| Date | August 10, 1965[1] |
|---|---|
| Location | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio, Culver City, California |
| Cause | Ignition of stored nitrate film by electrical short |
| Outcome | Destruction of archived Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer silent and early sound films |
| Deaths | 1 (reported) |
On August 10, 1965, a fire erupted in Vault 7, a storage facility at the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio (MGM) backlot (now Sony Pictures Studios) in Culver City, California.[1] It was caused by an electrical short that ignited flammable stored nitrate film. The initial explosion reportedly killed at least one person, and the resulting fire destroyed the entire contents of the vault, which included archived prints of silent and early sound films produced by MGM and its predecessors. The only known copies of hundreds of films were destroyed.
- ^ a b "Explosion Hits MGM Film Vault". Evening Vanguard. August 11, 1965. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
