Grand View Sunday June 29th Opening

June 29, 2008 - Grand View Sunday Opening - Glendale News - Full article>

"Family and friends visited their loved ones’ graves on Sunday at Grand View Memorial Park, six days after a Los Angeles Superior court ordered the cemetery to be opened. Judge Anthony Mohr signed a court order on June 24 during the hearing at the Central Civil West Courthouse, allowing Glendale’s oldest cemetery be open Sunday, July 13 and July 27." - Glendale News

Bits and Pieces

Switzerland Tour by Rainer Mann
On Edna's site, a new slide show tour of Charlie Chaplin's home area in Switzerland, including his home, hometown, and surrounding area. link to show>

July 4th - Dossier on The Sea Gull
The Sea Gull presentation is scheduled at IL CINEMA RITROVATO July 4th. link>

Dominique's Latest Page update - Chaplin Library
The June update for the Latest Page is now up at the Chaplin Library. link>

New Brief Glimpse
If you missed the last one, it is gone now, but a new one has just arrived! link>

Grand View Updates
Things are starting to happen again, as more opening dates are being added. Updates can be found here and on Edna's special tribute page. link>

Silent Festival and Film Events
Annual events and others can be found on our Silent Film Festivals and Events page. link>

The Sea Gull by Linda Wada
Leading Ladies thank all our supporters since our launch, as The Sea Gull continues to go to fans, libraries and archive collections. Books are in stock and ready to ship only at ednapurviance.com. link>

July 4th Question Answered
I will have the answer to the question I asked on June 15th. link to question>

Other bits - Meridian FM on the air until July 26
(with programming with Edna's Les Brown connection)
If you have followed Edna's Place, you know I have been listening to every Meridian FM broadcast, since they started to do limited broadcasting a couple of years ago. Meridian is back on the air until July 26th. As I have many visitors from England, and if you are in their broadcast area, certainly do take a listen and support their station. PLUS...

If you listen to Looking for Yesterday with Malcolm Powell, you will hear some of the same music Edna heard on the radio during her day. Included on that show at times, music from the Les Brown Band (which Edna had a relative who played in that band for 25 years). link>

Another In the news item during Edna's time coming soon. Until that time, Happy 4th of July week to our US visitors.

The Art of Chaplin's London exhibition

June 30 - July 4, 2008 - The Art of Chaplin's London exhibition - London South Bank University - more>

"Charlie Chaplin’s historical character was bought back to life recently when groups of local school children re-enact how they thought life was like during Chaplin’s era. Each performance was met with a warm and encouraging cheer from the audience, which included Southwark and Bermondsey MP Simon Hughes, Mayoress of Lambeth Councillor Angie Meader and Mayoress of Southwark Councillor Eliza Mann as well as Trevor Peacock, more famously known as Jim ‘no, no, no, yes’ Trott from the Vicar of Dibley. A special guest appearance was also made by Charlie Chaplin’s son Christopher James Chaplin, who greeted children afterwards, happily posed for pictures and signed autographs.

To creatively inspire the children trainee teachers from London South Bank University, theatre educators, artists, local historians and film makers including Peter Wyeth, Jack McInroy - local historians, Tony Merrick - a Chaplin Tour Guide and community artists from the development company First Base (who are currently working on the Elephant and castle Regeneration Project) worked alongside the children and their cross-curricular project." - London South Bank University

IL CINEMA RITROVATO - June 28 - July 5, 2008

IL CINEMA RITROVATO
June 28th - July 5, 2008
Josef von Sternberg is the major feature for the 2008 festival. Here is a link to the full schedule of events. Charlie Chaplin films and presentations are also planned throughout the week.

A presentation on The Sea Gull is planned for July 4th, 2008. It will be presented by Janet Bergstrom and Cecilia Cenciarelli.

The Sea Gull Dossier
VENERDÌ 4 LUGLIO (July 4, 2008)
ore 14.45 - Cinema Lumière 1
Progetto Chaplin
CHAPLIN IN VISITA AL CENTRO
SPERIMENTALE DI CINEMATOGRAFIA D.: 10’ circa.
DOSSIER THE SEA GULL
Presentano Janet Bergstrom e Cecilia Cenciarelli

(note: I do not know any of the text presentation for The Sea Gull. I have been in contact with Cecilia (also with Janet). Cecilia will be using images from our book, The Sea Gull, by Linda Wada, for the talk. Link to a short video about the book. Photo of Josef von Sternberg from the Hill Family Collection, Leading Ladies.)

Chaplin Mutual Films in Brooklyn with Carl Davis

August 1, 2008 - Brooklyn - Prospect Park - Carl Davis: The Charlie Chaplin Mutuals with The Knights New York Chamber Orchestra.

Films shown: The Rink, The Immigrant and The Adventurer, all starring Charlie Chaplin, Edna Purviance, Eric Campbell, Henry Bergman and Albert Austin. All with the new Davis film score. (Davis originally was born in Brooklyn.) more>

Stooges Among Us by Lon and Debra Davis

When I was a kid, there was only one TV station and it didn't show any silent films. I saw my first silent films (The Keystone Cops) at the local fair.

Instead, there were three programs that filled the Saturday afternoon TV schedule: Warner Brother Cartoons (lead by Bugs Bunny), The Saturday Afternoon movie (usually with Shirley Temple films or a western), followed by The Three Stooges.

Personally, I have not seen The Three Stooges since that time. But if you were a fan of the Stooges, a new book about them is being released by BearManor Media. The book is called the Stooges Among Us, edited by Lon and Debra Davis. This is Mr. Davis's second book this year, following Silent Lives this spring.

The following is more about this soon to be released book:



Behind the Scenes of the Stooges Among Us
By Lon Davis
"There was a time when books on the Three Stooges were hard to find. Hard to find? They didn’t exist. The slapstick offerings of Moe, Larry and Curly simply weren’t considered worthy of serious study. No self-respecting film historian would mention them in the same hallowed breath as Laurel and Hardy or the Marx Brothers.

That is, not until Leonard Maltin came along.

I was eleven when Mr. Maltin’s paperback book Movie Comedy Teams first hit the bookstores in 1970. There were the requisite chapters on Stan and Ollie and Groucho, Harpo and Chico, but there was also a chapter on Moe, Larry and Curly (and Shemp, Joe and Curly-Joe)—now that was groundbreaking! I read and reread the book until I knew by heart the dates of every milestone of the Stooges’ forty-five-year career. I also knew the cast lists of Woman Haters (1934) and Sappy Bullfighters (1959)—and every one of the 189 shorts in between.

In the nearly forty years since Movie Comedy Teams made its debut, there have been countless books written on the Three Stooges. So when my publisher, Ben Ohmart of BearManor Media, asked me if there was anything left to say about the team, I said no. It’s been done. Everything that could be said about the Stooges has been said.
Or has it?

There are those of us who actually knew Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Joe Besser and Joe DeRita—not just as live-action cartoon characters but as friends—and few of us have weighed in on the subject. One teenaged fan who had taken a three-thousand-mile bus trip from his home in New Jersey to visit the retired funnymen in Los Angeles was Scott Reboul. Now a scientist living in South Carolina, Scott has assembled a richly nostalgic program called “Searching Out the Stooges.”

Then there is Bob Bernet, a Dallas-based television producer who maintained a prolific correspondence with Moe between 1968 and 1975. Between Scott, Bob and me, I figured we might just have enough material for a book.

But wait, there’s more!

It seems that my adolescent experience of rubbing elbows (and bumping heads) with Stooges was not so unique after all. I began hearing about other like-minded Boomers who had crossed paths with “The Boys” back in the seventies. They included Cleveland-based businessman Rick Lertzman, comedy historian Randy Skretvedt, television writer Steve Stoliar, comic book writer Mark Evanier, radio talk show host Ed Busch and animation producer John Cawley. Each of these guys had wonderful—and previously unpublished—anecdotes to tell about their idols. For most of us, this was the first time we put our memories of meeting the Stooges on paper.

As the book began to take shape, I considered adding family members to the mix. One of my good friends is Eric Lamond, who happens to be Larry’s eldest grandson. Eric agreed to share his experience as a tech on the Stooges’ cartoon series. He also had a front row seat as Moe and Larry attempted to wallpaper a bathroom. (The results read like a script for one of their two-reelers—only this was real!) Through their web site, www.ShempCompany.com, I contacted Jill and Sandie Howard, Shemp’s grand-daughters. Sandie was kind enough to let me reprint a tribute she wrote about the man she affectionately refers to as “Papa Shemp.” I also reached out to Moe’s daughter, Joan Howard Maurer.

In my introductory e-mail I told her how much I appreciated her efforts on behalf of the Stooges’ legacy. “My respect for your work,” I wrote, “knows no bounds.” Joan responded instantly to this message. She said that not long before Moe passed away, he gave her a note which read (in part): “My love for you knows no bounds.” Joan took this as a sign to become involved in my project. Another family member is Gary Lassin. Gary tells how his marriage to Larry Fine’s grand-niece led to his becoming the president of the Three Stooges Fan Club and the curator of the world-famous Stoogeum.

Add Some Guest Stars

Fred Wostbrock is a Hollywood agent who seems to know everybody in the business. Fred arranged to have three of my favorite television icons share their Stooge-related memories for the book: Adam West (the Batman star who appeared with Moe, Larry and Curly-Joe in their final feature film, The Outlaws Is Coming!), Rose Marie (who toured on the same bill with the Stooges in vaudeville), and Gary Owens (the famed announcer who knew most of the members of the team both professionally and personally).

Gary accomplished the seemingly impossible: He got the Three Stooges their own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Rose Marie also had an interesting place in Stooge history—and hers had yet to be documented. Another survivor from that long-ago era is Diana Serra Cary, the former silent screen star known as “Baby Peggy.” Diana actually recalls seeing Ted Healy and His Stooges perform live in 1928.

Adding his own perspective is none other than Leonard Maltin, who took time out of his busy schedule to pen the foreword.

Some Women Really DO Like the Stooges

There aren’t a lot of experiences in life that are perfect, but working on the final stages of this book might be one of them. That was due in large measure to being able to co-edit the book with my wife, Debra. Debra didn’t start off as a Stooge fan, but she has come to appreciate their timeless comedy. As she said recently, the Stooges’ appeal is universal. You’re never too old—or too young—to laugh at their films. As if to prove her point, I’d like to close with a passage from an e-mail I received from Valerie Thompson, the gifted designer who is responsible for the layout of Stooges Among Us…

“When brushing up on the Stooges (for look and feel inspiration), I tried YouTube. My autistic four-year-old son Devon was extremely interested. Not wanting to encourage him with their eye-poking antics, I went right for the pie fights. I have NEVER seen my little guy laugh so hard in his life. The first time through he was practically purple from laughing and kept pointing and saying, “That’s so funny!” The only time he took his eyes off the screen was to make sure I was watching their every move, too.

The second time through the three-minute-thirty-second video he kept dragging the cursor to replay his favorite scenes. I tried other pie fights (like the one from The Great Race), but the Stooges’ clip was what he enjoyed the most. He shared it with his friend a week ago, who has now announced to his mom that he wants a pie-throwing themed birthday party.”

I just hope he invites me."

The Stooges Among Us is available through this link at BearManor Media.

UPDATE JUNE 30th : I have just received a copy of Stooges Among Us. It contains a collection of stories about the all the Stooges, including a personal account of Mr. Davis meeting Larry. I have not finished the book yet, but an interesting read for Stooges fans, filled with rare photos. More later...

UPDATE MARCH 25TH, 2009 - New Flash! In related news, the film about the Three Stooges will go into production this fall, with planned release in 2010. Sean Penn is said to play Larry, Jim Carrey to play Curly and Benicio Del Toro is 'being considered' for Moe. The project is currently under MGM. (Personally, it seems finding a group of younger players would be better, but that is my take on this.) More on the blog as news develops. more>

Grand View Cemetery given three separate days

Wednesday, June 25, 2008 - Glendale News reports:

"Grand View is granted three limited openings. Judge allows the cemetery to open Sunday and two days in July for family visits."- Glendale News

"Judge Anthony Mohr ordered the cemetery be open Sunday, July 13 and July 27, during the hearing at the Central Civil West Courthouse. He also scheduled a court conference for July 29 to determine whether the openings should occur more frequently."- Glendale News

First opening is Sunday, June 29th, 2008. The next openings are July 13th and July 27th. Schedule is like before, noon to 4PM. A court conference is scheduled for July 29th to see about more opens on the future.

This is the information posted on the Glendale City Hall site:
"At a status conference on June 24, the Judge ordered that Grandview be opened to the public on the following dates: June 29, July 13 and July 27. These openings are being handled by the plaintiff attorneys and the attorney for Moshe Goldsman."

You can read the full newspaper article at this link at Glendale News. (Please note, GN articles are usually up for 15 days online for free.)

Tour Comedy England

For our English visitors, (and for fans who can afford to travel to the UK), there is a new website highlighting the 'comic side' of England. Comedy England has the who, what, when, where, for everything comic in England.


You can find a large list of stars with locations of interest for each (includes Peters Sellers, Charlie Chaplin, and Benny Hill), list of locations where films were shot, theatres where stars performed, and current events to attend. All designed to have a 'jolly good time' in a beautiful country. more>

George Carlin dies age 71

George Carlin was known for pushing the line on language used in public, but I best remember him from his numerous appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.


In the early 1970s, my family passed through Las Vegas and we saw he was signing record albums at a local LV store. So I (and think my mother too) got into line. I didn't buy a LP but had George sign my autograph book I received at Christmas. George Carlin's autograph is the only one in the whole book, but it is the real deal!

Carlin died after going to the hospital on Sunday for chest pains. He was 71 years old. He was just informed last week he was to receive the Mark Twain Award for American Humor. more>

AFI 10 top 10 - Number One Romantic Comedy

AFI had another one of their list shows this evening. It was called The Top 10 of the Top 10. (List of different types of movies.) I was mainly interested in seeing if Charlie Chaplin made it in the Romantic Comedies listing, and he did, with City Lights, as #1 Romantic Comedy.

What will the American Film Institute come up with next year? Who knows, but they will think of something...

Cyd Charisse has died, age 86

Dancer Cyd Charisse died today at the age of 86. She danced with the greats, like Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. One well-known performance was with Gene Kelly in Singin' in the Rain. more>

Charlie Chaplin Museum

The NEW updated Charlie Chaplin Museum website is up! (The museum will be at Charlie Chaplin's home in Switzerland.)

New planned opening is spring of 2010. Watch for updates, as the project develops. (Current website is in French.)

35mm prints destroyed during Universal fire

In case you missed it: The Universal Studio fire destroyed more than back lots, it also destroyed nearly all the 35mm film prints Universal Studio houses for showings at festivals and special film events around the world. This includes classic silent films like the 1927 Napolean which Cleveland Cinematheque director, John Ewing, learned will not be available for their Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque film event this year.

Ewing says he will have to replace three more films, including the 1967 A Countess of Hong Kong, which was Charlie Chaplin's last directed film (which Chaplin did not star in) and the Marlene Dietrich's 1934 The Scarlett Empress, directed by Josef von Sternberg. A Countess of Hong Kong was made in England and owned by Chaplin, but was released through Universal Studios in the USA.

The Cleveland news reports:
"Ewing plans to locate another print, substitute another historic film or skip a celebratory screening. "Napoleon" had not been announced on Cinematheque's schedule.

Ewing, who also is associate director of film for the Cleveland Museum of Art, must replace three additional films that were planned for the museum's Panorama Film Series.

They are the British film "Privilege" (1967), Charlie Chaplin's comedy "A Countess From Hong Kong" (1967) and "The Scarlett Empress" (1934), which stars Marlene Dietrich as Catherine the Great.

These screenings were planned for July, August and November. Ewing hopes to locate prints or show DVD versions. - The Plain Dealer - Cleveland

After the fire, many events started finding out their planned films were not available. The following is a portion from an email sent to to event organizers:

It is with great sadness that I must inform you that yesterdays fire destroyed nearly 100% of the archive prints kept here on the lot. Due to this we will be unable to honor any film bookings of prints that were set to ship from here. Over the next few weeks and months we will be able to try and piece together what material we do have and if any prints exist elsewhere. For the time being please check your rental confirmations and look under shipping instructions. If the print was set to ship from the studio then you date is now canceled. - from Mark Caro Blog: Chicago Tribune

The good news, the negatives were kept at a separate location. The bad news, cost is one of the main problems in getting new prints made. Going back to the negatives can be risky, depending on the condition of those negatives.

It is not like they don't have material to work with, but it will be a load of work getting this collection back to where it was. Time will tell how big of lost this will be in the long run, but it is surely a lost for film fans wanting to see their favorite films in 35mm on the big screen in the short run.

Edna's family members in films?

La fête des pères! Happy Father's Day!
Time for a new question on this Father's Day Sunday. During Edna's time in Hollywood, did any of Edna's family members appear in films? I will come back to this question on July 4th, 2008.

Other Bits and Pieces
Chaplin spotting: CBS Sunday Morning ran a piece on HATS today, which included clips of Charlie Chaplin from his early short reel film days, wearing his famous bowler.

Tim Russert died at age 58

I was sad to read the news of Jim McKay passing last weekend, since I watched ABC's Wide World of Sports for many years, when McKay hosted it (including the Knievel Snake River Canyon jump, which I watched as a child back in my hometown in the 1970s). But today, we had a more sudden lost.

NBC news political journalist, Tim Russert, died while at work at this NBC Washington DC office. He was 58 years old. He has been the host of the long running NBC Sunday morning program Meet the Press for many years.

Russert was part of the 'old school' of journalism (much as Jim McKay), that is missing so much in the current younger generation of reporters. Watching the elections will not be the same.

Stolen Moments- SF 13th Silent Film Festival

Stolen Moments - June 2008 - Donna Hill interviews Stephen Salmons about the 2008 San Francisco Silent Film Festival. more>

Grand View tries for June 29, 2008 opening

Grand View Cemetery is looking for a possible one day opening for June 29th, 2008. The hours would be the same as the earlier openings this year (Noon to 4PM on Sunday afternoon). The possible opening awaits a judge approval.

“We are trying to serve the community the best we can during these difficult times,” said attorney David Baum, who represents cemetery operator Moshe Goldsman. “We are doing the best we can to provide as many openings we can.” - Glendale News

This would be the third brief opening this year, if approved. More from the Glendale News>

(Note: Glendale News reports are usually online for 15 days, after release.)

The Sea Gull in Italy

Today, Leading Ladies publications has shipped off some The Sea Gull "A Woman of the Sea" books to Bologna, Italy, for Il Cinema Ritrovato. The week long film festival will be held from June 28-July 5, 2008.

The festival will have a special series of films featuring the work of Josef von Sternberg, with two dossiers by Janet Bergstrom (historian on Josef von Sternberg and works with the UCLA Film & Television Archive in Los Angeles).

Leading Ladies will not be present at the festival, but we have been in contact with Janet and with Cecilia Cenciarelli (with the Chaplin Archives in Italy). We are currently working with Cecilia, who is involved with the festival, as well as a dossier planned for The Sea Gull at the event.

Update June 19th: Cecilia has informed us The Sea Gull book shipment has arrived in Italy.

San Francisco 13th Silent Film Festival

July 11-13, 2008

San Francisco
13TH SILENT FILM FESTIVAL
MOST AMBITIOUS YET
TICKETS ON SALE NOW
Press Release of Event
Stolen Moments interview with Stephen Salmons

SAN FRANCISCO − Tickets are on sale now for The 13th Annual San Francisco Silent Film Festival, scheduled for July 11-13 at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco. “This is our most ambitious festival yet,” announced Artistic Director Stephen Salmons.

“We’ll present 12 programs, all with live music, in the space of 30 hours – it’s an all-out silent film marathon, designed to showcase the astonishing breadth and depth of the silent era.”

“In regard to music, we’ll welcome back many of the performers who were a hit at the 2007 festival,” Salmons said.

“The Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra will accompany both the Opening Night presentation of Harold Lloyd’s 1927 comic masterpiece THE KID BROTHER, and the ethnographic drama THE SILENT ENEMY (1930), which is set in the time before Columbus and depicts the struggle of the Ojibway Indians to survive hunger.” Pianists Donald Sosin and Stephen Horne, who brought down the house at last year’s festival, will also return.

“Donald Sosin will accompany Carl Theodor Dreyer’s MIKAËL (1924), an emotionally charged drama considered to be a landmark in gay cinema, and Lotte Reiniger’s dazzling THE ADVENTURES OF PRINCE ACHMED (1926), not only the earliest surviving animated feature but the first made by a woman” Salmons reported. Stephen Horne will play for the gritty, humanistic THE SOUL OF YOUTH (1920), the bizarre Lon Chaney-Joan Crawford, THE UNKNOWN (1927) and the Japanese avant-garde tragedy JUJIRO (Crossways, 1928).


Also returning will be pianist Michael Mortilla to play for the fast-paced Colleen Moore comedy HER WILD OAT (1927), and Clark Wilson to make the Mighty Wurlitzer roar for the THE MAN WHO LAUGHS (1928), a macabre love story whose disfigured protagonist provided the visual inspiration for Batman’s arch-nemesis The Joker in the soon-to-be-released The Dark Knight. Wilson will also play for the uproarious Marion Davies comedy THE PATSY (1928) directed by King Vidor, which will close the festival.

Bay Area ensemble the Baguette Quartette, who specialize in Parisian dance hall music of the 1920s, will make their festival debut with comedy provocateur René Clair’s LES DEUX TIMIDES (Two Timid Souls, 1928). “The combination of Clair’s innovative visual comedy and Baguette Quartette’s high-energy tangos and fox trots is a match made in heaven,” Salmons said.

The festival will also present the third edition of its free-admission spotlight on film preservation, AMAZING TALES FROM THE ARCHIVES, and, throughout the weekend, screen shorts preserved by students of the L. Jeffrey Selznick School of Film Preservation through the Haghefilm Conservation Fellowship.


Titles include: LES FROMAGES AUTOMOBILES (The Skipping Cheeses, 1907) by George Méliès; an expedition to the Swiss Alps in LOST- A YODEL (1920); and detective Nick Carter solving the mystery of THE LAST CALL (1922).

“We’re delighted to present these rare shorts, saved from extinction by students of the Selznick School, as part of our ongoing effort to promote the importance of preserving world film heritage,” Salmons said. Last year’s popular raffle will once again occur at select programs throughout the festival weekend, culminating in a Grand Prize $5,000 Shopping Spree at San Francisco’s own McRoskey Mattress Company.

For complete program information and to buy tickets, go to the newly revamped festival website at www.silentfilm.org.

June 9, 2008- More information listen to the latest Stolen Moments: Stolen Moments - Donna Hill's San Francisco Silent Film Festival interview with Stephen Salmons.

Keystone's jazzy 'silent sound' with Dave Douglas

NPR - June 4, 2008 - Dave Douglas Re-Imagines Silent Film with modern Jazz - Dave Douglas, with California's Keystone Studios, are creating modern Jazz sound to silent film favorites. Learn more from NPR>

"In 2005, Keystone's first release showed that silent film characters could move to modern, groove-based instrumental music. The comedy stars — a bouncy Buster Keaton, a frenetic Fatty Arbuckle, even the bathing beauty Mabel Norman — all danced to a different beat. Douglas wrote music that did not match the movies scene-by-scene. Instead, he complemented them in a musical way.

"I had no idea what the plot was," says Douglas. "They improvised quite a bit, and then they would put the film together at the end. They weren't as concerned with a rigorous linear narrative concept. And jazz is a lot like that." - NPR

The Sea Gull video

Here is the link to the first of two videos planned featuring The Sea Gull "Woman of the Sea" Charles Chaplin Lost Film Production, starring Edna Purviance and directed by Josef von Sternberg.

The book is a Leading Ladies publication by Linda Wada released 2008. Video is a quicktime video. Best on broadband or high speed modems.

Chaplin Day on TCM August 2, 2008!

A FULL DAY of Charlie Chaplin films on Turner Classic Movies is planned for August 2, 2008. Here is the link to the list of programs scheduled. more>

Reminders... TCM June 5, 2008 - PREMIERE ANNE MAY WONG
June 5, 2008 - All during the month of June, TCM (USA) will feature Asian Images on Film every Tuesday and Thursday evening. Special feature for the series will be the premiere of the documentary Anne May Wong - Frosted Yellow Willows: Her Life, Times and Legend. Produced by Elaine Mae Woo (film historian). The film is narrated by Nancy Kwan.

June 7 & 8, 2008 - Charlie Chaplin Days in Nile, California.

In other News for June 1st...
Major Fire on the Lot at Universal Studios
Universal Studios had a major fire break out on the lot at about 5AM this morning, burning down three blocks of their New York City back lot set and one of the sound stages. The fire is still burning at this posting, but the LA channel 4 news report, it is under control. Cause unknown at this time, but early reports say it may have started by a sound stage or the NY set. Here is a link to the BBC website for video of the fire burning the New York city street sets. more>