Hollywood Center Studios - History
More details at http://www.hollywoodcenter.com/history/timeline.html
1919
Designer John Jasper quits Charlie Chaplin's studios after 13 years of experience and builds three production stages on a 16.5 acre undeveloped tract of land in Hollywood, in order to start his own production company. The studios are named Hollywood Studios Inc. and are described by Moving Picture World magazine as a "studio that will contain four stages, each with a space of 70 x 120 feet... to be built of steel and glass. Each stage will be able to be darkened at any time, without any trouble involved. Attached to each stage will be offices, dressing rooms and other facilities."
1921
An additional stage is built, along with several exterior sets on the back lot as producers working at the studio include Marshall Neilan, Albert Kaufman, King Vidor, and Marion Fairfax.
1922
Comedian Harold Lloyd leaves the Hal Roach Studios and relocates his company to Hollywood Studios Inc. One of Lloyd's classics, Grandma's Boys, was shot at the studios.
1923
Hollywood Studios is bought by a group of LA businessmen.
1924
The studio changes ownership again when B.P.Shulberg buys a controlling interest for Preferred Pictures Corp.
1925
January: John Jasper and the studio operator C.E. Toberman leave the studio as it's sold for the third time to Al and Charles Christie, producers of the Christie Comedies and owners of the Christies Film Corporation. Toberman retained the frontage property on Santa Monica Boulevard, and the studio entrance moves to the Las Palmas side of the property. The new studio manager is William Sistrom, formerly a production manager at Universal City. The lot is renamed Hollywood / Metropolitan Studios.
Howard Hughes appoints himself president of Cado Pictures, located on the Hollywood / Metropolitan Studios lot.
1926
As sound movies transform the industry, Metropolitan Studios begins construction of sound stages.
1929
Hollywood / Metropolitan Studios is renamed Metropolitan Sound Studio, with Stages 1 & 2 outfitted with Warner Bros Vitaphone equipment.
More coming soon
1980, March 14
The studio lot is bought by Francis Ford Coppola for his use. It's renamed American Zoetrope Studios.
His One From The Heart (1982) made extensive use of the soundstages.
More coming soon!