Nothing was easy. Telly felt lightheaded.
"Everyone take five," he said, and there struck up a quiet drone as cast and crew began to wander away in all directions. Telly stood up, and began to explore Stage 28.
It had been the first steel-and-concrete set to be built at Universal Studios, especially to serve as the interior of the Paris Opéra, and several other sets as well, for the silent film adaptation of the Phantom back in 1925. The silent film was the only one where the actors hadn't messed up by having American voices in a French setting, har dee har har. Telly traced the carving on one of the old opera boxes. They were shooting the unmasking scene in the Phantom's lair, and had built the smaller, much more claustrophobic set, within the soundstage. Outside of its black walls, one could still see the remains of the auditorium set. A false floor hid where once an audience of eager extras had sat, the backstage set had long been dismantled, and the chandelier lost. How one managed to lose a one-tonne chandelier from a locked storage facility on a private secure lot was indeed a mystery for the ages, but there still remained something special about stage 28, where the first and greatest film adaptation of the Phantom had been made. Telly had hoped his cast would be inspired by working on the set, as he had been, but the announcement had bounced right off Mindy's head and received only a lukewarm "Oh?" from Richard. Justin, hell-bent on becoming a respected acteur (his irritating words) had reacted as if he'd just been told he was next in line for the British throne. "Oh my God!" he had exclaimed. "That is so incredible!" You could hear the hitch in his voice as he stopped himself from saying "cool". He had then proceeded to tell them what a great fan he was of Len Chaney. He was a moron.
There was a legend that Chaney's ghost haunted the stage, Universal's own personal Phantom. In his more cynical moments, Telly wondered if a Ouija board and an EMF meter might improve the cast. Then he would think that Lon Chaney would have better things to do with eternity.
On a not entirely unrelated note, I am in love with Julian Lloyd Webber's orchestral version of the Lloyd Webber Phantom music, and I'm also enjoying the Woman in White suite as well, which I've never heard before. I could swear that several of the melodies are ripped off another classical composer, Gustav Holst maybe, but I'm too lazy to check. Some Lloyd Webber naysayers, of which there are many, would say, "Of COURSE he did! He's a hack!"
I however, being neither an ALW naysayer or fanatic, will be sitting here and enjoying some pretty violin and cello.
Happy Easter!
9 comments:
I have been inside that stage several times and for lengthy periods. I can tell you that the walls are not black but the same color as all sound stages: insulation gray, with the sound-proofing held in place by dulled chicken wire. Also, there is activity there which I have experienced firsthand and more than once. While I don't mean to disappoint you, it was neither dark, frightening nor mysterious but, instead, comforting, creatively energizing and exciting.
As for the chandelier, Alfred "Sticky Fingers" Hitchcock had it removed while using the set for the filming of "Torn Curtain." Unfortunately, it's too late to ask him what he did with it.
I am delighted that this stage rich in cinematic history is being preserved, especially in a part of the state known for its disregard for its landmarks. As an actress, I love being on any stage and inside any studio lot. As an actor, I can't imagine that Chaney, God bless his soul, would feel any differently.
Good luck with your writing. It is most enjoyable.
Hi there. :)
I wasn't trying to say that the walls were black, I figured that they are white or grey. Based on photos I've seen, the opera boxes are still there, and they are white.
Either I haven't explained it properly, or you didn't read the description closely enough, but I was trying to say that the set they had built inside the stage had black walls, not the stage itself. I'll re-read the passage and make sure it's clear.
I've heard the stories of things that have happened on Stage 28, and I understand that they haven't all necessarily been frightening, and I'm not trying to make people frightened of the stage. I love history too, and Phantom (clearly), and Lon Chaney.
Those wouldn't happen to be pictures of Stage 28 in your blog, are they? Very nice.
Thank you for the comment, good luck with your career, obviously you're already having some success. :)
Tiffany
For a time, the Opera House set was white-washed or coated with some light colored substance. I have no idea why. Since then, it has been restored to its original reddish brown color. Indeed, that is the stage in my blog. However, those photos were taken some time ago.
The intention of my initial comment was not to criticize your work. In fiction, you can make walls (and anything else, for that matter) whatever color you like. I was merely telling you of the stage itself, as I thought that you might be interested.
Again, best of luck with your work. I am a writer also.
Oh I am interested, and I would like to be accurate, which is why the characters in the story stay in the portion I've seen photos of, because I didn't want to be making up hallways and rooms that don't exist and such. The hauntings are a different story, but you'd have to see the rest of the story to see how they play out. :D The photos I was looking at when I was writing were obviously from the time the boxes were the lighter colour. I did notice they were a different colour in your photographs.
Apologies if I seemed hypersensitive. :)
There are photos of the stage looking in other directions at:
www.myspace.com/leonidas_chaney
But you must be a myspace member to access photo albums, unless you just sit and watch the lengthy picture scroll on the profile's front page.
Ah, interesting, thank you. :)
Have you seen the Phantom's MySpace? The captures on the pictures always make me laugh.
www.myspace.com/boxfiveoccupied
I think that's it.
I spoke too soon — the set has been painted yet again! This time, it's a brownish golden color.
You may need to change your story's title to "The Phantom's Amazing Technicolor Opera House."
I'm going to pretend I didn't read that. :P
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