"Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen"

We go to the Galway Theatre on Main St. in Clive Donner's "Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen" (American Cinema Releasing, 1981). It's set in San Francisco and for their Chinatown they used some backlot stuff -- and a bit of Main St. Paul Lohmann was the cinematographer.

 

Peter Ustinov plays Charlie, in town because his bumbling grandson Richard Hatch is getting married to Michelle Pfeiffer. Here on this trip to Chinatown Brian Keith as the San Francisco police chief is also along. There have been a string of very strange murders that Charlie may help solve. Also in the cast are Lee Grant as the kid's maternal grandmother, Roddy McDowall as Lee's wheelchair-bound butler, Rachel Roberts as a demented maid, Paul Ryan as the police chief's assistant, and Angie Dickinson as the queen of the title. 

 

 

 

Meeting up with some of Charlie's acquaintances in front of the Galway. It was at 514 S. Main, occupying a storefront in the Leonide Hotel building, a structure that dates from 1905.

 

 

 One of the locals saying hi to Charlie.

 

 

A later view of the Galway signage when Richard and Michelle drive by in a cab. 

 

 

A view from the cab. Maybe it's a white suit contest. 

 

See the page about the Galway Theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres site for a history of the venue and more photos. The building survives but the Galway space has been remodeled. 

 

 

They're headed to the Eltinge Theatre, a backlot creation. The theatre was running old Charle Chan films.

 

 

  

Climbing a fire escape on an unknown building with the goal to get into a scene dock on top of the stage. Michelle was in her wedding dress. They were getting married later in the day but Richard got an urgent communication about the necessity of getting to the Eltinge.  

 

 

 

Michelle wants to keep going up to the roof but Richard suggests trying a door. 

 

 

  

Inside the "Eltinge" they find themselves in a dark fan room. It's an unidentified location but could have been shot in the basement at the Variety Arts Theatre. 

 

 

Once in the scene dock they get chloroformed and tied up by the Dragon Queen. Shot on a soundstage. 

 

 

 Another shot of the theatre facade as Peter and others come to the rescue. 

 

 

Peter, as Charlie Chan, enters the scene dock set.  

 

 

Roddy McDowall arrives after motoring there in his wheelchair. Discouraged by the fire escape, he buys a ticket and enters through the front door.  

 

 

Peter Ustinov, Richard Hatch, Michelle Pfeiffer, Rachel Roberts, Paul Ryan and Lee Grant have a conversation about the mysterious killings.

 

 

  

Lee runs away from the group and slides down a ramp to the stage. Is she the murderer? Peter follows.  

 

 

Roddy arrives. How he got up to the scene dock isn't explained. But now it's time to roll down the ramp. 

 

 

In the auditorium with a Charlie Chan movie on the screen. Now we're back at a real location: The Variety Arts Theatre, 940 S. Figueroa St.  

 

 

 

Looking to stage left. Lee Grant runs across the stage.  

 

 

A view from the stage right flyfloor.  

 

 

  

On the ropes.  

 

 

Downstage right.  

 

 

She's in front of the screen as the Charlie Chan in the movie points a finger and says "You're the murderer!"  

 

 

The audience applauds. Lee runs up the aisle.  

 

 

Running across the Variety Arts lobby.  

See the pages about the Variety Arts on the Los Angeles Theatres site for photos and historical information about the building.   

 On IMDb: "Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen" 

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"Hit Man"

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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"Stripes"

Much of Ivan Reitman's "Stripes" (Columbia Pictures, 1981) was shot in Kentucky. But when Bill Murray, Harold Ramis and John Candy leave their military base to head to a strip club, they end up on the 500 block of Main St. In the center of the image note the Galway Theatre, 514 S. Main. 

 

The boys are headed to the Pom Pom Bar on the far left. "It's famous. It's world famous." The film also features Warren Oates, John Diehl, Sean Young, P.J. Soles, Judge Reinhold, John Larroquette and six strippers who do mud wrestling. The cinematography was by Bill Butler. Thanks to Kevin Binger for the alert about the Main St. location. He shared a shot from the scene on the Historic Film Locations Facebook group.  

  

The place gets raided and Bill and Harold are rescued by Sean and P.J., playing two MPs who have taken a liking to them.  

Check out the Galway Theatre page on the Los Angeles Theatres site for more about the venue. The building is still around but the space the Galway occupied is no longer a theatre.  

On IMDb: "Stripes" 

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"Change of Habit"

We spend a tiny bit of time on Main St. after a couple other downtown views at the beginning of "Change of Habit" (Universal, 1969). In this shot we're looking south toward 6th and behind Mary Tyler Moore we see the "Burlesk" lettering on the vertical sign at the Burbank Theatre, 548 S. Main St. But after this the rest of the adventure is strictly back lot stuff.

The film, directed by William A. Graham, also stars Elvis Presley, Barbara McNair, Jane Elliott and Ed Asner. The cinematography was by Russell Metty. Thanks to Sean Ault for spotting the theatre in the film and getting the screenshot.

See the page about the Burbank Theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres site. This theatre had quite a career as a legit venue, burlesque house and occasional film theatre. It opened in 1893 and was demolished in 1974. 

 

A promotional shot appearing on IMDb. That "Theatre" vertical we see is for the Galway Theatre, 514 S. Main St. See the Galway Theatre page on the Los Angeles Theatres site for more about the venue. 

On IMDb: "Change of Habit" 

"Uptight"

45 minutes into Jules Dassin's "Uptight" (Paramount, 1968) we see Julian Mayfield going for a walk by the Galway Theatre, 514 S. Main St.

 

The story about Black revolutionaries, and a betrayal, is set in Cleveland. The film also features Raymond St. Jacques, Ruby Dee, Frank Silvera, Roscoe Lee Browne and Janet MacLachlan. Dassin, Mayfield and Dee share the screenplay credit. Boris Kaufman was the cinematographer. It's been noted that the inspiration for the film was John Ford's "The Informer" from 1935.  

 

 

 

Another Galway shot. 

 

 

 

A moment later we get a look at the vertical sign of the Burbank Theatre, 548 S. Main. 

 

 

A reflection of the Burbank's signage in the gutter.

See the Los Angeles Theatres pages about the Galway and the Burbank for many more photos and a history of these two theatres. Thanks to an anonymous movie watcher for spotting the scene with the theatres and sharing the information on the Galway page. The film can be seen in a great looking version on YouTube.

On IMDb: "Uptight"

"Illegal"

We get a fine panorama of the east side of the 500 block of Main St. in "Illegal" (Warner Bros., 1955). L.A. District Attorney Edward G. Robinson is in a hurry to get to a hospital to hear a confession from a dying man. It turns out he's sent the wrong guy to the electric chair. He resigns his position, becomes a defense attorney, and gets involved in a tricky situation with a local mobster.

Near the left is a view of the distinctive lettering of the Galway Theatre, 514 S. Main St. Over toward the right it's the Burbank Theatre, 548 S. Main, here with its vertical saying "New Follies" and cursive lettering saying "Burlesque" over the Burbank letters atop the readerboard. And on the far right it's the Santa Fe building at 6th and Main and, if you want to stay at the Hotel Cecil, they have a room for you for $1.75.

Lewis Allen directed the cast which also includes Nina Foch, Hugh Marlowe, Albert Dekker, Ellen Corby and Jayne Mansfield, making her screen debut. We also get some other nice Los Angeles location shots for chases and, of course, for going into court buildings.

See the Los Angeles Theatres pages about the Galway and the Burbank for many more photos and a history of these two theatres.

On IMDb: "Illegal"

A poster that appears with the film's listing on IMDb.

"Starsky and Hutch"

We see the Galway Theatre, 514 S. Main St., several times in the pilot episode for the TV show "Starsky and Hutch" (Spelling-Goldberg, 1975). The pilot gives us quite a tour of other downtown Los Angeles locations as well.

Back again at night -- this time to meet an informant. 

Our two leads watching a bit of the show. 

The informant arrives.

Leaving the theatre. See the page on the Galway Theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres site for more about this now-vanished grindhouse. The building it was in is still there, in use as a community services agency with offices downstairs and housing upstairs.

In the show's pilot we go by both the back and front of the Regent Theatre, 448 S. Main St., several times. Here we're looking south across Winston St. 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. 

That space with the unpainted white signage a couple storefronts this side of the Regent would soon be the Main Theatre, 438 S. Main.

On IMDb:"Starsky and Hutch"