Famous Players Film Co. (Los Angeles, California)

 film/video production studio/facility, historical layer / disappeared object

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The original location of what has become Raleigh Studios, began life as Fiction Pictures, Inc. in March 1915, shooting on makeshift stage, the footprint measured 240' along Melrose and 300 feet down Bronson. In April 1915 Adolf Zukor purchased the studio for his Famous Players Film Co. (established in 1912 in NYC). and by July 1915 Zukor sold the lot to William Clune and in 1916 merged his company with Jesse Lasky Feature Play Co. forming Famous Players-Lasky. The combined company worked out of Lasky's lot at Sunset and Vine. Later that same year they absorbed Paramount Pictures, as very small upstart distributor with a theater chain. In 1926 the combine changed their name to Paramount Pictures, and they moved to the large lot across the street.

This lot was purchased by William Clune in July of 1915. Clune proceeded to build a proper studio complete with glass stages, a backlot area, Although the silent era was still in full swing, Clune, had the vision to build one of the world's first sound stages, complete with a glass top so light could enter without disrupting sound recording.

In 1916 Douglas Fairbanks became a tenant, leasing a portion of the lot. In 1918 he expanded his lease to cover the entire lot until 1922 when he and Mary Pickford bought Jesse Hampton's larger studio at Santa Monica and Formosa. Fairbanks shot "The Mark of Zorro" and "The Three Musketeers" here.

The studio became a stage rental lot and passed through a number of hands and operated under several different names, Including California Studios (1944), Enterprise Studios (ca 1946), and Producers Studios during its colorful history, finally becoming Raleigh Studios in 1979

Some of the industry's most influential leaders have called the lot home, including Douglas Fairbanks , Lillian and Dorothy Gish, Walt Disney, Bette Davis, Hopalong Cassidy, James Arness, and Raymond Burr.

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