"Café Society"

We visit three movie palaces in Woody Allen's "Café Society" (Lionsgate, 2016). When Bronx native Bobby (Jesse Eisenberg) comes to Hollywood he goes to see the sights after he can't get in to see his big-time agent uncle Phil, played by Steve Carell. We get a nice pan down the pagoda at Grauman's Chinese to find Eisenberg admiring the hand and foot prints of Gloria Swanson. The time is the 30s and the posters are out for "Swing Time" (1936). The film's cinematography was by Vittorio Storaro. Santo Loquasto was the production designer. 

 

 

Later Bobby gets acquainted with Vonnie (Kristen Stewart), Phil's secretary. We get a similar pan down the facade of the Vista Theatre, where Bobby and Vonnie have gone to see Barbara Stanwyck in "The Woman In Red" (1935).

 

 

Bobbie and Vonnie coming out of the Vista.  

 

 

Our third visit happens as our narrator notes that the duo spent a lot of time going to films in the many opulent and inexpensive Hollywood movie palaces. We get this nice shot down a lovely Moorish lobby nothing like anything in Hollywood. We're actually at Loew's 175th St. in New York, now a church and performance hall known as the United Palace.

 

On IMDb: "Café Society"