Lou Grant and the Daily Planet

[Julius Leonard Marx]

I've been enjoying seeing "Lou Grant" again since ALN started running the show several weeks ago. In the early episodes shown (so far) the exterior of the "Tribune Building" looks like the same building used as the "Daily Planet Building" in the first season of "The Adventures of Superman." (Note: In later seasons, LA City Hall was used as the Daily Planet Building.) According to Wikipedia, this is the Wilson Building on Wilshire in LA. Anybody know if they same buildings were used as newspaper offices on both shows?

Speaking of buildings (this is a little off classic TV) but does anybody know the name of the building (with elevated walkways in front) that seems to get used on most of the CBS crime dramas? It's the Philly Police building in Cold Case. The FBI building in Numb3rs. It's popped up on the various CSI shows and Criminal Minds. Last week it was St. Louis airport in The Unit. I've seen it in a bunch of other shows. It's gotten too recognizable and maybe the producers should find some other locations.

 

[Stanislav]

I've been enjoying seeing "Lou Grant" again since ALN started running the show several weeks ago. In the early episodes shown (so far) the exterior of the "Tribune Building" looks like the same building used as the "Daily Planet Building" in the first season of "The Adventures of Superman." (Note: In later seasons, LA City Hall was used as the Daily Planet Building.) According to Wikipedia, this is the Wilson Building on Wilshire in LA. Anybody know if they same buildings were used as newspaper offices on both shows?

Per the site latimemachines.com (a great site to waste an hour or two browsing when you have the time, BTW), the Daily Planet building was actually the L.A. City Hall at 200 N. Spring St., while the Tribune Building was actually the Title Guarantee & Trust Building at the corner of S. Hill and W. Fifth. (I can't vouch for the accuracy of their info vs. what is posted on Wikipedia, but the latimemachines site seems pretty detailed, and they have obviously done their homework, so I'd be inclined to trust them...)

 

[bpatrick]

IIRC from Jeff Kisseloff's oral history of '40s and '50s
television, "The Box," the Daily Planet building on the
first season's episodes of "Superman" was the Carnation
Building on Wilshire Boulevard. From the second season
on. the L.A. City Hall was the Planet building.

 

[Julius Leonard Marx]

From the sites I checked, the Wilson Building was used for the shots of the top of the Daily Planet building in Superman season one. The Carnation Building was used for shots of the ground floor entrance.

Thanks for the info on the "Trib."

 

[bpatrick]

There's been a lot of confusion over the years:
the Wilson Building has often been confused with
the Carnation Building, but I think you're right--
it was the Wilson Building that served as the
Daily Planet building during Superman's first
season. I had always been under the impression
that it was the Carnation building, but I stand
corrected.

 

[Julius Leonard Marx]

I found the answer to the other question I asked: The tall building with the elevated walkways used as a location on several (mostly CBS) shows is at Los Angeles Studio Center, 5th and South Boyleston in LA. The building was originally the Union Oil Company building, built in 1960. The "campus" includes six soundstages next door plus offices and other production facilities in the Union Oil building. Numb3rs is filmed there but other shows use it as a "practical location" as filmed at other studios. I guess producers like it but the building is too recognizable and has been used too much. It looks nothing like the Philadelphia Police building (the "Roundhouse").