"The Idolmaker"

The audience is getting impatient before a rock concert in Taylor Hackford's "The Idolmaker" (United Artists, 1980). 

 

The film is based on the life of producer and rock promoter Bob Marcucci. It features Ray Sharkey, Peter Gallagher, Tovah Feldshuh, Paul Land, Maureen McCormick and Joe Pantoliano. The cinematography was by Adam Holender. David L. Snyder was the art director. Thanks to David for noting that major scenes in the film were shot at the Fox Wilshire in Beverly Hills.

 

A look toward the stage. Peter Gallagher is the attraction but he's a beginning rock and roll star and is nervous about going on. His character's stage name is Caesare.

 

The Fox Wilshire Theatre is standing in for a theatre in the New York area. Peter Snyder notes that it was supposed to be the Brooklyn Paramount. The Fox had closed as a film house in 1978 and at the time of this shoot was in transition. It would get a renovation in 1981 by the Nederlander organization with the auditorium getting a substantially darker look. Head to the Fox Wilshire/Saban Theatre pages on the Los Angeles Theatres site for many views of the theatre, now mostly used as a concert venue.  

 

Back in a dressing room. 

 

 

A balcony shot. 

 

 

Finally getting onstage. 

 

A wider view to the rear of the house. 

 

 

The show begins. 

 

Another shot to house right. This image is one that appears on IMDb.  

 

 

 

The girls are getting excited and rush the stage. The show is stopped. 

 

 

 

Back on stage again. 

 

 

They go on the road, taking the show to Memphis. For the exterior of the Memphis Civic Auditorium they used the Trinity Auditorium, on Grand Ave. between 8th and 9th.  

 

 

A look farther south on the facade reveals some sentiment against musicians coming down from New York. We are shown a newspaper story referring to them as carpetbaggers.  

 

See the page about the Trinity Auditorium on the Los Angeles Theatres site for more information about the building. 

 

 

When we go inside the "Memphis Civic" we're actually back at the Fox Wilshire. There weren't any lobby shots earlier in the film when it was standing in for a New York area theatre.

Ray Sharkey and Tovah Feldshuh in a heated discussion. 

 

 

 

The set for the Memphis show. 

 

 

 

A Fox Wilshire dressing room for the Memphis Civic. 

 

 

 

For the Memphis scenes the Fox Wilshire is lit quite differently. We see only the spectators. No light on the walls and no views of the proscenium this time. 

 

 

Yes, he wins them over and the show is a success. But Peter's character is fed up and decides he needs a new agent.

On IMDb: "The Idolmaker" 

 

Constructing the Memphis Civic set onstage at the Fox Wilshire. Thanks to David L. Snyder, the film's art director, for sharing this photo from his collection. He comments: 

"This is how I was able to double the Fox Theatre location for the Brooklyn Paramount and the Memphis Civic Auditorium. At that time a developer had plans to demolish the theater and replace it with a 'glass box' highrise. The City of BH was all for it and to advance the plan, they demanded we obtain a Building Permit in addition to the Filming Permit. 

 

"Once we had approval the City sent over a building inspector who demanded I make revisions to the set based on the city's Building Code. During this period, preservationists prevailed, and the Fox was landmarked and saved. All the above is my 1980 memory of the events."

 

Cast and crew on the Fox Wilshire stage after shooting the Memphis scene. Thanks to David L. Snyder,  for adding this photo as a comment to a post about the theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres Facebook page.