She Likes to Watch

In midst of celebrity deaths, another film icon is lost

They say things happen in threes.

Births. Weddings. Natural disasters.

The same rule seems to hold especially true for celebrity deaths.

Director/producer/actor Sydney Pollack, the man behind such classics as “Out of Africa,” “Three Days of the Condor” and “Tootsie,” died a week ago. “Carol Burnett Show” regular Harvey Korman — a four-time Emmy winner — signed off on Thursday. Renowned French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent passed away Sunday night.

All great men. All great contributors to world culture. At the risk of sounding crass, I’d like to add one more death to the list.

Universal Studios’ iconic Courthouse Square is no more.

A fire broke out Sunday at the movie studio’s 400-acre property in Universal City, destroying the square seen in “Back to the Future” and “To Kill a Mockingbird” and scorching two mock streetscapes.

According to the Associated Press, the fire broke out along New York Street, backdrop to “Bruce Almighty,” “Monk” and “House.”

Two mock New York and New England streets used for movie-making and as tourist displays were lost, Los Angeles County Fire told the AP. The flames chewed up an exhibit featuring a mechanical King Kong, demolished a vault containing up to 50,000 film reels and videos, and destroyed a set for Clint Eastwood’s latest films.

Most importantly, the fire damaged the famous clock tower that enabled Michael J. Fox’s character to travel through time.

That’s right. Marty is trapped in 1955. FOREVER.

To put it simply, Universal Studios’ massive fire is a major bummer for movie buffs.

It’s also a reminder of cinema’s fragility. Just as paintings can be destroyed and statues smashed, movies and television — another part of our collective consciousness — can easily be lost in fires, floods and other disasters. Each movie set, each inch of celluloid is a missing link.

We’ve got to protect all aspects of our cinematic legacy — living, breathing icons like Sydney Pollack as well as those cold, coy canisters of film.