"The Great Buck Howard"

In "The Great Buck Howard" (Magnolia Pictures, 2008), Colin Hanks drops out of law school and becomes the new road manager for John Malkovich, playing a mentalist with fading career prospects. They hit all the big spots, like the Bakersfield Center  f Arts." We're actually at the Crenshaw Theatre, 3020 Crenshaw Blvd. in south Los Angeles. 

The film, directed by Sean McGinley, also features Adam Scott, Emily Blunt, Tom Hanks, Ricky Jay, Steve Zahn, Debra Monk and Jonathan Ames. The cinematography was by Tak Fujimoto. 

 

"I love this town!" is the standard Buck Howard greeting. Here he does his overly-vigorous handshake with Jacquie Barnbrook, playing the theatre manager. 

 

The entourage includes Adam Scott on the left, soon to be the ex-road manager. Colin Hanks in the rear, new to the team, and Jonathan Ames on the right. He's playing a reporter working on a lengthy profile of Buck that will end up being a hit piece.  

 

 

 

Jacquie heads down the aisle at the Crenshaw to show Adam and Colin the facilities. 

 

 

 

A look to the rear of the house. Adam's character fancies Jacquie. 

 

Up in the Crenshaw's sound booth. 

 

In the evening before the Bakersfield performance. It'll be a small crowd. 

 

A peek out from offstage right. 

 

 

 

The show always ends with the same trick: "Finding the Money." Buck goes backstage as the fee for his night's performance is hidden by audience members somewhere in the auditorium. If he fails to find it, the money is to be forfeited to charity. But he always finds it. Well, except for one night in Vegas, much later in the film. Here he's looking.  

 

 

"You, sir, have the money.""No, I don't." "Please remove your hat." And that's where the money was on this night.

See the page about the Crenshaw Theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres site for a history of this 1941 vintage film house, in later years converted into a legit venue.  

 

 

 

Buck says "They love me in Akron" and for the venue in that city we're at the Wadsworth Theatre, on the VA campus just west of Westwood Village. 

 

 

 

A Wadsworth shot of finding the money in Akron.  

 

"Welcome to Willammete, Oregon." The little totem pole was added by the production designer. It's actually the entrance to the Wadsworth. 

 

 

 

"I Love this town!" Note the Wadsworth's concession building. 

 

The film has a "Find the Money" sequence cutting between different audiences, different theatres, various reactions. And different hiding places. The money is in this lady's bra in this shot done at the Wadsworth. 

 

See the page about the Wadsworth Theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres site for more about the venue. It was built in 1939 and has been used both as a film house as well as a legit theatre. 

 

 A shot done at the Vision Theatre, 3341 W. 43rd Pl. in Leimert Park. 

 

 "Welcome to Wausau, Wisconsin!" The manager greets Buck as we pan down from the Vision's marquee.

See the page on the Vision Theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres site for many photos. This deco gem opened in 1932, a design by Morgan, Walls and Clements. It's now a live venue owned by the City of Los Angeles. 

 

The film uses various shots here and there of Colin looking out from backstage. This one appearing early on the tour was done at the Orpheum. Later we get more Orpheum views when it's standing in for a theater in Cincinnati.  

 

There are a number of short shots of various venues and audience reactions during the shows. This one was done in an unidentified theatre. 

 

 

 

Another peek out from backstage during a big benefit performance with many guest stars held at an unnamed city. This time the venue they're using is the Brentwood Theatre, the smaller of the two houses on the Veterans Administration campus. 

 

A "Find the Money" shot near the back of the Brentwood, house left. 

 

 

Another town, another venue, another money shot. But also at the Brentwood. 

 

Presumably at the Brentwood: In the lobby at yet another venue on the road.  

 

Colin's father hasn't heard from him and has tracked him down. Guess who plays dad?

 

 

 

"I love this town!" When you see those brass doors you know you're at the Orpheum Theatre, 842 S. Broadway. It's standing in for a theatre they're calling the Academy, in Cincinnati. 

 

They're greeted by theatre manager Debra Monk and her son, played by Steve Zahn. Steve is going to be the chauffeur for the week. 

 

A peek into the house. 

 

Emily Blunt is a publicist arranging interviews and setting up a venue for a new trick.

 

 

 

An Orpheum dressing room corridor. Debra asks if she could introduce him. Buck tells her it's not possible -- it's always done on tape. 

 

Before the first night's performance. 

 

Time to go onstage. But to Buck's dismay Debra is out there. Not only introducing him but she also wants to sing a song -- her version of "Do You Believe in Magic?"

 

A great shot in the Orpheum's loading doors, looking out toward Spring St. Colin is telling Steve Zahn's character that Buck neither wants to see nor have anything to do with him or his mother for the rest of the run. "That's the way it has to be." 

See the Los Angeles Theatres pages about the Orpheum Theatre for a history of this 1926 vintage vaudeville house along with several hundred photos. It's a design by G. Albert Lansburgh.

 

In conjunction with the Cincinnati engagement, Emily sets up an event where Buck will hypnotize several hundred people simultaneously and put them all to sleep. The location is the main lobby of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, part of the L.A. Music Center on Bunker Hill. 

 

All the local news crews are there. Colin and Emily don't want to spoil things by showing Buck a copy of the long-awaited magazine article they've just received. 

 

 

 

It's going well with hundreds asleep on the carpet but the news crews are called away when a local celebrity is involved in a traffic accident. Buck is pissed at Emily: "Where are the national crews I asked you to get here?" She tells him that none of them wanted to come. 

 

 

Emily storms off after a tirade from Buck but not before giving him a copy of the article. It's a hit piece titled "The (Not) Great Buck Howard." He faints. And then gets some publicity about his new trick when he lands in the hospital

See the page about the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on the Los Angeles Theatres site for more about this 1964 vintage theatre.   

 

 

 

At the end of the film we're back at the Crenshaw Theatre when Colin, no longer with Buck, goes to Bakersfield to see the show for the first time as a spectator. 

 

 

 

Before the "Find the Money" event there are two doctors onstage examining Buck to attest to the fact that he's not wearing any devices that could transmit information from a confederate.  

 

Looking for the money. Knowing Colin is in the house, he's made the trick a bit different. Instead of going backstage while the money is hidden, he stays in full sight with a black bag over his head. 

 

 

Of course he finds it. One of the gags throughout the story is people asking Colin how it's done. And he has to tell them he actually doesn't know. And, at the end, he says he still doesn't. 

On IMDb: "The Great Buck Howard"