Boston Street

Originally just a semi extension of the New York Street, this dirtpath became a 'street' in 1938. The original layout and design of the street (which eventually became Boston Street) was slightly different as can be seen in this aerial photo from 1944. Visible in this aerial is that the street had a median and was a little longer then what would become Boston Street.

This section of the street only had once façade, which was the Seton House. A very large ornate New York Mansion type structure that was only a single story façade. It was originally constructed for the movie “Holiday” in 1938, with Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn. Hepburn’s character Linda Seton, and her family resided in this structure, hence the name.

For the movie, a Matte painting was used to give the illusion that the actual façade was a four story mansion. The same was done subsequently for any shot of the façade in any movie thereafter.

A Studio 'Set Still' photo of the Seton facade from 1939.

A Matte composite of the Seton home.

The Seton home as seen in The Three Stooges.

Although technically not part of this street, next door to this large upscale façade was the 'Payne Hotel', which can be seen in some of the early serials as well as the movies 'Pushover' (1954) and 'Three for the Show' (1955). Next to it was the 'Gas & Electric building' which was at the corner of New York street and Modern Street.

The Payne Hotel as seen in this Studio 'Set Still'. At the corner here, to the left is really where New York Street used to start.

Boston Street

This all changed when in early 1957, plans were made to tear down these three structures and construct an elaborate street of new 'homes' so to speak, for the movie 'The Last Hurrah' (1958) with Spencer Tracey. The Movie was set in a city in New England (Boston) and, after research, it is found that these were based on actual existing homes in Boston itself, and thus these new facades came to be known as the Boston Row Homes.

Original blueprint map of the street with the Seton façade.

The new layout of Boston Street on the map, showing the Boston Row Homes and the redesign of the Park.

Construction of the Boston Row Homes in 1957 for the movie production of 'The Last Hurrah'.

Almost all of the Boston Row home structures were copies of real homes in Boston, with minor changes and minus one story. The façades on each end are from different places but the large portion in the between are direct copies of 59 through 64 Beacon Street.

Top; The Ranch version of Boston Street 1960.

Bottom; The real Boston Row homes in Boston 2021.

Since it was constructed for this particular film, the new Boston Street and its Rowhomes, were extensively featured in 'The Last Hurrah'. With their unique and ornate entry ways, ironwork fences and shutters on almost all the windows, it was a grand new addition to the Ranch.

A view of Boston Street and the Boston Row Homes as seen in the movie 'The last Hurrah'

A beautiful color view from 1959 and before Gray Square.

Boston Street shortly after completion in 1958.

The end facades are not from the same section of Beacon Street, but from around the area. The façade at the corner of Boston Street and New York Street was a flipped copy of #7 Commonwealth Ave in Boston with only a few minor changes.

The original #7 Commonwealth.

The Facade copy as constructed on the Ranch.

The two facades on the other end to the original Boston Row homes (before the construction of Gray Square) were also copies of existing homes on Beacon Street. Although the end façade seems to be a adaptation of 148 Beacon Street, the other location has not been discovered as of yet.

The two facades at the end of Boston Street.

The actual house at 148 Beacon Street in Boston.

The newly added street quickly became a popular setting for numerous productions. It was utilized in 'The Tingler' in 1959 as well as 'Midnight Lace' in 1960, staring Doris Day. And although a Universal Production, the Boston Rowhomes were chosen as the backdrop with one facade as the apartment set as the main characters home.

A beautiful color view from 1960 of the Boston Rowhomes.

The Gray Square Addition

In mid 1960, Columbia started production on the Jack Lemmon, Kim Novak film 'The Notorious Landlady' (Based on the short story "The Notorious Tenant" by Margery Sharp), which required an addition to Boston Street, portraying a fictional London street end named 'Gray Square' in the movie.

A 1967 Blueprint and its Legend, showing the corosponding façade numbering of Boston Street and 'Gray Square'.

'Gray Square' at the end of Boston Street, as seen in 'The Notorious Landlady' from 1962.

Boston Street could be seen throughout the 1960's in many of the Columbia films and Screen Gems productions from that time. Movies such as '13 Frightened Girls', 'Elmer Gantry','Summer Magic', but also Disney's 'The Happiest Millionaire', and television shows like 'Dennis the Menace', 'The Farmer's Daughter', 'The Monkees' and 'Here Come the Brides'.

Like almost all of the other Streets and facades on the Ranch, it was utilzed to its maximum potentiol. Every angle was taken advantage of in every way.

The Fire

The very last view of Boston Street and Gray Square captured, taken hours before the devastating fire on Sept 9th 1974, during the 1st Annual Burbank Community Event.

On the weekend of Sept 9th 1974 a massive fire ravaged through the Ranch, engulfing 35% of the Lot. Gone were the most recognized facades representing the those well known city streets like New York Street, Modern Street & Modern Place, Brownstone Street and Boston Street. Despite the tremendous destruction, miraculously Gray Square was virtually untouched by the fire.

Above, the remains of Gray Square the day after the fire.

Left, the charced remains of what once was Boston Street.

Though unscathed from the horrendous fire, the studio (by this time the merged WB and Columbia endeavor of 'The Burbank Studios', decided not to reconstruct the lost streets and sets, and thus demolishing what little that was left - which was Gray Square.

Over the next few decades, numerous ideas were tossed around of constructing new 'city' like streets and facades, however, none came to fruition. In 1981 the area was converted to portray a military base for the short lived tv show 'Private Benjamin' and later housed a recreation of Mr. Miagi's house and garden from Karate Kid II & III. Around 2000 the area was redeveloped to become parking spaces for the new entrance.

As of October 2023, the entire Ranch was demolished and redeveloped for new concrete Soundstages and office facilities, leaving not a single trace of what once was.