Kaufman Astoria Studios

Paramount Studios Complex
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
Kaufman Astoria Studios
Location:	35th Ave., 35th, 36th, and 37th Sts., New York, New York
Coordinates:	40°45′27.74″N 73°55′25.77″W
Area:	5 acres (2.0 ha)
Built:	1921
Architect:	Multiple
Governing body:	General Services Administration
NRHP Reference#:	78001897
Added to NRHP:	November 14, 1978

The Kaufman Astoria Studios is an historic movie studio located in the Astoria section of the New York City borough of Queens.

History

It was originally built by Famous Players-Lasky in 1920 to provide the company with a facility close to the Broadway theater district. Many features and short subjects were filmed here between 1920 and 1933. The two most famous movies to be shot here during that period are The Cocoanuts (1929) and Animal Crackers (1930), the first two Marx Brothers films. It was also known as Astoria Studio and Paramount Studio. After Paramount Pictures moved all studio operations to California in 1932, the Astoria location was turned over to independent producers whose films were released through Paramount.

In 1942, the United States Army Signal Corps Army Pictorial Service took over the studio for the making of Army training and indoctrination films until 1971. The property was designated a national historic district and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The district encompasses six contributing buildings.

Motion pictures filmed there include the musicals Hair and The Wiz, and the film Carlito's Way. In 1984, The Jacksons' music video "Torture" was filmed there as well. Many sequences, especially the 'visitation' sequence in 2002 TV mini series, Angels in America were also shot here. A 2009 remake, The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, also used the studios. In 2011 the remake of Arthur (2011 film) filmed and few scenes there.

Television shows filmed at the studio include Sesame Street, Onion News Network, Johnny and the Sprites, Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego, and its successor Where in Time is Carmen Sandiego?, Power of 10, The Cosby Show, Swan's Crossing, Law & Order, Million Dollar Password, Video Power and Spin City. WFAN, a local sports radio station owned by CBS, was formerly based at the studio before moving to lower Manhattan in the fall of 2009.

The walls of the studio are lined with images of the performers who have worked in the studios, including Milton Berle, George Burns, Bill Cosby, Diana Ross, and Jerry Orbach.

Current activities

Kaufman Astoria Studios has seven sound stages including the new Stage K, designed by the Janson Design Group.

In 2008, Marty Robinson, who plays Aloysius Snuffleupagus, Telly Monster, and Slimy the Worm on Sesame Street married Annie Evans, a writer for the show on the Sesame Street set. The ceremony was performed on the steps of 123 Sesame Street and the reception was held throughout the rest of the set.

External links

• Astoria Studios, Barracks Buildings, Thirty-fourth Ave between Thirty-fifth & Thirty-sixth Streets, Queens (subdivision), Queens, NY: 3 data pages at Historic American Building Survey
• Official Website
• Kaufman Astoria Studios at Internet Movie Database