Hollywood Is Burning
THE most famous back lot fire in Hollywood history was intentional. In 1938, David O. Selznick staged the burning of Atlanta in “Gone With the Wind” by torching the old “King Kong” Skull Island set on RKO’s back lot and then filming the spectacular results.
Another Kong, this one a 30-foot, animatronic gorilla featured in the Universal City tour, went up in flames this week, along with various sets, film prints, audio recording and videotape storage vaults, as Universal Studios suffered its latest conflagration. The tour quickly reopened and now offers a view of the fire damage as part of the tram ride.
Most of the back lot acreage built up during Hollywood’s classic studio era was long ago sold off for housing developments and commercial space (Century City lies on much of the old 20th Century Fox back lot), but Universal Studios has always held onto its 230-acre lot, once a chicken ranch, supplementing profits from moviegoers with tickets to tourists eager for a behind-the-scene glimpse of Hollywood.
Catastrophe has been too common from the start: in fact, Universal City’s elaborate grand opening in March 1915 was cut short by disaster — a stunt flier was killed when his plane crashed near the horrified crowd.
There have also been many studio fires in Hollywood’s 95 years, including about a half-dozen at Universal: made of wood, sets catch fire easily. From the earliest days, film producers prided themselves on having well-trained, vigilant fire departments. Bragging rights went to the lot with the biggest water tower.
Read entire article at JONATHAN KUNTZ in the NYT
Another Kong, this one a 30-foot, animatronic gorilla featured in the Universal City tour, went up in flames this week, along with various sets, film prints, audio recording and videotape storage vaults, as Universal Studios suffered its latest conflagration. The tour quickly reopened and now offers a view of the fire damage as part of the tram ride.
Most of the back lot acreage built up during Hollywood’s classic studio era was long ago sold off for housing developments and commercial space (Century City lies on much of the old 20th Century Fox back lot), but Universal Studios has always held onto its 230-acre lot, once a chicken ranch, supplementing profits from moviegoers with tickets to tourists eager for a behind-the-scene glimpse of Hollywood.
Catastrophe has been too common from the start: in fact, Universal City’s elaborate grand opening in March 1915 was cut short by disaster — a stunt flier was killed when his plane crashed near the horrified crowd.
There have also been many studio fires in Hollywood’s 95 years, including about a half-dozen at Universal: made of wood, sets catch fire easily. From the earliest days, film producers prided themselves on having well-trained, vigilant fire departments. Bragging rights went to the lot with the biggest water tower.