Non-Disney Theme Parks
Topic: Large Fire At Universal Hollywood Lot

#	Author	Message
51	Darkbeer Tue 6/3/2008 7:48a	>>Basically the heart of the tram tour is gone. Including the last remaining original set of back to the future clock tower.<< OK, I rode the tram tour on Monday, and it ran 40 minutes, SLIGHTLY shorter than the average time of 45 minutes. Many times the Tram Tour has avoided New York Street due to filming, so it is not a MAJOR (aka Heart) loss of the tour. (But it is a loss). OK, started the tour, went thru the Sound Stages (Front Lot), the Production area, including the Bungalows. Then drove by the New York Street area for a few seconds, but then off to the Fast and the Furious Car Stunt show, the Mexico area, including the Famous Flash Flood Scene, Six Points Texas, Little Europe (where many Disney Movies have been filmed) Earthquake was done due to mechanical issues, Jaws and Cabot Cove, Wisteria Lane (where a new house is being built), The Grinch sets, the Bates Motel and Psycho House, the War of the Worlds set, the Mummy "tunnel", and a few other minor things, including seeing deer out and about along the tram route. If you look at my photos at the link above, the Courthouse was basically saved. And the "tower" is a removable item, and was not attached due to wanting the set to look "different", so it is just fine.
52	Darkbeer Tue 6/3/2008 7:50a	>>TVGuide is reporting that the "Ghost Whisperer" sets were destroyed.<< Two of the eight areas where Ghost Whisperer were damaged and currently not available. Even though filiming for the new season is scheduled to start in a couple of weeks, there is no expectation of major problems. (Yes, some scripts might need some adjustments.)
53	Elderp Tue 6/3/2008 7:54a	Looks like the final verdict is it was an accident caused by some workers applying shingles with a blow torch. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24938578/
54	Darkbeer Tue 6/3/2008 7:55a	FYI, the "Psyclone" coaster (a copy of the Coney Island coaster) has been removed from Six Flags Magic Mountain.
55	Elderp Tue 6/3/2008 7:58a	Looking at the pictures you forget how small it is.
56	DlandDug Tue 6/3/2008 8:57a	When the area is cleared, it is remarkable to see what an illusion the backlot is. I am sure many of you are aware that Bob Gurr (Imagineer and Disney Legend) designed King Kong for Universal. He will be at Walt's Barn in Griffith Park on June 15 if anyone would like to see him. With clear photos now available, it appears that the area burned is almost exactly the same as in 1990, except that then they were able to save the King Kong attraction. Two sides of Courthouse Square burned, and the side of the courthouse itself was singed. The only building left on New York Street was the facade built for Legal Eagles.
57	Ursula Tue 6/3/2008 9:23a	Answering the fireproof vault question: No, not all vaults are fireproof. The term "vault" evolved into just a storage area. The vault where I was the manager was neither fire proof or theft-proof. I imagine most think of film or tape vaults to mean an ominous room with no light and a large bank-vault-like dial on the door? No, they are usually have a key-card entry with regular doors and lots of light so you can see what you are looking for. It is more like a warehouse. However, some deep storage vaults are true vaults with fire-proofing and major security, and most film vaults are very secure.
58	mawnck Tue 6/10/2008 10:00a	A new (well, relative to the previous posts) article in the LA Times about the vault losses: http://www.latimes.com/busines...06.story Most of the archive film print library was in there and is lost. Lots of art houses, including the Egyptian in LA, are having to cancel screenings because the prints they rented burned up. The negatives were fortunately elsewhere. And once again, the real story is buried in the middle of the article: >>The fire also claimed about 5% of Universal Music Group's recordings, primarily big band and jazz recordings on the Decca label, and video copies of Universal movies and television shows. Universal Music Group is no longer part of the NBC conglomerate but rents storage space from the studio.<< 5% of UMG's recordings? That's hundreds of thousands of tracks. And "big band and jazz" on Decca would include Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Bing Crosby (yep, White Christmas was on Decca), The Ink Spots, Louis Jordan, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, The Mills Brothers, The Andrews Sisters, The Dorseys, Judy Garland, Louis Prima, Bob Hope, Fred Astaire, Guy Lombardo, Leroy Anderson, Gordon Jenkins, ................. Throw in Decca's folk, ethnic, classical, and country and western from the same period, and the picture gets even uglier. Decca had one of the most valuable and well-preserved pre-50s catalogs, thanks to their practice of archiving all their recording sessions on 16" transcription discs, all of which were apparently stored in that warehouse (and BTW were extremely flammable). Now they'll have to use 78s in private collections, which (given that Decca was a budget label with low-grade pressings) will mean a drastic loss in fidelity. And of course, all the unreleased stuff is gone forever. There's also some question as to whether the UMG catalog even HAD 5% jazz and big band in it. Most of the labels they now own either weren't around back then or didn't deal in that stuff. Some of the smoke being blown here isn't from the fire.

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