Fire at Universal Studios

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Penelope
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Post by Penelope »

Yes, but how often do the prints get shown at revival houses outside the U.S.? The major European capitals, perhaps, but I bet that's it.

I don't know what rental prices are today for 35mm prints, but when I rented Peyton Place for my local cineplex back in 1988, it cost me $300 (plus $200 for the rental of the theater).
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Big Magilla
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Post by Big Magilla »

rain Bard wrote:It makes me wonder if perhaps the neglect the studio showed towards its holdings in terms of exploiting them for DVD customers represents a philosophical stance of a sort: "we want to encourage the continued booking of our films in cinema settings, and we intend to focus more of our attention on that access arm than that of home viewing" or something along those lines.
I think it's more about the buck. Universal's films are more readily available on DVD outsdie of the U.S.
rain Bard
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Post by rain Bard »

I've heard revival film programmers say that Universal's reputation before the fire was that they were actually one of the best studios to work with for booking and delivering the highest-quality available prints of titles, no matter how obscure.

It makes me wonder if perhaps the neglect the studio showed towards its holdings in terms of exploiting them for DVD customers represents a philosophical stance of a sort: "we want to encourage the continued booking of our films in cinema settings, and we intend to focus more of our attention on that access arm than that of home viewing" or something along those lines. It's true that, at least for certain titles (here I'm not talking about Universal but in general), DVD availability has caused print rentals to drop considerably.

Whether the above speculation is on the right track or not, it certainly seems possible that the fire damage will force a major rethink of the studio's approach, and that a new direction would focus more attention on making titles available for home viewing, and less on making them available for repertory booking.
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Post by Big Magilla »

Universal is the second worst of the majors in recognizing the value of their classic films. The worst is Paramount, which sold off its pre-1950 films to Universal, then picked up the rights to Republic's catalogue and fails to see the value in any of its old films even cancelling planned DVD releases of Johnny Guitar, Letter From an Unknown Woman and The Dark Mirror.

Universal in the early days of home video sold off its rights to many of its classic films which were then released by GoodTimes, first on VHS, then DVD. They also licensed a good portion of their catelogue to Image in the early days of DVD. They have since cancelled agreements with both GoodTimes (which I beleive is now out of business) and Image and taken back their distribution rights but are slow to release those films on DVD under their own label let alone strike prints for distribution to repertory film theatres.

One except is Man of a Thousand Faces which they are releasing next week ten years to the day it was first released by Image because of the exhorbitant prices copies of the Image DVD has been demanding on E-bay.

I guess if we want to see Universal DVD releases of Ruggles of Recd Gap and Make Way for Tomorrow we'll have to go on E-bay and advertise our private copies at starting bids of over $100 to get their attention.
rain Bard
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Post by rain Bard »

Thanks, guys. It's one of the first times I've actually dabbled in a little journalism in a piece- I actually contacted some sources! So I'm glad more people are reading it than just my regular readers.
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Post by Damien »

Excellent article as always, Brian. Love the picture of Victor and Beulah.
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Post by Penelope »

Thank you for sharing that, rain bard, it was quite fascinating...and frustrating.
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rain Bard
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Post by rain Bard »

I don't usually plug my own blog here, but here's an article I recently wrote that may be of interest to folks outside the San Francisco area (though since publishing I learned that a 35mm print of Make Way For Tomorrow still exists after all, thankfully):

http://hellonfriscobay.blogspot.com/2008/06/universal-fire.html
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Post by Penelope »

Aside from those mentioned in the article below, sets from Clint Eastwood's upcoming The Changeling were also destroyed; other films that had used these sets and/or soundstages were To Kill a Mockingbird, The Music Man, Dirty Harry, Bruce Almighty, Spider-Man 2, and Down With Love.

Major fire burns on Universal Studios back lot

A soundstage and several sets are lost as billowing smoke raises health concerns. The theme park remains closed today.

By Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Bettina Boxall and Ari Bloomekatz
Los Angeles Times Staff Writers

4:05 PM PDT, June 1, 2008

Low water pressure hampered efforts today to fight a fire that raged through the Universal Studios back lot in Universal City, destroying a soundstage, the theme park's King Kong attraction, a video vault and sets such as the Courthouse Square seen in "Back to the Future" and the New York streetscape from "Bruce Almighty."

As the equivalent of two city blocks burned -- firefighters were still dousing hot spots 11 hours after the blaze began in the predawn darkness -- a mushroom-like cloud of smoke drifted over surrounding neighborhoods, raising health concerns.

A large explosion near the video storage building about 2:45 p.m. left a firefighter and sheriff's deputy with minor injuries when they were knocked off their feet, officials said. Eight other firefighters were hurt earlier, none seriously.

The cause of the fire was unknown. It has been contained to about a half-acre area.

The theme park will not reopen today.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, whose district includes Universal City, said fire officials told him that unusually low water pressure had made the fight more difficult.

"They said the water was coming out of the hoses anemically," he said. "The water pressure is not what it should have been. It's enough of a wake-up call that we need to take another look."

Yaroslavsky said he has asked County Fire Chief P. Michael Freeman to conduct an inquiry, and suggested that other major studios make sure their water systems can handle big fires.

Freeman said Universal had installed a large-scale sprinkler system after a 1990 blaze, but it didn't seem to work adequately today. Firefighters pulled water from ponds and lakes on the back lot. They also brought in a 6,000-gallon water tender.

"It appears the fire this morning overwhelmed fire protection features," Freeman said. "We're going to readily and quickly reevaluate that and see if that had any impact on the water pressure."

Los Angeles City Councilman Tom LaBonge said he also heard about the water-pressure problems.

"If this was a neighborhood, they would have had a higher requirement for water pressure," he said this morning, standing outside the studio gates. "That's a big issue."

Los Angeles Department of Water and Power officials said the agency supplies Universal, but the park runs its own water system. DWP spokesman Joe Ramallo said the agency tried to boost water pressure there for firefighters after being alerted about 80 minutes after the fire broke out at 4:45 a.m., but it "had a negligible effect."

"We can only make changes on our system," he said, referring to the hydrant system. "And we had no loss of supply from our end."

DWP equipment has been upgraded to keep pressure high for firefighting in nearby Griffith Park and parts of the Hollywood Hills, Ramallo added.

Meanwhile, air quality officials were called to Universal to test for hazards, and a county fire spokesman said initial readings were not alarming.

One known air-pollution risk from the motion-picture industry is perchloroethylene, otherwise known as "perc." The substance, which has been linked in studies to cancer, was widely used for cleaning film until the Air Quality Management District adopted a regulation to limit its use and replace it with less toxic cleansers. Richard Drury, an Alameda environmental attorney, said cheap plastics used at most industrial locations were also a worry.

But Drury said it was important not to overstate the risks, noting that short-term exposure to carcinogens, for instance, might not pose a threat: "One-time exposure is probably not that significant."

Ben Neumann, who lives near the southern edge of the studio, said he was "immediately concerned about the smoke. ... It smelled like they were burning plastic or Styrofoam."

Eric Chapman said ash drifted over his home on Hillock Drive, near the eastern edge of Universal. Chapman said he had assumed the clatter of helicopters at 5:30 a.m. was from a film shoot.

"When I saw the flames... I realized it wasn't just a movie," he said.

At least 300 firefighters battled the blaze, including with water-dropping helicopters. The flames tore through the cavernous two-story video vault containing copies of television shows and movies, some dating to the 1920s. At one point, firefighters hastily removed canisters from the building by hand, but Universal officials said the archives were copies and no original works had been lost.

A spectacular 1990 blaze ravaged more than four acres of the back lot, destroying many of the same sets that burned this time. It also burned the "Dick Tracy" building and the "Ben-Hur" set.

The giant column of smoke from today's fire could be seen for miles. Officials said the fire was able to spread so fast in part because the studio sets were made of timber.

"Big lumber causes a big fire," said county Fire Inspector Daryl Jacobs, noting that some of the soundstages date to the 1930s and '40s.

County Fire Capt. Mike Brown said small explosions heard early in the fire were caused by fuel tanks.

LaBonge said it was depressing to see part of Hollywood history go up in flames.

"It's very sad," he said. "Ever since the movies came to Hollywood, there have been studio fires. And this is a big one."

"It's like a movie set, a disaster film," he added. The MTV Movie Awards is scheduled to be broadcast live today from the Gibson Amphitheater at Universal, with such stars as Will Smith, Robert Downey Jr. and Edward Norton slated to attend.
"...it is the weak who are cruel, and...gentleness is only to be expected from the strong." - Leo Reston

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Penelope
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Post by Penelope »

But the LA Times says it was the King Kong ride that was destroyed:

Fire breaks out on Universal Studios lot
By Molly Hennessy-Fiske
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

8:57 AM PDT, June 1, 2008

A huge fire broke out on the backlot of Universal Studios in Universal City today, destroying several sound stages and valuable Hollywood memorabilia.

About 300 firefighters -- as well as water-dropping helicopters -- were battling the blaze, which started just before dawn, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Fire department spokesman Darryl Jacobs said the King Kong exhibit was burned. Authorities also confirmed that several studio streetscapes, including one of New York and another of New England, were lost.

Jacobs estimated that a third of a square mile had burned and that firefighters were making an "aggressive attack" on the blaze.

Universal Studios spokesman Elliot Sekuler said the park would be open today, though the studio tour would be affected by the blaze. He did not have any more details about the fire but said he understood filming was going on when it broke out.

The fire sent a giant column of black smoke into the air that could be seen for miles. Officials said the fire was able to spread so fast in part because the studio sets were made of timber.

"Big lumber causes a big fire," said Jacobs, noting that some of the sounds stages date back to the 1930s and '40s. "When there's a fire of this magnitude, we bring a lot of personnel."

Jacobs said there were some small explosions when firefighters first arrived, but officials aren't sure what caused them.

Los Angeles City Councilman Tom LaBonge, who raced to the scene early this morning, said it was depressing to see part of Hollywood history go up in flames.

"Firefighters are handing out the film cannisters. It's very sad," he said. "Ever since the movies came to Hollywood, there have been studio fires. And this is a big one."

"It's like a movie set, a disaster film," he aded. "And it's sad because of all of the people who come here, who work here."

There was early concern over the status of what's being billed as the largest Universal Pictures production ever filmed on the Universal lot: "Land of the Lost." The Will Ferrell film -- a comedy interpretation of the beloved Sid and Marty Krofft franchise that had a father and his two kids fleeing dinosaurs and reptilian Sleestaks -- has a budget north of $100 million.

A member of the "Land of the Lost" production confirmed that the fire was on the other side of the lot and that filming was not affected.
"...it is the weak who are cruel, and...gentleness is only to be expected from the strong." - Leo Reston

"Cruelty might be very human, and it might be cultural, but it's not acceptable." - Jodie Foster
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Post by Penelope »

The following report doesn't mention the King Kong ride:

Large fire sweeps through Universal Studios lot
Story Highlights
NEW: Broadcast of MTV Movie Awards won't be affected, representative says

Theme park will open during normal business hours, officials say

Helicopters dropping water on burning structures

Cause of fire unknown, fire official says

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- More than 300 Los Angeles-area firefighters are battling a large fire Sunday on a back lot at Universal Studios, fire authorities said.

A plume of gray smoke clouded the skies above Universal Studios more than three hours after the fire broke out early Sunday.

At least four or five structures were damaged or destroyed by the three-alarm blaze, a fire official told reporters on the scene.

The studio theme park will open Sunday during normal business hours, though the studio tour will be affected by the blaze, according to a statement from Eliot Sekuler, vice president of Universal Studios Hollywood.

"No other rides and attractions have been affected and the theaters, restaurants, clubs and shops at CityWalk have not been impacted," the statement said.

The theme park was set to open at 9 a.m. PT (noon ET).

The 2008 MTV Movie Awards, scheduled to be broadcast live from the park Sunday afternoon, will not be affected, an MTV representative said.

The blaze began around 4:45 a.m. PT (7:45 a.m. ET) Sunday. Two "prop" buildings, a chapel, and a popular ride called the "Cyclone" were among the damaged structures, according to Los Angeles County Fire Capt. Frank Reynoso.

Television footage showed the fire burning through the roofs of structures and continuing to blaze hours later.

"It will be awhile before we have it under control," Reynoso said.

Firefighters were attacking the large blaze by helicopters.

"We don't know what the cause of this is," Reynoso said.

There were reports of an explosion shortly after the fire broke out, he said.

Reynoso said he heard reports that filming may have been going on when the fire broke out.

The park is just north of downtown Los Angeles.
"...it is the weak who are cruel, and...gentleness is only to be expected from the strong." - Leo Reston

"Cruelty might be very human, and it might be cultural, but it's not acceptable." - Jodie Foster
Penelope
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Post by Penelope »

It looks horrific ( video ). I have to admire firefighters; I don't think you could pay me enough to stand on top of a burning building.
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"Cruelty might be very human, and it might be cultural, but it's not acceptable." - Jodie Foster
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Post by Big Magilla »

The fire's been contained. The three blocks of sets destroyed were on the New York set. The King Kong exhibit on the Universal tour was also destroyed.
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Post by Penelope »

Large fire breaks out on lot at Universal Studios By GREG RISLING, Associated Press Writer
2 minutes ago

A massive fire raged on a back lot filled with movie sets at Universal Studios early Sunday, spewing thick smoke as it devoured several buildings. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

Los Angeles County fire Inspector Daryl Jacobs said at least one building had burned and as many as three blocks of movie facades were destroyed. Though the fire was contained, it was still raging, Jacobs said.

"The facades are constructed of heavy timber and they tend to burn quite freely," he said.

The blaze broke out just before dawn on a sound stage, fire Capt. Frank Reynoso said. A thick column of smoke rose thousands of feet into the air. For a time, firefighters helicopters swept in to drop water.

More than 100 firefighters were working to ensure the flames didn't spread to nearby brush, Reynoso said.

Filming might have been going on at the time the fire broke out and there was at least one explosion, Reynoso said.

Universal City is nine miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles.
"...it is the weak who are cruel, and...gentleness is only to be expected from the strong." - Leo Reston

"Cruelty might be very human, and it might be cultural, but it's not acceptable." - Jodie Foster
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