It is well known that the film history of Brooklyn began with the Vitagraph studio, also called the American Vitagraph Company. It was founded and began its work in Midwood. The studio was founded in 1897, and its founders were J. Stuart Blackton and director Albert E. Smith. Naturally, the local film studio shot its films in Brooklyn, on its streets and various other locations. There were, as it turns out, some of our favorites among them, but you can read more about it on brooklyn-trend.com.
This is where it all started
But let’s get back to the pioneer of the Brooklyn film industry. After its foundation, the Vitagraph studio was quite active. It is rumored that almost hundreds of silent films were produced here, and sometimes this figure reached eight films a week. These silent films were of various genres, including Shakespearean plots, war films, and the beloved good comedy.
And shortly after the studio was founded, Vitagraph started making films with stop-motion, which is an animation technique used to create the illusion that an object is moving by itself. The first film company and the whole world, in which this technique was used, was the movie “Circus of the Twitchy Tongue”. In the movie, the toy carnival came to life with its own shimmering life.
Among the other films created by the Vitagraph studio with the help of stop-motion was “The Enchanted Drawing”. In it, according to the storyline, a man with a pencil breathes life into a cartoon face, creating humorous phases of funny faces. Everything happens on a chalkboard. Rumor has it that these films inspired the creation of Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny, and dozens of other classic cartoon characters.
Today, the Vitagraph studio is no longer engaged in film production; its buildings were demolished in 2015. For a time, it was rented by the Shulamith Orthodox Jewish day school for girls. The famous Vitagraph smokestack remained standing in Midwood, although it was currently facing demolition.
Iconic films and their “characters”
Of course, having one’s own film company could not but contribute to the fact that many films were shot in the borough. Moreover, throughout the film history of Brooklyn, several locations have become not only famous, but also iconic. This happened because they were featured in certain films. There are many such locations, ranging from Coney Island to Bay Ridge. Each of them was used differently, as the directors preferred to “exploit” the uniqueness of these areas.
An eloquent example of this practice is the film The Warriors. This is a cult classic movie released in 1979. In “The Warriors”, the Coney Island area was used as the main base of the “Warriors” gang due to various entertainment activities. All this atmosphere was transferred to the screen.
Throughout the movie, the gang terrorized areas around Coney Island, such as the Stilwell Terminal, Astroland, and the beach. One of the most famous scenes of the movie also took place on Coney Island under the boardwalk. It was here that one of the main characters shouted his infamous line: “Warriors, come out to fight.”
This movie by Walter Hill has become a cult film, gaining hundreds of fans and supporters. It is no coincidence that a decade later, the film’s actors returned here to Coney Island to plunge back into those events. Hundreds of fans were waiting for them here, and they organized this event in honor of the movie.
Another iconic movie that made full use of the Brooklyn location was the movie Saturday Night Fever. This movie was released in 1977. The events in the movie take place on the Bay Ridge, and for most of the movie. It is also known that one of the most famous borough locations used in the movie was Lenny’s Pizza. Now, unfortunately, the famous and popular pizzeria is closed.
Therefore, the restaurant was shown at the beginning of the movie, where the main character Tony Manero enters the hall to buy two slices of pizza and eat them like a sandwich. Since its debut in the movie, Lenny’s Pizza has become wildly popular, and for many years now it has been something of a tourist attraction.
All of this, of course, was made possible by the fact that it was featured in the movie. But it’s not the only place that was featured in Saturday Night Fever. Lenny’s Pizza was joined by the Odysseus club. It is located on 64th Street. This club became the place where Tony reigned as the undisputed champion of the dance floor with his magical moves.
The consequences of “popularity”
In general, since the release of The Warriors in the late 1970s, the amusement park where many episodes of the movie were filmed has undergone significant changes over the years. This is evident in the case of AstroLand. According to LunaPark’s official website, it was first closed, and then demolished in September 2008, leaving only The Cyclone, Deno’s Wonder Wheel, and Parachute Jump. In the summer of 2010, LunaPark replaced it with new rides, such as the American Thunderbolt roller coaster.
After the opening of LunaPark, several new chain businesses appeared in the same area, such as Applebee’s, Checkers, Peggy O’Neil’s and Wahlburgers. In addition, in 2001 a minor league baseball stadium called MCUPark opened, just a few blocks from LunaPark. As for the other movie, Saturday Night Fever, the changes that have taken place are mainly related to gentrification.
At the time of the movie’s release, the majority of Bay Ridge’s population was Italian and Scandinavian. Decades later, however, the neighborhood became more ethnically diverse as Arabs, Latin Americans, and Eastern Europeans began to move in.
Meanwhile, the Odysseus Club turned into a large commercial building. A Chinese restaurant was located there. But before it was transformed into a Chinese restaurant and menu, the building had been a gay club called Spectrum since 1987. Later, it finally closed.
The leaders of the film industry have also changed. Today, it is headed in Brooklyn by Steiner Studios, located in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. It is one of the most famous film companies not only in Borough, New York, or the United States, but also in the world. The company opened in November 2004 and is the first Hollywood-style production and support studio in New York.
According to the official website, Steiner Studios was created on the basis of one of the best production factories, by the best specialists in this field. The company has produced many films, commercials, television shows, and photo shoots. Among the most famous projects are Spider-Man 3, Men in Black 3, 30 Rock, Sex and the City 2, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Continuation of traditions
To support Brooklyn’s cinematic history and traditions, Brooklyn College established a film school at Steiner Studios. This school was the first of its kind to be located on an actual film set. This means that students get direct experience in show business and have the opportunity to touch the film and television industry in New York while studying.
Another important aspect of the school’s work is the fact that it has “star” teachers. For example, 21 Jump Street director Jonathan Vokes, actor Ethan Hawke, director Steven Soderbergh, director Darren Aronofsky, and actor and director Fisher Stevens are among them.
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