| Best regards | | | | have been updated tooffer TV commentary by stars |
| Cary Ordway | | | | like Whoopi Goldberg, but theexperience was much |
| LA visitors get close-up look at movie-making | | | | the same as it was back in the 70's ?only the TV |
| While movie-making is done "on location" more than | | | | shows and movies have changed. Longtimeattractions |
| everbefore, the Los Angeles area still is home to a | | | | like the original Psycho house are still there,but now the |
| steadystream of movie and television productions ? so | | | | tour includes a stop on Wysteria Lane to seethe |
| many thatit's not unusual to come across filming on | | | | Desperate Housewives. You can still see where |
| any given tripto L.A. And out-of-towners never seem | | | | Spartacuswas filmed, but now you also drive right |
| to get tired ofvisiting movie studios and famous | | | | through the planecrash scene from War of the |
| movie-making locations. | | | | Worlds. A new Fast and Furiousdemonstration adds |
| Today most of the studios are closed to the public | | | | another thrill with two race carshurtling toward the |
| exceptwhen audiences are needed for live shows or | | | | tram through the magic of hydraulics. |
| when the callgoes out for extras to populate various | | | | Universal Studios is one of the best and easiest ways |
| movie scenes. Butthere are several that do allow | | | | toget a close-up view of L.A. movie-making, but there |
| tours, including some wherethe chances are good you'll | | | | aremany other fascinating locations around town. For |
| see a real movie star. | | | | example,the Paramount Ranch in Agoura Hills was |
| The granddaddy of movie studio tours has to be | | | | home to productionslike Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman, |
| Universal | | | | the Flintstones: Viva Rock |
| Studios Hollywood, which now includes its movie studio | | | | Vegas and numerous TV series. And, did you know |
| touras just one small part of a Disneyland-like theme | | | | that youcan visit a Culver City industrial area that was |
| park withelaborate rides and attractions all having | | | | once the |
| something to dowith the movies. Built along a hillside in | | | | "Forty Acre Back lot," the former location of |
| Universal City,the theme park has grown over the | | | | Mayberrywhere all the outdoor scenes on the Andy |
| years incorporating newattractions that match up with | | | | Griffith Show werefilmed? |
| some of the hottest moviesproduced at Universal. | | | | In addition, there are still other interesting studio |
| We first visited Universal more than 30 years ago so, | | | | toursyou can take: |
| onour recent visit to the park, the overall experience | | | | Warner Brothers Studios, Burbank ? We enjoyed this |
| seemedmuch more of a complete entertainment | | | | two-hourtour which we took a few years back. |
| package than when thetour was just a movie studio | | | | Visitors are escortedin groups of 12 through the |
| tour with few additionalattractions. We had been back | | | | Warner Brothers lot, with stopsalong the way at |
| to the park in the 90's but,even since then, this theme | | | | television and movie sets. All of the setsand props |
| park has seemed to growdramatically, adding new | | | | here are real and not just for the benefit of thetourists. |
| attractions on a regular basis toencourage visitors to | | | | Visitors get to see the costume department aswell as |
| return. | | | | the mill that creates the sets. Since |
| Visitors to the park are now greeted with a choice | | | | numerousproductions are ongoing at any given time, |
| ofparking, lower priced parking that requires a | | | | you may have abetter chance here of seeing a star ? |
| littlewalking and premium parking that is closer to the | | | | we didn't, but it wasfun seeing the actual sets for |
| park. Wechose the former because we need the | | | | shows like Friends. Phone |
| exercise ? but, alas,the park has installed an elaborate | | | | 818-972-TOUR. |
| 21st Century system ofescalators to whisk visitors all | | | | Sony Pictures Studios, Culver City ? If you want to |
| over the hilly terrainboth from the parking lot, and from | | | | visitthe studio that made the Wizard of Oz, this is the |
| the theme park down tothe actual movie lot. | | | | place. |
| One of the highlights of our Universal visit was | | | | It's the former MGM Studios and offers a walking tour |
| adiscovery we made: the Front of the Line Pass. It is a | | | | ofthe studio's back lot, sets, sound stages and |
| bitpricey ? at $99.95 it's about double what you'll pay if | | | | historicscenery. In more recent years, the studio is |
| youbuy a regular pass online ? but it totally changes | | | | where Men in |
| theexperience. Instead of waiting in long, hot lines all | | | | Black and Spiderman were filmed, and where shows |
| day | | | | like |
| (typical of most Southern California theme parks) we | | | | Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune are taped. Phone |
| werequickly zipping between the best attractions, | | | | 323-520-TOUR. |
| neverstanding in line more than five minutes. We felt | | | | NBC TV Studio Tour, Burbank ? These studios are |
| we saweverything we wanted to see in one day, but | | | | where manya live television show has been taped, |
| were not nearlyas exhausted as we might have been | | | | including the |
| standing in lines thateach appeared to be 45 minutes | | | | Tonight Show with Jay Leno. The guided walking tour |
| to an hour long. | | | | takesyou into the warehouses where costumes and |
| For middle-age guests who have given up on theme | | | | props arestored, control room areas and the tour gives |
| parksbecause of the lines, the Front of the Line Pass | | | | you a greatoverview of how network television is |
| will putyou right back in the game. | | | | produced. Phone |
| Most rides at Universal are relatively tame ? not quite | | | | 818-840-3537. |
| thekiddie-land variety, but something less than the | | | | AT A GLANCE |
| rollercoasters at Six Flags. The hydraulic rides like | | | | WHERE: Universal Studios Hollywood is located in |
| Back to the | | | | Universal |
| Future continue to be popular, as well as moderate | | | | City, just north of downtown Los Angeles. The theme |
| thrillrides like the roller coaster in the Revenge of the | | | | park iseasily accessed using Highway 101 North. |
| Mummyand the 85-foot waterfall drop for the boats in | | | | General parking is |
| the | | | | $10 while preferred parking is $20. |
| Jurassic Park ride. | | | | WHAT: Universal Studios Hollywood offers the most |
| We were especially impressed with the Waterworld | | | | completeexperience of any movie studio tour ? a |
| show,which apparently is doing a lot better than the | | | | major theme parkand a tour through the actual |
| movie everdid. A group of actors and stunt persons | | | | working areas of Universal |
| puts on a showfilled with acrobatic feats and | | | | Studios. |
| pyrotechnics climaxed by analmost full-scale airplane | | | | WHEN: Year-round. Keep in mind that summertime |
| startling spectators by landingin the water right in front | | | | temperaturescan be warm under direct sun, so wear |
| of their seats. | | | | sunscreen and dressappropriately. |
| There are numerous rides, attractions, top-notch | | | | WHY: While the Universal Studios tour is the most |
| shows ?everything to keep you busy for much longer | | | | slicklyproduced of the movie studio tours ? which is |
| than a day. Butdon't forget to take the studio tour ? | | | | notnecessarily an advantage ? it offers a major theme |
| the thing that gotall of this started decades ago. The | | | | parkright next door. Any trip to Universal Studios |
| tour is stillconducted on the famous trams that snake | | | | Hollywood isas much about visiting the theme park as |
| their way throughthe Universal back lot. The trams | | | | the movie studio. |