"Destination Murder"

Before the credits of "Destination Murder" (RKO, 1950) are even over, we see the Marcal Theatre on Hollywood Blvd. They're running a revival double bill of "Flight Lieutenant" (1942) and "Corregidor" (1943). Thanks to Jack Tillmany for identifying the theatre. He notes that the filming was done during the first week of December 1949 and the Marcal's booker must have thought this was an appropriate "commemoration" of the anniversary of Pearl Harbor.

When we go inside it's obvious they used some screening room for the auditorium shots. The light coming out of the booth as the projector is just a spotlight. In the wrong porthole. Stanley Clements is there with a date.

Stepping out to the lobby. We have a five minute intermission and he's going out for a smoke and a popcorn.

Heading out for that smoke. It's all sweet so far until a car pulls up to the curb and he hops in. We get a drive to a house nearby to shoot a guy. Note the poster for "Hollywood's First Cycloramic Screen." Theatres were beginning to increase their screen sizes yet we were still several years away from Cinerama, Cinemascope and 3-D.

Back to get that popcorn. Note the bar's Christmas decorations. He's in his seat before the lights go down. The film, directed by Edward L. Cahn, stars Joyce Mackenzie as the daughter of the man who was killed. She starts her investigation by dating the character played by Stanley Clements to prove he's the killer. As she tries to find out who was behind the hit she takes a job as a night club cigarette girl to cozy up to club operators Hurd Hatfield and Albert Dekker. James Flavin is the cop on the case.

The theatre was later renamed the World. See the Los Angeles Theatres page on the World Theatre for more about the building. It's still there at 6025 Hollywood Blvd. but now unrecognizable.

On IMDb: "Destination Murder"

A poster for the film that appears on IMDb.

Jack Tillmany's Arcadia Publishing book "Theatres of San Francisco" can be previewed on Google Books. It's available from Amazon or your local bookseller.