Universal Studios Hollywood


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Coordinates: 34°08′11″N 118°21′22″W / 34.136518, -118.356051

Universal Studios Hollywood
Universal Studios Uniglobe
Location Universal City, California, United States
Website Official site
Owner NBC Universal
Operating season Year-round
Rides 16 total
  • 1 roller coasters
  • 1 water rides

Universal Studios Hollywood is a movie studio in the Universal City community of unincorporated Los Angeles County, California, United States, and is the original Universal Studios theme park. Woody Woodpecker is the mascot for Universal Studios Hollywood and the rest of the Universal Studios Theme Parks. It is one of the oldest and most famous Hollywood movie studios still in use. Its official marketing headline is "The Entertainment Capital of LA", though during the summer it is often advertised as "The Coolest Place in LA." It was initially created to offer tours of the real Universal Studios soundstages and sets. It is the first of many fully-fledged Universal Studios Theme Parks, along with Universal Studios Florida, Universal Studios Japan, and the upcoming Universal Studios Singapore, Universal Studios Dubai, and Universal Studios South Korea theme parks.

Contents

Universal Hollywood tour

Fountain at park entrance

From the beginning, Universal has offered tours of its studio. In the silent film days, Carl Laemmle's tour included a chance to buy fresh produce, since then-rural Universal City was still in part a working farm.

Shortly after MCA took over Universal Pictures in 1962, accountants suggested a tour stop in the studio commissary would increase profits, and in 1964, the modest tour was expanded to include a series of dressing room walk-throughs, peeks at actual production, and later, staged events. This grew over the years into a full-blown theme park - the narrated tram (formerly "Glamortram") tour still runs through the studio's active backlot, but the staged events, stunt demonstrations, and high-tech rides overshadow the motion-picture production that once lured fans to Universal Studios Hollywood. Universal City also includes hotels Universal Hilton & Towers, the Sheraton Hotels and Resorts), a multi-screen theater, and Universal CityWalk, which offers a collection of shops and restaurants, as well as the Gibson Amphitheatre, a concert venue.

Backlot fire

Smoke during the fire. The Courthouse facade is visible to the left of the smoke plume.
Damage to the sets after the fire.

A Three Alarm fire broke out on the backlot of Universal Studios on June 1, 2008.[1] The Los Angeles Fire Department had reported that Brownstone Street, New York Street, New England Street, the King Kong ride, some structures that make up Courthouse Square, the War of the Worlds movie[1] set, and the Video Vault had burnt down (not to be confused with the actual Film Vault, The Video Vault contains the duplicates of the films). Aerial news footage later showed that the actual Courthouse facade survived the fire, although the west side of it was slightly charred. Over 516 firefighters[1] from various local fire departments, as well as two helicopters dropping water, had responded to the fire. Fourteen firefighters and three Los Angeles County sheriffs' deputies sustained minor injures. It was the seventh serious backlot fire to strike Universal since 1932. The fire was finally put out after 12 hours, since firefighters encountered low water pressure.

Destroyed were 40,000 to 50,000 archived digital video and film copies chronicling Universal's movie and TV classic shows, dating back to the 1920s, including the films Knocked Up and Atonement, the NBC series Law & Order, The Office, and Miami Vice, and CBS's I Love Lucy.[2][3]. Many audio master tapes from Universal Music have been destroyed as well.[4] As Universal Studios' workhorse sets, buildings, and rides were lost, YouTube stands as de facto memorial to Universal Studios' lost studio tour attractions and buildings.[5] Universal president Ron Meyer stated that nothing irreplaceable was lost, meaning everything will be rebuilt again, at a price of at least 50 million dollars. Days after the fire, however, it was reported that the King Kong attraction will not be rebuilt and will eventually be replaced by a new King Kong attraction yet to be announced.[6]

Attractions

Statue at the entrance of the park.

The attractions at Universal Studios Hollywood are split into two areas on different levels, connected by a series of escalators called the Starway.

Upper lot

Lower lot

Park characters

View of the studio backlot at Universal Studios Hollywood. The studio tour takes visitors through the backlot.

Universal Studios has a number of costumed characters roaming the park grounds, representing many different genres. Some are portrayals of Hollywood icons, like the Marx Brothers, Marilyn Monroe, and Lucille Ball. Others are based on Universal's vast media library, such as:

To augment its collection, Universal Studios Hollywood has licensed many other popular characters, like those from Shrek, and Nickelodeon shows SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer. Most recently, as promotion for their movie and their new attraction, the Simpsons can now be seen in the park. The Marvel superheroes used to be walking around, but disappeared ever since Marvel's contract with Universal expired.

Rocky and Bullwinkle, The Land Before Time characters, and Chipmunk characters have starred in their own former live shows, but never walked around before.

Former attractions

Upper lot:

Lower lot:

Dining

Upper lot:

View of the lower lot.

Lower lot:

Shopping

Upper lot:

Lower lot:

  • Tomb Treasures (Revenge of the Mummy)
  • Jurassic Outfitters (Jurassic Park: The Ride)

Former shops

Upper Lot:

Lower lot

  • E.T.'s Toy Closet closed in 2003 and are now lockers for Revenge of the Mummy

Future attractions

References

  1. ^ a b c "Universal Studios blaze burns sets, video vault". Retrieved on 2008-06-13.
  2. ^ "Fire at Universal Studios destroys sets, videos".[dead link]
  3. ^ "Universal studios fire may cost tens of millions". Retrieved on 2008-06-13.[dead link]
  4. ^ "Both Sides Now Stereo Chat Board". Retrieved on 2008-08-25.
  5. ^ "YouTube enshrines Universal Studios' lost attractions".
  6. ^ "Universal Studios Hollywood to replace ‘King Kong’ with new attraction".
  7. ^ Ann Brigham, “Behind-the-Scenes Space: Promoting Production in a Landscape of Consumption,” pp. 207-223 in The Themed Space: Locating Culture, Nation, and Self, ed. Scott A. Lukas (Lanham, MD, Lexington Books, 2007), ISBN 0739121421
  8. ^ [1]

External links

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34°08′31″N 118°21′14″W / 34.142, -118.354

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Universal Studios Hollywood Attractions
Upper Lot
Lower Lot
Jurassic Park: The Ride · Revenge of the Mummy: The Ride · Backdraft · Special Effects Stages · The Universal Experience · Transformers (upcoming)
Former
Back to the Future: The Ride • E.T. Adventure • King Kong Encounter  • Fear Factor LIVE  • Van Helsing: Castle Dracula • Star Trek • Spider-Man Rocks • Beetlejuice's Rock and Roll Graveyard Revue • An American Tail Theatre • Fievel's Playland • The Land of a Thousand Faces • The Wild Wild Wild West Stunt Show • Lucy: A Tribute • Rugrats Magic Adventure 3-D
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Universal Studios theme parks
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