Universal Studios Fire: It Could Have Been Worse

The world could have lost almost ninety years of Universal Studio's movies and television shows: From "Broadway" (1929), Universal's first talkie with color sequences) and "Bride of Frankenstein" (1935), through "Abbott and Costello Go to Mars" (1953) and "Magnificent Obsession" (1954), to "Howard the Duck" (1986) and "A Beautiful Mind" (2001).

As it is, three firefighters are injured, A "King Kong" exhibit and several movie sets are damaged, and Universal Studio tours and the theme park were affected.

I wouldn't choose to swap a human life for the master copy of "Abbott and Costello Go to Mars" or "Howard the Duck," or even "Broadway" - but losing the original negatives would have been meant lower-quality copies and restoration. Motion pictures became a major part of American culture during the 20th century, and Universal Studios was a major studio during most of that time.

How American movies figure into the culture of other countries,I don't know.

" Universal Studios blaze burns sets, video vault"
CNN (June 1, 2008)

"A fast-moving blaze Sunday at the back lot of Universal Studios destroyed several movie sets and the "King Kong" exhibit, and damaged a video vault.

"Three firefighters suffered minor injuries, fire officials said. No other injuries were reported, and the blaze is reportedly contained...."

As usual in cases like this, reports are changing as facts sift through the excitement, and time passes.

CNN quotes Ron Meyer, chief operating officer of Universal Studios: "The video library was affected and damaged, but our main vault of our motion picture negatives was not."

Another detail that's emerged is that there wasn't filming going on where the fire started, as the first reports said. And, the damaged and destroyed video/movies was duplicated elsewhere.

"Large Fire Breaks Out on Lot at Universal Studios"
FOXNews (June 1, 2008)

"Los Angeles fire chief Michael Freeman said over 400 city and county firefighters were mobilized to battle the fire, which broke out at around 4:30 Sunday morning on a sound stage on a back lot...."

"...The damage included the backlot area, known as New York Street, Court House Square —which was a set for the film "Back to the Future" — and the King Kong exhibit. Also destroyed was a video vault located behind the street facades, Freeman said....

"...Freeman said the black smoke is a result of plastic video containers burning in the vault, which firefighters worked to save. 'They moved hundreds of containers out of that structure,' he said....

"Ron Meyer, President and Chief Operating Officer at Universal Studios, said that between 40,000 to 50,000 videos and reels were in the video vault, but there are duplicates stored in a different location.

"The videos included every film that Universal has produced and footage from television series including 'Miami Vice' and 'I Love Lucy.' "