Classic Hollywood behind the lens

I love looking at old behind the scenes pictures to see the people and types of equipment used then. There was a lot of this stuff still hanging about neglected when I started gripping. The lots had lots of un-used space and it was just shoved back there. I remember that Warner Brothers had a big area near were the parking lot by the back gate is full of all the WWII ship miniatures used in their films…miniatures? some where 20 feet long! This our history and we should not forget it.

So for the first image and place of “Honor” I post a picture of my father George “Fritz” Witthans on the set of (I believe) “Bonny and Clyde”! My dad was a camera assistant and later operator for many great classic movies made in the “60’s”. “Fritz” is kneeling on the left holding the cables and camera reports. I think the man in the cowboy hat is the well know Director of Photography Bill Clothier. What makes this picture so dear to me is the “Chapman Crane” they are operating of of, its a “Titian” and I piece of movie making gear that is still widely used today, a piece of equipment that as a dolly grip I have used 1000’s of times, in fact there is a very good chance that even 40 years later I have probably used this very crane before or may have it on set tomorrow!

Another crane from the “60’s” on the universal back lot.

For years our rate cards had a rate for “Blue Goose” operator. Most guys never knew what it was, it was a special built camera crane particular to Universal Studios. This picture is probably circa 1960

Below is a shot probably 1920 or so and you can see the guy with the “shiney boards” on the right, “been there done that” 80 years later!

The one below is one of my favorites, probably late 50s early 60s? Again grips with “shiney boards” What would the safety guys say about this today!

A shot on Paramount lot looking east, I have done a few shows on stage 17, it and the two to the left (9-10?) were all Star Trek stages for years. Director of Photography Steve Confer and I worked on the series “Ferris Buller” on the stage to the right, I think it is 7? You can see these lots were not built to accommodate today’s trucks and rolling stock! Barley room for two bikes to pass!

Cant remember were this one was taken, I think Paramount again….

Arial view of Disney long ago. Pre Freeway!

Fire on Warner lot 1967? This would be right at the central park area.

The photo above is my earliest picture of a “Car Mount” and looks to be around circa 1920-25. I could be wrong but the “mountain” in the background looks to be the same mountain on the edge of Griffith Park that Warner Bros lays next to. So this is what the San Fernando Valley was like back then!

I spend a lot of time running “camera cranes” and this is another shot of a very early one built when the major lots al had all the own facilities from makeup to metal shops and built everything on site!!!

I think this is Warner Brothers around the 60s. You can see the smoke from the “arc lamps”. They were still in use when I started and finally phased out in the 90s. If this is Warner’s this is again the Park at the end of the main st, that tree you see is now enormous! Perhaps 60-70 feet tall and almost as wide!
This is another of the types of camera cranes I have used this one is a “Zues” or “Nike” built in the 60s by Lenard Chapman and still in use today! This picture was taken outside the I dream of Jeannie stage….no, I was still riding a “stingray” You can see a Grip controlling the arm and one almost hidden sitting in back driving it. It is electric, silent, and the base is full of batteries! Chances are I have run this one!