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"Mad About Music"

In Norman Taurog's "Mad About Music" Universal, 1938) both Sid Grauman and the forecourt of the Chinese Theatre make an appearance. The film stars Deanna Durbin and Herbert Marshall. Deanna plays a girl at a school in Switzerland who makes up stories about herself and an imaginary explorer father.

See the Los Angeles Theatres pages about Grauman's Chinese for a history of the building along with hundreds of photos.

On IMDb: "Mad About Music"

"The Devil's Hand"

In one shot near the end of “The Devil’s Hand" (Crown International, 1961) we get a look at the Picfair Theatre marquee in the background according to Cinema Treasures contributor Chas Smith.

The theatre was on Pico Blvd. just west of Fairfax. See the Los Angeles Theatres page about the Picfair for a few photos.

On IMDb: "The Devil's Hand"

"Hustle"

We're in Westwood and get a look at the Plaza Theatre, 1067 Glendon Ave., in Robert Aldrich's "Hustle (Paramount, 1975). The film stars Burt Reynolds, Catherine Deneuve and Ben Johnson in a tale of an L.A. cop investigating a suicide that may actually have been something else.

Another shot from the scene. 

Thanks to Eitan Alexander for spotting this one -- and providing the screenshots. See the page on the Plaza Theatre for more about the building. Sadly, it's gone now.

On IMDb: "Hustle"

"The Dangerous Stranger"

We get some shots of the exterior of the Los Feliz Theatre, 1822 N. Vermont Ave., in the ten minute public service film "The Dangerous Stranger" (Sidney Davis Productions, 1950). Thanks to Bobster1985 for the screenshots. They're a contribution from him on the Cinema Treasures page about the Los Feliz.

The film warns us not to accept rides or gifts from strangers and offers tales of several kids who did -- and didn't come back. The policeman in the film warns "...their mothers and fathers never saw them again. I know you wouldn't want to do that to your folks."

Approaching the theatre.

A look at the Los Feliz boxoffice.

Buying a ticket.

This is the guy to watch out for. Looks harmless enough. But he smiled at her. During the film he sits next to her and puts his arm around her. We're warned "Never let a stranger put his arm around you. Get the usher!"   

 The film is on YouTube from Ziptrivia. There's also a post of it from A/V Geeks. It's also on Internet Archive.

See the page about the Los Feliz Theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres site for more about the building. It's now a triplex operated by Vintage Cinemas.

On IMDb: "The Dangerous Stranger"

"Orgazmo"

The facade of the Los Feliz Theatre, 1822 N. Vermont Ave., is seen in Trey Parker's film "Orgazmo" (October Films, 1998) according to Cinema Treasures contributor Shoeshoe14.  Who is in it? Trey Parker. Who wrote it? Trey Parker.  It's about a young Mormon guy who ends up starring in porno films.

See the page about the Los Feliz Theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres site for more about the building. It's now a triplex operated by Vintage Cinemas.

On IMDb: "Orgazmo"

"Thrashin'"

Exciting stuff. Two skateboard gangs battle for Hollywood supremacy in "Thrashin'" (Fries Entertainment, 1986). We get lots of low altitude shots on the boulevard including this view looking along the facade of Grauman's Chinese.  The film, directed by David Winters, features Josh Brolin, Robert Rusler and Pamela Gidley.

Looking west on the Walk of Fame toward the Mann Chinese Twin.  

A view toward the El Capitan in its Paramount disco-ball marquee phase.
 

Heading east with the Hollywood Theatre across the street. 

Thanks to Eitan Alexander for the screenshots. For more on these theatres head to the pages on the Hollywood Theatre, the El Capitan, Grauman's Chinese and the Chinese Twin on the Los Angeles Theatres website.

On IMDb: "Thrashin'"

"Out of Bounds"

Farm boy Anthony Michael Hall spends a summer in Los Angeles and gets mixed up with drug dealers in Richard Tuggle's "Out of Bounds" (Columbia, 1986).  The film also features Jenny Wright and Jeff Kober. Thanks to Eitan Alexander for this screenshot looking west from Cahuenga Blvd. toward the Warner Hollywood, at this point called the Hollywood Pacific.  

See the pages about the Warner Hollywood on the Los Angeles Theatres website for more about this currently dormant theatre.

On IMDb: "Out of Bounds"

"Throw Momma from the Train"

Owen (Danny DeVito) goes to the movies at the Vista Theatre about twenty minutes into "Throw Momma from the Train" (Orion Pictures, 1987). The plot has to do with Owen wanting his mother bumped off and he's trying to talk his former teacher Larry (Billy Crystal) into doing it. In return he offers to kill Larry's ex-wife.

Yes, unlike Hitchcock's version, this is a comedy. DeVito directed a cast that also includes Oprah Winfrey, Rob Reiner, Kate Mulgrew and Branford Marsalis. Thanks to Chas Demster for the screenshot -- he's got it on his page about shooting locations for the film on the blog Filming Locations of Chicago and Los Angeles.

See the Los Angeles Theatres page on the Vista Theatre for photos inside and out. It opened in 1923 and is still going strong as a single screen first run venue.

On IMDb: "Throw Momma From the Train"

"Luke's Movie Muddle"

The Harold Lloyd film "Luke's Movie Muddle" (Rolin Films, 1916) was shot at the Hollywood Theatre, 6764 Hollywood Blvd. Well, at least the exteriors. Here Lloyd is fighting with a policeman about how far out on the sidewalk he can place his Pathe sign. The sidewalk tile says "Hollywood Theatre."

In the seven minute film Lloyd plays a theatre owner who also has to usher and run the boxoffice as well as putting up with a sleepy projectionist. Also featured are Bebe Daniels and Snub Pollard. Hal Roach directed.  Here Lloyd, in the middle, is showing a patron to a seat after first selling the ticket and then rushing to the door to tear it.

He later gets more violent -- not ushering but rather throwing and shoving his patrons into their seats. Presumably all the interiors were done at Hal Roach Studios. It's a small room and the seats are just folding chairs.

A look at the murals on the side wall of the room. At the rear there's a ladder up to the booth. He has several fights with the projectionist.

Back in the boxoffice at the Hollywood again -- between fights with the patrons and staff. Thanks to Jonathan Raines for spotting the film as featuring the Hollywood.

Silent film detective John Bengtson has the Hollywood as #19 on his "Hollywood's Silent Echos: A Tour of Silent-era Hollywood Film Locations." It's a pdf attached to the Silent Locations blog. It was assembled as a bonus following a talk he gave at the 2013 TCM Festival. He's the author of "Silent Visions: Discovering Early Hollywood and New York through the Films of Harold Lloyd" as well as several other books about early film.

The film is available on YouTube in several versions from Change Before Going, CBGP Silents and Padamson, the latter one including the opening title cards.

See the page about the Hollywood Theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres site for more about the 1913 vintage building.

On IMDb: "Luke's Movie Muddle"

"Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back"

The El Rey on Wilshire Blvd. appears as the site of a film premiere in "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" (Dimension/Miramax, 2001). Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith aren't happy -- the film they see, "Bluntman and Chronic," is based on their lives and they're not getting compensated.

Thanks to Joe Pinney for the tip on this one. The screenshot comes from the page about the film's shooting locations on the site Filming.90210locations.

See our El Rey Theatre page for more on this 1937 vintage theatre, now in use as a concert venue.

On IMDb: "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back"

"Win a Date With Tad Hamilton!"

The Warner Grand in San Pedro stands in for the local theatre in Fraziers Bottom, West Virginia in "Win a Date With Tad Hamilton!" (Dreamworks, 2004). Robert Luketic's film features Kate Bosworth as Rosalee Futch, a small town clerk who wins a date with film star Tad Hamilton (Josh Duhamel). Also featured are Topher Grace as a spurned boyfriend and Nathan Lane and Sean Hayes as Tad's agent and manager -- both named Richard Levy.

The theatre shows up in the film three times. Here at the beginning of the film Rosalee and her friends are watching Tad Hamilton's latest film. For the film we've added a simulation of a main floor projection booth. Thanks to Lindsay for the screenshot. It's on the Warner Grand page of her blog I Am Not a Stalker. 

In the middle of the film Rosalee and Tad Head to the theatre for their second date. Thanks to Chas Demster for this screenshot he includes in the post about the film's shooting locations on his blog Filming Locations of Chicago and New York. 

In the middle of the film Tad and Rosalee go to the Warner for their second date. This lobby shot features a cutout of Tad. The screenshot is from Lindsay's Warner Grand page, where you'll find more views of the Warner as seen in the film. Thanks, Lindsay!

Lindsay tells us the third time for the theatre isn't actually in the film. It's in an alternate ending that appears on the DVD. Rosalee goes with her father and several others to the theatre to see Tad's latest, "A Good Man Is Hard To Find," all about his relationship with Rosalee.

See our pages on the Warner Grand for many photos of all areas of this 1930 vintage art deco gem.

On IMDb: "Win a Date With Tad Hamilton!"

"Live By Night"

The second half of Ben Affleck's "Live By Night" (Warner Bros., 2016) is set down south. The south end of Los Angeles for some scenes anyway. Here we're filming a scene in front of the Warner Grand Theatre in San Pedro. Thanks to Larry Diaz for his January 2016 photo. His set of five photos appeared on the Facebook page Photos of Los Angeles.

Another view of the "Live By Night" filming from Larry Diaz. It's a prohibition era saga of bootleggers getting away from trouble in Boston and heading to Florida and encountering new obstacles to their business success. The film stars Mr. Affleck along with Elle Fanning, Brendan Gleeson, Zoe Saldana and Sienna Miller.

To see the Warner in the film you have to wait until the last five minutes. Ben has left the rackets and his wife (Zoe Saldana) is killed by bullets from a crazed ex-sheriff (Chris Cooper). He's left with his young kid. So every Saturday they go to the movies.

Buying a ticket at the Warner for himself and his kid.

Watching the newsreels of Hitler and his troops.

A look back toward the crowd.  Not the first film shot at the Warner to put a fake projection booth at the rear of the main floor. Ben muses to the kid that despite the newsreels he doesn't think there will be another war. But, in a little goof a commentator on IMDb noticed, the date on the feature they see is 1941. In a surprise for Ben's character it turns out that the screenwriter for the film they're to see is his brother who had left for Hollywood years earlier.

See our pages on the Warner Grand Theatre for many photos of the theatre, a 1931 building designed by Seattle architect B. Marcus Priteca that's still going strong as a live performance venue.

On IMDb: "Live By Night"

"A Night at Earl Carroll's"

We get to spend lots of time inside the Earl Carroll Theatre -- and get to see Mr. Carroll himself -- in the lighthearted romp "A Night at Earl Carroll's" (Paramount, 1940).  The famous neon sculpture on the theatre's facade of Beryl Wallace, Mr. Carroll's wife, is used for the opening credits.

Another shot from the credit sequence. The plot is slim -- about a mobster trying to embarrass the mayor and show him who's more powerful. The mobster (Steve Kalkus) engineers a kidnapping of Mr. Carroll and the lead performers so there won't be a show and the mayor will be shown up in front of all his guests.

Kurt Neumann, the film's director, gets a great credit card. Stars include Ken Murray, Rose Hobart, J. Carrol Naish, Lela Moore and Forbes Murray. And, of course, Earl Carroll.

The great stage was used for dancing before the shows. Down in front there's sort of a private box on the left of the stairs -- in the film the mayor and his party are there. On the right of the stairs is the orchestra -- on a lift that we see used in the film.

Barney Nelson (Ken Murray) and Rose Hobart (Ramona Lisa) try to figure out how to thwart the mobster's plans -- and put on a show without Carroll and all the principal performers. Lots of delays while they figure out what to do.

And a show we get -- and it's a treat to see the wonders of the stage all demonstrated. The stage featured a 60' revolve with separately operated inner and outer sections. There was also a water curtain, the orchestra pit lift, a small circular lift downstage center for a soloist, and a revolving tower of four pianos stage right.  We even spend some time backstage.  A low-res version of the film is on Vimeo.

The theatre, at 6230 Sunset Blvd., still retains many of its original deco features, especially in the lobby. See the Earl Carroll Theatre page on the Los Angeles Theatres website for more about the building, now a television production facility.

On IMDb: "A Night at Earl Carroll's"

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer"

We get a street level view of the Galaxy 6 complex, 7021 Hollywood Blvd., in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (20th Century Fox, 1992). Written by Joss Whedon and directed by Fran Rubel Kuzui, the film stars Kristy Swanson, Donald Sutherland, Paul Reubens, Rutger Hauer and Hilary Swank. 

See the page about the Galaxy 6 on the Los Angeles Theatres website for more about the now-closed complex.

On IMDb: "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"

"Thirteen"

The boxoffice of the Galaxy 6, 7021 Hollywood Blvd., is seen in "Thirteen" (Fox Searchlight, 2003). The film, directed by Catherine Hardwicke, stars Evan Rachel Wood and Holly Hunter in a tale of a 13 year old discovering various temptations.

See the page about the Galaxy 6 on the Los Angeles Theatres website for more about the now-closed complex. 

On IMDb: "Thirteen"

"Frost / Nixon"

In the middle of preparation for his encounter with Richard Nixon in San Clemente, David Frost takes an evening off to go to the Cinerama Dome for the west coast premiere of the film "The Slipper and the Rose" (Universal, 1976) starring Richard Chamberlain, Gemma Craven, Annette Crosbie and Edith Evans. Frost was a producer of the film. The event at the Dome was March 24, 1977.

The scene is recreated in Ron Howard's film "Frost/Nixon" (Universal, 2009) starring Frank Langella as Nixon and Michael Sheen as Frost.  Here we've panned down from the signage to get an entrance view. 

A closer look at the crowd. With Frost is his girlfriend Caroline (Rebecca Hall). Thanks to Jonathan Raines for remembering that the Dome makes an appearance in the film. For more about the theatre see the Cinerama Dome page on the Los Angeles Theatres website.

On IMDb: "The Slipper and the Rose"  "Frost/Nixon"

"Ransom!"

"Ransom!" with Glenn Ford and Donna Reed  (MGM, 1956) has a scene in front of the Fox Westwood Village. Here, director Alex Segal,  squatting down on the left, surveys the action prior to filming.

The photo is one of many rare views from the Arcadia Publishing book "Location Filming in Los Angeles" by Karie Bible, Marc Wanamaker and Michael Medved.  It's available on Amazon.  There's also a preview to browse on Google Books.

Thanks to Jonathan Raines for spotting this one. See our page on the Fox Westwood Village for more about the theatre, since 1931 a major first run house and now operated by Regency Theatres.

On IMDb: "Ransom!"

"Beauty and the Bus"

Lots of Westwood locations were used for the two reel short "Beauty and the Bus" (Hal Roach Studios, 1933).  The film, directed by Gus Meins, is about two girls who win a 1933 Chrysler Roadster as a prize in a raffle. Featured are Thelma Todd, Patsy Kelly and Don Barclay.

Here we're in front of the Fox Westwood Village. The photo appears in the terrific Arcadia Publishing book "Location Filming in Los Angeles" by Karie Bible, Marc Wanamaker and Michael Medved.  It's available on Amazon.

The authors note that the filmmakers were able to stage crashes and all sorts of other mayhem in the streets of Westwood Village as they were relatively empty at the time of the filming as development there was just beginning.

Thanks to Jonathan Raines for spotting this one. See our page on the Fox Westwood Village for more about the theatre, still a major first run house and now operated by Regency Theatres.

On IMDb: "Beauty and the Bus"

"The Crooked Web"

A shot of filming happening at the Vista Theatre, 4473 Sunset Dr., for "The Crooked Web" (Columbia, 1955).  Thanks to Ken McIntyre on Photos of Los Angeles for finding the photo. It appears in the Arcadia Publishing book "Location Filming in Los Angeles" by Karie Bible, Marc Wanamaker and Michael Medved.  It's available on Amazon.

There's a nice page discussing the film's Los Angeles locations on the site DVD Talk where Stuart Galbraith calls it a "crackling little B-movie...indicative of the modest but lively movies Columbia Picture's second features unit, Clover Productions, was capable of during the 1950s."

The DVD Talk article mentions that one of our characters is named Stan and is given the occupation of restaurant owner so the production could take advantage of signage of Stan's Drive-In in the background for a shot done near the Vista where Hillhurst, Hollywood Blvd. and Sunset meet.

A look at the Vista Theatre from inside Stan's Drive-In. 

Another Vista view from "The Crooked Web."

 The Vista in another shot at Stan's Drive-In.

Thanks to Jonathan Raines for the screenshots and for finding the article on DVD Talk. He also directs your attention to a nice Martin Turnbull blog post about the chain of Stan's Drive-Ins.

 See the page about the Vista Theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres site for more about the venue, now nicely restored and going strong as a first run house.

On IMdB: "The Crooked Web"