Phantom of Sound Stage 28

By Courtney Sheets

When I was writing a short story set in Hollywood, I based one of my characters on the great Lon Chaney - loosely of course. Chaney was known as the Man of a Thousand Faces and was a pioneer in the field of movie make-up. I love history and most especially Hollywood history so when I was doing my research on Chaney I found some really interesting things.  (If I could be a film historian in addition to a writer, I would be the happier then fleas on a dog)

I thought I’d take this opportunity to tell you some of the fun facts I discovered. However this blog isn't about him...per se. It is about Sound Stage 28 on the Universal Studios Back lot. I know what you're thinking, why the heck did you mention Chaney if you're going to talk about a sound stage. Well, I'll tell you, my little blog loves. You see Sound stage 28 is where they filmed The Phantom of the Opera. The 1925 Lon Chaney version of the classic Le Roux tale.

The sound stage is still known as 28 but also carries the name The Phantom Stage mainly because the much of the 1925 set still resides inside....and so does the ghost of Lon Chaney. (See now I have your interest)

Prior to the construction of sound stage 28, Hollywood sound stages basically consisted of a raised platform built outside with a muslin covering which could be pulled over the set to defuse glare. (Muslin is a semi-porous fabric that allows some light to shine through. It is used still for flats for theatrical and film productions because paint adheres well to it and it is relatively inexpensive to buy in bulk. I'm a nerdy theater girl. Give me a break) The Phantom stage was truly one of the first of its kind and the precursor to the modern sound stage. (Not the green screen sound stages but I digress) When Universal announced The Phantom, the biggest problem they had was the building an entire replica of the Paris Opera house. So the construction department built the very first steel and concrete sound stage to house the thing. It has since been renovated for talkies.

The chandelier the Phantom drops on the unsuspecting audience was an exact replica of the one in Paris. It weighed 16,000 pounds and measure 40 feet in diameter. Universal executives were a little weary about something so expensive being brought to a crashing disaster (not to mention the 3000 extras seated below the monstrosity) so the cameraman, Charles Van Enger, had an idea to film the fixture being pulled back up to the ceiling and then reversing it in editing. Viola. The Phantom kills a bunch of people and the 1920s ladies swoon at the carnage...and Chaney's scary Phantom make-up. (Honest to goodness, women fainted at the sight. Medical teams were kept in the lobby of many theaters showing the picture for that very reason)

The chandelier stood on the sound stage until 1965 when Alfred Hitchcock had it taken down and placed in storage. (It was in the way of his filming 'Torn Curtain) It has since disappeared. Seriously a 16,000 pound light fixture vanished. It might have been lost in the fire that swept through the studio or perhaps it was cannibalized for parts. We'll never know. It's not like it is something you can slip in your pocket and sell on Ebay without anyone knowing.

However, the seating of the Paris Opera house interior still stands as does the staircase that Lon Chaney appears on as the Red Death. Rumors abound that Chaney's ghost can be seen running through the catwalks high about the soundstage or even on the bus stop that used to stand just a few feet outside the doors. If Chaney is there it seems the best place for his spirit to call home as he immortalized the Phantom as no other actor has done.

Next time you take the back lot tour at Universal make sure to ask your guide about Sound stage 28. I've no doubt they'll be happy to share a ghost story or two about the historic building. And who knows...you might just catch a glimpse of the Phantom.

Tall, Dark, and handsome…

Buy Betting on a God HERE

By Courtney Sheets

I’m a sucker for a dark and brooding man. Maybe it’s from growing up in the Southwest where Latin men abound in a plethora. Perhaps it’s from my first crush being Christopher Reeve in his Superman suit. Who knows but while I love men (because face it they are yummy), I love the tall, dark and handsome ones the most.

That explains while Dionysus, my Greek god of a hero in Betting on a God, is festoon with black hair and wicked green eyes.  My Dion was created after watching My Life in Ruins starring Nia Vardalos and Alexis Georgoulis. The brooding Greek actor proved the inspiration for a Greek God come to life. Talk about tall, dark, and sexy. For Sadie Flynn, Dion is the perfect mix of man and myth. Although I doubt she ever imagined Madame Eve would choose an honest to goodness Greek God as her dream man.

Who sets your blood boiling and your lady parts tingling? Think Richard Armitage in Spooks, Marlon Brando in The Wild Bunch, and Rudolph Valentino in The Shiek. Elvis in Jailhouse Rock. (Elvis is hot. Seriously, look at 1968 comeback special leather clad Elvis and then we’ll talk).

What is it about those luscious men who spark our wildest imaginings, like Dion does for Sadie? If you could choose any man, real or imaginary, to be your 1Night Stand date who would you choose?

Comment for a chance to win a free copy of BettingOn A God.

Viva Las Vegas!

Buy Betting on a God HERE

By Courtney Sheets

Here Frank Sinatra goes all the way, it’s always a thrill to have Dean Martin under you, and Elvis never stops being a hunk of burning love. All of this happens almost every day in my hometown, Las Vegas, one of the sexist places in the world. Heck, our nickname is even Sin City. No wonder Vegas is so damn sexy!No, I am not talking about sex…for now at least. All of those happen to be street names in Vegas as well as sexy dead crooners.

I really dig Old Vegas. You know what I mean, Bugsy Siegel and the Rat Pack. Cool cats in fedoras and sultry vixens in silky gowns. I love it all. So it makes sense that my new 1Night Stand story, Betting on a God, would take place in a casino with an Old Vegas feel. Set at the mythical Mount Olympus Casino and Resort, modeled after Caesar’s Palace, we meet just a few of the Greek Gods who run the joint. Namely Dion Eliades the resident Food and Beverage Manager, or as he is commonly known, Dionysus.The studly god is in trouble with Madame Eve sets him up with sassy mortal Sadie. Who doesn’t want a Greek god to cater to their passions all night long?

There is so much more to Las Vegas then meets the eye and the tourists never really get to see the place I love and call home. It’s not all casinos and neon and half naked showgirls, you know. We have hiking and schools and every day America life…and lots of neon. Plus Hollywood manages to portray us a certain way.  Contrary to popular CSI belief, it does not rain that much here.

Trust me, you don’t want to be around me when watching a movie or TV show set in Las Vegas. I’ve been known to yell at the TV if the details are wrong. My best friend usually just rolls his eyes at me and laughs when I do that.

What are some of your favorite Vegas related things? 

Betting on a God blurb:

Welcome to Mount Olympus, Sin City’s most opulent casino resort. Here you will be servedthe finest food, the most decadent wines, and every desire you crave. All provided for you by Dion Eliades, owner. And just like most things in Las Vegas, there is more to Mount Olympus and Dion than meets the eye.

After a thousand years, Dion, the Greek god of wine and merriment, is tired of playing human and wants to go home to Greece. That is, until he lays eyes on Sadie Flynn. Thanks to Madame Evangeline and 1Night Stand, this god is in for an adventure the likes of which he has never experienced. But only if Sadie agrees to bet on a god.