Tomorrow : Yesterday and Today - The Star Trek Filming Locations
- Thread starter Botany Bay
- Start date
The same for me, I'm not sure if it was always just TOS and TNG or if maybe those are the last remaining to be fixed. Wishful thinking
No, there have been times when I've deleted a post almost immediately, either because it was a double post or because someone else said the same thing just before me... or sometimes because I got annoyed and said something I promptly regretted.
Oh darn! I'm just a rolling disaster. Sorry.
Just got back from two weeks of biz travel. When I have a mo I'll try to figure this out
I'm happy to say Trekcore is back in business, and so is our Locations thread.
This next one is just placed here for the sake of completion -- I wasn't able to visit it. To visit this place you will need to be working in Hollywood or have a good friend who works at Disney.
We are off to Disney's Golden Oak Ranch -- where much of the outdoor shooting for This Side of Paradise was done.
January 1967
Recently:
Interestingly, this episode had a second filming location. Jill Ireland became sick across the weekend this episode was filmed, and by the time she was well enough to continue shooting her scenes, Golden Oak Ranch was unavailable, so the crew used Bronson Canyon (see the Bread and Circuses posts in this thread) near Paramount Pictures to film her remaining scenes.
This next one is just placed here for the sake of completion -- I wasn't able to visit it. To visit this place you will need to be working in Hollywood or have a good friend who works at Disney.
We are off to Disney's Golden Oak Ranch -- where much of the outdoor shooting for This Side of Paradise was done.
January 1967
Recently:
Interestingly, this episode had a second filming location. Jill Ireland became sick across the weekend this episode was filmed, and by the time she was well enough to continue shooting her scenes, Golden Oak Ranch was unavailable, so the crew used Bronson Canyon (see the Bread and Circuses posts in this thread) near Paramount Pictures to film her remaining scenes.
Yep, I looked everywhere for the exact buildings in the episode, but didn't have any luck.
On the Disney ranch website you can see there is a "meadow", "barn" and "farmhouse" set available for hire, so we have the right place. But the '67 barn and farmhouse have been torn down and replaced with similar, but not identical, versions it seems.
This is clearly a very tricky location to visit. I'd love to see some pictures if any of you guys make it out there, or know any more.
From my googling it seems Disney are undertaking a major redevelopment of the ranch, so it may be even less recognizable soon.
On the Disney ranch website you can see there is a "meadow", "barn" and "farmhouse" set available for hire, so we have the right place. But the '67 barn and farmhouse have been torn down and replaced with similar, but not identical, versions it seems.
This is clearly a very tricky location to visit. I'd love to see some pictures if any of you guys make it out there, or know any more.
From my googling it seems Disney are undertaking a major redevelopment of the ranch, so it may be even less recognizable soon.
Next stop : Paramount studios.
You will, of course, need to book a tour. I believe there's a two hour (I did this one), and a four hour version. When I went they were training up a couple of guides to be Star Trek experts, so mention you are a fan, and maybe you'll get a very Trek-heavy version of the tour.
There is so much history at this place : I saw locations for dozens of Berman - era Treks, but I'll keep this focused on the handful of TOS episodes that filmed at Paramount after Desilu was merged with its big neighbour.
I've been to Paramount a couple of times, and frankly, as a TOS history tragic, the hairs on the back of my neck stand up when I go here. The Desilu portions of Paramount have not changed in 50 years...you feel like Gene Roddenberry and Bob Justman could walk out a door at any moment. I can't recommend this tour enough for TOS - lovers. This is truly where it all happened, and is a must visit.
So, what is recognisable in terms of TOS shooting locations?
Let's deal with Assignment : Earth first. All its outdoor filming took place around the offices of Paramount.
Your tour begins at the cafeteria/gift shop, then they'll take you into the props store where you can see the captain's chair from JJ-Trek. After this, I noticed something they didn't mention on the tour -- keep your eyes peeled for the "Marlene Dietrich Building" -- I am 100% certain that's where the following sequence was filmed in 1968 :
And the building today :
The first mention of Trek on the tour came just past the Dietrich building where they'll point out Berman's office. To the left, in an alley, they will then point you to Stage 19 :
The guides were adamant this is where Assignment Earth was filmed, although I can't exactly pick out which scene -- perhaps one of these two?
So where was this scene filmed? :
I have no idea -- there are so many candidates around those alleyways. Maybe here? :
My favourite discovery of my Trek was just around the corner. As we know, Star Trek was filmed on Desilu stages 9 and 10, which are now Paramount 30 and 31 :
Look very closely at the pic below...you can actually see the Desilu 9/10 paint underneath :
I may or may not have had a little tear in the eye when I saw this
.
More to come guys.
You will, of course, need to book a tour. I believe there's a two hour (I did this one), and a four hour version. When I went they were training up a couple of guides to be Star Trek experts, so mention you are a fan, and maybe you'll get a very Trek-heavy version of the tour.
There is so much history at this place : I saw locations for dozens of Berman - era Treks, but I'll keep this focused on the handful of TOS episodes that filmed at Paramount after Desilu was merged with its big neighbour.
I've been to Paramount a couple of times, and frankly, as a TOS history tragic, the hairs on the back of my neck stand up when I go here. The Desilu portions of Paramount have not changed in 50 years...you feel like Gene Roddenberry and Bob Justman could walk out a door at any moment. I can't recommend this tour enough for TOS - lovers. This is truly where it all happened, and is a must visit.
So, what is recognisable in terms of TOS shooting locations?
Let's deal with Assignment : Earth first. All its outdoor filming took place around the offices of Paramount.
Your tour begins at the cafeteria/gift shop, then they'll take you into the props store where you can see the captain's chair from JJ-Trek. After this, I noticed something they didn't mention on the tour -- keep your eyes peeled for the "Marlene Dietrich Building" -- I am 100% certain that's where the following sequence was filmed in 1968 :
And the building today :
The first mention of Trek on the tour came just past the Dietrich building where they'll point out Berman's office. To the left, in an alley, they will then point you to Stage 19 :
The guides were adamant this is where Assignment Earth was filmed, although I can't exactly pick out which scene -- perhaps one of these two?
So where was this scene filmed? :
I have no idea -- there are so many candidates around those alleyways. Maybe here? :
My favourite discovery of my Trek was just around the corner. As we know, Star Trek was filmed on Desilu stages 9 and 10, which are now Paramount 30 and 31 :
Look very closely at the pic below...you can actually see the Desilu 9/10 paint underneath :
I may or may not have had a little tear in the eye when I saw this
.More to come guys.
Look very closely at the pic below...you can actually see the Desilu 9/10 paint underneath :
Your eyesight must exceed mine by orders of magnitude. I can't see it!
All I can tell is that I either need to put on my reading glasses, or clean my monitor.
That door (window?) frame in the lower right is odd. It looks for all the world to me like it's made of corrugated cardboard!
The old numbers are clearer with a bit of enhancement.
It looks to me like spot-welded sheet metal. But maybe that's just me.
Nice work scotpens.
I just returned from LA, where I was able to put in some time hunting down some more locations. I will post pictures as soon as I can.
I had a very lucky break on this trip. At the last minute I decided to take the Paramount Studios tour, and because it was so quiet on the lot, the guide said we'd be able to visit an actual working soundstage.
I couldn't believe my luck when, out of the 30-something soundstages on that lot, the guide drove our cart up to Stage 31 -- the home of TOS all those years ago.
Sadly any kind of photography was forbidden -- there wasn't much to see anyway. Where the Enterprise once stood, they are filming a show I'd never heard of called "Marry Me" or something, and the stage is now half a dozen rooms of the Seinfeld-like apartments where the main characters live.
I have to say I wasn't paying a lot of attention. I was soaking up the atmosphere of those ancient, musty stages and imagining Roddenberry, Shatner and the crew doing their thing. What a lucky break.
Anyway, let's continue exploring the Paramount lot -- look out for the Schulberg building, whose exteriors were used in "Patterns of Force", and, believe it or not, "Space Seed".
1966
1967
Today
I just returned from LA, where I was able to put in some time hunting down some more locations. I will post pictures as soon as I can.
I had a very lucky break on this trip. At the last minute I decided to take the Paramount Studios tour, and because it was so quiet on the lot, the guide said we'd be able to visit an actual working soundstage.
I couldn't believe my luck when, out of the 30-something soundstages on that lot, the guide drove our cart up to Stage 31 -- the home of TOS all those years ago.
Sadly any kind of photography was forbidden -- there wasn't much to see anyway. Where the Enterprise once stood, they are filming a show I'd never heard of called "Marry Me" or something, and the stage is now half a dozen rooms of the Seinfeld-like apartments where the main characters live.
I have to say I wasn't paying a lot of attention. I was soaking up the atmosphere of those ancient, musty stages and imagining Roddenberry, Shatner and the crew doing their thing. What a lucky break.
Anyway, let's continue exploring the Paramount lot -- look out for the Schulberg building, whose exteriors were used in "Patterns of Force", and, believe it or not, "Space Seed".
1966
The actual Schulberg building was "Nazified" and used over and over during "Patterns of Force" :
1967
Today
I couldn't see these structures from the early scenes of "Patterns of Force" anywhere on the lot -- presumably part of the Paramount backlot and torn down long ago?
When I was researching, something seemed familiar about this location -- and sure enough, Kirk visited that part of the lot again -- in Season 3, during "All Our Yesterdays".
1967
Today
I couldn't see these structures from the early scenes of "Patterns of Force" anywhere on the lot -- presumably part of the Paramount backlot and torn down long ago?
When I was researching, something seemed familiar about this location -- and sure enough, Kirk visited that part of the lot again -- in Season 3, during "All Our Yesterdays".
^That office building and the adjacent Ernst Lubitsch Building, as well as the parking lot between them, were used frequently as Mission: Impossible locations. The "German town" part of the backlot looks familiar from plenty of M:I episodes too. Since these Trek episodes would be post-Culver City, I suppose it must've been part of the Paramount backlot at the time.
Botony Bay, this thread continues to be a very enjoyable place to stop by. I hope I get to visit these locations at some point in time. Until then, keep 'em coming.
If you get time, post them in the Media forum. I'd love to see them. I would do a Bond locations tour for sure.
Next stop on the Paramount lot is the studio backlot :
It's very possible certain scenes from "Patterns of Force", "All Our Yesterdays" and "The Omega Glory" were all filmed here, but the only one we can be 100% sure of is "A Piece of the Action" -- all the "village" type sets are long gone -- only the city facades remain.
The tour guides mentioned a fire in the 80's that took out most of the backlot buildings. The exteriors are regularly subtly changed as well so the same "buildings" don't continually appear in movies and on TV. All this makes for a hard time scoping out locations, but there is one spot from "A Piece of the Action" that the Paramount people verified for me - the beamdown location and street where Krako's men try to "hit" the landing party.
1967
Today
The beamdown was right where the car is parked, and the "yellow fire plug" is where that square cover is. The "fire plug" can be removed and replaced with a street light, palm tree, or whatever the production needs.
1967
Today
The "Church" has been replaced with more generic buildings.
Not sure about this one below, but it's a "possible" :
1967
Today
Just a tip for anyone taking the Paramount tour, make sure you let them know you're a fan -- the guides carry an Ipad with a library of film clips, but they don't always play the obscure ones like the "Piece of the Action" beamdown unless you let them know you're into Trek. Once you tell them, they will play the clips and talk Trek trivia all day. The guides are fantastic.
Just be aware the security people take their job pretty seriously and will tell you off for loitering for more than a few minutes after your tour. They will also deny you access to the Paramount store and coffee shop while you're waiting for your tour. I guess it's a working studio, and they have to be careful, but I found them a bit over the top. Once you get past them, the actual tour is great. A must do.
Oh some other trivia from my (awesome) tour guide :
Next stop on the Paramount lot is the studio backlot :
It's very possible certain scenes from "Patterns of Force", "All Our Yesterdays" and "The Omega Glory" were all filmed here, but the only one we can be 100% sure of is "A Piece of the Action" -- all the "village" type sets are long gone -- only the city facades remain.
The tour guides mentioned a fire in the 80's that took out most of the backlot buildings. The exteriors are regularly subtly changed as well so the same "buildings" don't continually appear in movies and on TV. All this makes for a hard time scoping out locations, but there is one spot from "A Piece of the Action" that the Paramount people verified for me - the beamdown location and street where Krako's men try to "hit" the landing party.
1967
Today
The beamdown was right where the car is parked, and the "yellow fire plug" is where that square cover is. The "fire plug" can be removed and replaced with a street light, palm tree, or whatever the production needs.
1967
Today
The "Church" has been replaced with more generic buildings.
Not sure about this one below, but it's a "possible" :
1967
Today
Just a tip for anyone taking the Paramount tour, make sure you let them know you're a fan -- the guides carry an Ipad with a library of film clips, but they don't always play the obscure ones like the "Piece of the Action" beamdown unless you let them know you're into Trek. Once you tell them, they will play the clips and talk Trek trivia all day. The guides are fantastic.
Just be aware the security people take their job pretty seriously and will tell you off for loitering for more than a few minutes after your tour. They will also deny you access to the Paramount store and coffee shop while you're waiting for your tour. I guess it's a working studio, and they have to be careful, but I found them a bit over the top. Once you get past them, the actual tour is great. A must do.
Oh some other trivia from my (awesome) tour guide :
- Patrick Stewart is apparently quite superstitious, and would only ever use one restroom - a crummy looking public thing outside one of the soundstages. Even if he was at a cocktail party on the other side of the lot he's have someone drive him to this bathroom! Apparently he associated it with a successful time in his life, and its the only one he will use.
- There is a "prop warehouse" that the public can access - the one prop I noticed that was missing since my last visit was the Captain's chair from the JJ films. Off for a pre-filming touch up? My guide would neither confirm or deny anything
- You can see a "Roddenberry" building in my map above. Roddenberry never actually worked in it once.
^ I can't look at that last studio set without thinking of the first episode of Police Squad!. 
There'd been a recent wave of gorgeous fashion models found naked and unconscious in laundromats on the West Side. Unfortunately I was assigned to investigate holdups of neighborhood credit unions. I was across town doing my laundry when I got the call on the double killing. It took me twenty minutes to get there. My boss was already on the scene.
There'd been a recent wave of gorgeous fashion models found naked and unconscious in laundromats on the West Side. Unfortunately I was assigned to investigate holdups of neighborhood credit unions. I was across town doing my laundry when I got the call on the double killing. It took me twenty minutes to get there. My boss was already on the scene.
Now I need to track those down! Haven't seen them in years.
One more stop before we leave Paramount. Head for the "Blue Sky Tank" or "B Tank" as they also call it.
It's a giant billboard with drawings of clouds in front of a carpark that is actually shaped like a giant bowl about five feet deep, which can be filled with water.
It was used in "The Ten Commandments" to part the Red Seas, and also in Star Trek for TMP (can one of you TMP experts clarify if the footage actually made it into the film?) and more famously for the Bird of Prey splashdown in TVH.
1986
Today
So that's it for Paramount. If anyone goes location hunting there, here are some mysteries I never solved :
Where the "German village" scenes from Patterns of Force and All Our Yesterdays were filmed.
Where The Omega Glory was filmed.
The locations of this scene from Patterns of Force :
And these scenes from Assignment Earth :
One more stop before we leave Paramount. Head for the "Blue Sky Tank" or "B Tank" as they also call it.
It's a giant billboard with drawings of clouds in front of a carpark that is actually shaped like a giant bowl about five feet deep, which can be filled with water.
It was used in "The Ten Commandments" to part the Red Seas, and also in Star Trek for TMP (can one of you TMP experts clarify if the footage actually made it into the film?) and more famously for the Bird of Prey splashdown in TVH.
1986
Today
So that's it for Paramount. If anyone goes location hunting there, here are some mysteries I never solved :
Where the "German village" scenes from Patterns of Force and All Our Yesterdays were filmed.
Where The Omega Glory was filmed.
The locations of this scene from Patterns of Force :
And these scenes from Assignment Earth :
I know lots of actors have their own peculiar superstitions, but this is the first time I've heard of an actor having a "lucky toilet"!
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