Universal Studios
I have a folder full of scans from Universal Studios (California), and decided to share scans from two different batches, both undated but from "sometime in the '60s".
One of the fun things about the famous tram tour is that you will pass scenes like this one, a whole fleet of antique autos, just parked and waiting until they are needed for some background action. Presumably the studio had an army of mechanics who could keep these cars looking new and running fine.
This street set could be in "Old New York", except that the building at the end of the street has some Albanian text. Clearly related to a previous post!
I don't recall the "Flower Drum Cafe", but it was obviously on the upper lot; guests could get snacks, as long as they wanted to eat flowers or drums. "No sir, we don't have hamburgers, please go next door to the Flower Hamburger Cafe".
After eating a delicious drum, this woman (I like her hat) was full of energy and happy to pose at that "seaside wharf". The tower from "The War Lord" is in the background, that movie is only remembered because the tower stood at Universal for so many years.
Universal Studios was no just a tourist attraction, it was (and is) a working studio. Across "Singapore Lake" we see crews setting up lights and doing whatever those guys do. There was probably a lot of chatter on walkie-talkies. "Sleepover at my house tonight!".
Singapore Lake might have been the name of this area, but that little town appears to be in... Central America? Just a wild guess. Of course studio sets are made to be constantly redressed. The "Jaws" attraction would be built here in 1976.
I can only assume that this is part of the rather extensive New York area of the backlot, which has burned to the ground several times. There are sections that include "West Village Street", "Wall Street", "Modern N.Y. Street", "Central Park", and more. I admit it looks a bit "small town-y" in this photo, but once it was dressed and full of cars and extras, it might have felt a lot more authentically "New York".
Universal has a western street known as "Denver Street", but this looks a bit grander than that (I think). Maybe this is the former "Laramie Street". In fact, I literally just did a bit of research, and a TV show called "Laredo" (starring Neville Brand) was shot here in 1965 - hence the name on that building. Notice the Glamour Tram in the distance.
This charming lady poses with Woody Woodpecker, one of the more annoying cartoon characters out there. My theory is that he was supposed to be "a Bugs Bunny type", but Walter Lantz and his crew made him too brash and aggressive. He had a catchy theme song, though, and really, isn't that all that matters? Considering that this was intended to be a "picture spot" for visitors, it's odd that they would put the sign for rest rooms right there.
I have more Universal Studios for you, never you fret!
24 comments:
Major-
Isn't that second shot more like 'olde Europe'-? Either way, I'm voting for its being a stand-in for the country of Franistan-! That "extensive New York area of the backlot..." was used very often in Adam 12 episodes - and it didn't really resemble any particular locale - merely minimally-dressed facades that 'screamed' the Universal backlot.
Mark me down for another thumbs-down vote for Woody Woodpecker. (Sorry, Walter - that's just the way it goes sometimes). I'm certain the juxtaposition of Woody and the rest room sign was mere coincidence.
Thanks, Major.
MAJOR : a home over post from yesterday ;
THE GREAT SCOUT AND CAT HOUSE THURSDAY - 1976
This is the other movie with one of the Lesslie Special Automobiles from the Great Race ... that gets destroyed by a steam train! The car is repainted a two tone red scheme.
and THE BALLAD OF CABLE HOAG uses one of the Great Race Lesslie specials in a green and cream color scheme.
So apparently there were actually 4 Lesslie Specials created for the film . Two gasoline manuals , a Gasoline automatic ( because tony Curtis was unable to drive stick ) and a electric motored version that could be used safely on indoor soundstages. While the Great Race film is a fantasy , it’s based on a real New York to Paris Race with the winner being the American 1908 Thomas Flyer - the inspiration for the car The Lesslie Special ( named in honor or Tony Curtis character , The Great Lesslie ) by the fictional Weber Motorcar Company .
I think those cars parked together are from Thoroughly modern Millie 1968. They look like the same cars from the opening number that you can see driving around endlessly and passing the camera several times to make it look like busy New York. A funny thing with Hollywood is that in the 50’s through the 70’s most movie studios shooting films taking place in the 1920’s and 1930’s mistakenly use cars that were repainted drab colors later in their life - usually black. In the 1920’s it was very popular to have black fenders and running boards but bright colors and multi color combinations for bodies and wheel spokes and the increasingly popular solid disc wheel. Even ford abandoned its all black color options by the early 1920’s ... incidentally the while Ford model T “available in any color as long as it was black” is kinda a myth - in 1914 they went to the all black - for standard options - the model T was always available in popular automobile colors of the day - for special order. In 1926 black was no longer standard for the model T because Ford could no longer compete with other manufacturers like Chevrolet and Buick.
Years ago on PM MAGAZINE tv show they featured a private collector who collected taxi cabs .... from all eras and began a business in renting them to movie studios who no longer kept large car collections. It was was really cool.
One time I was at a special event at Universal Studios ... they had us park on a lower lot - not far from the Western Streets... they sent buses to take us to where the press events was going on and the buses were of all different periods but brand new looking. We were loaded onto one of those 1959 “new look” GMC fishbowl city buses .... and inside were 1950’s 1960’s period advertising- it was neat Universal was using their film prop buses after hours.
In the old-time autos pic, I like that truck on the left, loaded up with those crates.
In the Albanian street pic, that sign on the building at the end of the street says something about Marx and Lenin. Probably not Groucho and John.
In the Warlord tower pic, what is that shiny strip below the pink lady? At first I thought it was just glossy paint glistening in the sun. But now I think it's metallic foil. Why would that be?
In the Singapore Lake film crew shot, the lighting guys on the right are all shirtless, working on their tans. To their left is a group of ladies standing around clutching their purses. They don't appear to be in-costume but, who knows.
In the next (future Jaws set) pic, the words painted on that wall look like "RESTOBATH DETI BAY"... anybody?
In the Laredo set pic, they must have just finished filming, or are about to. I can't think of any other reason for that western-type guy to be driving that buckboard with a pair of horsies. Unless he's just riding by for the tourists on the Glamour Tram?
About the Rest Rooms sign next to Woody, It's all part of the backstage magic!
As for Woody Woodpecker, meh. I watched his cartoons, way back when, but I liked all the other studios' toons better. Major, "annoying" describes him perfectly. Walter Lantz would probably say, "Of course he's annoying! He was meant to be!" And to that, I say, "Congratulations! I'm annoyed!" I liked the other Walter Lantz characters better. (Wally Walrus, etc.)
Mike, interesting stuff about The Great Race and old cars in general.
Sue, continuing the discussion from yesterday, I too like to dip regular potato chips in ketchup. It's like dipping fries in ketchup.
Thanks for more Universal Studios pics, Major.
Hooray - vintage Universal Studios! When it was more “studios” and less “theme park.”
The sign at the end of the European Street is indeed written in Albanian. According to Google Translate, “rrofte Marksismi & Leninismi” means “long live Marxism & Leninism.”
I think that’s a camera on a tripod at the extreme left of the first Singapore Lake photo. Definitely an interesting picture for sure.
I believe the buildings in the second Singapore Lake photo are also dressed to represent an Albanian port. Per Google Translate, “Restorant me deti” means “seafood restaurant” an Albanian. Not sure what the last word painted on the wall is, but it could be the fictional proprietor’s name.
Going to guess they didn’t shoot that direction at that angle down Laramie Street very often. The palm trees sort of wreck the effect, although I suppose they could erect a temporary flat to hide it. Those movie people can do anything.
Looks like they toned down the paint on the signs and moved Woody forward a couple of feet, but he was still near the restroom sign on my first visit in 1971.
Here’s a 1974 map that helps place many of the Upper Lot photos. The Woody Woodpecker photo was probably shot in front of the restrooms in the center of the map.
Always love a side trip to Universal. Thanks, Major!
Sorry - a couple of misspellings crept into my post. That should read “‘rrofte Marksizmi & Leninizmi’ means ‘long live Marxism & Leninism.’”
I’m going to guess the Albanian set dressing is left over from the 1967 episodes “Flight From Tirana” and “A Rage for Justice” of the 1965-68 TV series Run for Your Life. The two-part story arc takes place in Albania, the online synopsis describes a scene in a family restaurant, and the series was shot at Universal, so it seems to fit. Unfortunately, the episode does not appear to be currently available on any streaming platform, so I wasn’t able to check for sure.
The Glamour Tram in that "Laredo" shot, looks like it is sinking into quicksand. Of course, a "quicksand" effect was added to Universal's Wild West Stunt Show, in the 1970s. I remember the commercial on the radio did not explain specifically, where that effect had been added, so my brother and I thought it was an effect that would be experienced while riding on the tram. Wrong!
I love vintage Universal pics, Major. Thanks for sharing these. Looking forward to more!
I too dislike the annoying woodpecker. I thought it was just something wrong with me. 40 years of therapy for nothing!
I would have loved to see universal at this time. Now its been all theme parked out. Boring. Those things will never catch on!
"Hooray - vintage Universal Studios! When it was more “studios” and less “theme park.”"
Chuck, my sentiments exactly.
Excerpt of lyrics from the Woody Woodpecker song.
"And it's nothing to him, on the tiniest whim
To peck a few holes in your head"
That's Woody alright. Irritating to the core.
Love these Universal Studios pics. Thanks, Major.
Very interesting photos of Universal. I hope the pretty lady and her photographer friend had a good day.
Wasn’t there a pond near that stone tower with a miniature naval battle and a rain effect off the awning? Is that behind our model?
Nanook, a lot of Adam-12 had that back lot feel, but we didn’t care!
One standout memory from our visit was the tram driving through the prop warehouse, like Grandma’s attic except miles long.
Chuck thanks for the research and links.
Thank you, Major. Looking forward to more.
JG
Nanook, I admit that I was often hard-pressed to tell if a city block like that was supposed to be Europe of NY, but the storefront that says “Armstrong Wine Spirits” makes me think it’s supposed to be a US city. My brother has been watching “Adam 12” a lot, and he mostly says it’s because he likes seeing old LA in the background, but I’m sure they did plenty of backlot shooting too. Funny about how Woody Woodpecker was not beloved by many. Daffy Duck (in the early years) was brash, but he was FUNNY.
Mike Cozart, come on Tony Curtis, a manual transmission isn’t THAT hard to learn. If I could do it when I was 16, he could. And it’s nice to just be able to do it. That Leslie Special is pretty fabulous, amazing that they were made just for the movie. Imagine how much something like that would cost today! Funny about the cars from “Thoroughly Modern Millie”, I always think it’s amusing when you pay attention to cars in the background of films and TV shows, and you might see the same dark green VW bug passing every couple of minutes. “I’m just looking for a darn parking place!”. I’ve certainly seen some beautiful, brightly-colored cars from the 1920s in car museums (such as the Nethercutt Museum in Sylmar), bright orange, bright yellow, etc. In the show “Boardwalk Empire”, Nucky Thompson drove a beautiful blue car of some sort. I love the idea of collecting old taxis! Smart. That special event that you participated in sounds fun, cool that they used the old buses instead of new ones that would have been much easier to come by.
JB, those crates were full of gold! I speak fluent Albanian, so I will tell you what that sign actually says, as soon as my soap operas are over. I do think that the shiny strip is just glossy paint on rough wood, but I could be mistaken. I did notice that group of ladies, and just assumed that they were background actors. Notice the guy to the left facing us, with the tie. Maybe he was the lead actor! No idea bout the Restobath, whatever that is. A spa? I would guess that the guy with the buckboard was in fact used for shooting, but where is the crew and equipment? Walter Lantz did make some good cartoons, but I feel like they were the exception rather than the rule. I always felt like his cartoons were “second tier” when compared to Warner Bros. cartoons.
Chuck, yes, as a person who is fluent in Albanian, I was going to say the same thing, but my soap operas only just ended! I’m so disappointed to not be able to dazzle you with my good language stuff (ha ha). Was there EVER actually graffiti that read “Long Live Marxism and Leninism”?? Sounds like a Hollywood thing. A friend of mine loves it when there is rated “G” graffiti in shows: “I love rap!” or some such nonsense. Yes, I assume that cameras would be lower than our photographer, so that the view of the San Fernando Valley didn’t show. I’ve always wished that Universal Studios had really good “fun maps” like Disneyland did, with lots of good detail. But oh well.
Chuck, I can never forgive you, as a person who is fluent in… OK I guess the joke is played out.
Chuck again, wow, how in the world did you figure that out? I don’t even remember a show called “Run For Your Life”, it sounds sort of like “The Fugitive”. “Listen, you are accused of a crime that you didn’t commit, but this time the murder was done by a THREE armed man!”. More TV shows should take place in Albania, that’s all I have to say about it.
TokyoMagic!, I always wondered how they did that “sinking in quicksand” effect. It always looked like they were sinking into water with a thick layer of ground cork on top. But they STILL would have to go under water. So maybe it was something else? What if they HAD allowed guests to sink into quicksand, only to never be seen again? I’m glad you didn’t do it, TM!
stu29573, Woody Woodpecker and Screwy Squirrel were both too annoying, my sympathies were always with the person who was being bothered! I still like Universal Studios, but you are right, it is a completely different experience today. I took my niece there a few years ago to see the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, it was fun to do with her.
K. Martinez, it’s fun to look at some of the vintage Viewmaster packets for Universal, they take me right back to those early days when it was (as you say) more “studios” and less “theme park”. Gee, those lyrics don’t endear one to Woody Woodpecker, do they? The little jerk. However, I did know kids in grade school who liked Woody the best. Ditto the Pink Panther. I was always flabbergasted!
JG, yes, there was a pond with those naval battles… torpedoes blasting battleships, and so on. And yes, the rain effect would come off of what I think was a corrugated metal roof. I don’t remember the prop warehouse from Universal, but about 10 years ago we did the Warner Studio tour ($$$!), you go through one of their prop warehouses, they point out things like crystal chandeliers that are worth tens of thousands of dollars.
After Disney lost Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, the character ended up with Universal. Universal hired Walter Lantz, who kept Oswald running into the 30s, eventually redesigning him as a cute Disneyesque bunny. Lantz didn't like working with a character he didn't create, and pushed some other characters -- most notably Andy Panda -- before striking gold with Woody Woodpecker. He stopped producing Oswald cartoons, although Oswald survived in Lantz-licensed comic books, evolving into a well-meaning preteen rabbit.
There's obnoxious and there's obnoxious. I'll take an early, repulsive Woody Woodpecker or Screwy Squirrel over Baby Huey any day.
Much like the Disney gang, Woody was considerably softened in the postwar years (Andy Panda, meanwhile, grew from cub to a character very much like late-period Mickey Mouse). As a boomer kid I knew him mainly from his TV show, where he'd grapple with his movie projector (I identified as an 8mm buff). Walter Lantz appeared in live action bits, an affable low-rent Uncle Walt.
Like Disney, Lantz was an independent despite his long association with Universal (there was a very brief period where he released his toons through United Artists). I think it was after his studio closed down that Lantz finally sold the characters to Universal.
Lantz was one of the last classic producers to keep turning out theatrical cartoons, although production values dropped to TV level. He was reportedly known in the industry as a nice guy, which is something.
Chuck, thanks for doing your Chuck-thing. Unlike the Major, my Albanian is a little lacking (nonexistent), but I figured the sign must have had something to with Marx and Lenin, that's what it looked like.
The three Walters: Walt Disney, Walter Knott, and Walter Lantz. Two of them made cartoons. Two of the made theme parks. Two of them have cartoon characters named Woody. But only one of them created an annoying woodpecker.
Major, I did notice the guy wearing the tie, facing us. I couldn't figure out what the heck he was doing so I didn't mention him. I thought maybe he was taking a whiz, but the positioning isn't right. If that's what he was doing he would get all wet down the front.
(Occasionally, I like to add a little class to GDB.) ;-)
Major, I started with a search on “Universal TV shows 1960s” and refined my research from there. Spent a good bit of time diving down the It Takes a Thief rabbit hole before realizing that was a dead end. While the name Run for Your Life sounded familiar, I couldn’t have told you a thing about it before this morning.
It’s interesting you mention The Fugitive; the show was created by the same guy, who was looking for a similar “man on the move” premise for another show. The main character is a guy who has been diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia and has been given 9 to 24 months to live, so he is trying to pack 30 years of life into what little time he has left. He walks the Earth, having adventures like Kane in Kung Fu. He managed to survive 3 seasons during the final 9 to 24 months of his life.
Now that I’ve watched one of three or four episodes available on YouTube (this one guest starred John Drew Barrymore, Drew Barrymore’s dad, as the leader of a biker gang), I can tell you that, like many TV dramas of the period, it’s pretty slow-moving. I enjoyed it, but not enough to plunk down $54 for the 13-disk DVD collection of the entire series, even though it’s on sale. I only have so much time left and I want to make the most of it. I switched over to Return to the Planet of the Apes (also on YouTube).
One other interesting piece of trivia I dug up but forgot to mention this morning - one of the guest stars on the two Albania episodes was Mike Road, better known as the original voice of Race Bannon on Jonny Quest.
I love watching shows like Adam 12 , Canon, Barnaby Jones especially for all their Los Angeles area location shooting! They used Long Beach , And lots of San Diego beach communities too. I’ve never mentioned that Canon used the 1401 WED office building in two episodes .... ironically one time as a large perfume manufacturer’s headquarters : of course the WED office building was originally built for Studio Girl Cosmetics..... so somebody on the production team must have remembered it as such. What’s cool as both times the WED building is used
the fountains at the entry were still working ....
Major: I have a condition where I can’t stop from noticing background elements in movies and TV shows .... like background automobiles ... extras. I also sometimes cannot stop focusing laugh tracks on tv shows .... sometimes it’s annoying... and often sounds stupid.
Another note regarding old tv shows .... people probably didn’t notice when they watched a show once a week ... but when you see a whole series .... like Canon or Adam 12 a different episode every nite in sequence you notice how often sets are reused .... house, apartment , penthouse interiors .... high end office suites Etc..... enough to recognize furniture and artwork on the walls being used over and over!
I assume Paramount did MANNIX because they use the Brady Bunch house ALL THE TIME!!! The bedrooms , the kitchen .... the den ... the whole living room and stairs !! The Brady Bunch House is used sonetimes as a luxury apartment suite ... a stone wall planter was moved onto the terrace outside the dinning room to be a high rise apartment Terrace.... mr. Brady’s den has been used as offices and bedrooms ... and the kitchen was used as a wealthy drug smugglers house!! I assume paramount figured the audience watching the Brady Bunch wouldn’t recognize the sets double duty in MANNIX!!
Paramount had a section of a very modern down town street section used in the late 60’s into the mid 70’s .... and it’s often very authentic looking ... except the giveaway: the sidewalks are way too narrow. And that bothers me...... lol.
Had no idea that Mannix and the Brady's shared sets...I think Mannix was on wayyyyyy past my bedtime. It doesn't surprise me however. I remember watching some Fox movie and seeing the Von Trapp Family Mansion entry sans "goodbye, farewell...." I'm sure there were many many more recycles! The Old Animation building at 500 S. Buena Vista is numerous college campuses...usually attended by Annette. "Fillmore Jr. High" at Paramount I have seen in more TV series than I have fingers and toes. I think we can probably add Universal to the list of "they ruin everything". What happened to a glimpse into the glamour of Hollywood? Now we need rides? Rides are for Disneyland. The Universal Sheraton was always a favorite hotel of mine when it grew into a bit of disrepair about 15 years ago. I always got an inexpensive room there. Graduation from school was held in the Universal Ballroom. I remember that stone tower, and have vague memories of that Chinese restaurant...but I may be recalling another Chinese Restaurant when they built Victoria Station up there. There was a funicular that you boarded at the base of the hill. That Victoria Station was a "thing" back then...although it was kind of crappy chain food...when it opened I thought I was being very fancy. I think I thought that potato skins were "fancy". I think all of those things are gone- including the Amphitheater where I saw Barry Manilow for the "Copacabana" tour. I like Harry Potter, but I like Glamour Trams better. I like the psycho house too...and the burning mansion...and the Munsters House....and the Leave it to Beaver House...and Marcus Welbys House...I think ALL of those things are gone. Model in pink with pearls is fabulous. Very Edith Head. Very appropriate for Universal. Our tour guide on the tram also revealed that Edith Head designed their costumes too. That would be a good find for someone. Shirtless guys on set were normal in my day too. Cargo shorts and work boots. Screams of "grip". I don't think OSHA or HR allows for such things anymore. Tie guy and ladies with handbags look like actors. It's odd...there is a guy on a horse too...who knows what they were shooting?
It appears they are shooting the “Palmolive” for men commercial : remember the mean gunman in the western town who is mean because his wife makes him do the dishes and his hands are rough and dry? So someone has him soak his hands in gentle Palmolive ..... and then he is happy with his smooth soft hands ...and the sheriff in a sigh of relief yells “ call off the pose !!!” There’s a variation where the gunman - now with soft smooth hands yells “ drinks are in me !!! “ and everyone in the saloon cheers and piano music starts to play and goes back to their activities ...
Ok ..... I totally made that up.
Michael Landon had a clause with NBC that none of the Little House on the Prairie sets for the town and surrounding homes and farms could be used for ANY other production - not even commercials . That was one reason many of the town buildings we’re blown up in the last episide : Michael Landon did not want the sets being used for other shows and dog food commercials so there was a stipulation that ALL exterior sets must be destroyed. Only the Church/school was disassembled and put into storage along with the full Ingall’s farm house used for indoor soundstage filming for night and extreme weather scenes . The Ingalls farm House also remained but when the big Simi Valley fires came through a few years ago this structure burned away.
All the scripts , props , costumes the school/church , Ingall’s home were stored at Old Tucson Arizona in a sort of Little House museum ... also all were destroyed In fire with most of the Old Tucson studios .... today there is very little left from that show’s production ..
Enjoyed today's comments.
Mike, that show ending for LHOTP was awful.
Chuck, in your photo, I love how you and Woody both have your 'noses' up in the air. Adorable.
I enjoyed today's pictures, thank you, Major.
DBenson, thank you for the story of Oswald and Disney and Walter Lanz! I love animation history, there’s just something about it that’s so fascinating. I don’t think Lanz ever really knew what to do with Oswald, and I’m sure you’ve seen how the Lucky Rabbit changed into a weird all-white Easter-bunny type, instead of his wonderful black rubber-hose original design. I actually do like the very earliest Woody Woodpecker, or at least the way he looked. “Grotesque” is a good word for it! His voice was different too, I guess Walter’s wife Gracie wasn’t doing it yet. I’m not a fan of most Terry Toons, even as a kid I knew that there was something missing. How about the same darn music EVERY time there was a chase? I have heard that Walter Lanz was a nice man, and I don’t doubt it. Walt Disney could be a real SOB, as we know, but that doesn’t really diminish my admiration because he accomplished so much and inspired his artists to reach heights that they might not have, otherwise.
JB, we had a choice to study French, Spanish, or Albanian in high school, and of course I chose the one that I felt would be more likely to be used in a career situation. “But only one of them created an annoying woodpecker”, ha ha. I hope that guy isn’t taking a whiz, with those nice ladies so near, but I wouldn’t put it past an actor. They liked those liquid lunches!
Chuck, I am impressed by your detective skills, and hope that you don’t turn around and say, “Oh, just one more thing…”. Then I know I will be in trouble. Interesting that “Run For Your Life” just happened to created by the same person who created “The Fugitive”! Sounds like an OK premise, to be honest. I looked on YouTube as well! Sometimes you can find whole runs of shows, for a while I was watching “The Invaders”, but sort of fell off of those. Yeah, there aren’t too many shows I would be willing to pay $54 for. I used to have “LOST” and “Twin Peaks” complete runs on DVD, but those went to eBay heaven long ago. Whoa, “Return to the Planet of the Apes is on YouTube”?? Love your Mike Road (never heard of him) trivia, Jonny Quest was one of my favorite shows growing up!
Mike Cozart, it’s really amazing to see that EVERY show seemed to shoot around L.A. back then. The Vintage L.A. Facebook page often has screen grabs from “The Rockford Files” or “The Mod Squad”, or “Mannix”, showing Sunset Boulevard or POP or some such place. Speaking of “The Fugitive” (with Chuck), they managed to turn SoCal into the entire US, it’s great. I wish I could find an episode that I’m sure they filmed at Jungleland - but my memory might be wrong. Having not watched many of the shows you mentioned since I was a child, I was certainly not aware of things like reused sets, but that’s another thing that shows up on Tumblr or Facebook sometimes, I love that people are so observant! I would have never in a million years guessed that sets from The Brady Bunch were also used in Mannix. Crazy. I wonder why they built the sidewalks too narrow at Paramount? Did they not have the room?
Bu, Mannix wasn’t a show I watched when I was a kid. Maybe it was too “adult”? Since I didn’t watch it, I’m not really sure! I pretty much watched what my mom wanted to watch, and my dad watched sports. When I worked for Disney I would eat at the old commissery, and then I saw one of those Kurt Russel “Medfield College” movies, and he and his buddies were sitting in the outdoor seats that I liked! Pretty fun. I’m sure that Universal Studios as a tourist attraction draws in many more people with the things that they have there now, as opposed to the 1960s and ‘70s, but I do miss the old “magic of the movies” theme. And man, they do have some incredibly stupid things too, like the Fast and Furious part of the tram tour. What a waste of time! I don’t really like the King Kong thing either, I miss the old version that was so much cooler. Just think, most visitors don’t know The Munsters or Marcus Welby, that’s ancient history.
Mike Cozart, I’d just like to know if anybody in the world ever soaked their hands in Palmolive for any reason! As a kid I thought it was so dumb. “Haven’t they heard of lotion? Mom, I’m a kid, but I’ve heard of lotion! Mom! Why aren’t you listening to me, mom?!”. All cowboys secretly wish their hands were calloused and rough, but they can’t admit it.
Mike Cozart, you had to be someone with Michael Landon’s clout to make an agreement like that. I think I’ve mentioned that I didn’t really watch “Little House”, but my sister did, so I’d occasionally see bits and pieces of it. I do know that they blew up some of the buildings in the final episode, which is pretty crazy. He REALLY didn’t want them to be used for anything else!
Lou and Sue, there you are! Hey, weren’t you and I just talking about having our noses up in the air?? ;-)
Fascinating info here, thanks everyone.
JG
Woody Woodpecker's original voice and laugh were by Mel Blanc, before Warner signed him to an exclusive cartoon voice deal (which included the sole onscreen "Vocal Characterization" credit ).
Losing Oswald was a pivotal moment for Walt Disney and his company. Not only did it force Walt to devise a new character in a hurry, but forever after the Disney company was very, VERY obsessive about ownership. To this day, Disney lawyers are objects of awe and terror.
In the 50s Disney (and Lantz, by the way) refused to sell his film library to television the way most of the majors were doing. Consequently even minor films like "The Monkey's Uncle" would rake in money in theatrical re-release, and the anthology hour always had fare that hadn't been run to death on the late show. Note how many of the lesser Disney live action films break so neatly into two parts. In fact, many two- or three-parters shot for television would be released abroad as theatrical movies: "Hans Brinker", "Escapade in Florence", "The Horse Without a Head", and "Doctor Syn, Alias the Scarecrow", for example. Some even went to the big screen in America. The insanely popular "Davy Crockett" was a natural (broadcast in B&W, but shot in color). "Johnny Tremain" was conceived as a TV project but was given a theatrical release to justify its higher-than-usual budget (for lots of matte paintings, for one thing).
(Footnote: MGM edited several episodes of "Man From Uncle" into movies for foreign markets where the series hadn't been aired. Eventually they tried to clone "World of Color" with "We're Off to See the Wizard", with animated versions of the movie characters presenting various MGM movies and unsold pilots)
Boomer kids will recall while pretty much all the other studios' cartoons were running every day on local stations, you could only see the Disney gang at theaters, at the end of the Mickey Mouse Club, or on those Disneyland / World of Color episodes where they'd link them up with new animation (often with Ludwig Von Drake). Bugs Bunny may have been funnier, but Mickey Mouse had cachet. Woody Woodpecker only appeared in his own show, so he too had at least a touch of exclusivity. Likewise Tom and Jerry, who MGM kept separate from the other toons sold in bulk to television.
To this day, I'm a little surprised to see a Disney movie turn up on anything but "World of Disney", and I couldn't have imagined OWNING so much of the old Disney vault. You whippersnappers who grew up with cable and VHS tapes and DVDs --Get off my lawn!
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