Earlier this year, Tori took me out for my birthday to Paramount Pictures in Hollywood for their studio tour. The reason for this is quite obvious given the studio’s association with Star Trek dating back to when Desilu occupied a section of the lot during the original series. I’ve always had a fascination with this historic property ever since I wrote to Paramount for a fifth grade class assignment to write a business letter. They actually responded to my inquiries about Star Trek with a letter and a form to join ST’s official fan club. I mailed the form back as my fandom soared to new heights being connected with a growing fanbase. Also, Stephen E. Whitfield’s “The Making of Star Trek”, which I previously covered tapped into my imagination, much of the activity discussed in that book taking place at Paramount.
Being a resident of Los Angeles County for most of my life, I’m certainly no stranger to the entertainment industry. I’ve been inside some of these places before and even briefly worked at New Line Cinema during the Warner Bros. acquisition. I’ve also been on the world famous Universal Studios backlot tour several times. I recall a friend of mine living directly across the street from Paramount on Van Ness Ave. You could see a shuttlecraft sitting in the corner of the lot from a balcony that had been used for one of the productions of the time, DS9, Voyager, or maybe TNG a few years earlier. The occasional celebrity sighting comes with the territory if you live around here long enough. For one, I validated Nicholas Meyer’s parking at New Line when I covered the front desk and handed him his ticket. I met him a few years before that where he spontaneously reenacted Shakespeare in front of us outside the Egyptian Theatre.
After entering the studio from Melrose Avenue and going past the security desk, we sat in a waiting room that was filled with costumes, props, replicas of Oscars awarded to the studio, and a video montage that included bits of Star Trek films among many other noted productions. From the start, ST was present, but this was no surprise given its one of the studio’s most prized franchises. We met our tour guide for the day, Michael. He spotted my TNG insignia pin and knew exactly the kind of visitors we were. After waiting in the “D-con chamber”, ( I kid), we along with an elder couple visiting from France and a young Australian man, commenced our tour. It was not lost on us that Tori and I were the only locals in our small group. Ah, what we take for granted as residents of L.A. County.
The first room just beyond the waiting chamber literally gives you the red carpet treatment, as the entire floor is covered in that color. The tradition as we know it today at the Oscars and other events was started by Sid Grauman in 1922 in front of the Egyptian Theatre for the premiere of Robin Hood starring Douglas Fairbanks. I admit that having the privilege to explore what the general public doesn’t normally see gives you a degree of feeling that you are temporarily witnessing where royalty and wizards, (if you will) do their work. The actual Oscar awarded to War of the Worlds (1953) for best special effects can be handled by visitors in this room, for which was an absolute treat for me. I’ve watched that film many times with my father.
My anticipation was building, as we exited the first building, boarded a small vehicle that seated about half a dozen people, and could not go faster than a golf cart. We put on our headsets so that we could clearly hear our guide. We were served complimentary chocolate chip cookies and tall bottled waters. This was a far cry from Universal Studios where the tram groups are much larger, but I found the intimacy of our small band of seekers to be quite refreshing. Consider Universal to be on board a starship, where at Paramount you board a shuttlecraft when journeying behind the scenes. During this time, I couldn’t help but look around and imagine that this is where the cast and crew of ST called “home” for decades, especially during the productions of TNG all the way through the end of Enterprise, (1987-2005) the longest unbroken stretch of time where there was always something ST related in production.
We entered below the famous arch that was immortalized in Sunset Boulevard where Gloria Swanson insists on seeing Cecil B. DeMille. We passed through roads that are essentially wide alleys where a number of soundstages reside. On them are plaques that depict notable productions that were shot inside these buildings, for example Stage 18 was one of the locations used for Deep Space Nine. The list of other Trek related productions elsewhere can be easily be spotted. Unfortunately, once a production has been completed, there is no evidence of the sets, as they are thoroughly deconstructed and discarded, leaving little room for sentimentality. Some relics are saved, but a majority of these sets we’ve come to love no longer exist. There’s an eerie notion that sets in once you start to look at any series or film as a collection of ghosts, and so this applies to people eventually once they too are no longer physically here. I’m sorry. My morbid side is showing. Moving on.
We walked through the entire set of Matlock, but unfortunately no photography was permitted. Current productions have a strict policy on that. Upon our inspection, the world around us became the hub of New York law. It was an impressive set that was instantly immersive. All was quiet around the sets, but one could imagine the sounds and even some dialogue from such a show. I stood there at the end of a long wooden conference table reciting lines from Robocop.
Across from Stage Nine (where TOS was filmed) is a building that houses the workshops that create props. The inside of the workshops is a museum in itself. Many signs, plaques, and other objects of interest are scattered around this area. They enhance the experiences of visitors, but I also got the feeling that it’s a matter of pride for those that toil at creating a sense of believability in various productions. A lot of thought and imagination go into such props as phasers and tricorders, created so that we can further buy into an imagined future. Some of these plaques are replicas, namely the original plaque for Kirk’s Enterprise is suspect, but it’s still impressive. I still experience the “awe’ factor whenever I see a Ferrari replica even if it isn’t genuine. At any rate, many of these things inside the workshop are authentic. One of the employees took the time to engage with us for a few moments. You could tell he was happy to be a part of all of this. He went into a story about Michael Okuda, but I can’t remember precisely the particular points of the story.
One of the biggest treats for me was a close view of the outdoor site where the crashed bird of prey was partially immersed in San Francisco Bay in STIV. I could see the whole scene play out as the Enterprise crew evacuated the Klingon ship. The sequence is still quite compelling, even by today’s technical standards. Originally, filming on location in the ocean was considered, but the backlot ended up being the safer bet…and warmer for the cast. A blue trim surrounds the area, perhaps a small tribute to that sequence. A humpback whale mural can be found on the other side of the studio on the wall of Stage 29 facing Gower Street.
Just around the corner from the blue trim painted area where STIV was filmed is the famous Paramount water tower and below it a building that houses relics that we got to examine. We entered an area where digital archiving takes place, several cases of 70mm film were present. I can tell you that these large cases are heavy, as I recall delivering a print of Quantum of Solace for an exclusive screening when I worked at New Line. Across from the window outside a music video was being filmed – Business as usual. We then went upstairs and walked through a small museum dedicated to wardrobe. Down the hall in another section was a row of props, many ST related items among the display such as rank and insignia pins and various other gems.
While we were exiting the building we had a brief conversation with an employee who had done work on the Director’s Edition for Star Trek: The Motion Picture. He was in the middle of carting a pile of video equipment that sat on a flat dolly. I spoke with him for a minute about the movie and shared how it took me decades to truly embrace and appreciate it. I could tell the gentleman was also a fan and appreciated our exchange.
We were approaching the end of our tour, but first was a large room that housed vehicles and other set pieces from various productions such as Transformers and the J.J. Abrams ST films. I even got to stand in the middle the turbolift for a photo. Afterward we had a few minutes at the studio gift shop. We spent the remainder of our time on the lot chatting with our guide, Michael, who was an excellent host. Of course, he’s looking to break into the industry as an actor, so we wish him well in his endeavors. Finally, we were escorted towards the exit, off the lot, and back out into the real world. It was like waking up from a dream.
We had a couple hours before dinner at Musso & Frank on Hollywood Boulevard. Tori and I went to Hollywood Forever Cemetery for a while, which is basically Paramount’s backyard. At this point we had no idea what was waiting for us at the restaurant later that evening. As in the movies, Hollywood has some surprises that breach our ordinary everyday experiences. We parked down the street and walked down the Walk of Fame, something I’ve done countless times. It was getting chilly, as we arrived a little before our reservation time. Fortunately, the restaurant seated us early in a more secluded area, away from the main room where it bustled with noise, bartenders dressed to the period (early 20th century) and all the activity one can expect in such a popular place.
During our dinner and wine, I noticed in the corner of my eye towards the right side of the room someone that I recognized. I had seen him countless times in my life and in a film series that had a huge influence on me. No, it wasn’t a Star Trek actor…..It was Mark Hamill! Yes, the one and only Luke Skywalker was sitting right there in the same room accompanied a few people. What were we to do? The initial instinct for many is to run up to a celebrity and ask for an autograph. Yes, I have a few of those and have had some memorable encounters with film stars and musicians, but this was different. Spotting Mark Hamill was like seeing Bill Shatner for ST fans. It doesn’t get any higher on the franchise totem poles than those two guys.
I was polishing off my second glass, contemplating what we should do, tempted to actually let him be, have the sighting itself be enough, and go home. I like to respect celebrities, give them space, and not be another person accosting them for attention. Rather, I still went for it. Maybe it was the alcohol or the occasion of my birthday. Tori gave me the idea to ask our waiter to slip him a note. Our server kindly dropped off the message. All I really expected was to have it returned by our server after Mark signed the card.
His table seemed intrigued by the note, as it was passed around. I waved from across the room, Mark asking, “Andy?”, out loud as we made eye contact. That alone was a very surreal moment. He then returned the card in person and then we briefly chatted with him. In the card was a personal birthday greeting. He asked if we were ok once we told him we were local. We talked about the L.A. fires as his home was close to one of them. He mentioned how he wasn’t fully aware of the state of things since he tuned out the media since the election. I joked that we’d all be taking a break from it for the next four years. He was very kind and everything that the young boy in me would have wanted from such an icon. Later on, Mark shared Tori’s Instagram story that featured him and I on his own account.
The irony is of course not lost on me that Star Wars somehow found its way into a day that had been previously all about Star Trek! If only I had shared that with Mark or having the foresight earlier of how things would turn out – A Star Trek story with a Star Wars ending. Like I said, Hollywood always has a few surprises whether it’s behind the scenes on a studio tour or out in the real world among the stars. It was the best birthday, something perhaps Admiral Kirk from STII would be envious of. Indeed, “The best of times.”
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