtains in ancient windows move about behind the dirty glass, like they’re exercising. Soon again, they will hang stagnant, like in a picture frame. But today is play day, like a ghostly, haunted Disneyland. Some fabrics dislodge from their present location with large gusts. They take flight back to the past, as if they are magic carpets. Romeo and Juliet’s balconies seem extremely active, as glass doors reverberate off the door jams. Eucalyptus trees bow under the pressure and leaves fly into the village below. The rustling trees blend in like musical instruments in the wind…

Doorways, rooftops, real windy-special effects

My best friend Jimmy and I enter today at the Grand Central Station, the train compartments are alive this afternoon. Curtains blow through windows that are open in these old Pullmans. They greet us by waving, full of exuberance, like an orient express. Everything on this lot is alive today with a little help…from the wind.

Next to the trains is the snow room, even the slightest breezes create blizzard-like conditions inside this old dungeon. We open the thick ancient door. We stare at a calm environment of stacked boxes. They face every direction and are packed with plastic snowflakes. A huge gust kicks this place back to life. It is as if Wizard Arnold Gillespie turned on a switch. I bet he’s in here laughing at us, MGM’s effects guru for four decades.

It’s windy and clear on the lot, but a snowstorm is underway in this storage facility. We shut the door and walk away from the weather effects we just created. No wind machines are needed today.

The first backlot cemetery I explored is located just beyond my original Hole in the Fence. It was also the first set I ever hid in. It is as spooky as any cemetery I’ve ever seen, day or night. A coffin sits waiting to be buried or maybe it was exhumed. I want to climb inside, but it has too many spiders, so I lay alongside the sarcophagus. Jimmy and I recreate our own graveyard scenes as blowing tumbleweeds bounce off tombstones. I laugh like a witch as Jimmy pretends to get killed. This is how we have fun. Watching TV shows and recreating cool scenes. We just happen to have our own graveyards.

*We hide here often, the outskirts of a cemetery. It’s close to the fenc*e on Elenda Street *and the pool set.* *I was laying in the weeds for* this picture- like a corpse.

Dirt blows into the sets adjacent to the many dusty roads that remind you you’re on an ancient lot. Most roads are dirt here. Cobblestone is the pavement of choice, except on New York Street. We often skateboard down the metropolis’ sidewalks, under the famous 5th Avenue marquees. Yes indeed, I’ve been chased on my skateboard. It’s plenty safe, faster than any guard, and portable to climb with. Tools of the advanced trespasser. The pavement here is smooth enough for a movie star…

*I sing and dance in the rain on rainy days. It’s just around the corner on Waterfront Street. The sidewalk and street still exist long after the 1967 MGM New York Street fire.* *Gene likes baseball too, he’s a Pirates fan he told me- we have* *backlots in common.*

**Anything not anchored down takes on a life of its own.**

**The theater district on a stormy, windy day**

New York Street is an orchestra on days like this. The rest of the lot is just a series of small clubs. This pales in comparison to all that takes place on this street of a thousand doors and windows. Today, we can slam doors if we wish, throw stealth out the window. We might as well have cymbals to smash together on large gusts. We try to imagine what we are hearing all around us, what sets have become active. So much is alive in this deserted, desolate landscape.

Look what the wind blew in...

The Bronco makes its first appearance of the day and drives slowly below us. A black sleeved left arm extends upward out of the window like the long arm of the law. The guard, Bronco Bob himself, clutches the top door of the vehicle. It safely passes by. He is unaware it has an audience above him.

“Will the wind ever remember the names it’s blown on in the past?” “Yes forever” they whisper to us; “the spirits will never leave here, and they enjoy your company”

The wind cries for Donnie, Jimmy and Maureen too-

Written and Lived by…Donnie Norden

The Evolution of the MGM Records Label.

December 21, 2024 Phantom of the Backlot1 Comment

Music tames the Savage Beast. This Metro Goldwyn Mayer label was supreme. Let’s play a stack of some 45’s today …shall we?

MGM Records began in 1946 –when the King of Beasts started spinnings his head in circles…

The “other” MGM King. Of all the artists you would expect on the MGM Label, Elvis Presley was not one of them. In 1954, he signed his first contract with Sun Records.The next year, RCA Records took on his record contract.

This moment was connected to the MGM label, Apple would become The Beatles label.

2013- The British Invasion Flag flies above Sony, Stages 27/29, formerly MGM Studios.

Take a taste of this. Turn up your Marantz Stereo and light the living room up in colorful patterns with a sound reacting Light Organ… if your hip!

Artists signed aboard include…

Louie Armstrong, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Mickey Rooney, and Tony Bennett graced the stage. Leslie Caron, Richard Chamberlain, and Maurice Chevalier added to the charm. The Cowsills, Bing Crosby, and Jimmy Durante entertained the masses. Billy Eckstien, 5 Man Electrical Band, and Eydie Gorme mesmerized the audience. George Hamilton, Jack Jones, and Hugh Masekela captivated listeners. Donnie Osmond, Mel Torme, and Eric Burdon and War thrilled fans. Hank Williams, Tony Sheridan and The Beatles—also known as “Beat Brothers”—and Three Dog Night were unforgettable. This part of the studio specialized in sounds and soundtracks. Over time, the sounds faded away. They disappeared like the studio itself.

Three Dog Night, an All -Time Favorite of mine, seen here in 1972, on float in the Rose Parade.

Put -some “Whiskey in Your Water” and continue…

Never too late to cherish an iconic MGM experience, A studio most famous for legendary musicals…Many large bands continued on, under RSO Records, Robert Stigwood’s label. The Bee Gees, Peter Frampton, Earth, Wind and Fire, Billy Preston etc, performed on the MGM backlot in 1977. That year became my own “Rocker” on the set of SGT. Pepper.

This label was originally developed for releasing MGM Soundtracks from MGM Films. It quickly evolved to include several musical genres. Nevertheless, it maintained an accent towards Country Western. MGM’s western collection is interesting because it includes western films, trains, and carriages. There are also horses, western streets, and legendary musicians influenced by country artists.

MGM created the old west right here in Culver City. They shuffled in Singing Cowboys. They developed and delivered music for this studio to market.

This MGM label took off as a major player. Its competitors in the early 50’s were Columbia, RCA, Decca, Capital, and Mercury. MGM manufactured their cataloged at the studio more legendary for films. the only label besides Columbia that are dual film/records. But MGM forever will be-King of Beasts!

In the mid seventies, I was found at this studio on a daily basis. I was part of this Rock and Roll landscape. Polygram took over this label as MGM divested all its assets. The 1970 MGM auction was the beginning of the end of MGM as we knew it.

The 50’s and 60’s

Connie Francis, Hank Williams and Conway Twitty led the way for record sells. 45’s turned into ten inch 33-1/3. That brought on album covers, and artwork, instead of paper envelopes with vinyl wrapped inside. In 1961, MGM bought Norman Granz’ Verve record label and MGM became-A rock label. The Righteous Brothers, The Velvet Underground, and The Mothers of Invention.

These artists were not happy with MGM’s censorship, and often released content without artist approvals. Welcome to the world of MGM labels and holding stables. Actors and films came before musicians and tunes. Studio higher ups gave them all a take it or leave it response. Censorship ruled supreme as Rock Music was taking off. In the mid 60’s, MGM distributed a new Kama Sutra label, The Lovin’ Spoonful signed on. Acid Rock competed against Vietnam protests. Tough times make for great music, L.S.D was a music gateway. MGM was buying artists from other labels to hedge the future. This label evolved from singing cowboys to singing hippies!

MGM bought in the the colorful decade to come by signing Eric Burden and The Animals. But profits plunged. MGM Records lost 18 million dollars to close out the 1960s. Records in music stores were unsold.

The 70’s–I became a member of that culture…

Nothing funner than L.S.D on the MGM backlot while listening to Acid Rock, just sayin!

MGM was busy auctioning off their soul right after Woodstock changed the music world forever in 1969. One entity was headed upwards while the other was sinking below the surface. MGM executive Mike Curb, a future Lt. Governor of California, fired 18 groups who publicized …the use of drugs!

“I couldn’t be fired” since I was just a Trespasser with his own personal…Hole in the Fence. I counter cultured and embraced escapism- literally and figuratively. I was a rebel with a cause who did not want to end up in Vietnam. President Nixon agreed and praised Mr. Curb. for his unrelenting attitude against drugs. Drugs became a huge item going ahead in Hollywood. Stars were using drugs. Cocaine use was an issue at every studio. When I began my long career at Universal, several major stars would take “powdered lunches.” Dirty stories for another time. Alcohol and cigarettes were no longer enough.

My hero, WW2, veteran, Lee Marvin. The leader of The Dirty Dozen. In the 80’s, “Maggot” Telly Savalas could be found at Universal. He was often in a limo, at Telly’s Bar at the Sheraton Universal. A big mirror was inside, driven around the property. Prefabbed “white lines” were also inside. The studio that promoted drug films, such as Cheech and Chong, hosted a wrap party on Stage 4. It was a legendary drug fest. Drug use escalated effecting in someway almost every star we had on the lot!

As I was experiencing MGM first hand in the early 70’s, MGM switched to “bubblegum” acts. Sammy Davis Jr, Petula Clark, and The Osmonds. These successful performers helped stabilize MGM financially.

In 1972, a conglomerate of Dutch /German Polydor and and Phonogram was buying into the U.S market. Polyvgram was now the MGM record label. The merger failed and was reduced to going forward with soundtracks from MGM films.

The 80’s

After the merger of Metro, Goldwyn, Mayer Inc. and United Artists in 1982, the label discontinued all together. For me, I became employed at MGM. My dreams came true” and I worked for the last MGM entity still using the MGM logo. MGM Film laboratories was the final MGM department identified as MGM.

My job took me all over MGM Lot 1, Job description” Reel Router.” The processing of film is very involved, from waxing to reduce projector noise, editing of course, and color corrections. Cannery Row was one of our films, starring Nick Nolte, Deborah Winger, and John Huston. Based off a John Steinbeck novel. Almost entirely shot with clever Art Direction using MGM’s main lot. the only lot still standing.

In 1972, Raquel kicked ass dressed like this, in 1982 she” kicked ya and flipped ya.” She won a match race that paid her –extremely well…

I wanna tag team with her…I’m a great skater! I watched Roller Derby, L.A Thunderbird’s, The Olympic Auditorium. Announcer, the legendary Dick Lane.

During the making of Cannery Row, a lawsuit occurred involving the original casted star and MGM. Additional legal entanglements came under scrutiny, focusing on stolen MGM raw stock film. It was being hijacked and resold to Hollywood film labs. The F.B.I arrested the perpetrator “on set.”

Meanwhile back in the MGM lab, I walked in on a pile of cocaine in the “film timers” studio. The color correction involved magenta, cyan, and all things color. It took place in a state of the art post production facility. Expensive consoles corrected the 35 millimeter prints based off the timers recommendations. A huge movie screen completes the interior of this facility. Next to a basket of fruit and tasty munchies was a pile of “blow.”

Cocaine became as prevalent at “craft service” as snacks themselves. no one hid it, you were welcomed by it. An MGM security guard named George Barner was hired to catch me a decade ago. He ran a sting operation to bust employees. He used a famous Hollywood watering hole across the street, still operating as a bar today, The Backstage.

CHiPs Television– wasn’t safe, either. The star, Tom Reilly, was arrested for drug use and relieved of duty. End off Watch, end of his involvement in that hit series. MGM then started searching star dressing rooms when actors on set. MGM Studios would disappear. It would fade to black. Nonetheless, the Acid trips and drug use would continue. I would experience much more at Universal.

The Who “Long Live Rock” was a song and signal of more to come…

Written and lived by…Donnie Norden

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