For decades, one of the frustrations of paying a pilgrimage to Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank has been the creeping dominance of corporate marketing in the retelling of American cultural history.
As corporations tightened their grip on Hollywood's most historic film production lots, the retelling of their history on their tours, particularly at Warner Bros., became less about the heritage and craftsmanship that made the studios great and more about franchises and souvenirs they could sell you right now—Batman in the '90s, Harry Potter today. But not everyone goes to Hollywood to see sets from Pretty Little Liars or Friends, though. Many of us also want to see the stomping grounds of James Dean, Jimmy Cagney, and Bette Davis.
Fortunately, recent scuffles in the executive suites at Warner Bros. have, surprisingly resulted in a newfound appreciation of the past—and it's deepening the company's studio tours.
On April 16, Warner Bros. christened a new variety of its studio tour that's not about superheroes, but is expressly about the great pictures and stars from Warner's Golden Age.
The new TCM Classic Films Tour at Warner Bros. was born out of a near-death experience for the channel it's named for. In 2023, the corporate masters of the popular Turner Classic Movies channel, which has garnered a cult following of viewers and vacationers, began gutting the channel's staff. The move whipped up such a backlash that some of America's biggest filmmaking giants, including directors Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorcese, and Paul Thomas Anderson, united to scold Warner's heads and to protect what's one of the United States' few mainstream outlets for classic film.
TCM's current corporate parent, Warner Bros., took note of the furor, and almost a year later, has added a special studio tour devoted specially to film heritage.
Many features of the new tour, which take about 3 and a half hours, aren't different from the regular tour, which will remain available: "The tour includes a visit to Stage 48: Script to Screen, an interactive sound stage highlighting different steps of film production and iconic sets, including the Central Perk Set from Friends and Leonard and Sheldon’s apartment from The Big Bang Theory. The tour’s grand finale is Action and Magic Made Here, showcasing the DC Universe and Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts series. The tour concludes with A Celebration of Warner Bros., showcasing awards and original props and costumes from classic titles including Casablanca, The Music Man, and My Fair Lady.
The difference in the TCM-branded tour lies in the 90 minutes spent scooting around the lot (in small-group motorzied carts painted in a distinct TCM livery).
All Warner Bros. Studio tours, even the non-TCM ones, begin with your assigned guide and driver asking your group what movies and stars you're most interested in learning about, But on the TCM tours, those guides have truly be trained in the history of the heyday of the studio system, and they don't waste your time with filler about more recent franchises unless asked.
As corporations tightened their grip on Hollywood's most historic film production lots, the retelling of their history on their tours, particularly at Warner Bros., became less about the heritage and craftsmanship that made the studios great and more about franchises and souvenirs they could sell you right now—Batman in the '90s, Harry Potter today. But not everyone goes to Hollywood to see sets from Pretty Little Liars or Friends, though. Many of us also want to see the stomping grounds of James Dean, Jimmy Cagney, and Bette Davis.
Fortunately, recent scuffles in the executive suites at Warner Bros. have, surprisingly resulted in a newfound appreciation of the past—and it's deepening the company's studio tours.
On April 16, Warner Bros. christened a new variety of its studio tour that's not about superheroes, but is expressly about the great pictures and stars from Warner's Golden Age.
The new TCM Classic Films Tour at Warner Bros. was born out of a near-death experience for the channel it's named for. In 2023, the corporate masters of the popular Turner Classic Movies channel, which has garnered a cult following of viewers and vacationers, began gutting the channel's staff. The move whipped up such a backlash that some of America's biggest filmmaking giants, including directors Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorcese, and Paul Thomas Anderson, united to scold Warner's heads and to protect what's one of the United States' few mainstream outlets for classic film.
TCM's current corporate parent, Warner Bros., took note of the furor, and almost a year later, has added a special studio tour devoted specially to film heritage.
Many features of the new tour, which take about 3 and a half hours, aren't different from the regular tour, which will remain available: "The tour includes a visit to Stage 48: Script to Screen, an interactive sound stage highlighting different steps of film production and iconic sets, including the Central Perk Set from Friends and Leonard and Sheldon’s apartment from The Big Bang Theory. The tour’s grand finale is Action and Magic Made Here, showcasing the DC Universe and Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts series. The tour concludes with A Celebration of Warner Bros., showcasing awards and original props and costumes from classic titles including Casablanca, The Music Man, and My Fair Lady.
The difference in the TCM-branded tour lies in the 90 minutes spent scooting around the lot (in small-group motorzied carts painted in a distinct TCM livery).
All Warner Bros. Studio tours, even the non-TCM ones, begin with your assigned guide and driver asking your group what movies and stars you're most interested in learning about, But on the TCM tours, those guides have truly be trained in the history of the heyday of the studio system, and they don't waste your time with filler about more recent franchises unless asked.