In the golden age of Hollywood, massive studio backlots were cities within cities, housing countless movie dreams and memories. Today, these once-mighty locations have largely disappeared, replaced by shopping centers, condominiums, and office parks.
The most legendary of these lost backlots was MGM’s Lot 2 in Culver City, which spanned 40 acres and contained an entire New York City street, a European village, and even a complete Wild West town. Here, classics like ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ and ‘An American in Paris’ came to life. The lot was demolished in 1976, marking the end of an era.
The original 20th Century Fox backlot in Western Los Angeles was another casualty of time. Its 260 acres once housed the sets for ‘Cleopatra’ and the original ‘Planet of the Apes,’ including a massive recreation of ancient Rome. Today, the Century City business district and shopping center stand where Charlton Heston once rode horseback past the ruins of the Statue of Liberty.
RKO Pictures’ backlot, where ‘King Kong’ and ‘Citizen Kane’ were filmed, met a similar fate. Its iconic sets, including the massive wall built for ‘King Kong,’ were torn down to make way for modern development. The Desilu Studios (formerly RKO) lot was eventually subdivided and sold off, though some portions were incorporated into Paramount’s current facility.
These lost backlots represented more than just movie sets – they were physical manifestations of Hollywood’s creative spirit. Each demolished set piece took with it countless stories, both on-screen and off. While modern filmmaking has evolved with CGI and location shooting, the loss of these grand backlots marked the end of an era when movie magic was built by hand, one facade at a time.
Today, only a handful of the original studio backlots remain active, such as Universal Studios and Warner Bros., serving as both working studios and tourist attractions. They stand as living monuments to an age when Hollywood’s dreams were constructed in wood, plaster, and paint, reminding us of the physical craftsmanship that once defined the movie industry.