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The day I met Desi Arnaz


tropicjeff

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Yes, I agree, great blog. Love the entrance to their Culver City lot at Desilu, with that Gone with the Wind type main entrance. Isn't it where they film Wheel of Fortune these days?

No, that's just down the road a bit at Sony Studios (formerly MGM). :D

(And yes, I've been to a Wheel of Fortune taping, don't HATE!!! ;))

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No, that's just down the road a bit at Sony Studios (formerly MGM). :D

(And yes, I've been to a Wheel of Fortune taping, don't HATE!!! ;))

Have always enjoyed Wheel of Fortune, was one of my mom's favorite shows and I used to have to watch it with her, it wouldn't have lasted this long if it weren't good.  I was saying that the Desilu Culver City lot is NOW Sony's but back then it was one of the three Desilu lots, Motion Picture Center which is now RED, used to be Ren Mar, the RKO lot became Desilu and then merged with Paramount and the Culver City one, that Lucy claimed she always got lost when going there is now SONY, hope that beautiful building that reminds one of Gone with the Wind is stil there.

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Have always enjoyed Wheel of Fortune, was one of my mom's favorite shows and I used to have to watch it with her, it wouldn't have lasted this long if it weren't good.  I was saying that the Desilu Culver City lot is NOW Sony's but back then it was one of the three Desilu lots, Motion Picture Center which is now RED, used to be Ren Mar, the RKO lot became Desilu and then merged with Paramount and the Culver City one, that Lucy claimed she always got lost when going there is now SONY, hope that beautiful building that reminds one of Gone with the Wind is stil there.

No, that's not correct, they're two different entities/locations:  Desilu Culver is now The Culver Studios, about a mile or so from Sony (formerly MGM). And yes, Culver is where the "GWTW" looking building still stands. :D

 

The Culver Studios

9336 West Washington Boulevard · Culver City, CA 90232

History: http://theculverstudios.com/history/

locations.jpg

 

Sony Pictures Studios

10202 W Washington Blvd  Culver City, California 90232

History: http://www.sonypictures.com/corp/history.html

2homepage_08.jpg

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No, that's not correct, they're two different entities/locations:  Desilu Culver is now The Culver Studios, about a mile or so from Sony (formerly MGM). And yes, Culver is where the "GWTW" looking building still stands. :D

 

The Culver Studios

9336 West Washington Boulevard · Culver City, CA 90232

History: http://theculverstudios.com/history/

locations.jpg

 

Sony Pictures Studios

10202 W Washington Blvd  Culver City, California 90232

History: http://www.sonypictures.com/corp/history.html

2homepage_08.jpg

So, what You're saying then is that Lucy's Culver City lot has now been split in two different studios?  Because if you recall, the Desilu sign used to be right in front of that Gone with the Wind type entrance, there are loads of pics of it all over the net.  The place was this gigantic triangle shaped place back in the day but I know they tore down a big part of it at one point, maybe where The Andy Griffith show was filmed, that fake Mayberry lot?

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Thanks for the comments on my blog. As far as which studio is which, all I remember is when I was in the Hollywood area several years back we attended several sitcom tapings. At almost every studio they said "This is where 'I Love Lucy' was filmed." I thought to myself the people in Hollywood don't even know what their history is!

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Thanks for the comments on my blog. As far as which studio is which, all I remember is when I was in the Hollywood area several years back we attended several sitcom tapings. At almost every studio they said "This is where 'I Love Lucy' was filmed." I thought to myself the people in Hollywood don't even know what their history is!

Well, the confusion there might be caused by the renaming of all these studios.  Motion Picture center became Desilu Cahuenga which I believe then became Ren Mar and now RED.  Desilu Culver became SONY, Desilu Gower became part of Paramount, it's all so very complicated.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Cool story!!! While we are on the subject can we clear up the studio thing-- I know that Claude and JoeySoCal kind of explained it, but I've always been confused. So, they started filming ILL at Hollywood Center for the first 2 seasons... then they moved to Motion Picture Center which they leased and then bought (they renamed Desilu Cahuenga, now Red Studios). Then, there was Desilu Gower (now part of Paramount), and is Desilu Culver right next to it? Please clear this up for me. No matter how many sources I read, they are have different information! 

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Cool story!!! While we are on the subject can we clear up the studio thing-- I know that Claude and JoeySoCal kind of explained it, but I've always been confused. So, they started filming ILL at Hollywood Center for the first 2 seasons... then they moved to Motion Picture Center which they leased and then bought (they renamed Desilu Cahuenga, now Red Studios). Then, there was Desilu Gower (now part of Paramount), and is Desilu Culver right next to it? Please clear this up for me. No matter how many sources I read, they are have different information! 

Desilu Gower is in Hollywood, just a few blocks from Desilu Cahuenga and Culver is in Culver City, miles apart.  :D

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Joey:  This ALL seems so confusing; but, since you are our resident Hollywoodian, please put all these studios, from original name(s) into some semblance of order if you can; and I will appreciate it SO MUCH;  Loving you, JK

 

I Love Lucy ("live" pilot)

CBS Columbia Square 

Currently: KCBS / Columbia Square (vacant)

Location: 6121 Sunset Boulevard (at El Centro Avenue), Hollywood, CA

bing_cbs_columbia_square_400.jpg

 

I Love Lucy (first two seasons; Stage 2)

General Service Studios 

Currently: Hollywood Center Studios  

Location: 1040 N. Las Palmas Avenue, Hollywood, CA

hollywood_center_studios_street_view_400

 

I Love Lucy (Seasons 3-6; Stage 9);TLBDAS

Desilu-Cahuenga 

Formerly: Motion Picture Center Studios; Cinema General; Ren-Mar 

Currently: Red Studios  

Location: 846 N. Cahuenga, Hollywood, CA

service_centers_primary_rsh.jpg

Former Desilu-Cahuenga now Red Studios Main Gate

desilu_playhouse_stage8&9_doors_400.jpg

"Desilu Playhouse" audience doors at 847 Lillian Way for Stages 8 and 9

("Our Miss Brooks" and "I Love Lucy" respectively at Desilu Cahuenga)

desilu-cahuenga-(red-studios)-street_vie

Same view today:  the old "Desilu Playhouse" audience doors for Stages 8 and 9

 

Desilu-Gower (The Lucy Show)

Formerly: RKO Hollywood Studios 

Currently: part of Paramount Studios lot 

Location: 780 Gower Street, Hollywood, CA

hollywood-now-028.jpg

(Gower Entrance:  Address used as Lucy Carmichael's Glen Hall Hollywood Apartment building!)
DSCN2103.JPG

t"Lucy Park" at Paramount Studios (in former RKO Hollywood/Desilu-Gower area of lot) (Note the Paramount water tower in the background!)

 

Desilu-Culver 

Formerly: RKO Culver City Studios 

Currently: The Culver Studios  

Location: 9336 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA

desiluculverft.jpg

Desilu-Culver (then)

Culver-Studios-Colonial-styled-movie-stu

The Culver Studios (now)

 

Warner Hollywood (Life With Lucy)

Formerly: United Artists, Samuel Goldwyn and Warner Hollywood 

Currently: The Lot

7200 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood CA

 

WarnerHollywoodStudio(small).jpg

Warner Hollywood (circa 1986-87)

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I Love Lucy ("live" pilot)

CBS Columbia Square 

Currently: KCBS / Columbia Square (vacant)

Location: 6121 Sunset Boulevard (at El Centro Avenue), Hollywood, CA

bing_cbs_columbia_square_400.jpg

 

I Love Lucy (first two seasons; Stage 2)

General Service Studios 

Currently: Hollywood Center Studios  

Location: 1040 N. Las Palmas Avenue, Hollywood, CA

hollywood_center_studios_street_view_400

 

I Love Lucy (Seasons 3-6; Stage 9);TLBDAS

Desilu-Cahuenga 

Formerly: Motion Picture Center Studios; Cinema General; Ren-Mar 

Currently: Red Studios  

Location: 846 N. Cahuenga, Hollywood, CA

service_centers_primary_rsh.jpg

Former Desilu-Cahuenga now Red Studios Main Gate

desilu_playhouse_stage8&9_doors_400.jpg

"Desilu Playhouse" audience doors at 847 Lillian Way for Stages 8 and 9

("Our Miss Brooks" and "I Love Lucy" respectively at Desilu Cahuenga)

desilu-cahuenga-(red-studios)-street_vie

Same view today:  the old "Desilu Playhouse" audience doors for Stages 8 and 9

 

Desilu-Gower (The Lucy Show)

Formerly: RKO Hollywood Studios 

Currently: part of Paramount Studios lot 

Location: 780 Gower Street, Hollywood, CA

hollywood-now-028.jpg

(Gower Entrance:  Address used as Lucy Carmichael's Glen Hall Hollywood Apartment building!)
DSCN2103.JPG

t"Lucy Park" at Paramount Studios (in former RKO Hollywood/Desilu-Gower area of lot) (Note the Paramount water tower in the background!)

 

Desilu-Culver 

Formerly: RKO Culver City Studios 

Currently: The Culver Studios  

Location: 9336 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA

desiluculverft.jpg

Desilu-Culver (then)

Culver-Studios-Colonial-styled-movie-stu

The Culver Studios (now)

 

Warner Hollywood (Life With Lucy)

Formerly: United Artists, Samuel Goldwyn and Warner Hollywood 

Currently: The Lot

7200 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood CA

 

WarnerHollywoodStudio(small).jpg

Warner Hollywood (circa 1986-87)

 

Thanks again Joey, terrific pics.  Always loved the fact that her old filming place is now called RED studios, how appropriate!

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That's funny, I drive by it every day to work and cringe, between the gawdawful new gray paint and the "new" name!  It'll always be "Desilu" to me! :lucyeww:

I'd feel the exact same way if I drove by her once beautiful mansion and see it the way it is now.  Reminds me of that Arab buying that Hollywood or Beverly Hills manse and putting up statues and painting the pubic hair, just disgusting.

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