Harry
Culver had a dream. The Nebraska-born real estate developer
longed to establish his own thriving community and cultivate
his interest  in
the budding movie industry. Culver got his chance in 1913,
choosing a piece of land halfway between downtown Los
Angeles and the sea, and established an office for Culver
Investments on Main Street. One day, Culver observed famous
producer Thomas Ince filming a western on the banks of
Ballona Creek. Fascinated as he watched Ince direct war-painted
Indians paddling in canoes along the waterway, Culver
soon persuaded him to move his successful studio  from
the beach to Washington Boulevard. Culver City, "The
Heart of Screenland," was off to an auspicious beginning,
as was the realization of Harry Culver's dream.
Culver City’s first studio began to take shape in
1915 with the construction of a colonnade, the impressive
entrance to Ince/Triangle Studios (facing Washington Boulevard
today). |
