Warner Brothers Tour

Harry Potter Costumes

I begged my way into a free tour of the amazing Warner Brothers lot last week. This studio really puts a lot of effort into creating a broad range of experiences into their tour. This year marks their 90th anniversary and they're really kicking it into high gear.

Dusenberg used in The Great Gatsby

Warner Brothers is starting an end of the week contest where guests use the hashtag #wbfotofriday when they post their favorite pictures of the tour on Twitter, and then Warner Brothers picks their favorite to post on Fridays.

Jack Lemon bust from the prop department

For the month of November they are providing tours in French on Mondays and Wednesday at 3:45! Spanish tours run Monday-Friday at 12:15 PM and 3:15 PM.

My Fair Lady Costumes

There will also be free guest speakers from time to time. Check the Warner Brothers Website for details as they develop.

A portrait of Humphrey Bogart for his last film, that was never made

There are two types of tours. The VIP tour which is two hours and the deluxe tour that is 5 hours and takes you to the commissary for lunch. While you might think two hours is enough, you'd be wrong. There is so much to see and trying to squeeze it all in to two hour is impossible. I highly recommend the deluxe tour, and if they ever make a ten hour tour I'll recommend that one. Another great perk of the deluxe tour is eating in the commissary. It's great for star gazing.

Jazz singer script

 If you only have one day to tour a studio in LA, Warner Brothers is the place to go. You see it all from backlot sets to props, they even have a museum with an entire floor devoted to Harry Potter. You can get put in a house at Hogwarts by the actual sorting hat. The museum also has a variety of movie memorabilia from early film up to today. When I was there they had the script pictured above from the first "talkie", The Jazz Singer, all the way through the recent Great Gatsby film.

Back Lot

TCM To Launch Classic Film Tour In New York

I just got this press release from TCM. Wish I could be in NY for it.

The network has partnered with On Location Tours, one of the world's largest TV and movie tour companies, to create the "TCM Classic Film Tour" in New York City. Featuring stops at some of the most famous movie locations throughout the city, this sightseeing bus tour is one of several initiatives TCM is launching as it prepares to celebrate its 20th anniversary in April 2014.

The "TCM Classic Film Tour" features an experienced and knowledgeable tour guide, extensive trivia about each location and a special video introduction by TCM host Robert Osborne, a longtime resident of New York. "As a kid growing up in a small town in Washington State," Osborne says in his introduction, "my only exposure to New York City was through the movies. The town with its towering skyscrapers, fascinating people and teeming energy absolutely captivated me. Seeing New York in the movies is what made me want to live in Manhattan one day. I eventually got my wish, and the city has never disappointed me.”

Set to launch on Thursday, Aug. 22, the "TCM Classic Film Tour" will run Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, beginning at 11:30 a.m. The three-hoursightseeing bus tour will take movie fans to some of the city's greatest filming locations, including the Empire State Building (King Kong); Zabar's market (Manhattan, You've Got Mail); Holly Golightly's brownstone (Breakfast at Tiffany's); the famed subway grate that blew Marilyn Monroe's skirt (The Seven-Year Itch); Grand Central Terminal (North by Northwest, Superman); and, of course, Central Park.

In addition to seeing the real locations, visitors will get to see clips of the sites from the movies. "It's a great way to see how much – and how little – the city has changed over the years," Osborne says, "and how the history of New York and the history of the movies are so intertwined."

Fans can book reservations for the "TCM Classic Film Tour" online at http://www.tcm.com/tours, or by calling 212-913-9780.