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Universal Hollywood: The Chicken Ranch

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Availability:	Open to the Public
Filed Under:	Movie Locations Movie Locations > Blood Deep (2005) Movie Locations > House of 1,000 Corpses (2003) Television Locations Television Locations > Ghost Whisperer
Added By:	TheCabinet
Added On:	February 11, 2009 - 05:07 PM UTC
Last Modified:	February 11, 2009 - 08:05 PM UTC
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Visited By:	1 Users

Address
100 Universal City Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 91608, USA (Universal City, California)

Information
The Chicken Ranch This set piece at Universal Studios Hollywood is relatively young in comparison to other such structures on the back lot, but it is already becoming something of a horror landmark with its few genre appearances. On paper, it is officially named Building #14, but it is more commonly known as The Chicken Ranch. The name comes from its original purpose: as the main house in the 1982 Musical/Comedy, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, starring Dolly Parton and Burt Reynolds. The film was an adaptation of a musical and book of the same name about the 1973 closure of the famed Chicken Ranch brothel in Fayette County, Texas. As an interesting tidbit, the structure's name may also be an indirect reference to the entire Universal City complex. On March 15, 1915, movie mogul Carl Laemmle formally dedicated his new studio, Universal Studios, and the new township of Universal City on a sprawling 230-acre plot of land. He had purchased the land from the Lankershim Land and Water Company, which had been using the property up until that point as, naturally enough, a chicken ranch. In an even more ironic twist, Laemmle reportedly subsidized his studio operations by selling the chicken eggs to stagehands. Production on The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas shot in various locations throughout Texas, including a small turn-of-a-century house near Pflugerville, which was chosen to serve as the exterior of the Chicken Ranch. As filming commenced in Texas, set designers back in Universal City went to work in completely recreating the house in Stage 12 on the back lot. The new set piece was fully stocked inside to serve for the later interior scenes of the house. It remained in Stage 12 for the duration of the production as the filmmakers had better control of the environment. After production wrapped on The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, it was determined that the now-minted "Chicken Ranch" should be preserved for future productions. In 1982, Universal had decided to move forward with the production of a sequel to the popular 1960 horror classic, Psycho. However, the Universal Studios Hollywood back lot had grown substantially and the Psycho House was now surrounded by other structures at the end of Colonial Street (more popularly known today as Wisteria Lane from Desperate Housewives). To capture the isolation of the house from the first film, the structure was picked up and moved to a nearby lot and production began on Psycho II (see Universal Hollywood: Psycho House and Bates Motel). Taking its place was the Chicken Ranch - perhaps foreshadowing its future role in the horror genre. It had its first known genre appearance in 1997 in an episode of the short-lived Fox series, The Visitor, from Independence Day filmmakers, Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin. The same year it appeared in the U.S. remake of Father's Day with actors Robin Williams and Billy Crystal. However, it would be six more years before it made perhaps its most memorable appearance with the 2003 release of the long-anticipated debut horror film from musician Rob Zombie. House of 1,000 Corpses (2003) After flirting with various projects for a few years, writer/director Rob Zombie got to work with his debut film, House of 1,000 Corpses, for Universal Studios. The film was something of a tip of the hat to brutal horror films from the 1970s, including the likes of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) and I Spit on Your Grave (1978). It involves two couples that seek out bizarre roadside attractions, which takes a brutal turn when they meet up with the Firefly family. The Chicken Ranch doubled as the home of the Firefly family and the title piece in House of 1,000 Corpses - the site of most of the mayhem and murder. Interestingly enough, both the interiors and the exteriors of the house were used for the production, as the "house" is a full-functioning set piece. Naturally, the filmmakers did some major renovation and redecoration to transform it into the menacing home seen on film. Nearby Colonial Street was also featured in a few sequences outside of the so-called Morrison Home (or Building #9, which was also seen in the 1997 film remake of Leave it to Beaver) that doubled as the home of Denise Willis (Erin Daniels) and her father, Don (Harrison Young). Filming on the back lot of Universal Studios was not without its problems. The ever-popular Studio Tour tram (see Universal Studios Hollywood) drives right past the Chicken Ranch and the route was not at all detoured during the production. Zombie has stated since that several scenes had to be re-shot after a tram came by and/or moved into the shot. Even worse, the house is located near Falls Lake and the popular Jaws attraction, which also managed to ruin various sound takes of House of 1,000 Corpses. The sprawling Universal City complex is also noticeable in the distance, which limited various angles they could shoot of the exteriors - even though a majority of the action takes place at night. The filming technicalities turned out to be minor in comparison with other issues the production faced with Universal. Although the movie was released in 2003, it was actually filmed between the months of May and August 2000. After filming had wrapped and Zombie had delivered the initial cut of House of 1,000 Corpses, the studio decided against distributing the film. At the time, Universal Pictures Chairman Stacey Snider told the Los Angeles Times that the movie "...turned out far more intense than we could have possibly imagined." Universal's head of publicity, Terry Curtin, added, "I'm not sure where the line is, but it was clear from watching the film that it had crossed it. It's probably the first time in my career that I felt I'd have trouble working on a movie." The reaction was in part attributed to the public scrutiny the entertainment industry had received the previous fall from the Senate Commerce Committee, chaired by Arizona Senator John McCain, and the Federal Trade Commission over marketing violent entertainment to children. The hearings were a direct result of the 1999 school shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado that took 15 lives, including the two gunmen. Given the political climate at the time, Universal felt it was in their best interest to release the film rights back to Zombie so that he could track down his own distributor. After three years of flirting interest with other studios and a growing restless fan base, Zombie finally found a home for House of 1,000 Corpses with the independent film distribution company, Lions Gate Entertainment. It would prove to be a match made in heaven. Lions Gate had publicly expressed an interest in expanding their horror catalog and anticipation from the horror community had grown for the film due to its constant delays in release. House of 1,000 Corpses finally hit the screens in limited release across the United States on April 11, 2003. It went on to gross just under $17 million at the theaters, which was considered a big success for Lions Gate and opened the door for future horror endeavors for the studio. Among the films on the production company's growing horror slate was a 2005 sequel to House of 1,000 Corpses - dubbed The Devil's Rejects. For obvious reasons, the Chicken Ranch was not used for the sequel. Instead, the company built a replica of the building on the much-used Sable Ranch in nearby Santa Clarita. It was erected near a swamp set that had been constructed for the Disney film, The Haunted Mansion (2003). Blood Deep (2005) The Chicken Ranch would next appear in the genre with the 2005 independent horror film, Blood Deep. The movie was written, directed, and produced by Todd S. Kniss and involves a reunion of childhood friends that takes a very dark turn when one of the guests unwittingly admits to murder. Before the night is out, the killing starts anew. The set piece was the main location for the film where the friends meet up and the chaos ensues. Securing the location turned out to be a major triumph for the filmmakers. Faced with a limited budget, the production had not yet secured a final shooting location for the main set piece of Blood Deep. Expecting to be turned down, the crew approached Universal. As Kniss puts it, "With little more than a pipe dream and a handful of change in our pocket, our movie was looking for a handout." They found a sympathetic ear in the studio, which agreed to rent out the set, as well as prop and equipment rentals, at an affordable price. Universal was not the only one that came to Blood Deep's aid. Kniss credits Kodak, Panavision, Hydroflex and many others that cut their costs in order to assist in the making of the film. Because of their contributions, the filmmakers were able to produce a movie that did not reflect its reported shoestring budget. Ghost Whisperer (2005-Present) In the same year, the Chicken Ranch appeared in the fifth episode of the new CBS series, Ghost Whisperer. The series stars actress Jennifer Love Hewitt as Melinda Gordon, who has the ability to talk with the dead. Developed by alleged spiritual medium, James Van Praagh, the series follows Gordon has she helps the spirits she encounters resolve unfinished business from their lives so that they may cross over. In the episode in question, which was titled Lost Boys, Gordon comes to the aid of three young boys (and their ghost dog, Homer, who has a recurring role following this episode) who died in an orphanage fire 50 years before. The episode aired on October 21, 2005. In the episode, the Chicken Ranch doubles as an old inn where the boys have taken up residence and which is threatened by demolition. It is not much of a surprise that Ghost Whisperer would ultimately use the Chicken Ranch in an episode. The majority of the series is shot on the Universal back lot and the Gordon home is technically only one street away. In fact, the set used as the Courthouse Square of "Grandview, New York" was heavily damaged in the fire that swept the Universal back lot on June 1, 2008. As result, the production moved to the nearby Warner Brothers Studio for outdoor sequences while the sets were being rebuilt. The Chicken Ranch Today The now famous home of the Firefly family from House of 1,000 Corpses is still located at the end of Colonial Street to this day. It has since been refurbished to bring it back to a more contemporary look, but is certainly recognizable from its time in that film. It is one of many attractions on the Universal Studio Tour and is seen just before the tram moves down Colonial Street (Wisteria Lane). However, as the back lot is still used for filming, there is always a chance that the tram will have to detour around it on any given day.

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Related Sites
Universal Studios Hollywood The web site for Universal Studios Hollywood and their Halloween Horror Nights.
thestudiotour.com: Universal Hollywood A comprehensive site that tracks the back lot of Universal Studios in Hollywood, California.
Rob Zombie The official Web site of musician/filmmaker Rob Zombie.
Blood Deep The official Web site of the 2005 horror film, Blood Deep.
CBS: Ghost Whisperer The official Web site of the CBS supernatural series, Ghost Whisperer, starring Jennifer Love Hewitt.

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See Also on TheCabinet.com
Blog: This is the House... Come On In... (04/11/09)

Available from Amazon.com
House of 1,000 Corpses
House of 1000 Corpses [Blu-ray]
Ghost Whisperer - The Complete First Season
House of 1000 Corpses - Movie Poster (Size: 27'' x 40'')
Living Dead Dolls - House Of 1000 Corpses (Exclusive Set)(Size: Approx: 10" each)
House Of 1000 Corpse - Poster T-Shirt

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The Chicken Ranch in the Universal Back Lot

Photo of the famed Chicken Ranch from House of 1,000 Corpses during Studio Tour - January 2009.
From: TheCabinet

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The above content is for informational purposes only. Before making any travel arrangements, it is highly recommended that you contact those in charge of the property to check for updated availability and hours of operation. While we do our best to keep this information updated, we cannot guarantee that it is completely valid and up to date. Any destination marked "Closed to the Public" is marked that for a reason and we discourage any visits or attempts to gain access to that facility. Similarly, take note of any "Travel Advisory" that may be associated with a destination. Finally, treat any location and its local residents with respect. Any vandalism and/or unruly behavior is completely despicable and only ruins the experience for future visitors.

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