UNIVERSAL STUDIOS FIRE TORCHES SETS, VIDEO VAULT

[MichaelDoran]

by GREG RISLING, Associated Press Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) _ A large fire tore through a back lot at Universal Studios early Sunday, destroying a set from ``Back to the Future,'' the King Kong exhibit at the popular tourist attraction and a video vault containing more than 40,000 videos and reels.

The blaze broke out on a backlot sound stage in a set featuring New York brownstones facades around 4:30 a.m. Sunday at the 400-acre (160-hectare) property, but was contained later in the day, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Michael Freeman said.

Roughly 40,000 to 50,000 videos and reels were damaged in the vault, but there were duplicates stored in a different location, NBC Universal President and Chief Operating Officer Ron Meyer said.

``Nothing is lost forever,'' Meyer said.

The videos included every film that Universal has produced and footage from television series' like ``Miami Vice'' and ``I Love Lucy.'' Firefighters recovered hundreds of those titles from the vault, Freeman said.

The iconic courthouse square from ``Back to the Future,'' was also destroyed, Freeman said, and the famous clock tower that enabled star Michael J. Fox's character to time travel was damaged.

The King Kong exhibit is a stop on the studio's tram tour where the giant ape bellows at passengers and artificial banana scent fills the area, studio spokesman Eliot Sekuler said.

Los Angeles County Fire Inspector Daryl Jacobs said as many as three blocks of movie facades were destroyed, including two mock New York and New England streets used for filmmaking and tourist displays.

A commercial shoot was going on when the fire broke out, Sekuler said. The cause of the fire was under investigation.

Universal Studios, located nine miles (14.4 kilometers) north of downtown Los Angeles, has thrill rides and a back lot where movies and television shows are filmed. One of the more familiar back lot attractions is the house featured in the Alfred Hitchcock film ``Psycho.''

Scenes from several blockbuster films and television shows have been filmed at the studios, including ``War of the Worlds,'' ``When Harry met Sally'' and ``Scrubs.''

The fire however will not affect the 2008 MTV Movie Awards, which was to be broadcast live Sunday night from the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, according to the music network.

Meyer said the park would open at noon Sunday, and on a typical weekend day about 25,000 people visit the theme park. However, tram tours would avoid the King Kong attraction, Sekuler said.

More than 100 firefighters tried to prevent the flames from spreading to nearby brush. A thick column of smoke rose thousands of feet into the air and for a time helicopters swept in to drop water. Three firefighters had minor injuries.

[Union Jim]

Originally Posted by MichaelDoran

The iconic courthouse square from ``Back to the Future,'' was also destroyed, Freeman said, and the famous clock tower that enabled star Michael J. Fox's character to time travel was damaged.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

(To be honest I didn't even realise it still existed, do many film sets get kept after filming?)

[nightwingoracle]

If I recall correctly, that's set is used quite often on various things because it is your typical small town courthouse square set...they just dress it with different props and landscapes for the needs of whatever film/tv series they are shooting. I believe it was in existence before "Back to the Future."

[Union Jim]

Ah, so it was a proper back lot set kept for filming rather than purpose built for BTTF and then kept as a tourist attraction.

[Tiger47]

Originally Posted by Union Jim

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

(To be honest I didn't even realise it still existed, do many film sets get kept after filming?)

Quoted for truth.

[Harmful]

I hope this is a wake up call to the other studios to ensure their reel vaults are safe and fireproof.

[kitty_tc]

Originally Posted by Harmful

I hope this is a wake up call to the other studios to ensure their reel vaults are safe and fireproof.

I'm just thankful there were duplicates in a separate location. Now they need to duplicate those duplicates a time or ten more and distribute them to other safe places.

[Groovie Mann]

Originally Posted by Union Jim

(To be honest I didn't even realise it still existed, do many film sets get kept after filming?)

depends. Universal kept a lot of their old horror movie sets(at least, for a period of time. i'm not sure now) because they figured it would be cost effective to just redress them for other movies. also they kept them for the Spanish language verions of their horror movies they would actually film.

sometimes the studios keep sets they think could come in handy later. in the commentary for Big Trouble Little China from 2002 they remark that most of their set is still at Fox and get used for lots of stuff from music videos to other films.

[hatutzeraze1]

Originally Posted by Harmful

I hope this is a wake up call to the other studios to ensure their reel vaults are safe and fireproof.

I'm glad no one died. Sets and props can always be replaced.

hatutzeraze1

[gcoleman99]

Originally Posted by nightwingoracle

If I recall correctly, that's set is used quite often on various things because it is your typical small town courthouse square set...they just dress it with different props and landscapes for the needs of whatever film/tv series they are shooting. I believe it was in existence before "Back to the Future."

Nope. It was built specifically for BTTF, but then kept because it was so useful.

[beta-ray]

Originally Posted by Union Jim

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

(To be honest I didn't even realise it still existed, do many film sets get kept after filming?)

GREAT SCOTT!!!

[Lyrrad]

Originally Posted by gcoleman99

Nope. It was built specifically for BTTF, but then kept because it was so useful.

The Wikipedia article for the set suggests that it was in use for decades before BTTF, most notably for To Kill a Mockingbird.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Courthouse_Square

[alazar]

As of this posting, it was reported that there were explosions. It is not yet
known if the explosions caused the fire, or if the fire caused the explosions..

[Peasily]

Perhaps instead of hoarding the videos, they can offer downloads for sale. Then there would be more copies.

[grphxkindaguy]

Ugh, they saved the Miami Vice reels? Why God WHY?!?

[Kirbyfan]

I'm not sure what this story has to do with comics. When was the last time that Universal even made a comics related movie?

[JamesZahn]

The same section of backlot also burned in 1990 but was rebuilt from the original blueprints.

As for the Courthouse set, it was indeed used long before Back to the Future. The one addition made to it was the famous "Clock". Prior to that it was the iconic structure, but seldom associated with just one film.

As opposed to the 1990 fire, this one was far more destructive.

[grphxkindaguy]

Originally Posted by Kirbyfan

I'm not sure what this story has to do with comics. When was the last time that Universal even made a comics related movie?

Welcome to the new 'Rama...

[Derek Ruiz]

Originally Posted by Kirbyfan

I'm not sure what this story has to do with comics. When was the last time that Universal even made a comics related movie?

ummm...The Incredible Hulk, Wanted and Hell Boy?

[atomika]

I've worked on that lot many times, it's a shame.
Much, much history there.

The European street is near there as well
(Still exists from the Universal Monster movie days-was used in Frankenstein.)

Little by little Universal has been parcelling the place up to make room
for the theme park.
I hope they continue to retain some of the old sets for historical reasons.

Sal Abbinanti


www.mercurycomics.com