A Day at the Universal Studio Lot in Hollywood, 1963

On March 15, 1915, Carl Laemmle opened Universal City Studios on a 230-acre ranch in the San Fernando Valley and called it “Universal City.” The site later became known as Universal Studios Lot and Universal City was considered the first self-contained community dedicated to making films.

In 1950, Universal Studios Lot increased its overall size to 400 acres after Universal acquired additional land at the southern border of the studio. Music Corporation of America (MCA Inc.) bought the Universal Studios Lot in 1958. Universal then leased back its property from MCA until MCA and Universal merged in 1962.

Shortly after the MCA–Universal Pictures merger, accountants suggested that a new tour in the studio commissary would increase profits. On July 15, 1964, the modern Universal Studios tour was established to include a series of dressing room walk-throughs, peeks at actual production, and later, staged events. This grew over the years into a full-blown theme park now known as Universal Studios Hollywood.

The year before that, in 1963, LIFE photographer John Dominis took a personal journey around dream factory, and his pictures from that visit are delightfully surreal. The photos of Cary Grant and of Gregory Peck seem to have been taken after Dominis bumped into these legendary leading men as they were walking about. Dominis also catches actors Tippi Hedren and Angie Dickinson at work. Hedren is in a screen test for the Alfred Hitchcock movie Marnie, while Dickinson is having makeup done, and that is likely the strangest picture of the bunch...

The Universal studio lot in Hollywood, 1963.

Actor Cary Grant at the Universal studio lot in Hollywood, 1963.

With a commissary counter full of movie extras clad as cowboys. lone Native American extra Iron Eyes Cody stands waiting for a seat during lunch break in filming of a Western TV show at Universal Studios, 1963.

Actress Tippi Hedren screen testing for Alfred Hitchcock’s movie Marnie at Universal Studios, 1963.

Makeup artist Bud Westmore prepared actress Angie Dickinson for mask-making at Universal City Studios in Los Angeles, California, 1963.

The Universal studio lot, Hollywood, 1963.

A prop man pulled a cart at the Universal studio lot, 1963.

A prop man pulled a cart at the Universal studio lot, 1963.

A prop man pushed a stuffed lion at the Universal lot in Hollywood, 1963.

Universal studio lot, Hollywood, 1963.

Men at work on the Universal lot in Hollywood, 1963.

Cats gathering for a feed at the Universal lot in Hollywood, 1963.

Universal studio lot, Hollywood, 1963.

Universal studio lot, Hollywood, 1963.

Universal studio lot, Hollywood, 1963.

Universal studio lot, Hollywood, 1963.

Universal studio lot, Hollywood, 1963.

Actor Gregory Peck, Universal studio lot, 1963.

People traveling by wagons in a scene from a film at Universal studio lot in Hollywood, 1963.

A prop man carried large rubber rocks at the Universal studio lot, Hollywood, 1963.

Prop men tossed a rubber rock at the Universal studio lot in Hollywood, 1963.

A night view of the Universal studio lot, Hollywood, 1963.

(Photos by John Dominis/LIFE Picture Collection)