"Special Delivery"

Bo Svenson drives by the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on his way into downtown to rob a bank in "Special Delivery" (American International, 1976). We also see the Bonaventure Hotel under construction. Paul Wendkos directed this story about a bank robber who puts the loot into a mailbox and, unknown to him, has several witnesses. 

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

Cybill Shepard and Michael C. Gwynne were the ones who saw what he did with the loot. The film also features Mel Scott, Phillip R. Allen, Alex Colon, Vic Tayback and Jeff Goldblum. The cinematography was by Harry Stradling, Jr. 

 

 

 

The Farmers and Merchants Bank Building at 4th and Main is standing in for the bank that gets robbed. On the way we get a look at the Regent Theatre, 448 S. Main St. Thanks to Eric Schaefer for spotting the theatre in the film and getting this screenshot.

 

At the bank. Bo is getting out of the black car while his colleagues are getting out of the truck in the foreground. 

 

 

A guard holds back the spectators after the robbery.  

 

 

 

The police start arriving. In the center that's the Canadian Building at Winston and Main. 

 

 

Instead of fleeing the building, the robbers go to the roof and make their way onto adjacent buildings. We're looking south toward the Rosslyn Hotel buildings at 5th and Main. 

 

 

More police and another look at the Regent. 

The escape via a swingstage doesn't go as planned with one of the team dead and two others caught by the police. Bo runs. He's headed toward Main in this shot in a lot that had been the site of the Gayety Theatre, 523 S. Main. 

 

Dodging bullets in the parking lot. Ruth's Shrimp Shack was at 511 S. Main. 

 

A run through another parking lot fronting on Main St. This one had been the site of the Optic Theatre, 533 S. Main. 

 

Coming out onto Main St. with a look north toward 5th St. The Regent Theatre is up in the next block, behind that white van. After all this great downtown action, the film shifts to backlot stuff for the scenes with the mailbox where he deposits the loot and also meets his new partner, Cybill Shepard. In addition to the Main St. locations the film also goes to the Arts District and Chinatown.

 

See the pages about the Regent Theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres site for a history of the venue along with photos inside and out. 

On IMDb: "Special Delivery" '

Thanks to Sean Ault for a nudge about checking out the various Main St. locations. He notes that the full film can be seen on YouTube. The Blu-Ray can be rented from Vidiots.