Universal Studios Hollywood is a film studio and theme park in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles County, California. About 70% of the studio lies within the unincorporated county island known as Universal City, while the rest lies within the city limits of Los Angeles, California. It is one of the oldest and most famous Hollywood film studios still in use. Its official marketing headline is “The Entertainment Capital of LA.” It was initially created to offer tours of the real Universal Studios sets and is the first of many full-fledged Universal Studios Theme Parks worldwide.
The Studio Tour is the signature attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood theme park and goes into a working film studio with various film sets on the Universal Studios Lot. In recent years, guests have sat in multi-car trams for the duration of the ride. The Studio Tour lasts about 45–60 minutes and is led by a live tour guide which can be seen throughout the tram on video screens. It travels through the Front Lot, Backlot, and various attractions, passing sets and props from movies along the way.
The tour has always been at the heart of Universal Studios Hollywood. From 1915, when visitors sat on bleachers for 25 cents, to the 1964 introduction of pink and white Glamor Trams, to the current technological sophistication, the behind-the-scenes view of a working movie studio has been a large attraction of the Universal Studios Hollywood theme park.
During the early years of the tram tour (1964–1965), all of the attractions at Universal were reached via the tram. The tour originally departed from the front lot commissary. In 1965, the upper lot studio tour center opened.
As the movie studio has continued to evolve, the tour has evolved along with it. In late 1989, CD players finally gave the tour guides a chance to rest their voices. In 1999, CD players were replaced by DVD players and LCD screens, allowing the tour guides to show scenes from movies filmed at the locations where the tram passes. In 2009, LCD screens were upgraded to high-definition screens. In 2011, Jimmy Fallon joined the tour as a video host to supplement the live-action narration and also appeared in some filming scenes; he also performed an original song at the end of the tour, thanking the riders of the trams for attending and having a great rest of the day.
Sets from the Universal movies Psycho, Back to the Future, The Sting, The Great Outdoors, Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas, and the Paramount/DreamWorks film War of the Worlds are visited in the tour. Walt Disney Studios has also used the backlot for movies such as the Pirates of the Caribbean film series, 101 Dalmatians, 102 Dalmatians, and The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, specifically for town scenes. There are also ‘general purpose’ sets visited, such as the neighborhood Wisteria Lane from Desperate Housewives and a neighborhood that is made to look like an old west town. The tour also winds through sound stages, and the tour guide explains what movies, television shows, music videos, commercials, and/or still camera photoshoots are currently shooting on the lot.
Keywords
King Kong
Tram Tour
Studio Tour
Universal Studios Tour
Parting of the Red Sea
New York Street
European Streets
Western Street
Six Points Texas
Rockslide
Battle of Galactica
The Fast & The Furious: Extreme Close-Up
Timeline Drive
Fire Station 51
Picture Cars
Underwater Tank
Denver Street
Burning House
Dante’s Peak Model Set
Edith Head’s Office
Gorilla
Prop Plaza / Visitors Village
Rockslide
Runaway Train
Snow Cottage
Jaws Lake
Universal Studios Lot
History
Backlot
Filming
Jurassic Park
Alfred Hitchcock Psycho
Shower Scene
Universal Globe
Soundstage
LCD Monitors
Universal History
Universal City Studios
Movies
Old West
Little Europe
Bates Motel
Psycho House
Flintstones
Bedrock
Movie Buff
Flash Flood
Charlton Heston
Jim Carey
Liar Liar
Meeting Hollywood Stars
Spoken:
Rick Fitzgerald – Studio Guide, Universal Studios Hollywood
John Murdy – Creative Director, Universal Studios Hollywood
Original audio from Universal Studios Hollywood’s EPK (2001), video footage from various years.
Footage Courtesy: Universal Studios
Video Produced by Cow Missing Productions
December 2022
For more information, visit http://www.universalstudioshollywood.com/
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