Universal Studios Hollywood, May 1979
Let's visit Universal Studios in Hollywood (well, it's near Hollywood), California! From now on I'll call it USH. This is from a batch circa May, 1979.
This first one is clearly from the Studio tour, though I am unsure if this is a set from an actual TV show or movie, or if it was just an example of what a typical set might look like. You know how decor can go out of style, and then eventually come back into style years later? That didn't happen with this decor.
Way up on the hillside is a sign to remind you where you are, while the "soundstage" below is actually part of the plaza where guests would catch a Glamour Tram for the exciting studio tour. I always enjoy the billboards for the latest hit movies, such as "The Wiz", "The Senator" (which, as far as I can tell, was actually released as "The Seduction of Joe Tynan") starring Alan Alda, and "Animal House" (which had been a surprise hit in 1978).
Here's the famous "Collapsing Bridge", which had been added to the tour in 1974. Your tram would slowly move out onto the bridge, and suddenly the whole thing would drop! It probably dropped two inches, but still. I could actually see them doing an updated, improved version of this concept, with more swaying and tilting (plus a minty aroma), and it would only cost 500 million dollars to build.
Nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh! It's hard to convey a sound effect via text, but by golly, I did it brilliantly. "The Six Million Dollar Man" (starring Lee Majors) had been a hit TV series for five glorious seasons. With astronaut Steve Austin's bionic legs, eye, and arm, he could run faster, jump higher, and eat more pizza rolls than a normal Joe. For a while, visitors to USH could get a sense of Steve Austin's powers by lifting this GMC van! Nun-nuh-nuh (etc)!
Most kids today don't know that in the 1970s, if you wanted to make a long-distance call, you needed a bigger phone. The bigger, the better! With the example in the Prop Plaza, you could call Leonid Brezhnev in Moscow and his voice would be as clear as a bell. "Hello, Lenny? I'm at USH!". The woman posing with her daughter (granddaughter ?) seems miffed that the two of them don't have the phone all to themselves. Maybe the young boy wants to say "hello" to Leonid too, did they ever think of that?
The "parting of the Red Sea" segment of the tram tour was added in 1973 to much acclaim. The "sea" is already magically parting! The effect was achieved through the use of a small mirror and two sparklers. MOVIE MAGIC. Say, what's going on across the sea?
Two boys, presumably actors, have wandered over to watch the miracle of the parting waters and to mock the guests (because the boys are little smart alecks!). It must have been quite fun to see the behind-the-scenes activities of a real operating studio and amusement park. That rectangular trailer has the words, "Death to the (illegible)..." spray-painted on the side, I'd hoped that it would ring a bell, movie-wise, but no such luck.
This is PART ONE, stay tuned for Part Two!
11 comments:
Major-
From the days when USH was not nearly as 'polished' as it eventually became. I kinda miss the tackiness (the first image being a perfect example) and the constant [let's just call it "exaggeration"] as a part of the spiel delivered by the hosts. Good times for sure.
Thanks, Major.
"Nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh!". I would say it was more of a "Cheen, cheen, cheen, cheen, cheen!" (Fading out toward the end, of course.) As brilliant as your "nuh, nuh" is, I believe my "cheen, cheen" is even more brillianterlier.
They actually did a good job with that big phone (Hello, Lenny!). Somebody spent the money on someone with talent and manufacturing skills.
"The effect was achieved through the use of a small mirror and two sparklers." Don't forget the Chihuahua! The Chihuahua was an integral component of the "parting the Red Sea" effect! (The sparklers would be useless without the Chihuahua.)
As far as I can tell, the slogan on the wagon says, "Death to the Parmesan". Clearly, the two hooligans were part of the anti-cheese underground faction.
Thanks for the Glam Tram ride, Major.
Major, I'm pretty sure you have posted a similar photo of that soundstage living room set, in the past....m guess is, at least 5 years ago or more. That set was part of a walk through exhibit, through several sets. And it was located inside that building with "The Wiz" advertisement on it. The set would change over the years, but at this time, it was Jamie Sommers' (the Bionic Woman's) living room. I think prior to that, it was a set from "Ironside."
On the other side of that set, was "The Bionic Testing Center," where not only would an audience member be chosen to lift a van (just like that one outside in Prop Plaza), but they would also have one of the hosts or hostesses jump over a very tall spiked fence. Oh, and I think they also chose someone in audience to run "fast" with rear screen projection behind them.
It's sad about the Collapsing Bridge. It was closed for years, and then they spent a ton of money to refurbish it, but it was only used for a short time after reopening it, and now it just sits there unused. I asked a host why they didn't use it after spending the time and money to refurbish it. They said it had to do with when the new lame "Kong" 3-D projection thing opened. It sits next to the bridge and they said that in order to go across the bridge and through "Kong" both, would require the tram to "loop back around" twice. My answer to that is, well.....then do it!
The other sad thing is that the "Parting of the Red Sea" attraction closed not that long ago, after being there for decades. I think it was just so they could build more offices or soundstages.
Thanks for the vintage Universal pics, Major. I have fond memories of visiting that specific year, as well as throughout the seventies and early eighties.
Major, I know you were going to be upset with me, if I couldn't find the other "Jamie Sommers' living room" pic from your older post. So don't be upset.....'cause here it is:
Universal Studios Post With Jamie Sommers Living Room Set - 1978
You posted that in 2011, so I guess it was a lot longer than 5 years ago. But I still remembered it!
USH...when it was "Universal City" and a place to make movies...and not ride "rides"...unless you call a Glamour Tram a ride...and it certainly was a ride I enjoyed a lot. Are people just not that interested in how movies are made? or has the internet TRE'd the magic? In any case, I am enjoying the trip back in time and remember all of this very well. Jaime Sommers house seems to be "Jaime Sommers carriage house" inspired, but I've searched for some of these elements...and can't find them. I'm thinking that the big warehouse was the prop warehouse...and the trams drove through it...which again was awesome...you can see the sign "property department there"...and if memory serves me right...across from this warehouse was "Lucille Ball's dressing room", and over there was the "Jaime Sommers"/Bionic Man...et al...walk throughs...you got to this area after boarding the tram up on the top of the hill...and I remember on the bottom of the hill was Edith Heads office...also the designer of the Tour Guides costumes...which I also thought was pretty cool. From these areas at the bottom of the hill you continued on to the back lot...stages..etc. I remember Prop Plaza was a half way point before joining the tram again...and maybe that's where you saw Jaws/Twirling ice tunnel (that was GREAT) the Red Sea (which I remember the walls of the red sea had very cartoony painted fish behind the walls...but more like cheap wallpaper...as a 12 year old I thought "could you have tried?!) My snarkyness continues today. I miss this old experience of Universal, but the people demand more, and it looks like Universal has given it to them. All very cool, but I'm not sure it's for me. I'll take a falling bridge and a plastic shark please. Thanks Major!
Bu, you forgot to mention that right next to Lucille Ball's dressing room, were the dressing rooms of two people even more famous than Lucy......Bobby Troup and Julie London! And I see that I spelled "Jaime" wrong, above, but I spelled it right back in 2011. I absolutely LOVE Lindsay Wagner, so there was no excuse for me misspelling her character's name!
I remember that "underwater" scene with the fish, which could be seen through the real water of the "Parting of the Red Sea." Your "cheap wallpaper" comparison is a good one. I also thought it looked bad, even as a child. It would have been better to just have nothing depicted on the walls. Whoever came up with that idea, was probably the same person who designed Disneyland's "Tomorrowland '98" and "Light Magic." ;-)
Oh, the hillside sign! Good to see that again.
Most of these subjects date from long after my only visit to USH, but I really enjoyed the $6 Million Man shows, and yes I can hear that sound effect just fine, there was a metallic component to it as well. A very effective and evocative sound, and not used again on another show as far as I recall.
The chap lifting the van is only a few feet from a trash can identical to the Disney Tomorrowland silver cans with the blue flap. Those must have been catalog items?
Major, I hate to take exception since I know how you exhaustively research your posts, but I’m pretty sure the Red Sea effect opened before 1973 since it was there at my visit, long before that.
Also, agreeing with Tokyo about the Ironsides set. Tried to watch that show again, but didn’t like it. Never missed an episode when it was new. Oh well.
Thank you, Major for the trip to USH!
JG
Memories of seeing an Actual Interior Set from Hitchcock's "Topaz", an upscale living room with a patio. They could make it night or day with lights, and even rain on the patio portion! There was also a soundstage featuring Witchipoo's castle and some costumes from "Pufnstuf". And of course a cowboy-themed stunt show, which featured the inevitable guy falling off a roof after being shot.
A few of the Movie Magic setups were actually used in TV shows and movies. "Voyagers" had its heroes racing across the collapsing bridge. "Six Million Dollar Man" used the "avalanche" rotating tunnel as part of an underground colony. "History of the World Part One" used the Parting of the Red Sea. "The Nude Bomb" had Maxwell Smart and some villains running around the studio, doing gags with the Jaws scene and such. Note that the last was essentially a big plug, not trying to pretend it was anything other than the tour.
I visited Universal as a small boy. I remember seeing the set of the TV character Jamie Summers apartment from the TV series "The Bionic Woman" The set looks like that might be the one. I also remember the van that you could lift. This was something also used for "The Bionic Woman." And the Giant phone was a prop from "The Incredible Shrinking Woman" with Lilly Tomlin. I have a picture of that phone.
Nanook, looking at photos like these, I am definitely reminded of that old, unpolished Studio experience. I loved going when I was a kid! It was probably a “half day park”, but I didn’t care.
JB, there were different sound effects for different actions, maybe they did the “cheen cheen cheen” when Steve Austin lifted something heavy? It’s been a while. I remember a podcaster talked about watching some episodes of The Six Million Dollar Man, and he said it was SO slow, with long, repetitive shots of Austin walking and walking. I wasn’t sure if the use of a chihuahua had been perfected by 1979 and didn’t want to give erroneous information. Death to the Parmesan, must have been written by my brother, who told me yesterday that he does not like Parmesan cheese.
TokyoMagic!, it would not surprise me if I have posted a photo of that living room set before, but it’s not exactly the most exciting part of the Studio Tour. As a kid I was so bored by the parts that would tell us that a bungalow belonged to Lucille Ball (or whoever). I just want to see monsters! Wow, Jamie Sommers’ living room, I did not even remember that we were ever in her home. I just thought she knocked the faces off of Fembots all the time. Poor Lindsay Wagner, I would have thought she would have a bigger career, I had a crush on her at the time. I agree with you, they should use the Collapsing Bridge! And that Kong 3D projection thing is LAME. The Bob Gurr “Kongfrontation” was so much better, I miss that a lot. Seems like a number of studios are tearing down parts of their backlots for more soundstages, I guess there must be big money in those.
TokyoMagic!, I didn’t want to admit it, but I *was* upset, and even punched my neighbor. Don’t worry, I only punched him in the gut. Even if I’d remembered that photo (from 2011!) I doubt I would have thought it was the same location as today’s photo.
Bu, as far as I can recall, the Glamour Trams were the ONLY ride at Universal Studios back then; the rest was stunt shows, animals shows, and... well, I guess that was it? There was the Prop Plaza of course. And Victoria Station. I think people are interested in how movies are made, but they also want rides; USH has too many motion simulator attractions, and some are pretty good, but by the fifth one you are used to the tricks and effects and it becomes a bore. I do remember going through a prop warehouse, but only recall lots of lamps and maybe a portrait painting (that could be altered for a specific likeness), and the rest was literally a jumble. Gosh, I did NOT remember that the walls of the “Red Sea” had fish painted on them, I sure wish I had a photo in which that detail was visible! I was a little brat, and was not that impressed by the Red Sea parting, since it was such an obvious mechanical “trick”. Still fun though, somehow.
TokyoMagic!, Bobby Troupe?? The most electric, dazzling star of our generation! Sort of Brad Pitt and Timothée Chalamet rolled into one. Gosh, I not only didn’t know that it was “Jaime” Sommers, but would not have ever detected an error in “Jamie”. I guess I never looked directly at the walls of water in the Red Sea scene, mostly looking at the mechanical parts and thinking about how it was all done.
JG, my guess is that I did not go to USH for many years after my return to SoCal in 1976 - though I did see the car that mere mortals could lift. I think KITT from “Nightrider” was there to talk to as well? Not sure if I am conflating different visits. I wanted to see the Conan the Barbarian show, but nobody else in my group wanted to, so we missed that one. As for info about the Red Sea effect, I would have had to look that up, I have zero knowledge of the timeline for USH - I guess I got some “bum dope” from the Internet.
Anonymous, wow, very cool that you saw a set from “Topaz”. Not sure if I’ve ever seen that movie, to be honest, but hey, it’s Hitchcock. You can watch some of the old commercials with Alfred Hitchcock as the park’s spokesman, what a time. I think I saw the Pufnstuf costumes, which I’d forgotten until you mentioned them! The Stunt shows were kind of fun, but predictable - I do have one photo that has quite a lot of blood on a building, presumably blasted out the back of a stuntman after he was plugged in the belly. I remember “Bigfoot” running through the rotating ice tunnel. Jeez, they actually used the Red Sea effect in “History of the World”? I haven’t seen that movie since it came out, I assume the cheesy effect is part of the joke.
DisneyChris, one of my childhood thrills was seeing a room full of Mexican mummies that were used in a catacombs scene in “Alfred Hitchcock Presents”, I think there is even a photo of that on one of the old Viewmaster reels. The giant phone was in the Prop Plaza long before “The Incredible Shrinking Woman”, but it could very well have been used in that movie as well. For some reason the Prop Plaza had a number of “giant” props, like a huge hand holding a tube of giant lipstick!
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