Everything has a history. This is the history of Courthouse Square, which sits in the backlot of Universal Studios Hollywood. In order to help orientate you, I will post this 1955 Hill Valley version made from a model of the Square and compare it with still frames from the films. Up is north.
Much of this version of Courthouse Square had survived since it was first built in 1948, but would later be the victim of other fires. The Courthouse is the only facade that seems to have survived all the fires.
The northern side of the facade had been standing since at least 1941.
In 1948, a movie was made called "An Act of Murder". In the movie there are some scenes that take place outside of a courthouse. Rather than film outside an actual courthouse, it was decided that a type of town center would be built. In the backlot of Universal Studios Hollywood, a town square was constructed out of facades, including an imposing looking court house.
An Act or Murder (1948)
An Act of Murder (1948)
Once the film was done, the square was preserved to be the setting for future films. Parts of the square were featured in films such as It Came From Outer Space (1953) and Tarantula (1955). It was also featured on shows like Leave it to Beaver and The Twilight Zone. Then in 1957, an arsonist set fire to nearby New York Street, destroying the facades in that street and damaging buildings in Courthouse Square. It's unknown the extent of the damage though.
The square was soon repaired and returned to regular filming. It got its first hint of notoriety when it was featured in the film To Kill a Mockingbird (1962).
To Kill A Mockingbird (1962)
To Kill A Mockingbird (1962)
The Following year, Life Magazine was able to take some truly unique pictures of the courthouse facade which captured people's imaginations. The seemingly imposing Courthouse was simply a front. Due to the success of To Kill A Mockingbird, the square was renamed "Mockingbird Square".
In the 1970s, the square was featured in the TV show The Incredible Hulk. In the 1980s, it was featured in Psycho II (1983) and Gremlins (1984).
Gremlins (1984)
Gremlins (1984)
The square reached fame in 1985 when Back to the Future was released. Unlike past films where the parts of the square were shot as needed, Back to the Future utilized the entirety of Mockingbird Square as the town center of a fictional town called Hill Valley for two time periods (Ultimately three): 1955 and 1985. For the climax set in 1955, Doc Brown is shown at the top of the Courthouse, trying to plug the last connections to send his pal, Marty McFly back to 1985.
Eventually Mockingbird Square was renamed Courthouse Square. When Back to the Future Part II (1989) was released, it featured a 2015 version of Hill Valley as well as an alternative dystopian 1985 version. Because Back to the Future Part III (1990) took place in an 1885 version of Hill Valley, they decided to forgo the square and set up a square and courthouse under construction on a ranch in Sonora, California.
Then in 1990, a fire was started in the backlot, blamed on improper storage of hazardous matierials. It destroyed the north side of the square, but luckily the courthouse itself survived. The northern portion that burned down was rebuilt exactly as it was. The square would continue to be used in features and television shows such as Weird Science, The Nutty Professor (1996), Jingle All the Way (1996) and Batman & Robin (1997).
In 1997, tragedy struck once again.
Then in 1990, a fire was started in the backlot, blamed on improper storage of hazardous matierials. It destroyed the north side of the square, but luckily the courthouse itself survived. The northern portion that burned down was rebuilt exactly as it was. The square would continue to be used in features and television shows such as Weird Science, The Nutty Professor (1996), Jingle All the Way (1996) and Batman & Robin (1997).
In 1997, tragedy struck once again.
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