Monster Island News: Studio

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Iconic UK Horror Landmark Marked for Destruction

From FEARnet

In a shocking turn of events reported by the UK Daily Mail, the owner of Bray Studios – the landmark site of countless horror films, including many from Hammer's classic era of the '50s and '60s, like Horror of Dracula and Curse of Frankenstein – has announced that the Berkshire, UK site will no longer be available to the film industry, and will instead be torn down to make way for luxury housing. As you can imagine, the announcement set off a firestorm of protests, with filmmakers like Terry Gilliam (who filmed some of The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus at Bray) and Rocky Horror's Richard O’Brien joining the ranks of the outraged. The protesters argue that the Bray's financial decline is due to mishandling of the site by its owner, Neville Hendricks. “There is still a place for the smaller studios like Bray,” says Gilliam.

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Save Pickfair Studios! Update And Protest Info!

Written By: Ken Hulsey

Today there will be a protest at Pickfair Studios. I encourage all who live in the vicinity to attend. All week I have been posting links as well as articles and even a blog article written by Kenneth Lee Hulsey and myself about the impending fate of this legendary and historically relevant movie studio. It is easy to discuss how much we all love movies, but with most things it is much harder to prove what they really mean to us. I realize we are spread all over the country as well as the world and most who would attend just cannot...but those who live in the vicinity....please, please attend! I would like to express my appreciation to all of those who signed the petition! Thank you very much! - Terri Pressley

As Terri mentioned above earlier this week I posted an article about the impending destruction of Pickfair Studios one of Hollywood's earliest and most iconic movie studios where such classics as "Some Like It Hot", "Guys and Dolls" and even "Star Wars" were filmed. Now since that time I got a chance to drive by the location, snap a couple of photographs and survey the area a bit. As it has been noted by other writers covering this story the art deco design of the structures in question are just amazing to look at and without a doubt there are many dilapidated and graffiti covered structures nearby that could and should be leveled to improve the general appeal of the neighborhood. So why level a iconic Hollywood location and historical landmark? The answer there is very simple, location, location, location, the plot of land, now known as "The Lot" is directly across the street from a modern shopping complex with a Target and a Bevmo.

Without wanting to seem like I support the idea of leveling this piece of Hollywood history I can understand CIM's desire for wanting to build another set of high end stores so close to an existing shopping complex to a point. It makes business sense. Well, at least on the outset it would seem that way. One could see that if the location was either abandoned or was not economically viable but that is not the case here at all. Pickfair Studios as it stands today is still a very active location with movie and television productions using it's numerous buildings for filming right now. On the day I stopped by people and cars were going in and out as if it was still a major Hollywood studio (as my photos will attest) and casual look through the fence revealed that indeed there is still a lot of activity going on inside those walls.

So what can be done? Well I have a simple idea that would solve this problem if CIM would listen. Turn the studio property into a museum ... or sell it to someone or some entity who wanted to do so, as well as keep it an active studio then buy up some of the run down properties across La Brea on the other side of the existing shopping complex and build there.

To expand on my thoughts. I have always wanted to open a Hollywood film museum and this would be the perfect local for such a project. The bulk of the studio could remain open for filming and selected structures could house the exhibits. Money could be generated through film projects, museum admission and a gift shop / online store.

To simple to work right?

Here is the info on a protest that will be happening today outside "The Lot":

Protest CIM at Pickfair 4/1/2012!

We are currently planning a protest at the Pickfair Lot for the morning of Sunday the 1st of April….or as the City of West Hollywood will be declaring “Kardashian Day” (NO FOOLIN!)

Meeting Place: Right off Santa Monica Blvd at Formosa where the offices are located. Say THE LOT in big letters. Allison Anders will be in attendance to lead all supporters.

Time: 1pm PST

Parking: The Target center has parking for $1.50 an hour, free with validation. There is also street parking that should be unencumbered for a Sunday

BRING YOUR FRIENDS AND ALL PRESS!!!

What You Can Do

*Bring video cameras and phone cameras to film the events

*Make protest signs out of big paper and wooden sticks. Suggested slogans: Mary we care, SAVE PICKFAIR. ITS OUR HERITAGE SAVE PICKFAIR. CIM WE’RE WATCHING YOU SAVE PICKFAIR. HONK IF YOU SUPPORT PRESERVING PICKFAIR STUDIOS!

*Be respectful, courteous and law abiding.

What is Pickfair Day? On Friday 3/30/12 West Hollywood Daily reported the city council of West Hollywood had decreed it officially ‘Kardashian Day’ in honor of the reality TV stars opening a store in the city limits. We have decided to rename the day for something that matters: Pickfair Day. Help us trend on twitter by tweeting comments with the hashtag #PickfairDay and #PickfairDayProtest. - From http://savethepickfairstudio.wordpress.com

See Also: Iconic Hollywood Studio To Be Demolished Unless Fans Step In!

Kardashian Day?!!! Are you friggin kidding me! After your done protesting at Pickfair go to the street and protest that to!

Iconic Hollywood Studio To Be Demolished Unless Fans Step In!

Written By: Terri Pressley / Ken Hulsey

Does it seem feasible that the city of West Hollywood would condone the demolition of a historical landmark?

The idea that a city that normally prides itself on the preservation of of historic structures would turn a blind eye when a developer plans to bulldoze a complex that houses one of Hollywood's earliest and most acclaimed studios seems on the outside to be preposterous, but that is exactly what is about to happen.

At the heart of a growing controversy in the land where dreams are created as fast as they are destroyed is the famed Pickford-Fairbanks Studios where such movies as Some Like It Hot, The Thief of Bagdad, Guys and Dolls, and even select scenes from Star Wars (Episode 4: A New Hope) were filmed.

“This is a sacrilege – do the greedy people threatening this not have any pride in the history of Hollywood? Do they not have any respect and pride for the founders of motion pictures, Douglas Fairbanks Sr. and Mary Pickford ? The Save Pickford-Fairbanks studios must stop this from happening – it is obliterating history and the legacy that Douglas Fairbanks Sr. and Mary Pickford left.” — Daphne Fairbanks

The City of West Hollywood and the CIM Group have plans to demolish the legendary Pickfair Studios, founded in 1919 by Charlie Chaplin, D.W. Griffith, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks. Together they formed the first major independent film studio, United Artist. All four of these historic and revolutionary filmmakers spent the remainder of their careers (with a brief exception for Chaplin) making their films with UA. To accommodate their filmmaking, they built the Pickford-Fairbanks studio on Santa Monica Boulevard at the corner of Santa Monica and Formosa, the former Jesse Hampton Studio lot. In addition to silent film classics like Son of the Sheik, Sparrows, and Thief of Bagdad, films like Wuthering Heights (1939), Guys and Dolls, Some Like It Hot (1959), and West Side Story (1959) were also shot there. When George Lucas returned from England, he reshot some of the original Star War scenes at the Pickfair Studio. The Pickfair Studio saw the likes of not only those greats but stars including Rudolph Valentino, Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable, Frank Sinatra, Myrna Loy, Natalie Wood, Marlon Brando, Susan Hayward, Greer Garson, Jack Lemmon, Danny Kaye, Eddie Cantor and Laurence Olivier making some of their most memorable films on the historic lot. This studio, located at Highland and Santa Monica on the border of West Hollywood, CA, stands...but not for much longer.

In the early 50s, against Pickford's will (Griffith and Fairbanks were by then deceased), the studio and company were sold. It passed hands several times before being purchased by Sky Partners in 1999 and renaming it’ The Lot’. Since then Sky Partners has been doing all they can to facilitate the demolition of the historic studio. Skye has sold to CIM Group who plans to raze all historic buildings, with of course, the approval of the West Hollywood City Council. Even though these are historical buildings and legally protected as such, the Los Angeles City Council does not care. Land is valuable in this big and overcrowded town; and they want it. As of April 2012 CIM plans to destroy all the historic buildings. It is history they mean to destroy film lovers, we must band together and let them know that we will not stand by idly; they should not be allowed to destroy film history without a fight.

Sign the online petition - Save Pickfair Studios!

There is a growing online movement to save the studio being pushed forward through blogs, classic movie groups and websites. Though this movement is gaining steam very quickly it may not be enough to beat the clock before CIM can move forward with their plans. As it stands now the once iconic studio will begin to be demolished as soon as the first week of April. That's why things need to move and move as fast as possible or one of Hollywood's historic sites will be no more!

How can you help? Well you need to make your voice heard by contacting the powers behind this travesty. Who should you contact? Well we have a list for you:

CIM Group

http://www.cimgroup.com/

6922 Hollywood Blvd. 9th Floor Los Angeles, CA 90028

P.323.860.4900

F.323.860.4901

Karen Diehl

Casey & Sayre

11835 W. Olympic Blvd.

Suite 1285

Los Angeles, CA 90064

p 310.473.8090

f 310.473.8291