Bernie Casey, playing a guy just arrived from Oakland and pissed that nobody picked him up at LAX, goes for a drive up Main St. in "Hit Man" (MGM, 1972). On the right it's the dark marquee of the Burbank Theatre, 548 S. Main St. See the pages on the Los Angeles Theatres site for a history of the building and many photos and ads. It opened in 1893 as a legit house and much later in life was the premiere burlesque house in L.A. It had closed before the film's shooting and was demolished in 1974.
That little red vertical just beyond the theatre entrance was for the dance hall upstairs. The red vertical farther up the block was for the
Galway Theatre at 514 S. Main. Over on the left it's a view of the
Optic Theatre, 533 S. Main. The small red neon sign at the top of the facade says "Open All Night." The Rosslyn Hotel vertical we see is on the southwest corner of 5th and Main. After this drive on Main St. we cut to Sunset Blvd. and check into the Hollywood Center Motel.
Bernie goes with Pam Grier to the Banner Theatre, 458. S. Main. She wants to show him something. On the far left we see "Open Soon" on the marquee of the Regent, 448 S. Main. That was overly optimistic. See see it still on the marquee in the 1974 film "
Uptown Saturday Night." The Regent survives as a music venue and has appeared in many films. See the
Regent Theatre pages on the Los Angeles Theatres site for many photos.
Heading in to the Banner.
At the boxoffice. They're just waved in. The manager knows her.
At the back of the house. Pam want's Bernie to see something. He's in town because his brother was killed and he wants to find out why. The plot deepens when Pam tells him that his brother's daughter acted in a porno film.
The film they're at the Banner to see is called "Youngblood." And there's the girl, in an early scene. In the background it's the
Royal Theatre, on Santa Monica Blvd. a few blocks west of the 405. They were running the 1969 Spanish film "The Green Wall." It got a U.S. release in late 1970.
After a couple of scenes Bernie has seen enough and drags Pam out the back door of the Banner. He goes on a hunt to find out who was responsible for making the film.
Later we're back at the Banner and get a signage shot.
In the lobby. On the right it's one of the thugs working for the owner sent in to see what's wrong.
Heading down the aisle.
More of the team coming in. And they're not looking at the screen. Note the area on the left that was walled-off to create more retail space for the storefront south of the theatre entrance.
The manager.
The phone in the lobby is ringing. When the guy answers it the message is "Get out of the porno business."
The theatre opened in 1910 and was running into
the 80s. It later got demolished -- there's a new building on the site. See the page on the Banner Theatre for more information.
The film uses many other interesting locations including the Watts
Towers and a wild animal park in Fillmore called Africa America. Late in the movie
Pam Grier gets dropped off there and meets her end after being chased by
a lion. Also featured are Lisa Moore, Sam Laws, Don Diamond, Ed Cambridge, Roger E. Mosley and Bhetty Waldron. George Armitage directed. The cinematography was by Andrew Davis.
On IMDb: "Hit Man"
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