Company Town

As long as we are talking about the early days of the movie industry and Cecil B. De Mille, here's a 1915 interview with him.

Los Angeles Times file photo And in going through the De Mille photos, I found this undated picture of the Lasky studio, which has been turned into a museum.

Photograph by Mike Meadows / Los Angeles Times And here's the studio in 1993. But what's this? There's a porch. Hmm.

And here's the current photograph from the Hollywood Heritage Museum website.

And in 1979 on the Paramount lot. No porch. The barn was turned into the studio's gym and used by Marlon Brando and Paul Newman, The Times says.

Comments

[Richard H]

Noteworthy comments from Mr. De Mille:

"Oh, yes, when the battle was to come off, I roasted the Union soldiers for having been on the wrong side," (Mr. De Mille is a southerner,)"and then I turned and roasted the Confederates for letting the Yanks beat them..."

Some interesting stuff on the same April 9, 1915 Times page on the aftermath of the Jess Willard vs. Jack Johnson Heavyweight Championship Fight in Havana, Cuba. Willard got a hero's welcome after he returned to the United States. Johnson had trouble getting out of Cuba with the U.S. State Dept. having "cause for action" against Johnson, whatever that means.