"The Day Of The Locust"

William Atherton, Karen Black and Bo Hopkins, her cowboy boyfriend, go to the movies in the film version of Nathanael West's 1939 novel "The Day of the Locust" (Paramount, 1975). In the novel they go to Glendale. In the film they say that too but the scenes were actually shot at the Fox Ritz on Wilshire Blvd.  

 

The film also features Donald Sutherland, Burgess Meredith, Richard Dysart, Geraldine Page, Billy Barty, Gloria LeRoy, Jackie Earle Haley, Lelia Goldoni and Pepe Serna. Waldo Salt did the screenplay. The production designer was Richard Macdonald. Conrad Hall was the cinematographer. John Schlesinger directed. 

 

 

Karen has a bit part in the film they're watching. "Cigarette me," she says. "Match me." For this film several shots with her are cut into the 1937 Eddie Cantor film "Ali Baba Goes To Town." 

 

 

They leave as the Paramount newsreel comes on.  

 

 

"They ruined it," she says. They had cut her big line. 

 

 

Heading out to the lobby. 

 

 

William comments that he didn't see anything of Bo in the film. 

 

Karen has seen a still in the display case from one of her scenes and encourages the guys to get it.

 

 

Finding the case locked, Bo kicks it in. Wally Berns, playing the manager, comes running as Bo and Karen run for the doors.

 

 

While the manager chases Bo and Karen, William grabs the photo.

  

Sauntering out as the exasperated manager comes back in. Note that great deco design work on the theatre's doors. You can see the clip of the sequence filmed at the Ritz on YouTube.

See the Los Angeles Theatres page about the Ritz Theatre for more about the building. Now gone, it was a 1926 design by L.A. Smith for West Coast Theatres.

 

The Chinese Theatre exterior shows up during a premiere turned riot at the end of the film. The shooting was actually done on a set rather than at the theatre. Cecil B. DeMille's "The Buccaneer" was a 1938 Paramount release. 

 

 High security for the premiere at the backlot Chinese set. 

 

 

Another view in the street that's posing as Hollywood Blvd. 

 

 

 

Donald Sutherland wandering in a stupor with his suitcases. 

 

 

 

The premiere turning into a riot. 

 

The Chinese staring to burn. 

 

See the Los Angeles Theatres pages on Grauman's Chinese for more information about this legendary building. 

 

The New York Times Magazine issue of August 22, 1975 had a story, "Hollywood Presents Hollywood," a long account of the development of the film and a visit to the set.

Thanks to Kurt Wahlner for this cover image with the performers in front of the boxoffice on their set. Kurt will entertain you with a magnificent amount of Chinese Theatre lore on his GraumansChinese.org website.

On IMDb: "The Day of the Locust"