Richard W. Bann writes that Hal Roach Studios was known as the “laugh factory to the world,” and the “lot of fun.”
Marc Wanamaker, writing for the Culver City Historical Society, places the studio originally at 8822 West Washington Boulevard, at the corner of Washington and National Boulevards in Culver City. In 1980 the city marked the site with a historical plaque.
Marc Wanamaker describes the plant as it stood in April 1920: an administration building on Washington Boulevard, one large open stage, an enclosed stage, a set storage building, a laboratory, and department bungalows, plus a back lot where sets were reused. By May a pool water tank and further departmental buildings were in place.
Wanamaker writes that when sound pictures arrived, Roach films were made in newly constructed sound stages.
The company began in 1914 as Rolin, named for Hal Roach and his backer Dan Linthicum. In 1920 Roach formed Hal Roach Studios. Through the 1920s Laurel and Hardy were among the comedians whose films the studio released.
During the Second World War the Army Air Force took over the whole lot and nicknamed it Fort Roach. Training and propaganda films were made there.
After the war, Wanamaker writes, the studio resumed feature production and built new stages and facilities. Other production companies also worked on the lot. Hal Roach Jr. led the company into television, including Life With the Erwins, My Little Margie, Racket Squad, and Amos and Andy.
In April 1959 the studio closed in bankruptcy. Hal Roach Sr. tried to start it again. By December 1962 the lot was permanently closed.
Sources
Two sentences from the Wikipedia article “Hal Roach Studios,” CC BY-SA:
The studio lot, at 8822 Washington Boulevard in Culver City, California, United States, was built in 1920, at which time Rolin was renamed to Hal E. Roach Studios.
In August 1963, the lot was demolished after several auctions and sales of the company's assets.
- Hal Roach Studios, Wikipedia, CC BY-SA.
- Marc Wanamaker, “Remembering the Hal Roach Studios,” Culver City Historical Society, 1 April 2006. culvercityhistoricalsociety.org.
- Richard W. Bann, “Leo McCarey at Hal Roach Studios,” laurel-and-hardy.com. laurel-and-hardy.com.