WHEN Universal City Studios opened its doors to the public back in 1964, it was a spectacular first. Nicknamed the Glamour Tram, it allowed ordinary people to finally get a behind-the-scenes glimpse at how Hollywood films were made in a real studio setting and even spot megastars. It was the birth of Universal theme parks we know today.
A whopping 60 years on, the Studio Tram Tour is still thriving and, as I learnt on my recent trip to Los Angeles, the pure thrill you get from being on a Hollywood film set is tough to compete with. The City Studios have since been renamed Universal Studios Hollywood and although things have changed a little over the past few decades, it still gives people a sneak peak of a working movie backlot and active soundstages. And to mark its anniversary, guests have been granted more behind-the-scenes access than ever before.
I was able to pose in front of a giant King Kong backdrop, next to the motel from Psycho and under the sharp teeth of the original hanging Jaws shark. Desperate Housewives fans will be in their element with a drive down Wisteria Lane. There is also a new “Earthquake: The Big One” element, inspired by Mark Robson’s 1974 movie (thought to be a defining film of its time for special effects), which subjects guests to a realistic 8.
3 magnitude quake. And things ramped up a gear when I joined Fast & Furious’s Dom and Co for an exhilarating high-speed chase in its 3D-HD simulation, Supercharged. I also visited Courthouse Square.