Providencia Ranch
Encyclopedia
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, USA that was used as a filming location
Filming location
A filming location is a place where some or all of a film or television series is produced, in addition to or instead of using sets constructed on a movie studio backlot or soundstage...
for some early motion pictures; most notably for battle scenes in the silent classic about the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, The Birth of a Nation
The Birth of a Nation
The Birth of a Nation is a 1915 American silent film directed by D. W. Griffith and based on the novel and play The Clansman, both by Thomas Dixon, Jr. Griffith also co-wrote the screenplay , and co-produced the film . It was released on February 8, 1915...
(1915). The Valley was also the site for two Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
west coast operations in 1914.
Early Universal City (1912-1914)
Universal Film Manufacturing CompanyUniversal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
took over the west coast assets of Nestor Studios
Nestor Studios
The Nestor Motion Picture Company was a motion picture studio/production company located in Bayonne, New Jersey, and Hollywood, California, which was owned and operated by David Horsley and his brother, William Horsley....
. This included a studio in Hollywood and ranch land in the San Fernando Valley
San Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley is an urbanized valley located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area of southern California, United States, defined by the dramatic mountains of the Transverse Ranges circling it...
. The Nestor Ranch was located on 'Providencia Land and Water Development Company' property east of the river, just below Cahuenga Peak. Makeshift stages were set up on the 'Oak Crest Ranch' property and the production of western films began at the former 'Nestor Ranch' site in 1912. On December 6, 1912, an informal studio opening was held at the Oak Crest property. The public was invited to tour the 'Oak Crest Ranch' and watch the former "Bison
Bison
Members of the genus Bison are large, even-toed ungulates within the subfamily Bovinae. Two extant and four extinct species are recognized...
" Cowboys and Indians battle .
After the official opening of the new Lankershism Universal City site in 1915, the Providencia ranch (Oak Crest) property would become known as the "Universal Ranch" .
Universal City (1914 - 1915)
Carl LaemmleCarl Laemmle
Carl Laemmle , born in Laupheim, Württemberg, Germany, was a pioneer in American film making and a founder of one of the original major Hollywood movie studios - Universal...
, founder of Universal, saw the Oak Crest site as too small to consolidate all the west coast operations. He ordered the purchase of larger property from the Lankershism Land, Water Development Co. The Lankershism site contained several tracts of land, including Taylor Ranch. Consolidation began in 1914, with the relocation of several small buildings from the Sunset Gower Studios
Sunset Gower Studios
Sunset Gower Studios is a television and movie studio at the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Gower Street in Hollywood, California. It continues today as Hollywood's largest independent studio and an active facility for television and film production on its twelve soundstages.The studios were...
(former Blondeau Tavern) studio and Oak Crest Ranch property. The three sections of the Lankershism property were referred to as the Universal Back Ranch and contained a zoo
Zoo
A zoological garden, zoological park, menagerie, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred....
, cafe, horse corral and stage 2. The Taylor ranch bordering on Lankershism Blvd. was divided by a stream. The Taylor ranch contained the studio front lot and the backlot on the east side of the stream.
The photographs of the Providencia Ranch land can be seen in the a "A Birds Eye View of Universal City".
The alternate names of this filming site include Providencia flats; Nestor Ranch; Oak Ranch; Oak Crest Ranch; Universal Ranch/Universal City [Providencia site vs Lankershism site]; 1916 Lasky Ranch; and Paramount Ranch (until Nov. 1927). Today this area is Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)
Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)
Forest Lawn – Hollywood Hills Cemetery is part of the Forest Lawn chain of Southern California cemeteries. It is at 6300 Forest Lawn Drive in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California, on the lower north slope at the far east end of the Santa Monica...
.
External Links
- November 24, 1913 Bailey, Chas. Z. Universal City
- 1911 Nestor Filmmakers at the Forest Lawn Site
- 1911 Nestor Filmmakers at the Forest Lawn Site
- 1911 Nestor Sunset and Gower
Motion PIcture Arts and Science - UCLA