"Trackdown"

Karen Lamm plays a 17 year old who flees her constricting life on a cattle ranch in Montana and comes to the big city in "Trackdown" (United Artists, 1976). Here we're looking west across Cherokee St. with the entrance to the Hollywood Cherokee Building on the left and the Pussycat Theatre in the next block.

 

When Karen's character gets off the bus in Hollywood she is, of course, an easy mark for lowlifes on the street who steal her purse and suitcase, pretend to befriend her, get her on drugs and later sell her to a local pimp. James Mitchum plays the brother who comes looking for her. Cathy Lee Crosby is a social worker who tries to help him find her. Also featured are Anne Archer, Erik Estrada and Ray Sharkey. Richard T. Heffron directed. The cinematography was by Gene Polito. 

See the page on the Los Angeles Theatres site about the Pussycat Theatre, 6656 Hollywood Blvd. The marquee we see just had received a makeover. If the shoot had been a couple months earlier it still would have said New-View atop the readerboard.

She's been spotted by this guy. Here we're looking west toward the Holly Theatre, 6523 Hollywood Blvd. See the Los Angeles Theatres page about the Holly for information about the theatre's history. It opened in 1931 as the Studio, a conversion by S. Charles Lee from what had been retail space. It's now a restaurant. Thanks to Eric Schaefer for spotting the theatre in the film and getting the screenshot.

 

 

 

Karen walks by the Fox at 6508 Hollywood Blvd. It opened in 1918 as the Iris and was re-branded as the Fox in 1968. In recent years the space has gone through several names and operators as a nightclub. See the Fox Theatre page on the Los Angeles Theatres site. Thanks to Eric Schaefer for the screenshot.

 

A look at the north side of the street reveals the Hollywood Pacific at 6433 Hollywood Blvd. They were playing Robert Hendrickson's 1973 documentary "Manson" along with "Ripped Off." That program opened September 24, 1975.

 

 

Another shot with the Hollywood Pacific in the background. It opened in 1928 as the Warner. See the pages about the theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres site about the Warner Hollywood.  

The brother, played by James Mitchum, comes to town and we get a shot of Broadway. One of the features on the marquee is the July 1975 release "Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold." See the page about the Palace Theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres site. It opened in 1911 as an Orpheum circuit vaudeville house.

 

Social worker Cathy Lee Crosby is on the right, joining James in the hunt for the missing girl. In the background on the left we get the Vogue Theatre, 6675 Hollywood Blvd. It was a 1935 design by S. Charles Lee. It's been through a number of uses after closing as a film house and is now a church. On the far right the glowing marquee and oval up on the facade is at the Pussycat Theatre. 

 

 

 

A shot on the corner after James arrives. 

 

 

 

The search continues. Here we are at the Le Sex Shoppe at 5507 Hollywood Blvd., on the north side of the street just west of Western Ave. The guy in front has been enlisted by James to help get some information from a guy working at another venue across the street. He's trying to get him to come over. 

 

 

 

A look at the premises across the street. 

 

Another shot as the Le Sex Shoppe guy gets the attention of the barker.  

 

 

 

A wider view reveals that the "Free Adult Movies / Live Semi-Nude Girls" emporium is at 5510 Hollywood Blvd., the west storefront in the Hollywood and Western Building. It's an S. Charles Lee design dating from 1928. Tenants in the four-story deco building have included the Motion Picture Association of America, Central Casting and the Hays Office.

 

The barker comes over and, once around in the parking lot next to Le Sex Shoppe, gets attached to a cable and hoisted to the roof by James. There's a bit more about this Le Sex Shoppe location on our page about Storefront Porno venues.

On IMDb: "Trackdown"   Sean Ault notes that the whole film can be seen on YouTube. 

 

"Trackdown" playing on a four-feature grindhouse bill at the Arcade Theatre on Broadway in 1976. Thanks to Sean Ault for locating the shot when it appeared for sale online.