20th Century Props
Harvey Schwartz stood in tears among his prop shop which offers a huge inventory of items to be used in film and television productions. It has become the latest victim of a rapidly changing Hollywood. Mr. Schwartz, the owner of 20th Century Props, is planning to go out of business next month and auction the incredible inventory. This once-thriving business is failing due to increased out-of-state movie production and the death of scripted programming on network television. “I ran out of money three months ago, and I don’t know what else to do,” he said. “It’s terrifying. I’ve devoted my entire life to something that is over.”
Set decorators are just as upset. “The closing of 20th Century is a disaster for us,” said Melinda Ritz, who won three Emmy Awards for her work on “Will & Grace.” She goes on to add, “The fabric of Hollywood is fraying so fast that it’s scary.” The Great American Group will liquidate the company’s inventory during the last week of July. The holdings are insured for around $8 million, but the value of many of the props is difficult to nail down because of the premium that many memorabilia collectors will likely pay for the better-known items.
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