KCET Studios
Encyclopedia
The KCET Studios, located at 4376 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
, is the longest continuously-producing studio in Hollywood. Since its establishment in 1912, the studios located at the site have been the home of motion picture producers including Lubin, Essanay, Willis and Inglis, J.D. Hampton, Charles Ray, Ralph Like, Monogram Pictures
, Allied Artists, and ColorVision
. Since 1970 it has been the home of public television station KCET
, but in April 2011 KCET announced that it had sold the facility to the Church of Scientology
.
, a film producer from Philadelphia, built the first film studio on the site of what is now KCET Studios. Lubin's company, called Lubin Manufacturing Company
, produced educational films at the site, including "An Alligator Farm" (1912) and "An Ostrich and Pigeon Farm." In 1913, Lubin sold the studio to the Chicago-based Essanay Film Company
. Essanay produced 20 one-reel Westerns before selling the site to the Kalem Company
. Kalem began operating at the lot in late 1913, and Marshall Neilan
began working at the site in the Spring of 1914. The "Ham and Bud" comedy series was shot there from late 1914 through February 1917. At that time, Kalem relocated to Glendale and abandoned the Fleming Street studios.
In 1917, Willis and Inglis acquired the studio and rented space for use by independent producers. Wallis and Inglis build a 65 feet (19.8 m) by 11 feet (3.4 m) outdoor stage and a 50 feet (15.2 m) by 100 feet (30.5 m) indoor stage. During this time, The Marine Film Corporation filmed "Lorelei of the Sea" at the studios, and comedienne Fay Tincher
made a series of two-reel comedies there.
In August 1918, Jesse D. Hampton began renting space from Willis and Inglis. And in March 1919, Willis and Inglis built another station that became known as Hampton Studio. In April 1919, a trade magazine reported: "The entire frontage along Fleming Street, heretofore adorned by a blank wall, is now occupied with a long row of offices filled with workers and other functionaries necessary to the operation of the big place." Hampton made more than 25 films at the site from 1918 to 1920.
In 1920, actor Charles Ray purchased the studios and built many of the red brick buildings that still survive at the site. When Ray's new soundstage was completed, Moving Picture News called it "the last word in studio construction" and noted: "Perhaps the most striking feature of the studios is the glass enclosed stage, topped by a glass roof. The sides may be removed to permit openings when the shooting of street scenes is required . . . The placing of a tank beneath the stage was a unique arrangement . . . the installation of electrical equipment will insure a wealth of sunshine for daylight pictures as well as for night scenes." Ray's soundstage remains in use as KCET's Studio A. In 1922, Ray also added a Spanish-style, red brick administration building (pictured in infobox above) that is still in use by KCET.
With a budget of $800,000, Ray shot his epic, "The Courtship of Myles Standish," at the site. The most famed extravagance created for the production was a life-size replica of the "Mayflower" and a pool of water with a mechanism to rock the ship back and forth. The film was a flop at the box office, and by 1923, Charles Ray Productions was bankrupt.
After Charles Ray's production company went bankrupt, the Bank of Italy became the receiver for the property and rented studio space to independent producers. The bank changed the studio's address from 1425 Fleming Street to 4376 Sunset Boulevard and renamed it the Sunset Studio. Actress Jean Navelle bought the studio from the bank in 1927, but her production company ceased operations in late 1929, and the studio was returned to the Bank of Italy.
directed "Hurricane)
" there. The studio facilities were improved in the late 1930s and early 1940s, and adjoining land was acquired to build dock sets, a city street set, a third sound stage, and a costume department.
Monogram Pictures
began renting space at the studio in the late 1930s and bought the property from Like in 1943. Monogram Pictures was a small studio that made B-Movies. Monogram's features included film series featuring "Charlie Chan
," the "East Side Kids
," "The Bowery Boys
," "Bomba, the Jungle Boy
," "Joe Palooka," "The Range Busters," and "The Cisco Kid," and westerns featuring Tex Ritter
. Allied Artists followed Mongram at the site, where it produced both motion pictures and television programs in the 1950s and 1960s. The motion pictures filmed at the Sunset Boulevard studios during the Mongram and Allied Artists years include the following:
In 1964, financial difficulties forced Allied Artists to cease production activities and to become a film distribution company. The company moved its operations to New York, and the studios were used mostly for production of television program and commercials from 1964 to 1967. In 1967, ColorVision purchased the studio and continued to rent space for independent productions. ColorVision itself went bankrupt in 1969.
has used the Sunset Boulevard studio facilities to create numerous productions, including Carl Sagan
's acclaimed series "Cosmos
", Steve Allen
's "Meeting of Minds
", "California's Gold
", and "Visiting...with Huell Howser
".
In 1979, while demonstrating a karate kick, a KCET employee kicked a hole in the wall. A maintenance manager assigned to repair the hole noticed an arched brick wall and column behind the wallboard. The wallboard was removed and uncovered the ornate exterior of a little theater built in the 1920s. The exterior, consisting of two brick facades and six columns, had been built in the silent era and was later covered with wallboard to improve the acoustics for screening sound pictures.
In March 2011, the Los Angeles Times
reported that KCET was in negotiations to sell the studio to the Church of Scientology
. ON April 25, 2011, KCET confirmed the sale, at an undisclosed price, and with an expectation that KCET would relocate to other production facilities in about one year. The Church of Scientology said that it expected to use the facilities to produce videos and internet content, and would use the its satellite uplink facilities for high definition video transmissions.
Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Hollywood is a famous district in Los Angeles, California, United States situated west-northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical center of movie studios and movie stars, the word Hollywood is often used as a metonym of American cinema...
, is the longest continuously-producing studio in Hollywood. Since its establishment in 1912, the studios located at the site have been the home of motion picture producers including Lubin, Essanay, Willis and Inglis, J.D. Hampton, Charles Ray, Ralph Like, Monogram Pictures
Monogram Pictures
Monogram Pictures Corporation is a Hollywood studio that produced and released films, most on low budgets, between 1931 and 1953, when the firm completed a transition to the name Allied Artists Pictures Corporation. Monogram is considered a leader among the smaller studios sometimes referred to...
, Allied Artists, and ColorVision
Colorvision
Color Visión is a television network based in the Dominican Republic. It is one of the largest television channels in that country. Color Visión is channel 9 in the Dominican Republic's television dial.-History:...
. Since 1970 it has been the home of public television station KCET
KCET
KCET, channel 28, is an independent, non-commercial public television station licensed to Los Angeles, California, USA. KCET's studio is located on West Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, and its transmitter is atop Mount Wilson. Al Jerome is the current CEO and President, serving since 1996.KCET was...
, but in April 2011 KCET announced that it had sold the facility to the Church of Scientology
Church of Scientology
The Church of Scientology is an organization devoted to the practice and the promotion of the Scientology belief system. The Church of Scientology International is the Church of Scientology's parent organization, and is responsible for the overall ecclesiastical management, dissemination and...
.
Early years
In 1912, Siegmund LubinSiegmund Lubin
Siegmund Lubin was a Polish-American motion picture pioneer.-Biography:He was born as Siegmund Lubszynski in Breslau, Silesia, Germany on April 20, 1851, to a German Jewish family...
, a film producer from Philadelphia, built the first film studio on the site of what is now KCET Studios. Lubin's company, called Lubin Manufacturing Company
Lubin Studios
The Lubin Manufacturing Company, was an American motion picture production company that produced silent films from 1902 to 1916. Lubin films were distributed with a Liberty Bell trademark.-History:...
, produced educational films at the site, including "An Alligator Farm" (1912) and "An Ostrich and Pigeon Farm." In 1913, Lubin sold the studio to the Chicago-based Essanay Film Company
Essanay Studios
The Essanay Film Manufacturing Company was an American motion picture studio. It is best known today for its series of Charlie Chaplin comedies of 1915.-Founding:...
. Essanay produced 20 one-reel Westerns before selling the site to the Kalem Company
Kalem Company
The Kalem Company was an American film studio founded in New York City in 1907 by George Kleine, Samuel Long , and Frank J. Marion.The company immediately joined other studios in the Motion Picture Patents Company that held a monopoly on production and distribution...
. Kalem began operating at the lot in late 1913, and Marshall Neilan
Marshall Neilan
Marshall Ambrose Neilan was an American motion picture actor, screenwriter, film director, and producer.-Early life:...
began working at the site in the Spring of 1914. The "Ham and Bud" comedy series was shot there from late 1914 through February 1917. At that time, Kalem relocated to Glendale and abandoned the Fleming Street studios.
In 1917, Willis and Inglis acquired the studio and rented space for use by independent producers. Wallis and Inglis build a 65 feet (19.8 m) by 11 feet (3.4 m) outdoor stage and a 50 feet (15.2 m) by 100 feet (30.5 m) indoor stage. During this time, The Marine Film Corporation filmed "Lorelei of the Sea" at the studios, and comedienne Fay Tincher
Fay Tincher
Fay Tincher was a comic actress in motion pictures of the silent film era. She was from Topeka, Kansas. Her hair was black and her eyes were brown. Tincher's appearance was sometimes compared to that of a French woman....
made a series of two-reel comedies there.
In August 1918, Jesse D. Hampton began renting space from Willis and Inglis. And in March 1919, Willis and Inglis built another station that became known as Hampton Studio. In April 1919, a trade magazine reported: "The entire frontage along Fleming Street, heretofore adorned by a blank wall, is now occupied with a long row of offices filled with workers and other functionaries necessary to the operation of the big place." Hampton made more than 25 films at the site from 1918 to 1920.
In 1920, actor Charles Ray purchased the studios and built many of the red brick buildings that still survive at the site. When Ray's new soundstage was completed, Moving Picture News called it "the last word in studio construction" and noted: "Perhaps the most striking feature of the studios is the glass enclosed stage, topped by a glass roof. The sides may be removed to permit openings when the shooting of street scenes is required . . . The placing of a tank beneath the stage was a unique arrangement . . . the installation of electrical equipment will insure a wealth of sunshine for daylight pictures as well as for night scenes." Ray's soundstage remains in use as KCET's Studio A. In 1922, Ray also added a Spanish-style, red brick administration building (pictured in infobox above) that is still in use by KCET.
With a budget of $800,000, Ray shot his epic, "The Courtship of Myles Standish," at the site. The most famed extravagance created for the production was a life-size replica of the "Mayflower" and a pool of water with a mechanism to rock the ship back and forth. The film was a flop at the box office, and by 1923, Charles Ray Productions was bankrupt.
After Charles Ray's production company went bankrupt, the Bank of Italy became the receiver for the property and rented studio space to independent producers. The bank changed the studio's address from 1425 Fleming Street to 4376 Sunset Boulevard and renamed it the Sunset Studio. Actress Jean Navelle bought the studio from the bank in 1927, but her production company ceased operations in late 1929, and the studio was returned to the Bank of Italy.
Ralph M. Like
Ralph M. Like was an engineer who developed a system for recording sound on film. He leased space at the site as far back as 1926, and in 1932, he leased the entire studio for use by his company International Recording Engineers. Like built a new soundstage, the present Stage B, in 1932. In 1933, Like's mother bought the studio from the Bank of Italy. Through the 1930s, many westerns were shot at the studio. In 1937, John FordJohn Ford
John Ford was an American film director. He was famous for both his westerns such as Stagecoach, The Searchers, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, and adaptations of such classic 20th-century American novels as The Grapes of Wrath...
directed "Hurricane)
The Hurricane (1937 film)
The Hurricane is a 1937 film set in the South Seas, directed by John Ford and produced by Samuel Goldwyn, about a Polynesian who is unjustly imprisoned. The climax features a special effects hurricane. It stars Dorothy Lamour and Jon Hall, with Mary Astor, C. Aubrey Smith, Thomas Mitchell, Raymond...
" there. The studio facilities were improved in the late 1930s and early 1940s, and adjoining land was acquired to build dock sets, a city street set, a third sound stage, and a costume department.
Monogram Pictures and Allied Artists
Monogram Pictures
Monogram Pictures Corporation is a Hollywood studio that produced and released films, most on low budgets, between 1931 and 1953, when the firm completed a transition to the name Allied Artists Pictures Corporation. Monogram is considered a leader among the smaller studios sometimes referred to...
began renting space at the studio in the late 1930s and bought the property from Like in 1943. Monogram Pictures was a small studio that made B-Movies. Monogram's features included film series featuring "Charlie Chan
Charlie Chan
Charlie Chan is a fictional Chinese-American detective created by Earl Derr Biggers in 1919. Loosely based on Honolulu detective Chang Apana, Biggers conceived of the benevolent and heroic Chan as an alternative to Yellow Peril stereotypes, such as villains like Fu Manchu...
," the "East Side Kids
East Side Kids
The East Side Kids were characters in a series of films released by Monogram Pictures from 1940 through 1945. Many of them were originally part of The Dead End Kids and The Little Tough Guys, and several of them later became members of The Bowery Boys....
," "The Bowery Boys
The Bowery Boys
The Bowery Boys were fictional New York City characters who were the subject of feature films released by Monogram Pictures from 1946 through 1958....
," "Bomba, the Jungle Boy
Bomba, the Jungle Boy
Bomba the Jungle Boy was a series of American boy's adventure books produced by the Stratemeyer Syndicate under the pseudonym Roy Rockwood and published by Cupples & Leon in the first half of the 20th century in imitation of the successful Tarzan series....
," "Joe Palooka," "The Range Busters," and "The Cisco Kid," and westerns featuring Tex Ritter
Tex Ritter
Woodward Maurice Ritter , better known as Tex Ritter, was an American country music singer and movie actor popular from the mid-1930s into the 1960s, and the patriarch of the Ritter family in acting...
. Allied Artists followed Mongram at the site, where it produced both motion pictures and television programs in the 1950s and 1960s. The motion pictures filmed at the Sunset Boulevard studios during the Mongram and Allied Artists years include the following:
- "Smart AlecksSmart Alecks-Plot:Hank leaves the East Side Kids to become an apprentice crook; his first job being the lookout during a bank robbery done by Mike and Butch. Hank is handed the pistol one of the crooks used to rob the bank with the events witnessed by Police Officer Regan and Danny's sister...
" (1942) with Leo GorceyLeo GorceyLeo Bernard Gorcey was an American stage and movie actor who became famous for portraying on film the leader of the group of young hooligans known variously as the Dead End Kids, The East Side Kids and The Bowery Boys. Always the most pugnacious member of the gangs he participated in, young Leo...
, Huntz HallHuntz HallHenry Richard "Huntz" Hall was an American radio, theatrical, and motion picture performer noted primarily for his roles in the "Dead End Kids" movies, such as Angels with Dirty Faces , which gave way to the "The Bowery Boys" movie franchise, a prolific and highly successful series of comedies in...
, Maxie RosenbloomMaxie RosenbloomMax Everitt Rosenbloom, known as Slapsie Maxie was an American boxer, actor, and television personality.-Life and career:...
and Gale StormGale StormGale Storm was an American actress and singer who starred in two popular television programs of the 1950s, My Little Margie and The Gale Storm Show.-Early life:... - "It Happened on Fifth Avenue" (1947) with Don DeForeDon DeForeDonald John DeFore was an American actor who played "the regular guy" and "the good, ol' boy next door" in many films in the 1940s and 1950s.-Life and career:...
, Ann HardingAnn HardingAnn Harding was an American theatre, motion picture, radio, and television actress.-Early years:Born Dorothy Walton Gatley at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas, to George G. Gatley and Elizabeth "Bessie" Crabb. The daughter of a career army officer, she traveled often during her early life...
, Charles RugglesCharles RugglesCharles Sherman “Charlie” Ruggles was a comic American actor. In a career spanning six decades, Ruggles appeared in close to 100 feature films. He was also the brother of director, producer, and silent actor Wesley Ruggles .-Background:Charlie Ruggles was born in Los Angeles, California in 1886...
, Victor MooreVictor MooreVictor Frederick Moore was an American actor of stage and screen, as well as a comedian, writer, and director.-Personal life:...
, and Gale StormGale StormGale Storm was an American actress and singer who starred in two popular television programs of the 1950s, My Little Margie and The Gale Storm Show.-Early life:... - "Black Gold" (1947) with Anthony QuinnAnthony QuinnAntonio Rodolfo Quinn-Oaxaca , more commonly known as Anthony Quinn, was a Mexican American actor, as well as a painter and writer...
- '"The Babe Ruth StoryThe Babe Ruth StoryThe Babe Ruth Story is a 1948 baseball film biography of Babe Ruth, the famed New York Yankees slugger. It stars William Bendix as the ballplayer and Claire Trevor as his wife. It was rush released while Ruth himself was still alive. It makes no mention whatsoever of Ruth's first wife,...
" (1948) starring William BendixWilliam BendixWilliam Bendix was an American film, radio, and television actor, best remembered in movies for the title role in the movie The Babe Ruth Story and for portraying clumsily earnest aircraft plant worker Chester A. Riley in radio and television's The Life of Riley...
and Claire TrevorClaire TrevorClaire Trevor was an Academy Award-winning American actress. She was nicknamed the "Queen of Film Noir" because of her many appearances in "bad girl” roles in film noir and other black-and-white thrillers... - "Kidnapped" (1948) starring Roddy McDowell
- "Triggerman" (1948) with Johnny Mack BrownJohnny Mack BrownJohnny Mack Brown was an All-American college football player and film actor originally billed as John Mack Brown at the height of his screen career.-Early life:...
- "Yukon Gold" (1952) with Kirby GrantKirby GrantKirby Grant, , was a long-time B movie and television actor. He is mostly remembered for playing the title role in the television series Sky King....
, Martha HyerMartha HyerMartha Hyer is an American actress.She attended Northwestern University and was a member of Pi Beta Phi fraternity. After completing her education, she next appeared in The Locket in 1946...
and Chinook: The Wonder Dog - "Killer Leopard" (1954) with Bomba, the Jungle BoyBomba, the Jungle BoyBomba the Jungle Boy was a series of American boy's adventure books produced by the Stratemeyer Syndicate under the pseudonym Roy Rockwood and published by Cupples & Leon in the first half of the 20th century in imitation of the successful Tarzan series....
(Johnny SheffieldJohnny SheffieldJohnny Sheffield was an American child actor.-Early life:He was born as John Matthew Sheffield Cassan in Pasadena, California, the second child of actor Reginald Sheffield and Louise Van Loon...
) and Beverly GarlandBeverly GarlandBeverly Garland was an American film and television actress, businesswoman, and hotel owner. Garland gained prominence for her role as Fred MacMurray's second wife, "Barbara Harper Douglas", in the 1960s sitcom My Three Sons... - "Two Guns and a Badge" (1954) with Wayne Morris and Beverly GarlandBeverly GarlandBeverly Garland was an American film and television actress, businesswoman, and hotel owner. Garland gained prominence for her role as Fred MacMurray's second wife, "Barbara Harper Douglas", in the 1960s sitcom My Three Sons...
- "Riot in Cell Block 11Riot in Cell Block 11Riot in Cell Block 11 is a 1954 drama film starring Neville Brand and Leo Gordon. It was directed by Don Siegel, based on the screenplay by Richard Collins.-Plot:...
" (1954) starring Neville BrandNeville BrandNeville Brand was an American television and movie actor.-Early life:Neville Brand was born in Illinois. He was born to Leo and Helen Brand as one of seven children. Leo, was an electrician and bridge building steel worker in Detroit, where Neville was raised...
and Leo GordonLeo GordonLeo Vincent Gordon was an American movie and television character actor as well as a screenplay writer and novelist. He specialized in playing brutish bad guys during more than forty years in film and television.... - "Shack Out on 101" (1955) with Frank LovejoyFrank LovejoyFrank Lovejoy was an American actor in radio, film, and television. He was born Frank Lovejoy Jr. in Bronx, New York, but grew up in New Jersey. His father, Frank Lovejoy Sr., was a furniture salesman from Maine...
, Terry MooreTerry Moore (actress)Helen Luella Koford , better known as Terry Moore, is an American actress. Terry Moore made her film debut at age 11 and grew up with all the icons of the Hollywood era that made Hollywood what it is today, also known as "The Golden Age of Hollywood". Moore is an Academy Award nominated actress...
, Keenan WynnKeenan WynnKeenan Wynn was an American character actor. His bristling mustache and expressive face were his stock in trade, and though he rarely had a lead role, he got prominent billing in most of his film and TV parts....
and Lee MarvinLee MarvinLee Marvin was an American film actor. Known for his gravelly voice, white hair and 6' 2" stature, Marvin at first did supporting roles, mostly villains, soldiers and other hardboiled characters, but after winning an Academy Award for Best Actor for his dual roles in Cat Ballou , he landed more... - "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" (1956) - the science fiction classic directed by Don SiegelDon SiegelDonald Siegel was an influential American film director and producer. His name variously appeared in the credits of his films as both Don Siegel and Donald Siegel.-Early life:...
- "Friendly PersuasionFriendly Persuasion (film)Friendly Persuasion is a 1956 Civil War film starring Gary Cooper, Dorothy McGuire, Anthony Perkins, Richard Eyer, Robert Middleton and Phyllis Love. The screenplay was adapted by Michael Wilson from the 1945 novel The Friendly Persuasion by Jessamyn West, and was directed by William Wyler...
" (1956) with Gary CooperGary CooperFrank James Cooper, known professionally as Gary Cooper, was an American film actor. He was renowned for his quiet, understated acting style and his stoic, but at times intense screen persona, which was particularly well suited to the many Westerns he made...
, Dorothy McGuireDorothy McGuireDorothy Hackett McGuire was an American actress.-Career:Born in Omaha, Nebraska, she began her acting career on the stage at the Omaha Community Playhouse...
, and Anthony PerkinsAnthony PerkinsAnthony Perkins was an American actor, best known for his Oscar-nominated role in Friendly Persuasion and as Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho , and its three sequels.-Early life:... - "Love in the AfternoonLove in the Afternoon (1957 film)Love in the Afternoon is a 1957 American romantic comedy film produced and directed by Billy Wilder. The screenplay by Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond is based on the Claude Anet novel Ariane, jeune fille russe , which previously was filmed as Scampolo in 1928 and Scampolo, ein Kind der Strasse in...
" (1957) with Gary CooperGary CooperFrank James Cooper, known professionally as Gary Cooper, was an American film actor. He was renowned for his quiet, understated acting style and his stoic, but at times intense screen persona, which was particularly well suited to the many Westerns he made...
and Audrey HepburnAudrey HepburnAudrey Hepburn was a British actress and humanitarian. Although modest about her acting ability, Hepburn remains one of the world's most famous actresses of all time, remembered as a film and fashion icon of the twentieth century... - "The Oklahoman" (1957) with Joel McCreaJoel McCreaJoel Albert McCrea was an American actor whose career spanned 50 years and appearances in over 90 films.-Early life:...
and Barbara HaleBarbara HaleBarbara Hale is an American actress best known for her role as legal secretary Della Street on more than 250 episodes of the long-running Perry Mason television series and later reprising the role in dozens of made-for-TV movies.... - "Queen of Outer SpaceQueen of Outer SpaceQueen of Outer Space is a 1958 American CinemaScope science fiction feature film starring Zsa Zsa Gabor, Eric Fleming, and Laurie Mitchell in a tale about a revolt against a cruel Venusian queen. The screenplay by Charles Beaumont was based on an outline supplied by Ben Hecht...
" (1958) with Zsa Zsa GaborZsa Zsa GaborZsa Zsa Gabor is a Hungarian-born American stage, film and television actress.She acted on stage in Vienna, Austria, in 1932, and was crowned Miss Hungary in 1936. She emigrated to the United States in 1941 and became a sought-after actress with "European flair and style", with a personality that... - "House on Haunted HillHouse on Haunted HillHouse on Haunted Hill is a 1959 American B movie horror film from Allied Artists. It was directed by William Castle, written by Robb White, and starring Vincent Price as eccentric millionaire Fredrick Loren. He and his fourth wife, Annabelle, have invited five people to the house for a "Haunted...
" (1959) with Vincent PriceVincent PriceVincent Leonard Price, Jr. was an American actor, well known for his distinctive voice and serio-comic attitude in a series of horror films made in the latter part of his career.-Early life and career:Price was born in St... - "Al Capone" (1959) starring Rod SteigerRod SteigerRodney Stephen "Rod" Steiger was an Academy Award-winning American actor known for his performances in such films as On the Waterfront, The Big Knife, Oklahoma!, The Harder They Fall, Across the Bridge, The Pawnbroker, Doctor Zhivago, In the Heat of the Night, and Waterloo as well as the...
and Martin BalsamMartin BalsamMartin Henry Balsam was an American actor. He is known for his Oscar-winning role as "Arnold Burns" in A Thousand Clowns and his role as "Detective Milton Arbogast" in Psycho.- Early life :... - "Sex Kittens Go To CollegeSex Kittens Go to CollegeSex Kittens Go to College also known as Beauty and the Robot, is a 1960 comedy film starring Mamie Van Doren, Tuesday Weld, and Mijanou Bardot.-Cast:* Mamie Van Doren as Dr. Mathilda West* Tuesday Weld as Jody* Mijanou Bardot as Suzanne...
" (1960) starring Mamie Van DorenMamie Van DorenMamie Van Doren is an American actress and singer; who rose to popularity as Universal Pictures's version of 20th Century Fox's Marilyn Monroe....
, Tuesday WeldTuesday WeldTuesday Weld is an American actress.Weld began her acting career as a child, and progressed to more mature roles during the late 1950s. She won a Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Female Newcomer in 1960...
and Martin MilnerMartin MilnerMartin Sam Milner is an American actor best known for his performances in two popular television series, Adam-12 and Route 66.... - "El CidEl Cid (film)El Cid is a historical epic film, a romanticized story of the life of the Christian Castilian knight Don Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, called "El Cid" who in the 11th century fought the North African Almoravides and ultimately contributed to the unification of Spain.Made by Samuel Bronston Productions in...
" (1961) starring Charlton HestonCharlton HestonCharlton Heston was an American actor of film, theatre and television. Heston is known for heroic roles in films such as The Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor, El Cid, and Planet of the Apes...
and Sophia LorenSophia LorenSophia Loren, OMRI is an Italian actress.In 1962, Loren won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in Two Women, along with 21 awards, becoming the first actress to win an Academy Award for a non-English-speaking performance... - "Tickle MeTickle MeTickle Me is a 1965 Western musical comedy film starring Elvis Presley as a champion rodeo bull-rider and bronco-buster. Elvis Presley won a 1966 Golden Laurel Award as the best male actor in a musical film for his role in this comedy. It is also the only Elvis film released by Allied Artists...
" (1965) with Elvis PresleyElvis PresleyElvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
In 1964, financial difficulties forced Allied Artists to cease production activities and to become a film distribution company. The company moved its operations to New York, and the studios were used mostly for production of television program and commercials from 1964 to 1967. In 1967, ColorVision purchased the studio and continued to rent space for independent productions. ColorVision itself went bankrupt in 1969.
KCET
In July 1970, the 3.5 acres (14,164 m²) site was purchased by Los Angeles public television station KCET for $800,000. In November 1971, KCET dedicated its renovated $3.2 million studio facilities. At the time, the studios were the largest in public television and were intended to be used as the West Coast production center for public television. In 1975, KCET announced plans to build a new $1.5 million brick administration building on the site. KCETKCET
KCET, channel 28, is an independent, non-commercial public television station licensed to Los Angeles, California, USA. KCET's studio is located on West Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, and its transmitter is atop Mount Wilson. Al Jerome is the current CEO and President, serving since 1996.KCET was...
has used the Sunset Boulevard studio facilities to create numerous productions, including Carl Sagan
Carl Sagan
Carl Edward Sagan was an American astronomer, astrophysicist, cosmologist, author, science popularizer and science communicator in astronomy and natural sciences. He published more than 600 scientific papers and articles and was author, co-author or editor of more than 20 books...
's acclaimed series "Cosmos
Cosmos: A Personal Voyage
Cosmos: A Personal Voyage is a thirteen-part television series written by Carl Sagan, Ann Druyan, and Steven Soter, with Sagan as presenter. It was executive-produced by Adrian Malone, produced by David Kennard, Geoffrey Haines-Stiles and Gregory Andorfer, and directed by the producers, David...
", Steve Allen
Steve Allen
Steve Allen may refer to:*Steve Allen , American musician, comedian, and writer*Steve Allen , presenter on the London-based talk radio station LBC 97.3...
's "Meeting of Minds
Meeting of Minds
Meeting of Minds is a television series, created by Steve Allen, which aired on PBS from 1977 to 1981.The show featured guests who played significant roles in world history...
", "California's Gold
California's Gold
California's Gold is a public television travel program that explores the numerous natural, cultural and historical wonders of the Golden State. The show, now in its 17th year, is produced and hosted by Huell Howser...
", and "Visiting...with Huell Howser
Huell Howser
Huell Burnley Howser is an American television personality best known for California's Gold, his travel show for the Los Angeles based KCET.-Early career:...
".
In 1979, while demonstrating a karate kick, a KCET employee kicked a hole in the wall. A maintenance manager assigned to repair the hole noticed an arched brick wall and column behind the wallboard. The wallboard was removed and uncovered the ornate exterior of a little theater built in the 1920s. The exterior, consisting of two brick facades and six columns, had been built in the silent era and was later covered with wallboard to improve the acoustics for screening sound pictures.
In March 2011, the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
reported that KCET was in negotiations to sell the studio to the Church of Scientology
Church of Scientology
The Church of Scientology is an organization devoted to the practice and the promotion of the Scientology belief system. The Church of Scientology International is the Church of Scientology's parent organization, and is responsible for the overall ecclesiastical management, dissemination and...
. ON April 25, 2011, KCET confirmed the sale, at an undisclosed price, and with an expectation that KCET would relocate to other production facilities in about one year. The Church of Scientology said that it expected to use the facilities to produce videos and internet content, and would use the its satellite uplink facilities for high definition video transmissions.