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Desilu…In The Beginning There Was 6633 Romaine Street

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Eyes Of A Generation.com

Desilu…In The Beginning There Was 6633 Romaine Street

During the first few years of ‘I Love Lucy’, Desilu Productions rented space at General Service Studios, which is now the Hollywood Center Studios, on Santa Monica Boulevard and North Las Palmas Avenue.

Desilu used Stage Two which was named Desilu Playhouse and a special entrance was created at 6633 Romaine Street on the south side of the lot allowing entrance into the Desilu Playhouse.

The second photo shows Desi Arnaz on the steps to the Culver office. During its heyday, Desilu Productions owned one of the largest and most complete studio facilities in the world for the production of television, motion picture, industrial and commercial films.

Between 1957 and 1967, it was the only film producer in the industry that operated and maintained three separate studios, — Desilu Gower, Desilu Culver, and Desilu Cahuenga — each possessing certain distinct physical features designed to meet every possible production requirement.

The three studios included a total of 36 soundstages and 500 offices situated on 63 acres of land, with building and stage space comprising approximately 1.2 million square feet. They owned four more studios than MGM and eleven more and Fox.

Normal personnel consisted of approximately 400 employees, with this figure rising to 1,800 at maximum production level. With the exception of regular staff members, Desilu engaged most of its creative, artistic and production personnel on a show-by-show basis when necessary. Because of Desilu’s long-standing
industry-wide record of fine labor-management standards, it consistently drew to its productions the cream of Hollywood’s creative and production talent.


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2 responses to “Desilu…In The Beginning There Was 6633 Romaine Street”

  1. Mike Clark

    The Desilu Culver studios have changed hands often over the years. Shows filmed there include The Adventures of Superman (1951) Batman, The Green Hornet, The Andy Griffith Show, Gomer Pyle, the original Star Trek pilot, and so on. Gone With The Wind was filmed there, and producer David O. Selznick’s office was in the east wing. On the 2nd floor of the west wing is an office that replicates a 19th century schooner. The mansion was executive offices for Sony Pictures Television in the 90’s and early 2000’s.

  2. Robert Howe

    I worked for George Burns many times over a 17 year period and his office was at Hollywood Center (General Services) Studio. Here is a 2011 of the (now covered over) entrance to the former Desilu Playhouse.

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