The following story appeared in the Park Labrea News and Beverly Press 70th Anniversary issue, published April 21. To view the entire issue, click here.

(photo by Patricia Sanchez)

The Griffith Observatory – one of the most beloved treasures in Los Angeles – is a place to take in breathtaking views of the basin below and the universe above. But its history is not just with the cosmic stars in the sky. According to Ed Krupp, Griffith Observatory director, it also has a longstanding connection with film and Hollywood stars.

The observatory was commissioned in 1896 by Griffith J. Griffith, a mining correspondent, industrialist and philanthropist who earned his fortune as a mining expert. He donated 3,015 acres of land to Los Angeles for Griffith Park with specific instructions to build a free observatory. In 1935, Griffith Observatory opened and became a place where patrons could explore the galaxy.

“Griffith Observatory was distinctively different from observatories that preceded it,” Krupp said. “It had a planetarium, it had a museum, and it had telescopes. The telescopes were the key instrument because it put into play Griffith’s idea of letting people eyeball the universe.”

Krupp said because Griffith’s plans for Griffith Observatory were so detailed, the building’s features, attractions and surrounding grounds came together to create a fascinating destination.

Krupp explained that, from the very beginning, Griffith Observatory was set for stardom. Dinsmore Alter, Griffith Observatory’s first director, was an astronomer wanted to create a unique experience for the observatory’s visitors.

“Alter put conceptual energy into the observatory and had the same kind of value for showmanship and experiential phenomena that you see in Hollywood,” Krupp said. “He used the observatory as more than just as a vehicle for information. He wanted his audience to go places. He wanted to tell stories.”

In the year it opened, Griffith Observatory was featured in the film “The Phantom Empire” and has appeared in many more films including “Rebel Without a Cause” and “Terminator.”

“The number of documentaries, motion pictures, news features, student films and music videos that have been done here is in the thousands,” Krupp said. “We certainly have enough prime film credits that we should have our own star down in Hollywood.”

FilmL.A., a private, not-for-profit organization that contracts permits for on-location motion pictures, has been working with Griffith Observatory for the past 20 years. They have coordinated 230 filming permits for 223 film projects including movies, television shows and commercials.

“Day After Tomorrow,” “Yes Man,” “The House on Haunted Hill” and “Criminal Minds” have all filmed at the observatory. Four permits have been approved for filming this year, including a taping of “Jimmy Kimmel Live.”

“The fact that there would be an exchange and interaction between Hollywood film and Griffith Observatory is inevitable,” Krupp said. “The Griffith Observatory is a star. It’s not an extra, and every one of those filming experiences over time has affected the observatory in ways many people don’t think of on a conscious level.”

The most famous link between Griffith Observatory and Hollywood, though, was the 1955 film “Rebel Without a Cause.”

“Whatever people end up saying about movies and Griffith Observatory, the heart of it is ‘Rebel Without a Cause,’” Krupp said. “The reason that we are so charmed [by the film] is because it was the first film to treat Griffith Observatory as Griffith Observatory. The film has an astronomical cosmic theme, and the observatory is a key element of that picture.”

In the film, students are taken to the Observatory to watch a projection light show, and James Dean’s character gets chased around the premises by classmates. “Rebel Without a Cause,” Krupp added, highlighted Griffith Observatory as a part of Los Angeles history and also made it recognizable around the world.

(photo by Patricia Sanchez)

“While Griffith Observatory had its own merit, the film in fact made it world famous, and you can’t beat Hollywood and the exposure that comes from it,” Krupp said. “Even the monument we have of James Dean (on the west side of the Observatory lawn) is strategically placed so that the Hollywood Sign is visible in the background as a reminder to Griffith Observatory’s movie history.”

Throughout the years of filming on Griffith Observatory grounds, Krupp said there have been two very memorable scenes to him, including one from the film “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle.”

“It was a very textbook explosion scene so to speak. Everything went as planned, but it was great to see a car explode in front of Griffith Observatory,” Krupp said. “Then you have the most recent ‘Terminator’ where Arnold Schwarzenegger appears naked on our front lawn. People loved to see that.”

Krupp explained there have been artists who have collaborated with Griffith Observatory on artwork and film sets. Several astronomers became consultants on science fiction movies.

“That kind of relationship has been in the fabric of [Griffith Observatory] from the very beginning,” Krupp said. “It is something people in Los Angeles don’t often see or realize.”

Andre Bormanis, board member of Friends of the Observatory helped Krupp write the Observatory’s planetarium show, “Centered in the Universe.”

He is also a television producer, screenwriter and science consultant for the Star Trek series. Bormanis helped create authenticity for the show and even included Griffith Observatory in a two-part episode “Star Trek: Voyager, Future’s End.”

“The good thing about Star Trek is that, from the beginning, it had a strong scientific background,” Bormanis said. “We were always eager to find ways to bring real science into the show. I was glad we were able to include Griffith Observatory in an episode. It only made sense given the Observatory’s history.”

People are drawn to Griffith Observatory just as much as they are drawn to film and television, he said, because both tell stories that engage viewers.

“I always think of science as a narrative in which we’re trying to explain the world,” Bormanis said. “Griffith Observatory is a place to explore that narrative, and people are naturally drawn to the stars and night sky.”

Griffith Observatory’s location has also helped solidify its place in Hollywood film history.

“The relationship between Griffith Observatory and Hollywood is not just the case of a handy set,” Krupp said.

Krupp said Griffith Observatory is easily spotted from the city and provides people with a view of the entire Los Angeles basin all the way to the ocean.

“The Griffith Observatory is a highly visible landmark that has worked its way into peoples’ imagination and hearts, and Hollywood has had a lot to do with that,” Krupp said. “It was that way from the very beginning, and people still turn to it when they want an iconic setting.”

Krupp said while filming can be routine, he and his staff are vigilant and make sure Griffith Observatory is not damaged during any filming process.

“The place needs to maintain its dignity and purpose,” Krupp said. “We do our best to accommodate filming and projects but never compromise the structure or surrounding area.”

Krupp said he welcomes filmmakers as a part of that rich history and hopes to see the strong bond between Griffith Observatory and Hollywood grow even stronger.