Historical 20th Century-Fox studio and back lot (Los Angeles, California)

 place with historical importance, film/video production studio/facility, historical layer / disappeared object

This outline represents the studio from the time William bought the property until roughly 1939 or 1940, when they bought additional property.

20th Century-Fox Film Corp was founded in 1935 by a merger between the the Fox Film Corporation and Daryl F. Zanuck's 20th Century Pictures.

Fox was founded in 1915 by theater magnate William A. Fox. His studio was located in Ft. Lee, NJ, the original "Hollywood" (most film companies were located there at the beginning of the 20th century). In 1917 it relocated to the Edendale area of Los Angeles and later to the corner of Sunset and Western in Hollywood, where it stood until the 1960s.

In 1925, knowing that sound pictures were just around the corner, Fox began buying the assets of several small sound-on-film companies. He also bought the 300 acre ranch of silent cowboy star, Tom Mix. Located just west of Beverly Hills, Fox called the new studio and back lot "Movietone."

In 1929 Fox lost most of his assets in the stock market crash. The same year he was badly injured in a car crash that left his right arm useless. In receivership for several years, in 1935 a merger was engineered between Fox Film Corp. and 20th Century Pictures, creating 20th Century-Fox Film Corp. under the control of Nicholas and Joseph Schenck, and Daryl F. Zannuck. The studio was rechristened with the new company name.

In 1961, needing cash very badly (due to some film failures and "Cleopatra"'s 10 million dollar budget), 20th Century-Fox sold it's 260 acre backlot to Alcoa, who developed the land into Century City, leaving only the front lot and sound stages to carry on the motion picture business.