"Where's Marlowe?"

We're in Utica New York for the International Festival du Film at the beginning of "Where's Marlowe?" (Paramount Classics, 1998). Standing in for the festival's venue is the Rialto Theatre at 1023 Fair Oaks Ave. in South Pasadena.  

The concession girl is dumping lots of snacks in the garbage because not many showed up to see the three hour long documentary "Water in the Apple: How New Yorkers Get Their Water." In this initial black and white footage we do get some fine shots of water treatment plants and waterfalls. Yes, it's a mockumentary about the two documentarians who made "Water..." as they head on to their next project. The filmmakers are played by John Livingston and Mos Def.

 The banner is still up on the Rialto for the film festival. 

 

The letters for "Water in the Apple" coming off the marquee. 

See the Rialto Theatre pages on the Los Angeles Theatres site for a history of the building and many photos. 

The next project for the duo is a "doc" about two Hollywood private detectives, played by Miguel Ferrer and John Slattery. Of course we get to meet all their conniving clients.

 

Miguel almost makes it to the El Capitan Theatre, 6838 Hollywood Blvd. But we only see this entrance to the office building, not the theatre itself. 

See the pages on the El Capitan on the Los Angeles Theatres site for the history of this Hollywood legit and film house along with hundreds of photos.

The film also features Alison Dean, Clayton Rohner, Elizabeth Schofield, Barbara Howard and Kirk Baltz. An uncredited Giancarlo Esposito plays a blind man. Daniel Pyne directed. The cinematography was by Greg Gardiner.

On IMDb: "Where's Marlowe?"