Motion Picture News (Oct 1914-Jan 1915)

December 26, 1914. MOTION PICTURE NEWS 27 CREATING A CITY FOR MAKING MOTION PICTURES Universal City, Near Los Angeles, is a Community Devoted Exclusively to the Manufacture of Films — Its Establishment Important Because it Signifies the Security and Permanency of the Entire Industry — How William Horsley Created an Inhabitable Town Out of an Old Farm on a Rush Order UNIVERSAL CITY, situated near Los Angeles, Cal., represents one of the most important moves yet made in the motion picture industry in this country. Not only does this remarkable plant represent great progressiveness on the part of its promoters, but it also is significant of the feeling of security and permanency which is felt throughout the film industry as the result of modern metliods. Briefly stated, Universay City is a complete manufacturing plant for the production of motion picture films, but this means so many things that it is wholly inadequate as a description. The idea of Universal City was originally conceived by Isadore Bernstein, general manager of the Pacific Coast Studios of the Universal Film Company. Mr. Bernstein has long realized that the days of haphazard arrangements for the making of motion pictures were past, and that films could be best produced in a place specially arranged to meet the requirements of every branch of their manufacture. Such an establishment was in part provided on the ranch which the company occupied up to May of this year, but the equipment on this place was bound to be somewhat unsatisfactory, owing to the fact that it was only under lease, and equipment of a permanent nature could not well be provided. The lease on the old ranch expired about the middle of the year, but thanks to some very fast work on the part of William Horsley, the man who had charge of all the construction, everything was ready when the time for moving came. Ground Suited to Purpose The property on which the new plant has been established is one which is particularly suitable for the purpose. It is a few miles from Los Angeles on the electric line from that city. Most of the land lies on the south bank of the Los Angeles River. The shape is irregular, with a length of about three times the width. There is a great diversity of scenery. Many varieties of water views can be obtained along the banks of the stream, and a small dam located near the mouth of a creek makes it possible to have a little lake when needed. Scenes supposed to be in desert or arid country can be easily found, as can those representing prosperous farm and ranch regions. A range of saw tooth hills, which are the lower portions of the Santa Monica Mountains, provide excellent backgrounds for Western mountain scenery. At a number of points best suited for this purpose operating grounds have been laid out. On this various types of outdoor scenes can be erected, especially those representing small villages, farms or city streets. Altogether it is possible to find almost every variety short of marine views on the ranch itself, and these can easily be obtained by a short trip to one of the nearby beaches. For a plot of its size the site of Universal City presents a surprising variety of country. Its area is approximately two hundred and thirty acres. In general the soil is very sandy. In fact Mr. Horsley found it necessary to spend two weeks building roads before he could do any actual construction work. The operating grounds were also covered, the material in their case being a heavy clay which is found on the higher portions of the property. Horsley in Charge When the Universal Company took possession of the ranch on about the first of May of this year it was entirely unimproved. Near the highway which passes the west end there were two or three small barns. There were also several large fields of barley. The rest of the farm was practically in its original condition. Mr. Horsley was put in charge and told to make the dirt fly, a request which was quite to be expected, as it was then only six weeks until the company's lease would expire and it would be necessary to move. As mentioned above, Mr. Horsley had to spend the first two weeks working on roads. This left him just about a flat month in which to construct an entire motion picture plant. On account of the shortness of the time it had already been decided to build the first structures of wood and after their com pletion to start work on the tile and concrete buildings which are the only sort that will be allowed when the whole city is completed. Following this scheme the ranch was laid out in two sections, and a road called Laerrimle Boulevard, after the president of the Universal Company, was built to connect the two parts. It was at the back of the ranch, that is the part farthest from the highway — was chosen for the temporary buildings. A general view of this colony is shown in the accompanying birdseye, which was taken from the summit of a nearby hill. In the left foreground is seen the outdoor stage. This is two hundred feet in length, and is flanked by a double row of dressing rooms. It has a wooden floor and overhead is the standard equipment of screens and other devices for obtaining the right lighting effects. This stage and all of the buildings in the group were built and equipped in about four weeks, and were ready for use when the day for moving from the old quarters arrived. Commodious Quarters The settlement includes stables, saddle and harness shops, and other buildings connected with the care and management of the place. Besides these are the animal pens and cages in which the various wild beasts are kept, as well as the arena depicted herewith in which animal scenes are staged. A few of the structures are temporary, notably the sleeping quarters and general living places for the cowboys and cavalrymen, a separate house being provided for each group. Each of these is equipped with a clubroom, and other arrangements for the convenience of the men. So far, the real architectural features of Universal City are to be seen at the front of the ranch. Here along the highway a really remarkable group of buildings has been erected. These are built in the best mission style of architecture. They are constructed entirely of concrete and hollow tile, and they house the most modern sort of equipment for finishing MAIN EKTEANCE, TTNIVEESAL CITY GENERAL VIEW OF TJNIVEESAL CITY EESTAtTEANT AT THE ENTEANCE