[music]
>> Narrator: Now that we're back aboard the tram let's continue our tour of the world's
most famous studio. Next we're going to take you out onto the backlot.
Here is where you get your first good
view of our facades as you look at these buildings they
appear to be made of brick and concrete. Well look closely, because they're
actually made of foam rubber, fiberglass and chicken wire.
We could build them out of real brick and concrete
but that's not really necessary because the texture looks just the same on film.
We're going to leave our big city street now and enter a small town
You saw it as Hill Valley in the blockbuster movie hit of 1985, Back to the Future.
This is the Courthouse with the clock
tower where Christopher Lloyd harnessed that bolt of lightning
to send Michael J. Fox Back to the Future.
>> We interrupt this tour for a special bulletin.
There's an enraged beast loose on the streets of New York.
>> We now go with live coverage on the scene from our telecom
reporter Kelly King, Kelly.
>> Thank you Sander, we're now hovering above the
wreckage of a crushed. There's a tram load of people down there.
Danger, repeat you are. What?
>> A creature has been sighted, clear the area.
>> No, we have to go down and help them. Behind us where?
Oh my god!! [yelling] [static]
[electrical sounds]
>> Attention tram, you are entering a restricted area, take cover.
There he is, open fire... all units open fire.
[machine gun sounds]
>> This is him!!!
[gun shots]
[King Kong growling]
>> Attention tram, the bridge is clear ahead, go on we'll cover you.
>> Narrator: Well, thanks to those special effects people. King Kong has spared our tram.
We are now entering what we call New York Street. It is well known for the
Kojak television series. It can be any metropolitan city street
that we want it to be. For instance, this area was Kansas City
for City Heat, starring Burt Reynolds and Clint Eastwood.
It was Chicago for the Blues Brothers starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd,
and The Sting starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford.
It was Richmond for Streets of Fire and
Los Angeles for Earthquake. We combined the carefully choreographed
destruction of these facades matching them with matte paintings and miniatures.
>> Normally, when you leave the real New York City
you cross over one of their very famous bridges.
We here at Universal have our own famous bridge. It was built
back in 1915 for the silent films and is the oldest structure here on the lot.
Now, I, I, know what you're thinking already. You're wrong
folks you're wrong, we're not going over the bridge so
it's much too old. Dave's going to take us around the bridge
wait a second, Dave I said around that Dave that that way
Uh folks, I'm really sorry about this I don't know what we've gotten ourselves
into you better hold on though because i just don't
did you see that right there folks look at that there it goes again
oh no we're gonna get off Dave get us off this bridge look there it goes
falling apart. I don't know what's going on Dave okay there?
Move it there it goes oh get us out of here
Dave, we're in big trouble.
Okay, so I lied the bridge wasn't built in 1915. It's only built about 15 years
ago using the talents of our special effects
department that bridge runs entirely on hydraulics,
and it as we drive around the front you're going to be able to see it
reconstruct, right before our very eyes.
I was told that there was a 50/50 chance of rain
[thunder sounds]
[thunder and rain sounds]
It is raining.
Look at that, it's only raining on Dave's side of the tram,
but my side is dry and clear, that's obviously what they meant by a 50-50 chance.
and uh when it does rain there are chances of a flash flood.
There's one headed right for our tram, watch out folks if
it goes ahead for the second and third cars.
[thunder and rain sounds]
All right I think we're just gonna just, gonna make it.
Watch out for the tree!
That's how we create our stormy scenes. We locate sprinklers in the trees
by aiming those sprinklers up all the water will fall naturally.
The flash flood was created by dumping no less than ten thousand gallons of water.
[Mexican music]
>> Narrator: This is Old Mexico, you may have seen it burned as old Jerusalem in the miniseries Masada.
You also may recognize the area as the Alamo.
As it was seen in an episode of Amazing Stories called "Alamo Joe",
right now we're crossing the border leaving Old Mexico and entering Six Points Texas.
The Livery Stable is where Mae West saved W.C. Fields in My Little Chickadee.
Look around and you'll see why we call this area, Six Points Texas.
We have six different western streets that all meet in one central area.
In the early days, since no sound was being recorded
we were able to film six different westerns at the same time.
This area may not look like the old west to you because we've updated it to be a midwestern town.
Not a lot of scripts call for old westerns anymore,
and besides, we can change it back quickly.
>> Folks, look at this body of water on my side of the tram.
Because that body of water, believe it or not was the entire
Pacific Ocean for McHale's Navy
Well, rumor has it that underwater mines
we're left in here from McHale's Navy. It's probably just a rumor, I wouldn't worry about it.
[explode]
Folks, right now we have just reached a very
memorable part here at the Backlot. That of the Red Sea. It was inspired by the
Ten Commandments a Paramount Production, and uh right now what we're gonna do is
the same thing Charlton Heston did, back in the Ten Commandments.
I am going to play the part of moses and I'm gonna part the waters, remember he
did it, well here at Universal Studios we do it
this way okay here we go apart the waters.
[music]
Well, here we go folks. We're going to go through the Red Sea so get your cameras out.
Wait, I think that's one of those mines.
right there you better watch out back there.
[explode]
[music]
[explode]
>> Narrator: In this area of the Backlot everything looks slightly foreign.
This is Little Europe, it can be any European village that we wish it to be
by simply changing the signs and languages on the storefronts.
Classic characters like Frankenstein's monster,
The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Dracula have all terrorized this area.
All Quiet on the Western Front, the academy award-winning film of 1929
and dozens of other movies and TV programs have been shot in part
on these cobblestone streets.
And now, let us take you to stage 52,
where a stunning multi-dimensional special effect awaits you.
>> A train in now approaching down the center station.
[rumbling]
[people yelling]
[train horn]
[screeching]
[tires screeching]
[electrical sounds]
[heavy rumbling]
[electrical sounds]
[yelling]
>> Look out, tidal wave!
[people yelling and screaming]
>> tidal wave!
>> Narrator: You have just experienced an 8.3 earthquake.
But this is one that you can return to and experience the thrills again and again.
[music]
Thanks to Universal Studios and that Hollywood magic.
The good guys have won again and the show is over for today,
but at Universal Studios tomorrow brings new adventures
and new magic so come back soon.
[music]
[wind howling]