180 



THE WORLDS ADVANCE 



California, for these facts are merely 

 mentioned in order to convey to the read- 

 er's mind a fair conception of the mag- 

 nitude of the motion picture industry in 

 that sunny locality. The story is rather 

 to literally convey the reader through 

 one of the largest if not the largest 

 producing plants in the United States. 



The Universal Film Manufacturing 

 Company has the unique distinction of 

 being the first motion picture producing 

 firm to own an entire city for the carry- 

 ing on of the work. While other com- 

 panies are spending vast sums of money 

 in acquiring land and 

 erecting huge studios 

 and laboratories, it is 

 probable that no other 

 company is doing this 

 work on such a stu- 

 pendous scale as ' the 

 Universal. 



Prior to about two 

 years ago the main 

 plant of the Universal 

 was situated in Holly- 

 wood, Cal. At that 

 time the officials of the 

 company realized the 

 growing necessity o f 

 spreading out, and, fit- 

 ting the action to the 

 decision, the company 

 purchased a large piece 

 of land something 

 like 500 acres in the 

 beautiful San Fernan- 

 do Valley. Improve- 

 ments were started at 

 that time which will 

 eventually total up 

 more than $2,000,000. 



Universal City, as the entire commu- 

 nity and plant are named, includes prac- 

 tically everything that is necessary for 

 the staging and manufacturing of mo- 

 tion pictures. It is very seldom indeed 

 that the directors are compelled to leave 

 the grounds for any setting. The prop- 

 erty includes hilly land both with and 

 without dense growth of trees, valley 

 property, wash property in which desert 

 scenes are^staged, and an abundance of 

 land especially suited for street scenes 

 and city atmosphere. The Los Angeles 

 River runs directly through the center 



of the property, so that water scenes of 

 all kinds are possible, while the convert- 

 ible bridge crossing the river is so de- 

 signed that it may be changed in a few 

 minutes' time from one type of struc- 

 ture to another for use in different pic- 

 tures. 



Everything that could be desired by 

 a motion picture director is available in 

 Universal City. Mr. H. L. Caulfield, 

 general manager of the Pacific Coast 

 studios of the company, has proved him- 

 self a wizard in the selection of a site 

 as well as in the planning and construc- 

 tion of the community. 



The various brands of 

 the Universal company 

 which are known to many 

 "movie fans" employ regu- 

 larly about 2,000 actors and 

 actresses, or a payroll of 

 more than $26,000 weekly. 

 There are two distinct- 

 ive sections to U n i v e r- 

 s a 1 City the 

 ranch section, 

 which was com- 

 pleted more than 

 a year ago, and 

 the new section 

 which has just 

 been completed. 

 For the most 

 part the ranch is 

 used in making 

 pictures of west- 

 ern life, Indian 

 subjects and 

 other photoplays 

 that necessitate 

 rugged back- 

 grounds. On the 



other hand, the new section is employed 

 in producing pictures requiring special 

 and elaborate settings; the permanent 

 buildings in this section being constructed 

 of reinforced concrete. In the construc- 

 of these buildings 150 carloads of rock 

 has been employed, as well as twenty- 

 five carloads of cement. 



The main feature of the new section 

 of Universal City, and, in fact, of the 

 entire property, is the enormous outdoor 

 stage which is built entirely of rein- 

 forced concrete and steel framework. It 

 covers a ground space of 156 by 320 feet. 



Above: Wood- 

 en Drums on 

 Which Films 

 Are Dried. In 

 the Oval: A 

 Cutting Room 

 Where Films 

 Are Assem- 

 bled. 



