"The Outside Man"

We get a fine tour of Los Angeles in Jacques Deray's "The Outside Man" (United Artists, 1973). Jean-Louis Trintignant (coming from France) and Roy Scheider (in from Detroit) are hit men who soon find out they're working for the same guy, a Los Angeles mobster who wants them both dead. Ann-Margret is the former owner of a sleazy bar who gets caught in the middle.

Here we're in West Hollywood looking east on Sunset with Trintignant across the street from the Cinematheque 16, 8818 Sunset Blvd. Note the marquee in the upper right corner.

Trintignant's character is supposed to go back to Paris but feels he won't be safe even there. So he goes hunting for those who set him up. And finds Scheider constantly on his tail. He's trying to get downtown and a bunch of bikers give him an escort, point him west on Hollywood Blvd., and tell him downtown is straight ahead.

Here he's just west of Vine St. stopping to pick up a hitchhiker. In the distance we get the scintillating marquee of the Music Box Theatre, 6126 Hollywood Blvd. At the time of the shooting it was called the Pix. It's now a music venue called the Fonda Theatre.

A shot back a bit gives us part of the marquee for the Vine Theatre, running "Nicholas and Alexandra." The hitchhiker, who turns out to be a Jesus freak, tells him to do a U-turn. The guy doesn't do well. Scheider, aiming at Truntignant, shoots him.

The film gives us some fine aerial views of the city and shots of downtown, Bunker Hill, and Venice. In addition, we're treated to many views, such as this one, of Scheider and Trintignant trying to elude each other on the pier of Pacific Ocean Park as the remaining buildings are in the middle of demolition.

 

We even make it out to Sherman Oaks. Thanks to Sean Ault for getting the screenshot of this view with the La Reina Theatre in the background. It was an S. Charles Lee design at 14626 Ventura Blvd. that opened in 1938.

See the pages on the Los Angeles Theatres site about the Cinematheque 16, the Music Box, the Vine Theatre and the La Reina Theatre for history of each of these filmhouses and many, many photos.

On IMDb: "The Outside Man"  If you can't find a copy of the film note that Cinefile Video in West L.A. has it in their collection. Glen Norman advises that the film is available in two versions, one of them X-rated.