Lookout Mountain Air Force Station (Los Angeles, California)

USA / California / Los Angeles / Los Angeles, California / Wonderland Avenue, 8935
 Second World War 1939-1945, celebrity home, military, place with historical importance, interesting place, film/video production studio/facility, United States Air Force

Once surrounded by an electrified security fence, the 100,000-square-foot facility on two and a half acres was originally built in 1941 as a World War II air defense center that coordinated radar installations on nearby mountaintops. When the Lookout Moutain Air Force Station film studio was established in 1947, the facility was so surreptitious that even the residents in the area were unaware of what went on within the compound.

For twenty-two years during the Cold War, the federal government operated this secret film studio in the Hollywood Hills, in a complex which has since been converted into a private residence. Lookout Mountain AFS produced films from 1947 to 1969, for all branches of the armed services, as well as for the Atomic Energy Commission.

Lookout Mountain AFS was the only self-contained film studio in Hollywood. Staffed by both military and civilian personnel recruited from nearby motion picture studios such as Metro-Goldwyn Mayer, Warner Brothers Studio, and RKO Pictures, Lookout Mountain studio retained more than 250 producers, directors, and cameramen -- all cleared to access top secret and restricted data and sworn to secrecy regarding activities at the studio.

Nuclear tests were filmed in Cinemascope, stereophonic sound, VistaVision, and even 3-dimensional photography, using all of the latest advances in film making. Lookout Mountain studio produced more than 6,500 films for the Atomic Energy Commission, and other government agencies. Many of these films are classified, but atmospheric test films that are declassified may be viewed at www.nv.doe.gov

Purchased by Hollywood celebrity Jared Leto in 2015, for $5 million.

ludb.clui.org/ex/i/CA6081
www.nv.doe.gov/library/factsheets/DOENV_1142.pdf
www.vce.com/LookoutMt.html
variety.com/2015/dirt/real-estalker/jared-leto-buys-for...
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   34°6'31"N   118°23'19"W

Comments

  • This is an awesome tag. Had no idea about this thing.
  • This place is for sale at a bargain price of $5.75 million. http://la.curbed.com/tags/lookout-mountain-air-force-station
  • I think Jared Leto bought this place.
This article was last modified 6 years ago