GLITZ & GLAMOUR
Join Us for a Jaunt, "dahling"
Thanks to the magic of Culver City film historians and a cast of Hollywood's greatest stars, you can follow the yellow brick road to Glitz, Glamour, Glory & Gold. Enter the glitz of the roaring 20s silent movies and stride into the glamour of MGM's golden age. March to the glory of heroic battles and Westerns and race into television's golden post-war era.
Streets Come Alive
Many of the "greatest stories ever told" in the past century were revealed in the Heart of Screenland. Screenland 5K Creative Director Lori Escalera and film historian Chris Bungo articulate the narrative in motion picture glitz, glamour, glory & gold. Bungo photographed locations of storied movie and TV scenes along the race course. "The fun part of the job was to overlay my photo onto the original film frame,” said Bungo.
Laughter at the Start
The 2025 Screenland 5K starts opposite the former Hal Roach Studios, called the "Laugh Factory to the World." Roach produced Our Gang and Laurel & Hardy comedies and created WWII training films featuring Ronald Reagan and Alan Ladd. Across the street was Sebastian's Cotton Club, where jazz musician Louis Armstrong played. Further east of the race's starting point lies the East Culver City Arts District and the historic Helms Bakery, official supplier for the 1932 Olympic Games.
Batman Soars; Lassie Returns Home
As you begin your journey into glitz, glamour, glory & gold, imagine Adam “Batman” West chasing the Joker on Ince, Fred “Hunter” Dryer fighting criminals by City Hall, and Erik “CHiPs” Estrada citing a driver on Culver Blvd. You will pass locations where Aunt Bea and Andy Griffith admonished Opie, King Kong grabbed Fay Wray, Janet Gaynor eyed Fredric March, Ingrid Bergman saved Gregory Peck, Kevin Hart conspired with buddies, Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin got into mischief, Lucille Ball hugged Ricky, Hardy rebuked Laurel, Lassie came home, Tron became a freedom fighter, and ET flew. You'll encounter scenes from TV shows Charlie’s Angels, Twilight Zone, Cougar Town, Bones, Perry Mason, and Wonder Years.
Spidey and the Smurfs
Follow the yellow brick road west down "Wagon Pass" (Washington Bl.), notorious for its nightclubs, gambling, and bootlegging. The street became the city's economic engine with industry and car dealerships. Stroll by the gates of Sony Pictures Animation, home of Spiderman, Garfield, The Smurfs, and Hotel Transylvania.
America's Smallest Main Street
Venture north on Ince and encounter Ivy Substation, featured in train scenes from classic Hal Roach films. It's now home to the "Actors' Gang" theater, directed by Oscar-winning actor Tim Robbins. Soon, you'll stride by the nation's smallest Main Street, America's film production hub in the 1940s, providing affordable entertainment during the wartime era.
Legendary Guests
Jog past the wedge-shaped century-old Culver Hotel, known for its legendary ownership and notable guests of film and politics. Soon, you'll encounter the iconic Culver Theater, which showcased first-run movies. It's now Center Theater Group's Kirk Douglas Theatre.
Pot of Gold
Passing the storied gates of Sony Pictures Studios, formerly Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, you can see "The Rainbow," a soaring installation inspired by "The Wizard of Oz.". Soon, you'll stroll by Backstage, the famous movie studio watering hole, where you can feel the vibrant energy that thrived while studios filmed classics such as The Wizard of Oz, A Star is Born, and Gone with the Wind.
Cinematic Landmarks
Skirt near the Western Hemisphere Marathon marker in front of Veterans Auditorium. It was the oldest consecutively run marathon west of the Mississippi and the first to allow women to compete alongside men. Returning east, you will pass landmarks such as the post office, City Hall facade, Fire Station Number One, and the location of Esther Williams' extravagant swimming pool film sequences.
Red Carpet Finish
Jog past the historic Culver Studios, where Bette Davis, Robert Mitchum, Cary Grant, Katherine Hepburn, Fred Astaire, and Ginger Rogers rose to fame. Music icons Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson rehearsed there. Silent film pioneer Thomas Ince, legendary director Cecil B. DeMille, business magnate Howard Hughes, and comedic pair Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball took turns with ownership. Now, Amazon Pictures, which owns the century-old MGM film library, produces shows on the refurbished sound stages. Soon, you'll step onto the red carpet and accept your well-earned finisher's medal.
