Uncle Tom's Cabin Mansion

[frenchjr25]

I just watched the 1927 movie Uncle Tom's Cabin. It is actually a really nice film and the version that is available on VHS and DVD has the 1928 soundtrack.

The movie cost an estimated $2 million to make and the exterior sets were built on the backlot. The mansion set, that stood until 2005, is in the movie, but the porch was rebuilt sometime after filming. I will have screen captures within the next month.

All in all, this is a good movie and does not have the raciest attitude I expected. The slaves win out over the masters, which was very rare in movies in the '20s.

http://www.theatrecrafts.com/studiotour ... on1984.jpg

[universalcitycharlie]

I remember long ago that this mansion was used in fletch lives...I really doubt it...but thougt i would menton it. Almost like park lake was used for Gilligans Island! Geesh

lol

[frenchjr25]

It is possible that the mansion was in Fletch Lives. Parts of the movie were filmed at Universal. The house used in the movie is burned, so it would have been safer to use the mansion.

According to imdb.com "The set of the Farnsworth Television Ministry is actually the Universal Amphitheater concert arena at Universal Studios Hollywood."

Gilligan's Island was filmed at what is now CBS Radford Studios (CBS Studio City). It is the old Republic Pictures lot. The lagoon was bulldozed in the '80s for a parking lot. The reunion move was filmed at Paramount.

I have been searching for where Gunsmoke was filmed, but I found they used the backlot of CBS Studio City, which was demolished in the '70s.

[unibacklot]

According to the book by Russell Johnson they filmed one of the Gilligan sequel movies using Park Lake.

The Colonial Mansion has been used in countless TV shows, one epiosde of Nancy Drew uses the Mansion and is seen for most of the episode. It was used as the school in the Pufnstuf movie and if I'm not mistaken it's final screen appearance was in the pilot for Desperate Housewives (Gabriel leaves a party to mow the lawn). I was really suprised to see it go, since it has survived for so long.

[frenchjr25]

Too bad only the first reunion movei is out on DVD. I remember when they were made, but I only saw part of the last one. Of course I was not even in my teens then, so I don't remember much about them. Too bad TVLand has not shown them.

[frenchjr25]

Does anyone have high quality photos aerial (sp) from the 1930's that might show the mansion? I am looking to make sure it is the same set used in Uncle Tom's Cabin, because the front porch is very different from the one in the film. Infact the front porch on the set does not appear in the movie at all.

Thanx,
William

[frenchjr25]

Here are some shots from the movie.

This is how the mansion looked when first built. Note that the porch was later changed.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/frenchjr25/315750685
http://www.flickr.com/photos/frenchjr25/315750710

Here is a shot of another mansion that was on the backlot at the time the movie was filmed. What happened to this set I don't know.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/frenchjr25/315751039

Here is a shot of a house. Does anyone know if this set survived the movie?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/frenchjr25/315750925

Here are some shots of a African American village:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/frenchjr25/315750782
http://www.flickr.com/photos/frenchjr25/315750831


Here is another house:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/frenchjr25/315750637

And here is the town set:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/frenchjr25/315751004

At last, we come to a few shots of a porch that was originally attached to the mansion set:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/frenchjr25/315750873
http://www.flickr.com/photos/frenchjr25/315750908

[Mayfield Historical Socie]

Here is a shot of a house. Does anyone know if this set survived the movie?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/frenchjr25/315750925


Looks to me like the one that was still on Colonial Street up until recently (I think it was taken out for Desperate Housewives?). The porch wasn't there- the house was brick from the dormer windows up, and siding from that point down.

It was called #6 or I believe the 'Bachelor Father house'. On the old Colonial Street, it was next to the Nancy Drew house; on the '81 Colonial Street it was between the Hubbard House and the Cleaver house.

Mark