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MY TRIP TO BATES MOTEL
(WITH NEW UPDATED PHOTOS AT BOTTOM!)
Earlier this year, I got a nice little tour
round Universal Studios, and got to wander off the beaten path and get up
closer to things that the tour tram is a lot further away from. I was
thrilled and creeped out to see The Bates Motel up close, and actually
wander up to Norman's office door. Here's the original sign that's
still there after all these years. It looks extra creepy and white trashy
now in the sunlight.
Here's Norman's office door. I'd have
snapped inside the window shots but there was nothing in there of note.
Once you get up on the walkway here, it's pretty treacherous. It's falling
apart, and the whole building is just rotten.
If you look to your right, you'll see the
doors to all the rooms. I wish I could remember which one Marion Crane
stayed in.
Here's a shot from further away. As you can
see, the studio folk have just let it go to shit and just throw random
dead trees and such in the front of it.
Up the hill is the main house. A closer
look to the left and you can see it's being used as a trashy dumping
ground right now, too.
I'm kicking myself because after I got
home, I didn't get a better close-up picture of the lower left window.
You can just make out a mannequin of Mother Bates behind the glass.
Meanwhile over in Studio City, an even more
famous eerie house is on history. It's still in great shape.
Unfortunately I only got a front shot of
the house. I was really hoping to get a picture of their swell
backyard of astro-turf.
-Robert Berry
rberry@retrocrush.com
SPECIAL UPDATE!
I was thrilled to get this email from Casey
Dodd, who has been able to get some more up close pictures of The Bates
Motel. It looks like it was only in a temporary state of disarray
while they were filming War of The Worlds on the same lot. These new
pictures show Norman's place is as good looking as it ever was.
Hey There-
Just caught your site- AWESOME stuff, L-O-V-E-D the
Worst Costumes page!!! Saw your photo tour of the Psycho set- I & my buddy
were former Tour Guides there in the 80's & 90's. He now works as senior
show writer there, making our backlot journeys more frequent than ever.
Here's the SAME set you explored about 2 weeks ago) - now re-sprinkled
with movie magic to give it that classic feel.
Enjoy!
-Casey Dodd, Ca.
PS: From the looks of the rubble in your photos, it
looks like they were setting up the "plane crash" site for "War of the
Worlds" which was set up right behind the Psycho house.
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