RKO Forty Acres Backlot (site) (Culver City, California)

USA / California / Culver City / Culver City, California
 place with historical importance, film/video production studio/facility, historical layer / disappeared object, movie ranch
This "back lot", actually 29 acres in size, was used by various studio companies for filming outdoor and city scenes. The "Burning of Atlanta" scenes for Gone with the Wind were shot here. The same set was later used to film the Andy Griffith Show, The Adventures of Superman, several episodes of Star Trek, and many others. In 1976, the 40 acres back lot was bulldozed to make room for the industrial complex that exists today.

The back lot was leased from Henry Culver in 1925 after Cecil B. DeMille took control of the adjoining studio from its builder, the legendary film director Thomas Ince. He built an extensive set of Jerusalem for his production "King of Kings."

In 1928 RKO took over the studio and back lot. This is where its traditional name comes from, but its name changed as the property changed hands.

It is here that the original "King Kong" was shot.

In 1935 David O. Selznick leased the properties from RKO and it is here that he shot "Gone With the Wind" in 1939.

In 1948 Howard Hughes bought RKO and in 1955 he sold RKO to General Tire and Rubber, becoming RKO General.

In 1955 Lucy and Desi bought it and, along with a couple of Hollywood Studios, it became Desilu. The "40 Acres" were used extensively for TV productions, including Star Trek, Bonanza, Batman, and The Andy Griffith Show.

In 1967 Desilu was bought by Gulf and Western, who had just purchased Paramount. Desilu (and their three studios) became Paramount TV. In 1968 Paramount sold the Culver City holdings to Perfect Film and Chemical.

In 1969, OSF became the new owners and n 1976, the Forty Acres back lot was bulldozed and turned into an industrial park. Today it is the home of several production companies and sound stage rental companies.

Here is a comprehensive history of the lot from noted studio historian, Marc Wanamaker:
www.culvercityhistoricalsociety.org/articles/culver-cit...
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RKO_Forty_Acres
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   34°1'16"N   118°22'59"W

Comments

  • The night when the "Burning of Atlanta" scenes of Gone With the Wind were shot here the part of Scarlett O'Hara had not yet been cast. Many of Hollywood's leading ladies of the time had been considered for the part to no avail. According to legend, as the fires from the "burning" scenes died down, David O. Selznick was introduced to the then unknown English actress Vivien Leigh, who snagged the role.....
  • Check out Kipp Teague's fabulous website about the backlot. His by far the most well researched authority on the subject, particularly in is recreation of the individual building sets that once stood, done in digital 3D. A must visit at http://www.retroweb.com/40acres_tour.html
  • In a Hollywood type twist, TV shows were (and still may be) shot in the warehouses on this site. In the 1990s, the series 'Space: Above and Beyond' and "Profiler' were filmed here.
  • Stalag 13 from Hogan's Hero's, Camp Henderson on Gomer Pyle USMC, as well as scenes from The Untouchables, Mayberry RFD and were also filmed at this site.
  • Also, some scenes of episodes of Mission Impossible, Land of the Giants and Bonanza were also filmed at the "Forty Acres" backlot, as it was officially referred to back then.
This article was last modified 6 years ago