Tweet Old Pickford/Fairbanks Studios Set To Be Demolished...

http://laist.com/2012/03/26/historic_we ... lished.php


Sad time for silent film history and it's legacy....

This is lousy, lousy news, which has apparently been in the offing for some time but (I thought) had been successfully headed off. There's a couple of pictures from my visit there last year, plus a few historic pictures on my blog at http://brooksiescollection.tumblr.com/day/2011/09/14. The parts of the studio on the corner of Formosa and Santa Monica Boulevard in particular look much the same today as they did in the 30s (see http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics07/00013281.jpg). There is even an old United Artists logo still extant on the Santa Monica side.

When they're trying to make Hollywood a nice place for people to visit, it beats me why they make decisions like this. If they so desperately want their big shiny towers, they could easily be built without disrupting these heritage buildings.

Please say that this isn't true!! Can't they make it into a state park as they did with The Paramount Ranch or the William S. Hart Ranch? There MUST be a solution other than demolition.

Please say that this isn't true!! Can't they make it into a state park as they did with The Paramount Ranch or the William S. Hart Ranch? There MUST be a solution other than demolition.

State park??? You must be from out of state ...

By the way, the Talmadge/Comique studio in New York on East 48th St. was torn down last week. Here's a photo i took a vew years ago:


greta

"The romance of film-making ends here."
Fairbanks' quote takes on a new poignancy and irony now.

Next thing you know, they'll add sound to films and that'll be the end of silent pictures!!

Don't believe everything you see. The entire studio is not going to be demolished. A few buildings, yes, but not everything along Santa Monica Blvd. The historical buildings will continue to be there. These plans were approved more than 5 years ago, so protests should have happened them to stop anything from being torn down. Here is Hollywood Heritage's statement on what is happening:
Like many of you, we are saddened to hear about the proposed demolition of parts of the historic Pickford Fairbanks Studio. In recent days, there have been inconsistent reports of the scope of the demolition, ranging from the demolition of select buildings leaving only a facade remnant along Santa Monica Blvd.

Unfortunately, this is a case which stretches back a number of years and received approval at that time for the scope of work then submitted. The original development plan was approved in 1993. In 2006, the City of West Hollywood issued a Supplemental Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for a revised development plan, focusing on the project’s impacts on historic resources.

Both the Los Angeles Conservancy and Hollywood Heritage testified at the Planning Commission and the City Council hearings, focusing on the Supplemental EIR’s failure to consider alternatives to demolition. In May 2007, the West Hollywood City Council approved a revised development plan that included the demolition of some, but not all of the buildings at the site.

Any loss of a building which relates to community and industry leaders like Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford is a significant loss. In addition to the studio, Pickford and Fairbanks were also instrumental in the construction of the Hollywood Roosevelt hotel and the formation of the Motion Picture Academy and the Motion Picture Country Home.

I'm so upset. Didn't anyone care to declare these as historical landmarks? Including the Talmadge one that was destroyed last week. Just disgusting. Why is any of this necessary. Oh, that's right, it's not! So why do it?

Please say that this isn't true!! Can't they make it into a state park as they did with The Paramount Ranch or the William S. Hart Ranch? There MUST be a solution other than demolition.

State park??? You must be from out of state ...

greta

Srsly. No chance there.

that's very sad. To say they're going to demolish part it, and leave a facade, that's stupid. They wold eventually do away with the whole building, why don't they just tell the truth. They're trying to ease the emotional impact of tearing down movie history. I would guess we all have seen that photo when Doug and Mary first opened the facility, the landscape had horizon then, and I believe Mary was on Doug's shoulders and a sort of half-baked homely looking sign indicated the studio. I really would've thought that something as historic as this studio would be on NRHP(National Register of Historic Places) giving it some protection:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_R ... ric_Places

I guess you've never seen the site, but there are many buildings there. As I said, don't believe everything you read, they are not tearing down every building, not tearing down all the facades along Santa Monica Blvd., and not reconstructing anything. Complaints should have come in 2006 and 2007 when it would have made a difference, everything has been approved, so there's not much that can be done.

And no, it can't become a state park, because the state of California is trying to unload parks or shut down those little attended for lack of money.

I guess you've never seen the site, but there are many buildings there. As I said, don't believe everything you read, they are not tearing down every building, not tearing down all the facades along Santa Monica Blvd., and not reconstructing anything. Complaints should have come in 2006 and 2007 when it would have made a difference, everything has been approved, so there's not much that can be done.

And no, it can't become a state park, because the state of California is trying to unload parks or shut down those little attended for lack of money.

Cool, no I've never been there. Just added my 2cents about the National Register of HIstoric Places.

I kinda blame Tony Villar and his real estate folks now you see why local SO CAL radio stationi KFI Radio news always goof on Tony Villar my Mayor

There is a petition to save the stages set for destruction and to preserve the studios' historic integrity at:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/868/826/981/save-pickfair-studios/?cid=FB_TAF_new

Thanks for the link. I just signed the petition. This is an absolute travesty and must be averted at any and all cost! Imagine the Greek government allowing the destruction of the ruins of the Acropolis or The Parthenon? That is the American equivalent of what these people are doing! Tell them that.

Hey thanks Lon love you in your horror movies Phantom Hunchback

Well, gagman, I think that comparison is a little melodramatic.

Hollywood, and most cities in the US, have little regard for old buildings of historic, or not so historic importance. That is plainly evident. The Lot is a working studio, after all.

I think Missdupont stated the situation correctly and since she's on the Board of Hollywood Heritage, she's privy to good information.

The time for protests was long ago.

Now, the actions of the Mary Pickford Foundation in a different thread, I find that very disturbing. But I won't hijack this thread to discuss that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... VzxHZ3A3uk



The Pickford building was destroyed during the day of 4/3/12. RIP

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=KVzxHZ3A3uk" target="_blank



The Pickford building was destroyed during the day of 4/3/12. RIP

Well'p, viewing that video made me wanna do only one thing...