Harry Culver, a real estate developer, founded the city in 1913. Located along the roads and rail line that connected the beach resort city of Venice with downtown Los Angeles, the town grew fairly quickly. Culver attracted "immigrants" from the Midwest by offering homes that included furniture and even appliances in exchange for a monthly mortgage payment.During the 1920s the film industry arrived, with silent film comedy producer Hal Roach and Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM) building studios. During the 1930s through the 1940s Culver City was home to half of America's motion picture production and was dubbed the "Heart of Screenland." Today the entertainment industry is represented in Culver City by Sony Studios (formerly MGM), Culver Studios, National Public Radio's "NPR West" facility, the NFL Network studios, and a handful of smaller media companies.Movies that have been produced in Culver City include classics such as Citizen Kane , the original King Kong , and Gone With the Wind . The Wizard of Oz was filmed at MGM studios, and the original yellow brick road is still inside the lot on Stage 27 of Sony Studios. In addition to being the home of classic films, the television show I Love Lucy was produced at Desilu Studios. More recent productions include Grease , Raging Bull , E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial , City Slickers , Men in Black , Air Force One and Spider-Man . In addition to I Love Lucy , television shows made on Culver City sets include Lassie , Batman , The Andy Griffith Show , Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune .The city has other ties to the entertainment industry beyond the movies and television shows created at its studios. The iconic Culver Hotel was once owned by Charlie Chaplin, and was later sold to John Wayne, legend has it for the price of $1 after a high-stakes poker game. The town's streets also reflect Culver City's entertainment history, with names such as (Mary) Pickford and (Douglas) Fairbanks.Culver City was in a state of decline in the 1990s, but since that time has undergone a tremendous revival. The downtown area is now a bustling district that is home to dozens of restaurants and multiple theaters, while other districts throughout the city are gaining reputations for the culinary and artistic businesses that have set up shop.