The RKO Globe: Up close and (semi) personal

Any classic cinema fan worth their salt is familiar with the RKO Radio Picture trademark that was featured at the beginning of their films. Maybe you are familiar with “Citizen Kane,” “Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer,” and “It’s a Wonderful Life”? The globe and radio tower weren’t just part of celluloid; they actually existed at the corner of Melrose Avenue and Gower Street in Hollywood, on top of Stage 21.



Now a part of Paramount Studios, the radio tower is gone, but the globe remains, barely visible from below as cars and pedestrians pass by.



As fate would have it, I had the opportunity to see the globe at eye level recently, and fortunately I had my camera.



Could you get a better framed detail view? The Hollywood sign AND the globe!



The old RKO studios where bought out by Desilu (“I Love Lucy”) in 1957, then sold to Paramount ten years later. It appears that the Globe was threatened back in 2015. According to the Los Angeles Visionaries Association:

Paramount’s new Master Plan calls for demolition of eight stages and multiple other ancillary buildings. One of the stages intended for demolition is Stage 21 at the corner of Melrose and Gower. The historic RKO Radio Pictures Studio Globe that sits atop Stage 21 is currently slated for demolition.

I’m not sure of the behind-the-scenes status, but I am glad it’s still there!

See more photos at my main website.

Bedford Falls: Behind the Scenes

Before there was Main Street, U.S.A. at Disneyland, there was Bedford Falls. It’s the idyllic little town at the center of the Christmas classic, “It's a Wonderful Life” (1946). Today’s post shows some rare images taken during the filming of a scene with James Stewart and Gloria Grahame.

The RKO movie ranch in Encino is where the fictional Bedford Falls was created; Max Ree’s Oscar-winning sets for “Cimarron” (1931) served as the foundation for Frank Capra’s “It’s A Wonderful Life.” The ranch itself covered 89 (or 110 depending upon the source!) acres of ground; Bedford Falls took up four acres with its main street (300 yards/three city blocks long) with 75 stores and buildings and a residential neighborhood. Bedford Falls also included a tree-lined center parkway (based on what Director Frank Capra had seen in New York’s Seneca Falls when he visited in 1945), a working bank set, and full-grown oak trees transplanted from Encino. Pigeons, cats, and dogs were allowed to roam the set to make it seem more authentic.



Due to the requirements of filming two different versions of the town (and different seasons), the exterior set had to be extremely adaptable. For the autumn scenes the leaves were knocked off; for winter, the trees were coated with white plaster. When you see James Stewart sweating in his heavy overcoat during the snowfall, it’s not just because of stress; those scenes were filmed in the scorching heat of an Encino summer! Russell Shearman, RKO’s head of special effects, developed a new compound using water, soap flakes, foamite, and sugar to create snow for the film. Previously, movie snow was made from untoasted cornflakes which were so loud when stepped on that dialogue had to be dubbed. Window sills were coated with gypsum to look like ice; car tracks with formed with actual crushed ice.



Filming of “It’s A Wonderful Life” began on April 15, 1946 and ended July 27, 1946, exactly on deadline.



A wide view of the tree-lined parkway:



In this detailed view, you can see Gower Drug Store in the background on the left:



…and Stewart and Grahame:



The mansion for Orson Welles’ “The Magnificent Ambersons” (1942) was also located here at the movie ranch. RKO sold off the movie ranch in 1953 and it was torn down to make way for a subdivision of homes. It is known as the Lake Balboa area today.

See more photos at my main website.