Demille is a timely examination of the american film industrys origins. If youve never taken a biplane ride, theres no better location to give one a try than in oceano. Now, archaeologists are using aircraft to get a birdseye view of the dunes to unearth more treasures of the movie s set a giant sphinx was found earlier this year, but plenty more remains from. Guadalupe dunes ten commandments dig reveals sphinx head. Lost city of demille is a 1923 film set buried in the dunes curbed. Guadalupe dunes and beach californias best beaches. Guadalupe nipomo dunes center the latest discovery was announced in november. Excavation in guadalupe dunes uncovers rare movieset sphinx. Jul 26, 2018 as it disappeared, the movie set became known as the lost city of demille.
Dunes center preparing to exhibit new artifacts local news. Twentyone sphinxes guarded the entrance to cecil b. Oct 25, 2019 really enjoyed visiting the dunes center. In the midst of a modern age of obsession with hollywood culture, the lost city of cecil b. And there it lay, forgotten, for the next 60 years the lost city of cecil b. This lost city was actually discovered by some movie buff historians who studied demilles autobiography and used groundmapping to identify where the 20th century egyptian ruins might be. It encompasses an 18mile 29 km stretch of coastline on the central coast of california and extends from southern san luis obispo county to northern santa barbara county. Archaeologists unearth plaster sphinx from the ten. Sphinx from the excavation site in californias guadalupenipomo dunes. The costs were mounting even before demille arrived in guadalupe to. When the filming was over, demille ordered the set. Nov 29, 2017 a recent excavation of the ten commandments movie set buried nearly a century ago in the guadalupenipomo dunes revealed a treasure beyond original expectations the excavation was aimed at. Rameses city in the dunes just blogging away doing.
Guadalupe nipomo dunes center 2020 all you need to know. Demille, filmmaker peter brosnan traces his 30year mission to excavate the largest movie set built during hollywoods silent era from the dunes of a. Cant wait for them to move into their larger, historic building in a couple years. Demilles 1923 set of the ten commandments that was built in the guadalupe sand dunes. Demille built the largest set in movie history for his silent and early technicolor epic, the ten commandments. Demille built the city of the pharaoh in the guadalupe dunes for his 1923 silent film, the ten commandments. Demilles filming of the epic ten commandments in the guadalupe nipomo dunes. Peter brosnan looks over many years of film, still pictures and other materials he used to produce a documentary on the lost city built in the sand dunes of guadalupe, calif.
Demilles film featured 20 sphinxes, each weighing 4 tons, along with towering statues of pharaohs and 100foot bas reliefs. Guadalupenipomo dunes center the lost city of demille. Today, the guadalupe nipomo dunes, as they are called, are a protected sea coast and wildlife refuge eg, for the endangered western snowy plover and largely unchanged, but for three months in 1923 it was a hive of megabudget movie making activity as demille transformed the empty dunes into a reconstruction of an ancient egyptian city. A project to excavate a small portion of a 1923 silent movie set buried in the guadalupe nipomo dunes already derailed sept. Digging up a piece of hollywood history lifestyles. Peter brosnans film shows his thirtyyear struggle to prove the existence of a lost city, beneath the sands of the guadalupe nipomo dunes in central california. Demilles lost city a feature of guadalupe nipomo dunes center.
Guadalupe dunes ten commandments dig reveals sphinx. The guadalupe nipomo dunes on californias central coast are a national natural landmark, one of the largest remaining dune systems in the state, and theyre hiding the remains of the enormous and. It was the biggest set ever built for a hollywood film in the 1920s, and then it was. Discover guadalupe nipomo dunes in guadalupe, california. Demilles epic silent movie set for the 1923 the ten commandments, which the auteur buried. Demille built the largest set in movie history for his. Archaeologists on hunt to unearth longburied movie set. The guadalupenipomo dunes on californias central coast are a national natural landmark, one of the largest remaining dune systems in the. Archaeologists unearth plaster sphinx from the ten commandments at guadalupe dunes. Demilles filming of the epic ten commandments in the guadalupenipomo dunes. Demilles lost city a feature of guadalupenipomo dunes center. A fake egyptian city is buried in the sands of the. Excavation in guadalupe dunes uncovers rare movieset.
It encompasses an 18mile 29 km stretch of coastline on the central coast of california and extends from southern san luis obispo county to northern santa barbara county the guadalupe nipomo dunes complex is home to a unique dunes. Excavating the ten commandments in the guadalupenipomo dunes. The cursed, buried city that may never see the light of. Archaeologists have uncovered a brightly colored, plasterofparis sphinx from a 1923 hollywood movie set in the guadalupe nipomo dunes. The former movie set is registered archaeological site, removing. The flick features those who lived near the dunes when the legendary director filmed the ten commandments just before he left such incredible pieces. A recent excavation of the ten commandments movie set buried nearly a century ago in the guadalupe nipomo dunes revealed a treasure beyond original expectations. Demille filmed the ten commandments north of santa barbara along the guadalupe nipomo dunes, ferry writes. Mar 01, 2014 then the roommate showed him demilles autobiography and confirmed he did have a giant movie set buried in the guadalupenipomo dunes. Another rescued piece of film history is set to debut at the guadalupe nipomo dunes center, a small step in a decadeslong project to save the lost city of cecil b.
Unearthing the mysteries of egypt in the dunes of the. In 1983, a group of film buffs found a clue to its whereabouts in demilles posthumous autobiography and located the remains. Aug 09, 2018 courtsey of the dunes center volunteers excavated a 300pound plaster sphinx last november from the sands of the guadalupenipomo dunes an artifact of a sprawling movie set built in 1923 for cecil b. Californian archaeologists excavate longlost egyptian ten. Demille built the largest set in movie history in the dunes near guadalupe, california, for his silent epic, the ten commandments. The secret egyptian city buried in the california desert. When archaeologists dug up a californian sand dune, they. The city of the pharaoh was not so much a movie set as it was a monument to the man who built it. Strong winds across the dunes have gradually exposed the set s remains.
Demilles lost city cold case features katya cengel. The enormous sets of ancient egypt have become a hollywood legend in themselves. Sphinx head discovered from the lost city of demille. The dunes soar to an amazing 500 feet in places, making them the highest sand dunes along the coast. Coastal dunes, site of buried egyptian movie set and former utopian colony. The story of how the sphinxes came to be and how they were forgotten for 60years, then recovered, is well presented.
Buried under the windswept and shifting sands of the guadalupe nipomo dunes lay the remnants of a lost city. Much of the detailed artwork for the set of the 1923 silent version of the ten commandments was created in hollywood studios and then transported to the guadalupe dunes where it was assembled on site. The digging continues today to recover demilles set. Rancho guadalupe beach and the adjoining guadalupe dunes preserve extend south along 3 miles of coastline from the santa maria river to mussel rock. Even though these dunes blow and shift a few feet every year, sometimes exposing a piece of plaster which might be recognizable or unrecognizable. Jan 20, 2016 sets made for movies before the age of computer graphics. Lost city of demille unveiling the santa barbara independent. As it disappeared, the movie set became known as the lost city of demille. He found the location but lack the funding for a full scale excavation at the time. The dunes center has exhibits and artifacts about the coastal dunes nearby and the interesting history of the lost city from the famed 1923 cecil b. A recent excavation of the ten commandments movie set buried nearly a century ago in the guadalupenipomo dunes revealed a treasure beyond original expectations. Lost city of demille is a 1923 film set buried in the dunes. Guadalupenipomo dunes center to debut excavated artifacts.
The center takes pride in preserving local cultural history while protecting the dunes. Oct 15, 2015 theres a fake egyptian city buried in california the incredible, nearly forgotten story behind one of hollywoods most expensive movie sets guadalupenipomo dunes center. Nov 29, 2017 archaeologists have uncovered a brightly colored, plasterofparis sphinx from a 1923 hollywood movie set in the guadalupe nipomo dunes. Guadalupenipomo dunes guadalupe, california atlas obscura. Buried for nearly a century, this hollywood movie set will. A plaster sphinx head was found during a 2017 excavation of the buried movie set at the guadalupe nipomo dunes. The set remained hidden until 1983 when peter brosnan, a filmmaker set out to find demilles city using clues in demilles autobiography. Jul 22, 2010 buried under the windswept and shifting sands of the guadalupe nipomo dunes lay the remnants of a lost city. The former movie set is registered archaeological site, removing items is a felony. Demille 1923 movie set that had been lost and buried in the sand dunes for decades. Jun 22, 20 this lost city was actually discovered by some movie buff historians who studied demilles autobiography and used groundmapping to identify where the 20th century egyptian ruins might be. Theres a fake egyptian city buried in california smart.
The guadalupe nipomo dunes center in california will unveil a sphinx. The sets featured four 35foottall statues of the pharaoh ramses, 21 fiveton sphinxes, and city walls over 120 feet high. The lost city of demille, buried in the guadalupe dunes. Dune center unveils ten commandments movie set ca history. Demille built the largest set in movie history in the dunes near guadalupe, ca, for his silent and early technicolor epic, the ten commandments. Demilles epic silentmovie set for the 1923 the ten commandments, which the auteur. Buried in the guadalupe nipomo dunes, california, the 300lb piece is said to be unlike anything else from previous digs. The rest of the artifact, the sphinxs body, remains. Sep 29, 2017 as for the set buried in the dunes, theres still more to uncover. And this story is located near my home, in guadalupe, ca.
Paramount pictures paramount pictures marjorie lanemangogna is a docent at the dunes center, in the nearby city of guadalupe. Coast, beneath acres of sand dunes, lay the remains of a lost city. Unearthing the mysteries of egypt in the dunes of the california coast. And thats where the lost city of demille lay undisturbed for 60 years, entombed in what is now the guadalupe nipomo dunes complex. The city of the pharaohs was constructed of wood and plaster in the guadalupe dunes, an 18mile stretch of coastal sand 170 miles north of l. The cursed, buried city that may never see the light of day.
In 1999, a nonprofit educational and preservation centre was set up by concerned californian citizens called the guadalupe nipomo dunes center with the. Demille, filmmaker peter brosnan traces his 30year mission to excavate the largest movie set built during hollywoods silent era from the dunes of a california beach. Demilles lost city cold case features katya cengel alta online. Artifacts found in an archaeological excavation of the lost city of demille in the guadalupe dunes will be unveiled at a special event from 6 to 8. The story of how the sphinxes came to be and how they were forgotten for 60. Demille was already a towering star in the early days of hollywood, but in 1922 he was recovering. The ten commandments set was ordered buried by director cecil b demille.
Sphinxs head movie prop unearthed in california mail online. Guadalupe nipomo dunes is the largest remaining dune system south of san francisco and the second largest in the u. Demilles 1923 epic the ten commandments was buried in the sand dunes of central california, he thought his next. The filmmakers quest ends up becoming a part of the. The lost city of demille guadalupenipomo dunes center. When filming was completed, demille ordered that the entire edifice be dismantled. Buried beneath the shifting sands of the guadalupe nipomo dunes is a story of biblical proportions. Over the next 30 years, he tries to uncover what happened to cecil b. Aug 05, 2016 archaeologists working in the sands of californias guadalupe nipomo dunes are excavating a sphinx from the set of cecil b.
Raiders of the lost set excavating demilles city of pharaohs 19232014. Shortly afterward, brosnan decided to make a documentary about trying to uncover the movie set. The guadalupenipomo dunes national wildlife refuge, which. In june 1983, they were able to locate the set, with pieces of neptunian art sticking up out of the sand. Join the dunes center as we unveil the latest artifacts that will be on display as part of our exhibit entitled the lost city of demille during the 90th anniversary of cecil b. Apr 01, 2006 several restored artifacts uncovered from the guadalupe dunes set of cecil b.
A recent excavation of the ten commandments movie set buried. The ten commandments is the only surviving movie set from the era of early movie. There were 21 sphinxes each weighing 5 tons created for the avenue to pharaohs city. The best film by jury award went to the lost city of cecil b. Jul 12, 2018 the guadalupe nipomo dunes center in california will unveil a sphinx head and other silent movie artifacts from the set of 1923 cecil b. When recent film school graduate peter brosnan learned that the set of cecil b. Demille, details his decadeslong quest to locate and excavate the remains of the ten commandments set. In that precomputergeneratedeffects era, an epic film needed a truly epic set.
In 1982 peter brosnan heard a story about an ancient egyptian city buried in california. In the guadalupenipomo dunes center, some of the salvaged pieces are displayed. Demilles 1923 silent film the ten commandments and many everyday items discarded or lost by the cast and crew remain buried in the guadalupe dunes, where. In the guadalupe nipomo dunes center, some of the salvaged pieces are displayed. Behind the scenes of the excavation of the ten commandments movie set. Archeologists dig up lost hollywood props in the guadalupe nipomo dunes. To pass the time until more artifacts can be retrieved, film buffs can see some of brosnans work in uncovering the film set in his 2016 documentary called the lost city of cecil b. The filmmaker begins to research the story in 1982. Archeologists dig up lost hollywood props in the guadalupe. The dunes center offers visitors a unique and fascinating exhibit featuring a variety of artifacts from the both the set and the people who were working on the production.
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