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 By
the time Culver City was incorporated in 1917, Culver
had married actress Lillian Roberts and was immersed
in the development and growth of his new city. He helped
Ince acquire property for his second studio in 1919,
again on Washington  Boulevard.
Both studios Ince built are still operating today. The
same year, another filmmaker moved his company, Hal
Roach Studios, often called the Laugh Factory to the
World, to Culver City. At that time, there were also
a number of small studios like Willat Studios located
in the town.
By
the 1920s, the little town
began to spread out from its early 1.2 square miles
around Main Street, the first commercial district. In
1924, Culver built his "skyscraper" six-story
Hotel
Hunt. It would become the home of the "munchkins"
when THE WIZARD OF OZ was filmed in the late 1930's.
During Prohibition in the 1920's and '30's, the city
became home to a proliferation of nightclubs where gambling
was prevalent and liquor flowed freely. One of the most
famous locations was Frank
Sebastian's Cotton Club, where local resident
Louis Armstrong played his music along with other greats
like Lionel Hampton.
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