The title sequence in S. Lee Pogostin's "Hard Contract" (20th Century Fox, 1969) begins with James Coburn in a diner on Main St. and looking out the window to get a view of the Burbank Theatre, 548 S. Main.
Please excuse the poor quality screenshots -- four of the five here come from a very gloomy low-res version of the film on YouTube as a post from Consuelo Browning. But it was still a treat to get a chance to view the beginning and all the Main St. shots. The film also features Burgess Meredith, Lee Remick and Karen Black.
After lunch he goes over to buy a ticket. Thanks to Larry Harnisch on the blog The Daily Mirror for this screenshot, a view from inside the Burbank's boxoffice. That's the Spring side of the Arcade building on the right of the frame.
We get a look at the Art Theatre, 551 S. Main St., behind him. See the Art Theatre page for more about that one, demolished in the 80s.
Coburn goes in and watches what is evidently a documentary about the plight of children in Africa. Oh -- he's there to kill a guy.
He leaves through a side exit house right and walks back out to Main St via the south exit passageway. The stairs we see are coming down from the theatre's balcony.
As Coburn buys a paper after the show (and the hit) we get a closer look at the marquee. No African documentary on it. We've got "SF Beaverama" and cartoons advertised. Visit the page about the Burbank Theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres site for more views of the theatre, opened in 1893. Yes, it's gone too, demolished in 1974.
On IMDb: "Hard Contract"
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