Kaufman Astoria Studios facts for kids
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Paramount Studios Complex
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Kaufman Astoria Studios
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| Location | 35th Ave., 35th, 36th, and 37th Sts., Astoria, Queens, New York City |
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| Area | 5 acres (2.0 ha) |
| Built | 1921 |
| Architect | Multiple |
| NRHP reference No. | 78001897 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | November 14, 1978 |
The Kaufman Astoria Studios is a famous film studio located in the Astoria neighborhood of Queens in New York City. It's a place where many movies and TV shows have been made!
The studio was built in 1920 for a company called Famous Players–Lasky. They wanted a studio close to Manhattan's Broadway shows. Later, in 1982, a real estate developer named George S. Kaufman took over. He renamed it Kaufman Astoria Studios.
This studio is special because it has New York City's only outdoor filming area, called a backlot. This backlot opened in December 2013. The entire property is so important that it was made a national historic district in 1978. It was also added to the National Register of Historic Places that same year.
Contents
History
Early Days (20th Century)
The studio was first built in 1920 for Famous Players–Lasky. They wanted a place near the Broadway theater district. Many movies and short films were made here between 1920 and 1933.
- Famous actors like W. C. Fields made their silent movies here.
- The first Sherlock Holmes sound film, The Return of Sherlock Holmes (1929), was filmed at the studio.
- The first two movies starring the funny Marx Brothers, The Cocoanuts (1929) and Animal Crackers (1930), were also shot here.
In its early years, the studio was known as the Paramount Studio. Paramount Pictures used it a lot for short films. These often starred performers from New York's stage and radio. Some of these stars included Burns and Allen, Eddie Cantor, Ethel Merman, and Rudy Vallee.
In 1932, Paramount Pictures moved all its studio work to California. The Astoria location was then used by independent filmmakers. Walter Wanger made films here that were released by Paramount or other Hollywood companies. All the movies starring the famous tango singer Carlos Gardel that were made in the United States were filmed at Astoria Studios.
Actress Gloria Swanson called it "the studio where I'd been making all of my pictures since 1923." The last major movie filmed here during that time was ...One Third of a Nation... in 1938.
From 1942 to 1971, the United States Army Signal Corps took over the studio. They used it to make training films for the Army. One famous show they made was The Big Picture.
In 1975, the studio opened again for filming with the movie Thieves. In 1982, George S. Kaufman took over the property and renamed it Kaufman Astoria Studios.
Modern Era (21st Century)
Kaufman Astoria Studios has seven sound stages. These are special rooms designed for filming with great sound. One of them is the new Stage K.
In 2008, a special event happened at the studio. Martin P. Robinson, who plays characters like Mr. Snuffleupagus and Telly Monster on Sesame Street, got married there! He married Annie Evans, a writer for the show. The wedding was held on the steps of the 123 Sesame Street set. The party was held throughout the rest of the set.
On December 3, 2013, a large outdoor filming area, a backlot, was opened. It is about 34,800 square feet. This is the only studio backlot in New York City.
In 2014, Kaufman Astoria Studios announced plans to build another new sound stage. This new stage would be 18,000 square feet.
In 2020, the studio announced a big plan to redevelop the area around it. This project, called Innovation QNS, would add new homes, shops, restaurants, and spaces for creative businesses.
Notable Productions
Many famous movies and TV shows have been filmed at Kaufman Astoria Studios.
- Movies:
- Hair
- The Wiz
- Goodfellas
- Carlito's Way
- The Money Pit (starring Tom Hanks)
- Angels in America (TV mini-series)
- The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3
- Arthur (remake)
- Music Videos:
- The Jacksons' music video "Torture" (1984)
- Mariah Carey's MTV Unplugged
- Television Shows:
- Sesame Street
- Orange Is The New Black
- Onion News Network
- Johnny and the Sprites
- Between the Lions
- The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss
- Oobi
- Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego
- Where in Time is Carmen Sandiego?
- Judge Judy
- Power of 10
- The Cosby Show
- Cosby
- Law & Order
- Million Dollar Password
- Video Power
- Spin City
- Generation Gap
Performers' Images
The walls of the studio are covered with signed pictures of the many performers who have worked there. Some of these famous people include:
