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Ask Chris: The City Explained

Question:  What’s the story behind the Soviet spy tower on top of the Veterans Memorial Building in Culver City? 
Chris:  No Cold War operatives here. Atop the 122-foot tower at Culver City’s public auditorium are windows to a world that no longer exists. The structure, which otherwise contains only stairs and an elevator, was built to offer a view of the MGM back lot, demolished in the 1970s. The auditorium below originally was to be a movie museum. That was in the 1930s, when The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind were in production. But the museum plans were scrapped. The Culver City Historical Society added an exhibit at the rear of the auditorium that has included a scarf worn by Greta Garbo, a jacket sported by Gene Kelly, and 64 other costumes from films shot in Culver City. 

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Published August 2010
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