Thanks to Dave Potter for additional research.
The original French Street was a section of the backlot.
The upper elevation was built in 1937 for ‘Gold Diggers in Paris’.
By 1946, French Street was a memory as the reconstruction on Viennese Street getting turned into Madison Avenue for “Life With Father” required removing French Street from the backlot.
The modern French Street is a short block of “European” style three story storefronts, including an interior cafe set built for Small Soldiers which was also used in La La Land, and the permanent set for Luke’s Diner from Gilmore Girls.
The second level exteriors consist of multiple shuttered French windows (some with wrought iron railings), and the third level has a mansard roofline with dormer windows.
It was formerly stated that one of the facades on modern French Street was featured in Casablanca but that is not the case.
Further Research ongoing
Official WB Special Events page: https://www.wbspecialevents.com/portfolio_page/french-street/
Virtual Tour of French Street
Seen on Screen: Warner Bros Studios [French_St]
| Title | Released | Director | IMDB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Soldiers [Feature Film] | 1998 | Joe Dante |  |
| French Street (practical Toy Store built for this movie is still on French Street today) | |||
| The Gilmore Girls [TV Series] | 2000 - 2007 | | |
| Stage 12, Stage 14, Stage 18 and French Street, Kings Row and Midwest Street on the backlot were used as the town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut. | |||
| La La Land [Feature Film] | 2016 | Damien Chazelle | |
| The backlot is featured extensively, particularly French Street and Midwest Street. | |||