Warner Brothers - Friends

After Friends ended and they did their final interview with Jay Leno on the Tonight Show, Leno suggested the Warner Brothers keep the Central Perk set so fans could enjoy it for years to come.  Based on this suggestion it became the only TV set for a cancelled show to be kept at Warner Brothers.

Darren and I on the real Central Perk couch!

My favorite story from the whole day was about this espresso machine.  During the first season they forgot to cast the coffee shop guy.  It was slightly problematic because they wanted to actually USE the machine in the shows and have it make its signature coffee shop type noises.  They asked all the extras if they knew how to use it and only did.  That person landed in the role of Gunther.  In the first scene they went to use the machine in, it was so loud they turned it off and never used it again!  Now even years after the show was cancelled, the guy who plays Gunther, who got the job on a complete fluke still makes $500,000 a year from merchandise sales and reruns!  The cast still make $25 million a year as well which is what they made in the final season of new episodes!

 The other side of the coffeeshop.

The last menu from Central Perk.  They preserved it by putting hair spray on it so you could not erase it!

Warner Brothers Props

This is the phone booth from Get Smart.

Scooby Doo's Shaggin' Wagon.

A few of the many versions of the Batmobile.

Mr. Weasley's flying car from Harry Potter.

Austin Power's Car.

Warner Brothers

Warner Brothers is just a really neat place.  This hut marks the entrance to the swamp where they film the scenes outside of Lavon's house on Hart of Dixie.  It was closed so we couldn't go back and check it out.

Speaking of Hart of Dixie this is the gazebo that goes in the town square. Since the town square was set up for Rosewood, Pennsylvania from Pretty Little Liars the gazebo was in an out lot.

A few of the houses they use for outdoor shots.

This is the house used at Zoe and Brick's doctor's office on Hart of Dixie.  They only use this for outdoor shots, not the indoor ones.

Here is the Rosewood City hall and the literally on the left side of this building which is the same brick and style is the Rosewood High School.  Both from Pretty Little Liars.

 

This scene is neat. They build these "EL" tracks on the lot for ER which filmed all its episodes on the lot.  The left is the ambulance bay where they had a basketball hoop that Doug Ross (George Clooney) played during the show.

And then when the hospital got remodeled, it was this building which is the main management building on the lot.

 

Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck.

Warner Brothers water tower.

Warner Brothers - Harry Potter!

While in LA we did a studio tour of Warner Brothers.  Even though Harry Potter was not filmed in the US there was a lot of memorabilia  on site from the movies include props and original costumes.  Below the first article indicating Voldermort has returned!

Below are original professor costumes.  The one of the left is the evil Professor Umbridge and the one on the right is Quirrel's robes and headpiece which Voldermort hid when he was part of the back of his head.

Harry's Firebolt.

The red shirt was an outfit worn by Ron, The robes with the scarf were Hermione's and the far right were Harry's robes.

A number of different spell books from the movie.

Capitol Cinemas

On Saturday I went with Mom & Dad to this tiny movie theater in Princeton, Kentucky called the Capitol Cinema.  It has been around since 1939 but has undergone some changes since the original theater opened.  It has been modified to fit 4 screens.  We were in one of the upper theaters that seats a total of 77 in a very odd shape of 14 rows. Check out the link to see pictures of this Art Deco theater.  We saw Julie & Julia and I thought it was just great.  See it if you haven't before it leaves the theaters! :)