“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 Guidespromoted 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 dependencyThe view of the screen and private seating. A sound mixing console is what looks like a table with chairs.The projection lens…
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.
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…
Irving Thalberg’s elevator!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 DepartmentThis 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 MeThe 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 1972The scenic art building in a matte painting in Air Raid WardensThe 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…
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…
My sister’s poster
My poster — across the hallway…
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 Skunkweedwe 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.
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 eatandhorse 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!
I Share with you a story on this Windy Christmas Morning about a windy day onthe 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 thislot-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 GraveThe Wind Cries...Lee Marvin!
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 nolife– 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.
BattlingMaxo,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 fence on Elenda Streetand 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 havebacklots 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”
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 Stereoand 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…
Screenshot
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…
Let’s Go Back Jack and Do it Again… There’s those old kids again they never stop climbing fences
Book signing at Sony – If MGM Guards could see us now. They are represented fondly in this book Maureen is holding.
I hear sirens , Hurry up and get this shot!
Huron Avenue, that’s my street, and all the kids who live on it know my new hobby… Trespassing MGM.
My helmets and ammo made a big impression. While playing Combat, I had a belt full of blank ammo shells and a fancy helmet. I had found the helmet in a building in German Village, when we first met.
Her backyard is France …1944. I was at war. While running through the neighbor’s yards, I met this girl while I was shooting other kids. Now, I just tolerate girls mind you. She is different. I think- I kind of fancy her,and her bombed out backyard!
I always thought she would have made a swell boy. Her name is Maureen. The prettiest girl around these parts, I find myself wanting to impress her. I want to show her around MGM, but I am torn. Jimmy and I have an alliance that girls do not belong there. They would slow us down and they scare too easily. Dare I say our first crush is MGM lot 2. I figure she will probably say “No” to trespassing anyway. I casually ask her if she would like to come with me. I offer fair warning: “I guess this is illegal.” She rubbed her hands together and said “Let’s Go.”
Understand, most of the boys are scared. The prettiest girl around is all in. That is, if she can climb.
Well this Saturday morning she strolled down to my house in comfortable pair of running shoes. We walk the tracks on the steel rails themselves, like a tight rope. When we arrive at the barb wire pole behind Grand Central station. I brief her. I fill her in on what to expect. We kick at the gravel alongside the rails. This is where the rubber meets the road, literally. If she climbs this successfully, it’s a good sign we will work out. She is dressed in cutoff jeans and a T shirt, not a whole lot of protective clothing. I am going to get a kick out of this!
” There you are, that’s the climb, I will go first, watch where I grab.” I say
I’m now inside as her pretty little head pops above the fence, followed by her pretty behind. The prettiest climb I have ever seen. Slow-motion, pretty, like a shampoo commercial. She jumps down and looks thrilled. I dampen her enthusiasm by letting her know she needs to do it faster … next time. Silently, I am Frigging impressed.
I first show her the trains. We sit in the plush but filthy seats and talk about things. We avoid sports and the army. We just talk about stuff. There is really nowhere we have to be…any set is cool. Somehow, I am relaxed. This is going well, this girl thing.
I feel brave and we cross the field to a building we named Boystown. We named it after seeing a movie that used it called- Girls Town. Jimmy and I changed it to Boystown, since we’re boys…
We find a bench on the bottom floor. I wanted to bring it up to the top of this building. We can sit and view the Tarzan lake from a nice high vantage point. She helps me get this bench up to the top of this 4-story maze. I couldn’t do it without her so she is already paying off.
She is covered with dust but she even looks prettier filthy. Plus, none of the guys smell this good. The first piece of furniture is in the new Penthouse fort we are building. The Red Bronco has come in, and does the the rounds, below us. We can see the main gate from here, that’s big. We know we are alone when the guard exits that main gate. Not sure when he comes back, but, he is gone now…we are alone.
Jane’s looking pretty good to me right now …up here, not wanted or being chased. She’s is an angle. She glows in this dim room. Sun beams direct themselves on her glittering blonde hair. Her blue eyes are silver. A strong attraction takes over. I release a Tarzan like yell projecting over her towards Tarzan Lake. It is powerful enough for the birds in the forest below to take flight…
I lead her down from this maze of a building. We run across a dirt road holding hands. So Romantic, we our overdressed for this party.
Then, we cross over the lake. on a tiny foot bridge. I have a row boat stashed with a couple of paddles, just above the pond edge in thick bushes. Aah, the perfect way to end this afternoon. We float around listening to a transistor radio playing 93 KHJ…Boss Top Thirty hits.
The Real, Don Steele. Charlie Tuna, Humble Harve and Robert W. Morgan spin classic vinyl on a classic lake. The prettiest girl I know framed by this exterior,
Jethro Tull’s hit song Bungle in the Jungle evokes a journey to the jungle. The lyrics take you across the green pond. You traverse under two bridges. Meanwhile, the sun slowly begins to sink into a blaze of orange blinding light.
This area is secluded and a guard would probably have to leave the vehicle to see us…that rarely happens. We even doze off as we sit low in the boat. Hazy sun reflects through the trees and off the water. The lake is the sky as clouds in the sky duplicate their image on the water, as do our faces. The lake is a giant mirror of its environment. A pair of ducks mingle around us, as does a bull frog. This lake is loaded with crawfish, minnows, and carp but more so than anything else- history!
This is like dream, this legendary place is my new backyard. And, I have a new friend to explore it with. We dock and step off into the jungle that is magical and gigantic. I step on a twig, as it snaps, a thousand birds took off like a Hitchcock movie.
That can work for us. I remind myself of this. If the birds suddenly take off, it’s a signal someone bad may be coming.
The only problem the lake has for us is that it is located in the middle of the lot. This means you have a long run from here to the fence if things go bad. Better off hiding, most likely. I am always thinking ways to keep ahead of my pursuers. Small stuff adds up. I’ll take any advantage I can.
We end our day hungry like typical teenagers, so climb out over an old green wood fence. Maureen is probably the dirtiest kid in town right now. Using lake water to clean up smeared dust and created mud. She looks like a native in war paint. and now she smells like an aquarium. There is just something magnetic about her…
We picked a spot not barbed to exit. Maureen has already earned an advanced climbing badge. I grade kids on my own set of expectations like an Iowa Test at school. swears she will someday pole vault this sharp obstacle.For now…she’s one pretty -pole dancer.
Donnie thinks he so tough…Guys are the biggest chickens! That fence is nothing…
She runs over to her apartment. “Wait till she looks in the mirror. Good-by Jane,” I salute. She looks like she exited a Hollywood Movie.
I thought to myself as I was going to bed…”Girls aren’t so bad after all!”
Maureen and nephew Chad… notice MGM in background…German village and China St.
Leon, you asked for more Maureen, who doesn’t. Try this on for size.
A typical day in the life in our private Disneyland…
Written and lived by Donnie Norden and Maureen Miller…
This story is in my Book Two-“The Uninvited Visitor”
A very special moment on the set of ...King Kong
All activity on the lot indicates to me Kong is close to ready. However, sneaking in Lot 1 is dangerous. The MGM guards all know me. They know I don’t belong on this set or lot…Period!
However, I need to see where we’re at, like some producer kid. It’s time to pay Little Italy a visit. But first, I’m getting a couple of donuts, one orange iced, the other, a Kong cream pie. It’s a specialty donut, in honor of the Great Ape, being dressed just across the street. This donut shop, as is this city itself, is all things Kong.
It’s across this street I’m headed next. I have my little bag of delights. I need to climb a fence. A billboard of Logan’s Run proudly displays itself there. Poor Farrah. She is getting shoe marks all over her face. Her skimpy outfit is marked too on her section of this advertisement board. It’s the only spot I can get over at… sorry Farrah!
First, I hold my breath and close my eyes. Then, I toss this tiny donut package over the sign. I hope it floats softly like a balloon, limiting damage.
23rd Century -Get in spot for MGM Lot 1
I’m next. After grabbing one hand hold, my tennis shoes slip and slide. They glide like a cartoon on this extra-large movie poster. My right hand barely clasps the top of the fence. My momentum buys me the extra inches to pull myself up to the top. Then I go over, reuniting with my tiny bag of donuts. I may have just landed in the 23rd Century.
Kong is getting the star treatment and looks like an actor getting finishing touches before hitting the set.
The fabricated tree area has been switched to a rubber hose forest. Miles of hoses or tubes have been cut. They fit inside this massive, formidable 40 ft object. It has been hibernating here for months. He would be just a rubber doll without these arteries for oil to activate all his digits and facial expressions.
Activity is taking place around me at a mesmerizing pace…I find myself in between pit covers, artificial trees, and pallets of rubber hoses towering above me. I appear like Johnny Quest, with donuts!
That’s a fancy car kicking up all that dust…
A long black Mercedes-Benz wheels onto the set. It sends up a cloud of dust as it suddenly stops. I realize the attention all shifts to a dapper man, dressed in attire fit for a producer. I lick orange frosting off my fingers. I stand behind some artificial trees to get a better view of this person of interest. This is him, I think to myself, it’s Dino…
Everybody stares at the car, waiting for the great man, the producer, to emerge. Even King Kong stares, impassive, his giant ape face frozen 40 feet above the car. After a couple of seconds, the producer, Dino De Laurentiis, bounces out of the car. There is no doubt that he does this for dramatic effect. He flounces with energy. He pays absolutely no attention to the rest of us on the set – about 50 people. Looking up, he locks eyes with King Kong. He is here to see the giant monkey. De Laurentiis doesn’t even glance at the maybe three dozen special effects people who are swarming over Kong. Several of them take up positions at big instrument consoles. Each console has a series of levers that control hydraulic valves within Kong.
Slowly, gradually, I hear the hum of electricity. Then the whoosh of valves. Kong is coming to life… Maybe. Dino De Laurentiis has come to see the beast move. And it better move and move well. The Hollywood Press has been hinting at problems with the giant hairy star of the movie. Rumors suggest that the whole movie is at risk. And that is no small risk. It’s 1976. The $30 million budget for King Kong makes it the most expensive film in history at this point. Many people in Los Angeles think De Laurentiis’ remake of the 1933 classic starring Fay Wray is a folly. They believe this because the original is such an iconic movie. Additionally, they think no movie should cost $30 million and depend so much on unproven, untried special effects.
Giant jungle robots, indeed. Many movie insiders in ultra-competitive Hollywood are happy. They take not-so-secret delight at the prospect of seeing De Laurentiis fall flat on his face. He is the flamboyant Italian interloper. De Laurentiis is moving to the United States. He had a career in Italy. His work focused on spaghetti Westerns and niche films like Barbarella. He also worked on derivative, knockoff spy and gangster movies. Some people think De Laurentiis is too big for his riding britches. Remaking King Kong could be his Icarus moment. It is the moment when he flies too close to the Hollywood sun.
De Laurentiis is looking less than cocky at this moment. He looks worried, his eyes never straying from Kong’s as he stands a few feet from his car, waiting. I’m enthralled, this is a very big moment in this film. He doesn’t speak. He doesn’t need to. Men scramble, levers are pulled, hums and wheezes and whooshes get louder. Is the big ape going to come alive for the big cheese?
Dino De Laurentiis…
Kong’s ears wiggle. There is a murmur on the set, but nobody shouts or cheers. Nobody says anything. Everyone is concentrating so much on the big robot that I can step out of my hiding place. I just turned 16. I am not supposed to be anywhere on this studio lot. I definitely should not be here on the tightly closed, high-security set of the biggest movie ever. This is happening during a critical special effects test. I am about half a football field away from De Laurentiis. I am next to the jungle scenery that has been my hiding place.
Kong blinks, slowly. This is promising. But the robot needs the capability to make much more complicated movements with its arms and legs. He must look real – and huge, and menacing – on the screen. If Kong moves like a robot, the movie will be not only a flop, but a laughingstock.
Slowly, Kong’s left arm rises, a little. He blinks again. His head turns left. His head turns right. His partially raised left hand is in a fist. Slowly, the ape’s massive fingers, the size of a real Gorilla’s legs, start to unfurl. I sneak a quick glance over at the Mercedes, and De Laurentiis is starting to smile.
Kong raises his left hand higher, so his hand is chest high, palm toward his chest. I suppose if you know how a 40-foot gorilla would move, the robot’s movements look pretty natural. Kong extends all four fingers and his thumb, so his palm is facing his chest. Amid more wheezes and whooshes and buzzes, slowly Kong folds his thumb in. Then his pointer finger, ring finger, and little finger. His middle finger remains extended.
King Kong is giving Dino De Laurentiis the bird.
Re-creation – photo.
The set erupts in cheers and shouts and laughter. I eat my cream filled Kong donut as Kong stares down, paralyzed. He passed his audition, barely… People clap, and so does De Laurentiis. With a cigar in his mouth, Dino flips the bird at his creation. He smiles as he exhales a plume of tobacco toward his leading man. This is the moment it’s become clear that the King Kong remake would become a mega-hit. This time it stars Jessica Lange in her first film role, along with Jeff Bridges. The film is released at the end of this year. I can feel it, all this hard work is culminated in this magical moment.
As fate would have it, after the exchange of gestures, everything is green-lighted to move to the backlot. The largest scenes yet remain to be filmed. Kong stands proudly with his finger extended over the Italy assembly area, I see everyone laughing and celebrating by smoking. The only one not smoking is me and Kong.
As the thrill of victory wears off, Dino leaves in a cloud of dust, excited as Dr. Frankenstein when his monster came to life before his eyes.
Kong stays in the same position, not contorting even for a moment to wave farewell. It turns out, this demo was like test driving a used car. Our hero has a hydraulic leak in the miles of rubber hose inside. This leak has depleted our star of the life blood. It’s needed to pump his massive joints. He’s not broken, just leaking oil. like some old used car.
Don’t worry-I’m hiding behind stacks of rubber Kong hydraulic tubing sitting on a sea of pallets…
Kong will maintain this posture until the leaking section is identified. It needs to be replaced. I’m not sure if Dino caught wind that Kong’s hand is stuck after he left the test range…
As we say in Little Italy…cambio olio -sprigati, sprigati, –Ti stiamo aspettando!
Welcome to Hollywood fellas, Winchell’s donuts is across the street, you still got a lot of work to do…
I better get out of here, Little Italy needs to cut up more rubber hose, Pronto!
The sign above this secured entrance says- Visitor Entrance-Sing Sing Prison, Ossining, New York
Something is not level here…
Director Robert Wise scouting his rigged set. A British Flag and a oil burning light fixture sit below a rooftop of Studio Lighting equipment.
The Real Sing Sing Prison in New York.
A typical cell block.In 1891, with the advent of ‘The Electric Chair,” Sing Sing became notorious for executions continuing into 1963. The death chair nicknamed “Old Sparky” outlasted the New York Prison. It was moved where it now “pulsates” at Kentucky State Penitentiary in Eddyville, Kentucky.
Those not faced with execution “relaxed” this way.
A photo of a prisoners last moments at Sing Sing. This is an ancient version of Death by Electrocution.The water bucket above this soon to be executed prisoner is used to provide conductivity of electric current. This increases the chances of execution in a timely manner. A drain for the water lies below the chair. In 1976, J. Edgar Hoover was filmed on the MGM Backlot. One scene on New York Street had a notorious gangster “Lepke” surrender to Mr. Hoover on conditions he would receive a light sentence. After Lepke is lead away in handcuffs. J. Edgar– played by Broderick Crawford, says , with a smirk,”His ass is going to burn in Sing Sing!”…Really cool moment on Brownstone Street, Lot 2.
ATTENTION–DO NOT SIT… This is a more modern and successful version. The last thing you want to see in an execution is the culprit survive. That’s usually reserved for…The Twilight Zone.
My toy Tommy Gun fired sparks, it seemed so real, especially running around the Desilu Backlot-“Fighting Crime” This was when toys were designed for “young men with no fear”
This laundry facility just went out of business, J.B French, established in 1945. The studios patronized this establishment for costume cleaning. This blacktop area is where the police parked and turned their searchlights on Sing Sing Prison..The street out front is Jefferson Blvd. You may remember Barney and his sidecar motorcycle episode writing tickets on “ speeders.” That took place out front on this street.
On a typical Saturday afternoon…
We Begin: The Untouchables is one of my favorite T.V series. It reruns on Saturday evenings at 5 P.M. My friend Jimmy and I spend Saturdays watching Johnny Quest in the morning. We watch Combat in the afternoon. This follows a dose of Soul Train, hosted by Don Cornelius. Nothing like a “little funk” before an all-out war. Afterward, we usually head over to MGM Lot 2. We retrace the bootsteps of the battle we just watched on T.V. Many of these sets still have bullet holes in their exteriors. Shells remain inside below the windows where the fighting occurred.
If we time everything correctly, security won’t be an issue. It won’t tie us up. We return to my house for The Untouchables.Walter Winchell narrates as the background music plays. It means we’re home on time for an hour of rip roaring Tommy Guns and car crashes. Absolutely wonderful television. This series is Desilu’s version of Combat. Matching it shell casing for shell casing.
As Walter describes today’s episode, we are stunned to see a set used that we love and play at often. We have never seen it used on T.V, but here it is. Elliot Ness is standing at this front gate with the Sing Sing Prison sign above him. The iron prison bars were actually wood-painted black and several lay on the ground. We just played street hockey in this same Prison corridor entrance. Using prison bars and a rubber ball. You never know what will motivate you on this old backlot. Imagination and backlots go together like Peanut Butter and Jelly.
Most of the episode that followed was anticlimactic. However, the images we saw inspired us. We took an early evening bike ride to Desilu. We wanted to follow up on what we just saw on television- frame by frame, step by step. This is how we live, amongst decaying sets and villages from ancient times. This set is hard to find on television and we feel blessed. What fascinates us the most is the administration behind the cell blocks. It is now slanting like The Leaning Tower of Pisa. The building is structurally sound, it’s the land that shifted a bit. We go up here at night. During daylight, people on Jefferson Blvd can see you. It is located just across the La Ballona Creek.
We arrive at dusk. We drag our bikes up a cement embankment. We leave them at the crest of the slope. This way, we can explore. We walk through a barren area of fox tail stickers and licorice plants. Those fox tails are murder when your socks rub against them. I’ve tossed a few pairs away on this backlot rather than “desticker.”
This set is isolated and is the very last set on the backlot, the farthest from the main gate. All the roads are dirt. Some familiar, this is the area where Andy leads a goat full of dynamite as Barney plays harmonica. A boat, the size of a sailboat but much sturdier, sits decaying and a favorite meal of termites. We climbed in it before and I got a nasty splinter in my finger. This full scale 30 foot boat would sink if it was put in water. So here it sits for decades and ions. There is no working clocks here, and the church bells stopped ringing long ago. This lot doesn’t have a lake or pond to float this old relic, so it sits in dry dock. Shrubs hide this ships whereabouts. This section is so obscure you never see security this far back.
The moonless sky begins to fade to black, with the only lights coming from cars on Jefferson Blvd. We begin our climb to the top of the administration building. It’s easy. Stairways take us upwards. We no longer need to worry about being seen since it’s pitch dark now. We are directly across from J.B French, a laundry company often used by this studio. Established in 1945, the laundries front door opens up to this backlot. We’re neighbors in the Grand Scheme of things.
It’s fun just sitting up here, and the buzz of this Untouchable episode hasn’t worn off.
In fact, it becomes much more real. The police have shown up across the street, at the for-mentioned laundry, which is closed. They are on the opposite side of the creek. We have no concern. Then two powerful searchlights from their backed in police cruiser start crisscrossing our building, which is very exposed. Jimmy and I hit the floor…face to face we lay on decades worth of dust. This is like the opening credits in Batman. We expect to see a Bat Signal next in their bag of tricks. From the lot that housed the Caped Crusaders, we remain calm. This isn’t our first backlot rodeo.
The searchlights go back and forth. They are blinding when viewed directly. These lights scour the landscape below and above. They often focus directly on the building we are occupying. We are difficult to see laying flat, but not impossible from a well focused, directional beam of light. This is like some…Prison Movie, and “we’re the bad guys.”
We will have to wait this scenario to play out. We don’t think there’s any way they saw us- or are bikes below. The police continue to illuminate our security blanket of darkness. Light beams swing back and forth like a clock pendulum.. “This must be like what an air raid feels like” I whisper. Random lights criss crossing everywhere. We lay in wait. “If the search light catches us,” we plan ahead on a filthy dirt floor. “Let’s run to our bikes and take off down the creek.”
As we plan our escape from Sing Sing Prison, the lights turn off. Just them and us, straight across from one another, now in darkness. Finally they exit and that’s are cue to leave as well. In separate directions from the Black and White…
“Welcome” from some of the most friendly stars in Hollywood.
It’s a Wild World- applies here.You may remember the Eagle that would take paper money from visitors hands and bring it back to the handler. That’s how we pay these guys…
Things to note; Three car Pink and White Glamour Trams, an open air Universal Amphitheater. and Castle Dracula towers above the theme park.
Lassie made this show famous. “He” had his own T.V series at Universal.
I was wrapping out a show one late Friday night. I ran into three escaped dogs on New York Street. They were taking their own guided tour. Because of predator dangers, I wrangled them up, put them in my vehicle, and security reunited them to their handlers.
Before it was an actor stage, we had a zoo.It was located behind Courthouse Square.
This guy is the biggest star and has been know to escape into the studio. He has a mind of his own.
Every Which Waybut Loose… describes my animal tale.
Who’s the bigger Ham here?I say Erik!
I saw this scene filmed…This is Culver Blvd, my street corner. Erik and his Kawasaki are on back a trailer, attached to a camera truck.
Get me outta here…
“I love donuts” this was how my boss was confronted… face to face.
These actors never strike or complain…
In my career at Universal, I saw a lot of things. Early on, I worked as a tram driver. On this particular morning, drivers and guides were notified. An Orangutan was on the loose somewhere on the backlot. Apparently, it escaped its cage, located just behind the famous Universal City sign overlooking the San Fernando Valley. But the tram tour must go on, “Keep your eyes open,” was the orders issued. A manhunt was on, an all points bulletin that affects the entire studio.
A Dragnet was taking place, but no need to panic the public, act like it’s part of the tour. Animal trainers scoured the lot with tranquilizer guns, because this “most wanted” could kill you bare handedly. Not that he would. He’s a friendly beast. He works around the public all day performing at The Animal Actors Stage. When not guest starring in some movie or T.V show.
As if King Kong was loose, undercover operations vehicles scoured the backlot. The theme park had to be cleared first, because the paying public had to be provided a safe haven. That sequence took place before the park opened. He could be anywhere, on our 473 acre movie studio.
I was one of the first tours to embark that summer morning. I drop off guests at the I Love Lucy stage for a taste of Movie Magic. Videos of Robert Wagner welcome you. I take my empty tram back towards tram dispatch to grab another load of customers. As I drive behind our original Property Department, I notice it is full of ancient Chinese vases. Night Gallery Pictures from Rod Serling’s T.V series also fill the department. I see commotion on the hillside above. Branches snap and foliage disturbs in a jungle type setting. This setting connects the lower lot to tours. He is swinging vine to vine, like in a Tarzan Movie.
Our featured star was just playing in his own rain forest, having escaped from a barred, dank cell. Who can blame him really, I sadly called in his location and he was instantly apprehended without incident. He even performed at his 11 A.M showtime in the popular stage of unemployed movie animals. This show is their back up gig when not in front of the cameras.
The 90’s have arrived quickly. I am now an electrician. I am part of all production taking place on the lot. A de-ja-vue is taking place, I’ve seen this movie before. An orangutan is once again on the loose, this time it’s 5 A.M, as employees are arriving for work. A misty mountain fog permeates the parking area above the collapsing bridge animation. I was driving up to pick up my boss, Tony G. He arrives an hour after my call time. He parks on a steep hillside. It’s pitch dark, and the fog does not help. Shadows are what you see, not employees. Tony gets out of his truck and places donuts and coffee on the roof of his vehicle. Seeing a figure coming his way, he mistakes the shadow as another employee from our shop.
He locks his truck when he realizes, this is not an electrician, it’s an Orangutan. Like a Hitchcock thriller, he is face to face with something that could ruin his day. Tony quickly jumps back inside the cab of his truck. He leaves a dozen donuts and a cup of coffee on his roof. The Animal Actor approaches Tony through his car window. Tony is very frightened at this point. He has entered…The Jungle Book.
Call it Gorilla’s in the Mist if you will since we are Universal Studios. The lead actor has the lead boss in a quandary. The goodies on his rooftop entice our Orangutan star, who apparently likes donuts. Now the ape is feeding itself in the bed of Tony’s truck. The coffee gets poured out on the windows as Tony gets an up close and personal early morning star treatment. Our star, now with a sugar buzz, decides to go from car to car, looking for more pastry. Employees notify security who contact the animal handlers, who were once again on the hunt.
As they arrive with a tranquilizer gun in hand, the ape is snapping car antenna’s. Not in a mood for negotiating…”shots fired”
Our star is apprehended and life goes on as usual in this land of…Movie Magic!
My friend and former boss passed away today, April 26, 2025. Tony Grillo, a great man with many accomplishments. He helped me get the right job for me. He takes with him many great stories so I share this one with you guys on a sad day. R.I.P Tony, from all the guys who worked for you and with you….
Phantom of the Backlots 