Samuel Goldwyn Studio
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Film production |
| Founded | 1919 |
| Founder | Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks |
| Fate | Renamed Warner Hollywood Studios in 1980; later became The Lot at Formosa |
| Headquarters | West Hollywood, California , United States |
Area served | Film production industry |
Key people | Samuel Goldwyn, Joseph Schenck, James Mulvey |
| Products | Film production facilities, sound stages, office spaces |
Samuel Goldwyn Studio was the name given to the property situated at the intersection of Formosa Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood, California. This site encompassed office spaces and sound stages leased by Samuel Goldwyn Productions throughout the 1920s and 1930s. Initially, the lot was known as Pickford–Fairbanks Studios, followed by its designation as United Artists Studio, then Warner Hollywood Studios, and since 2007, it has been called The Lot at Formosa.
History
The facility was constructed in 1912 and came under the control of independent filmmaker Jesse D. Hampton by 1918. In 1919, it was purchased by Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, who named it Pickford–Fairbanks Studios. This studio produced major hits such as Robin Hood (1922) and The Thief of Bagdad (1924). Pickford and Fairbanks, alongside Charlie Chaplin and D.W. Griffith, co-founded the United Artists Corporation, renaming the property United Artists Studio. Iconic films like The Gold Rush (1925) and Scarface (1932) were created there. Numerous independent producers, including Samuel Goldwyn, utilized the lot while distributing their films through United Artists. Although Goldwyn did not hold ownership of the land, he collaborated with Joseph Schenck to develop many of its facilities.
Following Schenck's departure from United Artists in 1935, he transferred his stake to Goldwyn; after Fairbanks passed away in 1939, his share went to Pickford. After Goldwyn exited United Artists in 1940, he aimed to rename the studio Samuel Goldwyn Studio. Ownership disputes led to a court-ordered auction in 1955. Subsequently, the studio officially adopted the Samuel Goldwyn Studio name and hosted productions such as Wuthering Heights (1939), The Little Foxes (1941), Guys and Dolls (1955), Some Like It Hot (1959), and West Side Story (1961).
Frank Sinatra, a long-standing tenant at the studio, recorded music albums, starred in four films, and produced his variety television show there; his bungalow still stands on what was once the backlot, now occupied by LADWP.
James Mulvey, serving as president of Samuel Goldwyn Inc., outbid Mary Pickford to secure full ownership of the property. The site retained the Samuel Goldwyn Studio name until its acquisition by Warner Bros. in 1980, when it was renamed Warner Hollywood Studios.
Later on, Warner Bros. sold the lot to private investors who rebranded it as The Lot and operated it independently. In 2007, CIM Group purchased The Lot. By 2017, several structures were demolished without approval for landmark status to make way for three LEED Gold-certified Class A office buildings. CIM Group resumed operational control in 2021 after removing former managers Skye Partners; during this period, HBO signed a decade-long lease encompassing all seven sound stages.
On January 7, 2025, Miramax moved its headquarters to The Lot at Formosa and acquired a curated selection of films from United Artists dating between 1919 and 1940 as well as Samuel Goldwyn productions from 1940 through 1980.
Awards
The studio’s sound department earned the Academy Award for Best Sound for their work on In the Heat of the Night (1967).
See also
- Formosa Cafe
- Goldwyn Pictures
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
- United Artists
- Samuel Goldwyn Productions
- The Samuel Goldwyn Company
- Samuel Goldwyn Films
- Samuel Goldwyn Television