Not many people would guess that a quaint shop located in the heart of Burbank, California could have such an impressive history, but for many years, Baron Hats has been the top hat maker for most of Hollywood and beyond.  Having created over 35,000 hats for Motion Pictures, Television, Broadway, Commercials, Rock Videos, Vegas, Disneyland and more, Baron Hats is pretty much the legendary place to go for a classy and distinct chapeau.

Founded by Eddie Baron during the “Golden Age” of Hollywood, Baron Hats has put iconic tops on the heads of stars ranging from John Wayne to Harrison Ford (Baron’s created the hats for Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom).  Now run by the very talented, Mark Mejia, (Eddie Baron’s protege), the clientele list for Baron’s keeps on growing with such names as Johnny Depp, Bruce Willis, Val Kilmer, Robert De Niro, Tommy Lee Jones, Danny DeVito, Jeff Bridges, Josh Brolin, Robert Duvall, Shia LeBeouf, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Russell Crowe, Diane Keaton, Andy Garcia, and Will Smith … just to name a few.

Beyond the Marquee’s host, Steve Czarnecki, recently visited Baron Hats and met with owner, Mark Mejia, to take a behind-the-scenes guided-tour of the historic hat studio.

It’s pretty safe to assume that you’ve seen Baron Hats creations in several of your favorite film, television shows and even music videos.  The following is a short list of popular titles that Baron’s creations have starred in: The Shootist, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Back to The Future Part 3, The Wild, Wild West, Crocodile Dundee, Dick Tracy, Seabiscuit, The Mask, Meet The Fockers, The Mummy, Rocky VI, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of The Crystal Skull, Night at the Museum 2, The Whole Ten Yards, Hidalgo, 3:10 To Yuma, High School Musical 3, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, “Maverick”, “Gunsmoke”, “Bonanza”, “Mad Men”, and “Desperate Housewives”.

In addition to Beyond the Marquee’s visit to Baron Hats, host Steve Czarnecki actually brought in a vintage Baron Hat creation owned by his father that needed some TLC.  As a bonus to the tour that owner Mark Mejia gave to Beyond the Marquee, he took the time to show us the process involved with reconditioning an old hat and bringing it back to looking like brand new.

For more information on Baron Hats and its diverse Hollywood history, please visit their site at the following link:  http://www.baronhats.com/history.htm

Baron Hat President Mark Mejia and Beyond the Marquee Host/Founder Steve Czarnecki