Culver City has a history of recognizing the importance of its veterans. Harry Culver established the Pacific Military Academy on Washington Boulevard in the early 1920s in honor of his father, Gen. Jacob Culver. The PMA later moved to nearby Cheviot Hills but maintained its ties to Culver and his city.
On Nov. 10, 1938, more than 100 “little people” arrived in Culver City to film The Wizard of Oz. Jerry Maren, who played The Lollipop Kid, told me that it was late when they arrived that night to stay at The Culver Hotel. It was quite an experience and since there were so many and were so small, they slept “three in a bed, sideways” with the remainder staying across the street at the Adams Hotel. Maren said he fondly remembered waking up to wonderful music in the morning, thinking that the city was celebrating the arrival of the “Munchkins.” They opened their windows to find that it was the Armistice Day Parade, which became a festive beginning to their stay.
Before World War II, the Army’s public relations office in Washington D.C. contacted Warner Bros. Studios. The purpose was to make a series of short subjects to acquaint the theater-going public with different branches of the military. Jack Warner personally took charge and made orientation films prior to the events of Pearl Harbor. When war was declared the mission expanded and Warner was commissioned as a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force. He and his writer, Owen Crump, a captain, organized the First Motion Picture Unit of the Air Force.
After a stint at Warner Bros., the unit moved to Vitagraph Studios, but facilities and services were lacking. When the Air Force learned that Hal Roach Studios was fully equipped and available, Roach made his studio accessible. At that time, the unit was composed of about 300 people. The first movie in the Culver City facility was reportedly a six-reel picture entitled Live and Learn, which was designed to keep young cadets from making serious, even fatal errors in their flight training. The First Motion Picture Unit made about 400 films about a variety of subjects.
During an FMPU reunion in 2002, the Culver City Historical Society hosted and taped a panel of those soldiers who shared their memories of time served at “Fort Roach.” Some, like cameraman Staff Sgt. Robert Elliott, had vivid recollections including their barracks at Pacific Military Academy. They worked with noted actors like Alan Ladd and Ronald Reagan to make training films.
Structures like the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars buildings house numerous active veterans’ organizations. In 1950, the Veterans Memorial Building was completed in Veterans Memorial Park to commemorate the dedication of our servicemen. Last weekend the Culver City Symphony showed its appreciation of the men and women who served in the Armed Forces by dedicating its first concert of the season to veterans at the Veterans Memorial Building.
Julie Lugo Cerra is the Council-appointed City Historian of Culver City and author of three books and hundreds of articles on local history.
