UNIVERSAL CITY

Hokitika Guardian, 10 July 1926, Page 4

UNIVERSAL CITY

IVOHED’S LARGEST STUDIO. (By T. J. Henry in a Sydney paper.) Universal City, the largest moving picture studio in the world, occupies an area of 620 acres—almost a square mile—some few miles from Hollywood. It was founded in 1910 by Mr Carl Laemmle, .who still remains at its head. It has a list of something over one hundred . players of more or less eminence among whom may lie mentioned Reginald Denny. Hoot Gibson, James Kirkwood, Mary Philbin and Laura La Plante. In addition mi ever-fluctuat-ing army of “extras'” is at call. Altogether, with electricians, camera men, developers, carpenters, mechanicians. costumiers and a considerable clerical staff, iherfe are about 1500 in average daily employment. Through tho courtesy of Mr Lammelo two friends and 1 were accorded permission to visit the vast establishment. We roamed at will, unhampered by the usual studio guide, who, as I found in a big Hollywood studio, hustles bis little flock through as quickly as possible, showing largely the non-essen-tials. and steering carefully away from any " lot ” on which pictures are being

“ shot.” Universal City is fronted by a high, fence, which completely obscures Llie manifold attractions within, but a hint of mystery and charm is given by an antique-appearing ruin, as of some historic castle, silhouetted against the sky, on a hilltop some short distance hack.* This is the famous replica of the front elevation of the venerable cathedral of Notre Dame, which was

constructed for the filming of Victor Hugo’s “ Hunchback.” Many who saw that great picture must have thought that they were watching the turbulent Paris mob making carnival or rioting in front of the venerable fane itself. But they really saw a huge, well-drilled crowd of America “movie extras” going through tlieir elaborately rehearsed manoeuvres before' a clever counterfeit, fabricated in Universal City from wood and canvas, gypsum, tin and paint.

A BEAL CITY. Our impression on passing through the main entrance was of a vast exhibition. Near the gate the grounds are plotted with beds of flowers, intersected with paths bordered with palms and ornamental trees, and set off by well-kept lawns. Nearby are the executive. editorial and publicity offices, and so forth. A broad, well-made road, about a mile in length, runs parallel with the outside street, and bisects the city. Along this frequently dashed large or small automobiles, the larger hearing troupes of players who had been engaged on some distant “lot” in tho spacious area, wherein the

“ great outdoors” type of pictures are being* produced, the smaller hearing often alone, highly placed and highly paid artists. slost were in the make up and costume required by tlieir parts, and their fantastic garments ancl colourful countenances would have done credit to some spectacular festival. Facing the upper portion of the main avenue are several large wooden buildings, cadi provided with immense doors. These are the studios wherein indoor pictures are made, ami the faint sound of music indicated that pictures were being “shot” within—for. as will be described in the second article, tiie artists in dramatic films feel that incidental. music assists tliem to act just as their future admirers in the theatres

feel that it enables them to appreciate the otherwise uncannily silent acting. Behind the big studios are arranged multifarious structures: places resembling in their interior department stores, wherein are kept on hand furniture of every period, costumes of every age, weapons from those of the ancient Romans down to those of the present time. There are, also workshops in which toil electricians, mechanicians, carpenters, film developers, and other allied vocations. There are rows of little dressing-rooms for tlie artists, the more distinguished having each their own, on the door of which their name's are inscribed. There is also a large cafeteria, wherein the visitor may see the picture people in their habits as they work, sitting down like ordinary mortals to partake of the light refreshment permitted by tho Volstead Act. A MAKE-BELIEVE CITY.

What at once took oftr attention is a complex of structures, which simulates a section of the poorer quarter of a great city. There are many . buildings, apparently of solid brick, two or three stories in height, with proper windows, and aligned to a, regularlypaved street. But all is false and hollow—mere meretricious front. Vet so closely does their material resemble brick that I could not believe they were of wood until I had definitely examined them. The ground floors are arranged as regular shops. There are glass windows both ill the upper stories and shop front. Indeed, several of ulie imitation emporiums had real goods oil show. In one were skirts, collars anil hats., in a somewhat bedraggled condition, as no doubt they had served their purpose. A drug store was well and neatly stocked av ith proprietary infants 1 foods—so far as the labels on the card-board boxes • could be trusted—and with various sundries. A public house—a. strange sight in a. prohibition land—had tin alluring array of bottles of whisky, gin, ale and rum bottles of ■well-known, brands, on view. A newspaper stall had piles of ancient Saturday Evening Posts and other periodicals, .with elaborately illustrated covers, which would photograph well, while a fruit hawker s truck was heaped with luscious bananas, oranges, apples, and other products of the orchards. But wc found them to lie composed of some wiix-likc composition. dexterously painted. Over the doors oi these “ fake ” establish incuts the names of pseudo proprietors were displayed as “John Robinson, Grocer,” “Williams Brothers, Hatters,” while legends such ns “Tho Fashion Shop, Clothing,” “Fancy Goods.” “Drugs,” “New Laid Eggs,” and others, were on windows or over doors, in the making of pictures—especially of the comic variety, these “ property streets,” when viewed on the screen, would ha absolutely indistinguishable from the real. The lengtn of the main thoroughfare, and the fact that it is crossed at right angles by another, which extends many yards in each direction, gives ample space for those wild chases round corners which delight the juvenile sepetators iii movie houses.

THE GREAT OUTDOORS. We travelled the greated part of the interminable main avenue in a motor vehicle, and then walked leisurely hack, making detours to examine anything ol particular interest. The avenue in its lower half curves inward, and runs through a wide area devoted to the making of large spectacular pictures, which require huge buildings and large masses of people'. Here, also, are sections of towns. One is .a row of large residences, such as in the Bloomsbury district of London or portions ot New York. There are the old-fashioned

“ areas,” with iron railings and steps leading down to basements, the wide steps leading up to the front door, and wide, old-fashioned windows. A doorplate blazoned “Dr Brown.” Thera are church fronts and public monuments, which-' so simulate granite or brown stone, that close examination is necessary to detect the imposition, and there is u. superb and imposing model of the famous Opera House in Paris, constructed for “The Phantom of the Opera.” Wc wandered through Algerian or Egyptian villages, with narrow, irregular alleys, bordered by low, white, flat-roofed dwellings, bordered by a wall, and entered by high wooden gates. In imagination we could see camels stalking along, while whiteprobed Arabs or Moors moved about, and British tourists, with kodaks and guide-books, stood and gazed. In those fictitious desert towns, no doubt,

"Sheiks,” smiling'and clean, alluring, on' the silver sheet, filthy, grim, and repellant in reality, made love to beautiful white women for the delectation of silly spectators of the. gentler sox. In another place are traces of a big

“ circus ”, film having been recently made—a sawdust ring, dilapidated waggons, be-dizened with gilded ornamentation. and hoops still partially covered with white tissue paper. Bows of substantial seats, which would serve for a. real circus “ on the road,” also are in good preservation. That immortal hook “ Uncle Tom’s Cabin” is being filmed on a. stupendous scale. For it has been built

“ sets,” a magnificent mansion for tho St. Clair family. It is no flimsy fake, but a really stately manor, with the tall white pillars supporting the'lofty porch, the broad piazza and wide verandahs, great windows with green shutters, which were distinguishing features of the old Southern homes of the aristocratic planters. This place is complete all round, and looks as if it could he occupied at once. I was told that it cost 40,000 dollars. A special caretaker is in Charge, and lie does bis duty well, as oven for promised largesse lie refused to. allow a photograph to he taken. Nearby are the cabins in which the slaves lived—• roughly hut strongly built of logs. There is also a section of a Mississippi steamboat, laden with bales of real cotton ; wc know it to he real, for in places tiie, bales have given way, and tho genuine staple bulges out.

THE ZOO. Space allows only a word on the Zoological Gardens. There are examples of all the chief animals likely to lie needed in sensational “ Nature study” pictures—lions, leopards, bears, monkeys and a huge chimpanzee. We counted seven lions, and in a central cage, in lonely majesty, I recognised by his.heavy build and huge mane that wonderful king of beasts, so well known in. comic pictures as he chases terrified policemen along passages and through windq\vs v _ j^__i ,_