Hollywood Studio Magazine (November 1972)

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THE GREAT NOSTALGIA-EATER HAS BEEN GOBBLING AGAIN Continued shooting on the new company’s first film in 1924, “Ben Hur.” When, after sixteen months in Rome, the Company started to make the chariot races in an arena to double as the Circus Maximus, problems were staggering. The high, steep walls of the arena afforded only two hours of good sunlight for action that required mobs of 5000. So the unit returned to Culver City and finished the film on a set constructed at Venice and La Cienega boulevards. As many as 22 cameras could be used there. So, with profits from “Ben Hur,” “The Big Parade” and “The Merry Widow,” MGM bought the Lot 2 acreage in 1927. The first picture to shoot there was “Quality Street,” starring Marion Davies. That little English Street of the Napoleonic era later expanded into some of the European (mostly French) villages that were blown to bits during five seasons of shooting the “Combat” TV series in the Sixties. On the east side of Lot 2 where “They Only Kill Their Masters” shot on hallowed Hardy Family ground, was the pier, gangplanks and section of a steamer where every MGM star at one time or another embarked or disembarked. Not far from there was the Stretch of railroad track and the various stations that could be made to represent any nation in the world. Most memorable was the Russian depot where Greta Garbo feil to her death beneath rolling wheels for “Anna Karenina” in 1935. Every time a heroine like Joan Crawford, Lana Turner, Cyd Charise, Luise Rainer, Leslie Caron, Janet Leigh, Ann Blythe, Ava Gardner, Pier Angeli or Grace Kelly left her home town to make a splash in the big city. she got on the train here. Incidentally, on the opposite side of Lot 2 was famous New York Street and each of those departing heroines next were seen moving along that big city Street looking for theatrical agents, business Offices or a place to rent a room. New York Street was one of MGM’s oldest sets. It was not built for any specific movie in 1935 but as an attractive Iure to induce producers and directors to film scenes there rather than take casts and crews to Manhattan. It was first used for “Wife vs. Secretary,” starring Clark Gable, Myrna Loy and Jean Harlow. It was revamped for Margaret O’Brien’s first movie, “Journey For Margaret,” (1942), then “Lost Angel” (’43), “Music For Millions” (’44), and “Big City” (’46). Part of these streets were called Fifth Avenue and served as the theatrical center for “Broadway Melody,” Fifth Avenue in “Easter Parade,” Chicago for “In the Good Old Summer Time” (’49), Los Angeles in “The Yellow Cab Man” (’50) and Hollywood for “Singing In the Rain.” Street cars often moved down tracks; Fred Astaire and Vera-Ellen danced on top of a trolly for “Belle of New York” in 1957. Almost as famous as the Hardy Street and “Fifth Avenue” was Small Town Square, first built in 1936 to represent a hamlet in Idaho for “Fury.” Even though much of it was burned for that drama, it was redone in 1943 as Ithica, California, for “The Human Comedy.” Later it was altered dozens of times to suffice for any film needing a typically American background. Even before the devastating machines invaded Lot 2, the famous outdoor swimming pool where Esther Williams used to plunge attractively was gone. It had first been employed for that swimming scene in “The Philadelphia Story” that included Katharine Hepburn and James Stewart. Before Miss Hepburn would emerge in a one-piece bathing suit for the cameras, the whole pool area was surrounded by “flats.” Only Stewart, Director George Cukor and the camera crew were permitted to see the star so undressed. A stroll around the sets would reveal the headquarters for those men from “U.N.C.L.E.,” Garbo’s cottage in “Camille,” the bridge from which Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy fed swans while singing “Maytime,” Turn to Page 26 wiTh UoiItecI Rent'AU “You supply the people and we’ll supply the: BANQUET TABLES • GLASSES, ALL TYPES FOLDING CHAIRS • SERVING TRAYS CARD TABLES • SILVER SERVICE DISHES AND SILVERWARE • CHAMPAGNE FOUNTAINS PUNCH BOWLS AND CUPS • CHAFING DISHES COFFEE MAKERS • PORTABLE BARS 3gK|j]gi RENTALS - SALES 18251 Ventura Blvd., Tarzana, 345-4102 9044 Corbin Ave. 5268 Laurel Canyon Northridge 886-7911 North Hollywood 980-8900 24