Copyright © 2026 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett
Larry Abrott (1888-1961) is credited with supervising the installation of stage machinery and scenery at the Oakland Scottish Rite. As owner of Western Scenic Studio, he partnered with Sosman & Landis in 1927 to install a new rigging system for 85 backdrops, each measuring 30′ x 50′.
Abrott was well-known throughout the region, having established the Western Scenic Studios at 1527-1531 Jackson St., Oakland by 1923. He was also a member of the Oakland Scottish Rite. Despite his reputation, Abrott’s surname was frequently misspelled in historic records and newspapers as Abbott.
Lawrence “Larry” Arthur Abrott was born on July 22, 1888, in Sunol, California. In fact, all of the Abrott children were born in Sunol between 1888 and 1896. For geographical context, Sunol is an unincorporated town, located approximately 30 miles southeast of Oakland, about halfway between Pleasanton and Fremont. Interestingly. Abrott’s 1961 obituary listed him as a native of Irvington; this is a Fremont neighborhood. Regardless of the exact spot, Abrott was in the right place at the right time when the Essanay Film Company opened their Western Studio in Niles. Niles is now also considered part of Fremont as an historic district. Family members lived in the area for years, with Abrott’s father passing away there in 1944. His sister also lived in Niles at the time.
“Larry” was the son of a blacksmith Henry Arthur Abrott (1864-1944) and Angeline Frick (1867-1947). Little is known of Abrott’s early youth, education, or entry into the carpentry trade. However, the 1900 US Federal Census report lists 11-yrs. old Larry living with his family in Murray Township, also located in Alameda County. Except for 3-yrs. old Florence, all the Abrott children were attending school that year. Their neighbors were a mixture of farmers and tradesmen.
When Larry turned 21 yrs. old he married Alice Perdita Elliott (1889-1950). The couple was wed in Alameda County on June 20, 1909. Between 1910 and 1926 they celebrated the birth of four children: Lawrence ”Lorin” Elliott Abrott (1910-1976), Arthur H. Abrott (1918-1987), Jack Odell Abrott (1920-2004), and Barbara Jean Abrott (1926-2008).
In 1910, the Abrotts moved from Murray moved to Pleasanton. At the time, he was employed as a carpenter, listing “housing” as his primary industry. Abrott was in the right place at the right time when Gilbert M. Anderson selected Niles as the new Essanay filming location.
In July 1912, Abrott joined Essanay’s Western Studio in Niles as a set carpenter. This was only a few months after Essanay selected Niles as their western filming location. In Niles, the firm offered housing for both cast and crew. Abrott relocated to Niles that summer. For the next three years, he fraternized with local citizens, seasoned performers, and actual cowboys. When Essanay arrived in town on April 1, 1912, the business district was less than three blocks long. Orchards surrounded a smattering of structures that dotted the canyon. The location offered an abundance of locations to film westerns. In less than four years, Essanay produced approximately 350 films in Niles. The number is staggering, even when the length of a “film” averaged less than 15 minutes.
Abrott is pictured throughout David Keihn’s book Bronco Billy and the Essanay Film Co. (2003). He is shown both assembling sets and posing with the crew in Niles. Keihn has written a remarkable book that examines early filming practices and provides insight into the Essanay production process between 1911 and 1916. One of the aspects that I found fascinating is the use of standard stock scenery paired with a muslin ceiling (to diffuse light) and cut openings with natural scenery used as a backing. The turnaround time for the early movies (as well as the injuries incurred by cast and crew), is staggering. It really points to the speed at which Abrott and his crew, including scenic artist Earl Sudderth, loaded scenic flats onto wagons, delivered them to the desired location and set them up with lash lines and stage jacks. Keihn wrote, “Six days a week the cast and crew gathered in the morning at the barn on Second Street. Cowboys saddled their horses and rigged the stagecoach for action. Jess Robbins piled his camera equipment onto [Gilbert M.] Anderson’s Thomas Flyer and sat beside the chauffeur. Anderson sat in the back seat next to leading lady Vedah Bertram. If needed, Ben Lee and Arthur White loaded scene flats onto the bed of the dray wagon. The Flyer led this procession, everybody in costume, along Front Street past houses and businesses. The townspeople soon got used to this sight and paid little attention to it. Only visitors would stop and stare” (p. 89).
When Essanay shuttered its studio in Niles on Feb. 16, 1916, Abrott went south with Thomas H. Ince (1880-1924) to Hollywood, but didn’t stay for long. He returned to Oakland and became associated with the Orpheum Circuit. In 1917 the Oakland Directory listed Abrott as a flyman at Orpheum Theatre, living at 600 7th. He also continued to work as a stage carpenter. Between 1918 and 1920, he was listed as a carpenter in the directory, working on a variety of projects.
His work as a freelance stage hand and carpenter signals the start of his own scenic concern. In later years he would claim 1916 and 1918 as the establishment of his Western Scenic Studios. The 1920 census listed that the Abrott household included 31-yrs. old Lawrence, 29-yrs. old Alice and their two sons, aged 9 yrs.-old Lorin and 1-yr. old Arthur. Between 1921 and 1922, Abrott established the Western Scenic Studio. The firm began making an appearance in newspapers by 1923. An article entitled “Dons Ships Recount Years” was published in The Oakland Post Enquirer on Sept. 25, 1923. Western Scenic Studio was credited with ships built for the Fiesta de la Laguna on Lake Merritt that recalled 400 years of California’s history. Ten major ships showed significant periods in maritime history. The whole spectacle was arranged by the Dons of Peralta. The article reported, “Two boats, replicas of Fulton’s first steam ship and the Golden Hind, in which Sir Francis Drake sailed through the Straits of Magellan, were built by the Western Scenic studios in Oakland.” Later advertisements during described the firm as “Practical Builders of Artistic Floats, Scenery, Canopies, Draperies, and Interior Decorations” (Oakland Tribune 27 Feb 1927 p 49).
In 1923, Western Scenic Studio projects included scenery for Santa Rosa’s High School and Reavis’ G. & S. On Dec. 2, 1923, The Press Democrat published an article entitled, “Good Scenes Essential to Theatre Acts.” The article reported, “The success of theatrical performance depends to a great extent upon the stage settings. The realism of the setting rests with the scene painter; an otherwise attractive set may be completely ruined by poorly designed or badly painted scenery, according to L. A. Abrott, manager of the Western Scenic Studio of Oakland. Few persons realize the painstaking effort that goes into the production of effective scenery. As the architect first draws the plan of the house, the designer of the setting first makes the model which shows his client the way the stage will appear when the scenery is in place. These models are complete even to the smallest detail – the wings, the drop, all the effects are there, and the scenes are done in the colors in which they will appear in the competed set. These models are often really works of art and are prepared at a considerable cost. The scenery for the Reavis G. & S. theatre is from the Western Scenic Studios as was also the scenery for the San Francisco Grand Opera. The oriental setting of the Oakland Auto Show, which received much favorable comment, was designed by this studio.” Western Scenic Studio also delivered scenery to Oakland’s new Fox Theatre and Sacramento’s Senator Theatre at this time. Abrott was making a
On Feb 22, 1927, The Sacramento Union credited Western Scenic Studio with scenery and stage machinery at Sacramento’s Civic Auditorium, providing special sets for C. F. Weber & Co. The firm also became quite active as interior decorators at this time. They decorated the interior of the Garden of Allah Café along the Niles-San Jose Highway. Similarly, they created a Spanish Interior for the Automatic Appliance Company’s Happy Homes Shop No. 20 at 2080 Broadway in Oakland. The firm was also credited with “Jungle Town,” a new themed resort that offered “a little bit of Africa” (San Francisco Chronicle 14 Sept 1927 p 11).
The firm also became quite active in large-scale décor for horse shows. Over the years, Abrott took both a professional and personal interest in these popular events, even offering stakes for some of the divisions. In 1927, Oakland’s Horse was held at the Auditorium. On Feb 7, 1927. The San Francisco Chronicle announced, “Elaborate decorations for the auditorium are to be installed by the Western Scenic Studio.” The following year, Abrott even convinced Thomas G. Moses to attend the annual event. In his 1928 diary, Moses wrote, “The first horse show we ever attended was on the 18th of February. We certainly enjoyed it!”
Moses and Abrott spent a significant a significant amount of time together that year. Moses wrote, “February 5th, Larry Abrott and wife called for us to take a trip through Los Gatos to their camp. On the way we struck a fierce storm. We were to take dinner at McEwings but arrived late on account of the storm. We enjoyed the ride and dinner just the same.” John McEwing was the Oakland Scottish Rite representative who had contracted Moses for the project. The McEwings and Abrotts frequently socialized with Moses and his wife (Ella) during their stay.
This was also the same year that Abrott began constructing new studio at 1184-1196 Thirty-second street. While excavating, Abrott discovered an old artifact that he shared with his colleague. Of the discovery, Moses wrote, “In tearing down an old house where Abbott is building a studio, an old invoice book was found. It was used as a clipping scrap book by the advertising man of the California Theatre. In looking it over I found it had to do with the shows of 1888 and 1889. I found a long article about my work in the theatre, describing how I went about it. Rather interesting and quite an accident I should get in possession of it. The California Theatre was opened May 13, 1889.” Moses had arrived in San Francisco on Feb. 3, 1889, to paint scenery for the venue. He began painting on Feb. 21. Despite of the “knocking” he received from local artists at the time, his work was well received by the public. Moses wrote, “my scenery was even praised by the previous knockers, so I must have done my best.” Of his scenic contribution, the Oakland Daily Evening Tribune reported, “As far as possible, drops only will be used on the stage, which has facilities for hanging sixty-two drops, thirty by forty-five feet in size. In case grooves are needed, an ingenious invention on the plan of the parallel ruler will be employed, which permits lifting the grooves out of the way when not in use. The largest and most varied stock of scenery ever is being furnished a new house is now being painted by Thomas Moses, the artist for Messrs. Sosman & Landis of Chicago, whose light embraces thirty-two full sets, requiring 7000 yards of linen. The feature of horizon settings is a semi-circle rod on which is hung by rings, dispensing entirely with wings and giving the effect of great distance.” This was a wraparound cyclorama, a device installed at the Oakland Scottish Rite in 1927. Sosman & Landis installed many of these over the decades. Here is an example from the 1920s.
The article continued: “Five different street scenes, complete in every detail; five Gothic interiors of entirely different character, French, modern, plain, and fancy chambers, palaces, prison, kitchen, and garret – each scene requiring fifteen to twenty pieces – are already finished or under way, besides a number of exteriors of great beauty and variety” (April 19, 1889). This project was the topic of an early post from 2017; click HERE to read it.
While in Oakland, Moses and Abrott worked on a variety of other projects. In 1928 Moses wrote, “Called on the National Theatre Supply Company of San Francisco in order to assist Abrott in contracting for some of their building as we did in Chicago. I believe they will give up their Studio in Seattle, as I understand it is a losing proposition.” That year, Western Scenic Studio also subcontracted Moses to paint scenery for a Shrine event in Phoenix, Arizona. Of the project. He wrote, “Did a lot of Shrine scenery for Abrott. To go to Phoenix, Arizona for only one night.” Moses’ relationship with Western Scenic Studio continued for the next few years. Abrott is often mentioned in Moses’ memoirs.
In 1930, they were still working with a variety of Masonic representatives, including Scottish Rite Mason Louis Edward Lounsbery, former resident of McAlester, Oklahoma, who lived in Beverly Hills. Early in the year, Moses wrote, “January 11th, Mr. Lounsbery showed up today. Larry Abrott and I dined at the Oakland Hotel with him. After which we drove out to the studio and the Public Library, in quest of a proper picture for the drop curtain at McAlester. He wants a Nile picture. We couldn’t find just what he wanted, so I will have to dig up some at home. Have had a lot of trouble with color drying – more so than any other year. Had to use three smudge pots, which did the work very quickly.”
Western Scenic Studio was also heavily involved with equestrian events, including those held at the San Joaquin County Fair. Abrott and Lincoln Elsworth Allington (1866-1949) were credited for the firm’s scenic contribution. On Aug 13, 1930, The Record reported, “A little Spanish town, painted on canvas and extending 600 feet in front of the grandstand, arrived this morning as an appropriate setting for the horse show which will be held each night during the fair. L. A. Abrott and L. E. Allington of the Western Scenic Studio, which built and painted the scenery, arrived today to erect it. Each night the set will be erected and torn down for the show.” Offering prize money contributions too (Oakland Tribune 1 Jan 1931 p 7). Decorations for 1931 “Under the decoration of Lawrence Abrott, the Western Scenic Studio has converted the auditorium arena into a horse show ring. A new canopy made of 18,000 tard of cloth, designed and decorated in soft and harmonious colors has been installed above the show ring. Twenty-four large panels, depicting hunt scenes and horses of all types in action, done in striking colors, will cover the walls of the arena back of the balconies. The orchestra stand at the north end of the ring will be draped with black velour curtains, embellished with great silver horse shoes and horse heads” (The Oakland Post Enquirer 30 Jan 1931 p 2).
Abrott’s eldest son, Lorin, was also working as a stage carpenter for the firm in 1930. The Abrotts were still living at 4429 Park Blvd in Oakland, with Larry listed as a theatre contractor. In 1930, Lorin represented the firm when an arctic scene was installed for the Stockton Sciots New Years Party (The Record 15 Dec 1930 p 18). The also manufactured decorations for a California and Hawaiian Sugar Corporation event at the Community Auditorium (Martinez News-Gazette 19 Dec 1930 p 2). With the country spiraling into a Depression, Western Scenic Studio began to diversify their offerings, accepting even more contracts for community events and public displays. On April 8, 1932, the Emeryville Golden Gate Herald described the firm’s contribution to the Seventh Annual Alameda Food Show at Oakland Municipal Auditorium, reporting, “At great expense, an attractive new canopy has been made for the huge auditorium arena, and new booths and decorations have been installed by the Western Scenic Studios.” Other projects that year included an “Opportunity Revue” at the RKO Oakland Orpheum Theatre (San Francisco Chronicle 8 July 1932 p 6) and decorations at Oakland’s Persian Garden’s Ballroom on the corner of Grand Ave. and Webster (The Oakland Post Enquirer 28 Oct 1932 p 12).
1933 projects included pageant settings, lobby displays, and charity benefits. On May 22, 1933, The Oakland Post Enquirer featured Western Scenic Studio in an article entitled “Decorations at Show by Local Company” concerning their decorations at the Taft and Pennoyer building . The article reported, “The studio is located at 1184-1196 Thirty-second street, where Abrott maintains a large establishment. He is equipped to furnish canopies, commercial interior decorations, draperies for the home and theater, and is noted as a designer and builder of theatrical scenery.” That fall, the firm was credited with scenic effects for Policeman McDonald’s Benefit at the Dreamland Auditorium (San Francisco Chronicle 20 Sept 1933 p 11). Another project was the fashion and vaudeville show at a theatre in Antioch. On Nov. 3, 1933, the Martinez News Gazette reported, “Special scenery will be a feature of this splendid show, and elaborate stage setting having been made especially for El Campanil Theatre by the Western Scenic Studios.” They also delivered new scenery and draperies for the Central Theatre (The Oakland Post Enquirer 3 Nov 1933 p 14) and the new Roseville Theatre (The Press-Tribune 25 April 1934 p 1).
The firm remained was involved with Masonic projects, including special settings, lighting systems, and decorations for a pageant at Aahmes Temple Shrine (The San Francisco Bulletin 30 May 1934 p 9). In the summer of 1934,they were manufacturing scenery and displays for the 39th Triennial Conclave of the Knight Templar in San Francisco.
Business appeared to be on an uptick, and just as it seemed that the studio would pull through the depression, disaster struck. Fire razed the studio building in 1934. On July 1, 1934, The Oakland Tribune announced, “Studio Plant Burned, Seven Houses Seared.” The article continued, “Fire razed the three-story plant of the Western Scenic Studio, 1196 Thirty-second street yesterday, partially destroying the roofs of seven neighboring homes, and sent a cinder-laden pall of smoke throughout downtown Oakland…The flames, fueled by oil paints, varnish, glue, and other inflammable materials stored in the studio shot up so quickly that passersby at first believed an explosion had occurred…The studio plant, where scenery was manufactured for theaters and auditoriums throughout the Pacific Coast was declared to be a total loss by L. A. Abrott, 4429 Park Boulevard, the owner. He estimated the loss at $85,000…Abrott said he had just purchased $60,000 worth of materials, much of which were to be used for setting up in ceremonies connected with the thirty-ninth triennial conclave of the Knight Templar to start next week in San Francisco…Authorities declared they were of the opinion that the fire started from a broken gas line in a washroom, the gas being ignited from flames beneath glue pots which had been left heating nearby…The fire, sweeping like a flash through the ground story, mushroomed to the second story and then to the roof, on which was a “stage” on which scene painters set up backdrops and worked out their designs. In a few minutes the fire had gained such headway that the “stage” had collapsed and the roof and floor of the building had fallen in. Huge pieces of corrugated iron, which the building in sheathed, flew into the air.” In the end, there was $125,000 worth of damage with flying embers igniting 25 homes (The San Bernardino County Sun 1 July 1934, p 1).
Before the end of the year, Abrott took out a permit for a new scenic factory at the same location. On Dec. 24, The Oakland Tribune announced a $7000 factory was to be built at 1196 Thirty-second street. The business office address was listed as 1184 Thirty-second street.
They were soon up and running. Less than a year later, Western Scenic Studio were credited with holiday decoration throughout downtown Oakland. On Nov. 22, 1935, The Oakland Post Enquirer published an article entitled, “Yule Decorations for City’s Streets,” reporting, “On a special order from the Downtown Merchant’s Association, the jolly old gentlemen set carpenters and painters to work at the Western Scenic Studio, Thirty-second and Magnolia Streets, on a project designed to make downtown Oakland a festive scene when he and his reindeer soar into town Christmas Eve. The “branch workshop” will turn out grinning gnomes, cats, dancing pigs, rabbits, ducks, bright-colored stars and Santa Claus portraits for novel decorations for downtown street corners.” They also delivered scenery and stage machinery to the San Mateo Theatre that year (The Times 24 Dec 1935 p 5).
The next year, projects included a large backdrop depicting the High Sierras for a sports show. On May 14, 1936, The Oakland Post Enquirer announced that it took ten men to handle the massive painting. A few days later, The California reported that Western Scenic Studio was Studios in charge of “New house draperies, stage draperies and a beautiful new title curtain at the Fox California Theatre” in Salinas (18 May 1936 p 15). The Salinas Morning Post reported that “L. A. Abrott, owner and manager of the Western Scenic Studios has operated his plant in Oakland for more than 20 years and has furnished draperies for California’s finest theaters” (May 1936 p 15). In 1936, Twenty years coincides with Abrott’s departure from Essanay film in 1916; when the Niles studio location was closed and Abrott was out of work.
On Dec. 1, 1936, the Oakland Tribune published an article about Abrott and Western Scenic Studio entitled, “Local Scenic Supply House Big Industry.” The article reported, “The genius behind this institution is L. A. ‘Larry’ Abrott. He started out in life with the intention of becoming a blacksmith. That would have meant that if he had continued his chosen profession he probably would have been an auto mechanic today. Fortunately, about that time Bronco Billy Anderson opened up his Essanay motion pictures studio at Niles. This institution was one of the pioneers of its kind in the industry that has grown far beyond the greatest hopes of its originators. The studio needed scenery and settings, and Larry got the job of working this angle of the game. He possessed original ideas and soon was an important personality at the studio….From Niles, Abrott went south to Hollywood with Thomas Ince. All the while the former blacksmith was learning the technical features of the new business and was fast becoming an expert. He swung from the motion pictures to vaudeville theater and was connected with the Orpheum circuit when vaudeville was at its best. That brought him back to the bay region. Then in 1919 he decided to go into business for himself. He opened up his first studio in Jackson Street in Oakland…orders have come to the Oakland plant from as far away as Burmah, and from Bagdad, India. Fort Smith, Arkansas; McAlester, Oklahoma; and sophisticated New York also send their business to the Western Scenic Studio.”
The article continued, “Many of the theaters in the Metropolitan Oakland area have been decorated by the studio. Numerous hotel lobbies show the handiwork of Larry’s workmen. Nearly all the Masonic temples in the bay area know his handiwork. And every year at Christmas time the youngsters of the Metropolitan Oakland area are gladdened by the sight of genial old Santa Claus who comes out of his hiding place in the Western Scenic Studio to perch on the lamp posts scattering good cheer until the holiday season is over.”
Of Western Scenic Studio’s building, the article reported that it had “the largest curtain frame for painting back-drops in the entire United States. It is 180 feet long by 45 feet high and is electrically driven. There are only a half dozen of these electrical drive frames in the country and none as large as the one here.” A scenic artist who painted on this frame commented on one of my previous posts that mentioned the Western Scenic Studio. Here is his comment:
“I worked for Western Scenic Studios in late 1970’s. Jack Abrott [Larry’s son] was just selling Western Scenic to a man named Joe Rhodes, and then moved to Reno, NV. At that time, Western Scenic set up Tradeshows in Northern California. Set up the draped booths, carpeting, electrical, table and chair rentals, signage, drayage, everything needed for an Exhibitor to display the wares and services they had to offer, to Attendees. The most profitable thing we did were decorations for “Special Parties.” Some of the same original hand painted scenery and old props, from the glory days of Oakland’s Movie Industry, (as well as, new canvas’s) was hung floor to ceiling, for example, at the Fairmont Hotel’s Grand Ballroom (and many other Hotels and locations).
A Western themed painting hung on one of the walls and the Fairmont catered western style foods in front of it. A San Francisco Chinatown painted canvas on another wall and Chinese food catered in front of it. MANY different “Themes” could be ordered. We also placed things like white Greek style column that were 12 feet tall. Concrete statues, floral arrangements, A Gazebo on the middle of the room. The Fairmont still had many photos hanging on the Sales Office walls, last time I was there. It was the glory days of Corporate America. Coca Cola spent a whopping $249,000 on a one night party. They rented every restaurant in Tiberon for their employees! They just had to present a ticket and that paid for their dinner and drinks! They painted the Civic Auditorium walls white with the red wavy stripe of their logo throughout the facility! AND THEN… Had to paint the entire Auditorium back to the dull slate gray that is was. What a waste! We did special decorations and plant for the Davis Cup Playoffs. I met and had breakfast with McEnroe, Bjorn Borg, Jimmy Connors and was star-struck! I was a big tennis fan! We also did Staging and decorations for a Fredricks of Hollywood Fashion Show. Details of that event I will take to the grave! LOL! Joe built a special turntable for the car maker FIAT. And we travelled to several cities setting up their auto display at big Car Shows up and down the West Coast. Joe Rhodes was a VERY creative man that I liked, and respected. I was seriously injured on the job at Western Scenic, and through some serious misunderstandings, and a couple lying fellow employees, I was fired. My two years there was some of the most memorable of my life. That, thanks to Mr. Joe Rhodes. Just some quick input on Western Scenic. I’d like folks to remember the fun and wonderment that we created. God Bless.” And this brings us to the period of transition as the studio passed from the Abrott family, to Joe Rhodes and then John Murray.
There are many, many Western Scenic Studio projects that I have researched and documented, but will not be included in this post due to length. That being said, I am going to start with Larry’s obituary, published in the Oakland Tribune on Aug. 11, 1961:
“L. A. Abrott, Theatre Man, Rancher, Dies. Lawrence A. Abrott, veteran Oakland theater construction company executive who raised cattle at this family’s Livermore ranch for a hobby, has died at 73. Mr. Abrott lived at 4429 Park Blvd. He is survived by his wife, May; four children, Lorin and Jack Abrott of Oakland; Mrs. Barbara Laird of Hayward and Arthur Abrott of San Bruno, and 10 grandchildren. Mr. Abrott operated the Western Scenic Studio here for many years and supplied much of the theatrical, carnival and festival decorations for the Pacific Coast. He also took over the family ranch on Welch Creek Road near Livermore. This is still operated by his son, Arthur. Funeral Services will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. in the chapel of Albert Brown Mortuary under the auspices of Park Boulevard Lodge No. 568, F. and A. M. Mr. Abrott also belonged to the Scottish Rite Bodies of Freemasonry, Aahmes Temple Mystic Shrine, Oakland Court No. 6 Royal Order of Jesters and Grandfathers Club of America.” Larry’s sons ran the firm until 1978 when they sold the studio to Joe Rhodes. In 1984 photographs were taken of murals on the paint frame and shared as a YouTube video in 2016. The murals were for a ski convention in Colorado, crediting Terry Brackenbury as the Artist Team leader. Click HERE for the video posted by Horace Washington.
That same year, the studio was mentioned in an article published by The Sacramento Union on April 29. The article was entitled “For Art Lovers with a Taste of Oddities” and reported, “Western Scenic Studio Inc. in Oakland has collected a bizarre assortment of trompe l’oeil since opening in 1919. Backdrops depicting dramatic Sierra vistas or adobe missions stuff its monumental warehouses. Fiberglass life-sized horses, medieval castle tapestries, miniature Victorian houses with measure 16 feet high and scores of Greek columns are all there for a fee. Among the more extravagant of the firm’s offerings, which are primarily used these days for conventions and trade shows, are a 60-foot-long Golden Gate Bridge (it rents for about $1,000), a 21-foot high Eiffel Tower, and a 17-foot tall Arc de Triomphe.”
By the mid 1980’s Western Scenic Studio was thriving. They landed three Super Bowl party contracts that included the 1986 Super Bowl XX part in New Orleans. On Jan. 8 of that year, the San Francisco Chronicle mentioned that decorations for the event were being hauled in three 45-foot trailer “chock full of props and decorations.” The article also recounted the firm’s history: “Dating back to 1909 when its founder, Larry Abrott, was building sets for Charlie Chaplin’s film-making in Niles (the would-be movie capital of the West), Western Scenic has over the years provided the background for corporate, trade and entertainment events ranging from Sally Rand’s Nude Ranch at the 1939 Treasure Island World’s Fair to the 1984 Democratic Convention at the Moscone Center. The only home-owned, full service company of its kind in the state – its major competitors are nationally operated United Exposition Services and Greyhound Exposition Service – Western Scenic was acquired by Rhodes in 1978 from the founder’s son, Jack, who continues as a consultant. At the time, there were two full-time employees and the annual revenues of $100,000. Today, there’s a permanent staff if 20 designers, carpenters, electricians, etc., that grows to 200 or more on occasion. Revenues according to Rhodes, will top $2 million for 1985.”
Then everything fell apart when Rhodes was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease. In 1992, Rhodes passed away at the age of 53. His obituary was published in the Oakland Tribune on Feb. 27. It mentioned his purchase of the Western Scenic Studio: “In 1978, Mr. Rhodes purchased Western Scenic Studio, an Oakland-based design studio well-known for its set designs for theatre, presidential conventions, and private parties across the country…Some of Mr. Rhodes clients have included ABC-TV, Harrah’s Tahoe and most notably the National Football League [annual Super Bowl parties in 1985, 1986 and 1987 for San Francisco, New Orleans and Los Angeles]; Fairmont Hotel and Caesar’s Tahoe – Best Party Award in 1986 (San Francisco Chronicle 29 Feb 1992 p 40).John Murray purchased the Western Scenic Studio building when it went up for auction in 1997. On Oct. 5, The Los Angeles Times announced the Oct. 14 auction: “Theatrical & Convention Set Designers. (325) Backdrops (covering themes such as Hollywood, Halloween, X-Mas, Space & many more!)/Hundreds of Assorted Color Drapes/Hundred of Props & Flats/Electrical System/Forklifts/Trucks/Trailers/Mfg. Eq./Computer Eq/Ofc Furn & Eq!!” The auction was on Oct 14, 1997, at 11 in the morning. The building was purchased by John Murray.
On April 13, 1999, the Oakland Tribune published an article entitled, “Murray: ‘Business Theater’ Takes Off.” Of the new acquisition for John Murray Productions, the article reported, “The 10,000-square-foot space is double the production of the company’s previous San Francisco quarters. The Oakland property features giant moving painter frames that allow scenic artists to paint 27-foot-high by 90-foot-wide backdrops – about five times larger than what DrapeLine had been producing in San Francisco. ‘There is no other building like that for painting scenery in Northern California,’ said Murray. ‘It was a one-of-a-kind opportunity. The building was a gift for us.’ John Murray Productions, which offers design, planning and production services to the booming corporate special event market or’ business theater niche, started in Oakland in 1989. Soon the fledgling business moved to San Francisco. ‘That’s where the action was,’ said Murray…. The day brokers listed the Western Scenic Studios properties, Murray immediately went after it. Murray paid $363,000 for the building that came complete with a carpentry shop, sewing room and infrastructure for large-scale backdrop work…‘Years ago, the quality of productions for corporate presentations was simple and somewhat crude,’ he said. ‘We are talking advantage of the facility and basically keeping the art of scene painting alive…and incorporating that kind of talent in business theater.’ Western Scenic Studios celebrated 75 years in business in 1996. The business’ home on 32nd Street was constructed in two phases, with the original work occurring in 1928. Decades later, financial circumstances forced its owners into bankruptcy and the property was eventually liquidated.” Well, not quite the whole story, but the reason why Murray was able to purchase the building.
John Murray Productions, Inc. is still located in the Western Scenic Studio building at 1196 32nd St in Oakland. The iconic structure is easy to spot. The firm’s website advertises “Creating Entertainment Environments.” This is not far from what Abrott envisioned when he built the studio.
To be continued…
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