"The Glass House"

Leelee Sobieski is at the movies with her friends near the beginning of "The Glass House" (Columbia Pictures, 2001). The theatre is the General Cinema 3-4-5-6-7, a venue later known as Pacific's Sherman Oaks 5. Thanks to Cinema Treasures contributor MrWolf98 for spotting it in the film. 

 

After her parents die in what her character later discovers was an arranged crash, Leelee and her brother go to live with Diane Lane and Stellan Skarsgård in a Malibu house that gives the film its title. Also featured are Bruce Dern, Kathy Baker, Trevor Morgan, Chris Noth and Michael O'Keefe. Daniel Sackheim directed. The cinematography was by Alar Kivilo. 

 

 

 

It's a slasher film called "Prom Nightmare."

 

A bit of the marquee as we pan down the facade. 

 

 

 

 

Leelee and her friends coming out.  

 

 

Discussing plans as they walk across the street.

See the page about the Sherman Oaks 5 on the Los Angeles Theatres site. The theatre was built by General Cinema, later operated by AMC and Pacific. The location is 14424 Milbank St., just east of Van Nuys Blvd. 

 

 

 

Joyriding on Ventura Blvd. with her friends after getting out of the movies. We're looking west. The brightly lit facade on the left just beyond the intersection is what's left of the La Reina Theatre.

The page about the La Reina Theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres site includes many photos as well as shots from a few other films it has appeared in. The building is at 14626 Ventura Blvd. in Sherman Oaks. 

On IMDb: "The Glass House"   

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"Irreconcilable Differences"

Ryan O'Neal and Shelley Long write a movie together in "Irreconcilable Differences" (Warner Bros., 1984). As we see in this shot of the Palace Theatre, 630 S. Broadway, their film is titled "An American Romance." 

A very young Drew Barrymore plays their kid, who's in court asking to be emancipated from them and their endless fighting. Charles Shyer directed with cinematography by William A. Fraker. The film was written by Nancy Meyers and Shyer.  

 

 

 

The film becomes a big hit and we get a montage trying to show it playing in theatres everywhere. But all the views we get are within a couple blocks of the Palace. Here it's at the Rialto, 812 S. Broadway.  This shot is a treat in the film as we see the neon's animation pattern. Now it's nicely restored but there's no movement. 

 

 

 

And then playing at the Orpheum, all the way down the block at 842 S. Broadway. 

 

 

And how about a booking at the Globe, 744 S. Broadway?

See the pages about the Palace, Rialto, Orpheum and Globe theatres on the Los Angeles Theatres site for a history of these Broadway movie palaces.

We then pay a visit to the La Reina Theatre, 14626 Ventura Blvd. in Sherman Oaks. 

 

Shelley has been talking to the manager about attendance and heads across the street to meet Ryan. 

 

 

Totaling up the film's grosses in the spirit of Christmas. 

See the page about the La Reina Theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres site. It was an S. Charles Lee design that opened in 1938.

On IMDb: "Irreconcilable Differences"

"Coming Attractions" aka "Loose Shoes"

The marquee of the Rivoli Theatre in Long Beach was one of many used for the opening credits of "Coming Attractions" (Cinema Finance Associates, 1978). Thanks to Deanna Bayless for the screenshot. The theatre was at 525 N. Long Beach Blvd, just south of 6th St. It was demolished for construction of the less-than-successful Long Beach Mall. See the page about the Rivoli Theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres site for more information.

 

Ira Miller directed this comedy, structured as a series of skits and trailers. Featured are Bill Murray, Buddy Hackett, Howard Hesseman, Royce D. Applegate, Lewis Arquette, Tom Baker and Dorothy Van.

 

The film got a 1980 reissue by National American Films. Atlantic Releasing gave it a 1982 release, retitling it "Loose Shoes." Marc Edward Heuck reports that no prints have surfaced other than the 1982 version so we don't know what theatre marquee they used for the original title credit. They didn't bother to use a marquee for the title card of the "Loose Shoes" reissue -- it's just lettering on a plain background.

 

 

The Whittier Theatre, once at 11612 Whittier Blvd. in Whittier, gets the screenplay credit.  

 

 

The Wiltern Theatre, 3790 Wilshire Blvd, is seen here with an interesting "Pacific's" red neon overlay on top of the "Warner" above the center readerboard. 

 

 

A wider Wiltern view for DP Jack Beckett. 

 

 

The Orpheum Theatre, 842 S. Broadway, gets the music credit. 

 

 

Editor Alan Balsam gets the marquee at some unknown theatre.

 

 

We're at the Palace Theatre, 630 S. Broadway, for the credit for producer Joel Chernoff. 

 

 

Director Ira Miller puts himself on the marquee of the La Reina Theatre, 14626 Ventura Blvd. in Sherman Oaks.

 

 

The Gilmore Drive-In is seen at the end the film. Thanks to Michael Kilgore for the screenshot, a post on Cinema Treasures. He comments: 

"The poorly-received 1978 comedy... ends with a lengthy shot of the Gilmore. It starts with the final frame of the final skit projected on the Gilmore’s screen, then a helicopter view sweeps around the darkened drive-in, ending on the front sign lettered with 'The End'..."

Check out the page about the Gilmore Drive-In on the Los Angeles Theatres site. 

On IMDB: "Coming Attractions"   The full film can be seen as "Loose Shoes" on YouTube.

"The Happy Hooker Goes Hollywood"

We get a look at Grauman's Chinese, 6129 Hollywood Blvd., in "The Happy Hooker Goes Hollywood" (Cannon/Golan-Globus, 1980). Alan Roberts directed the comedy starring Martine Beswick, Chris Lemmon and Adam West.

It's all about the hooker of the title who perseveres in getting a film version made of her book "The Happy Hooker." Playing at the time of the filming at the Chinese was "The Last Married Couple in America," running at the theatre for three weeks beginning February 8, 1980.

The film used the La Reina Theatre, 14626 Ventura Blvd. in Sherman Oaks, for scenes of the premiere of the film version of the book written by the leading character.

Another shot of the festivities at the La Reina. 

However, when we get closer it's apparent that we're no longer at the La Reina. The shots of the ticket lobby and in the lobby itself were done at the El Portal Theatre, 5269 Lankershim Blvd. in North Hollywood.

Another view looking toward the entrance doors at the El Portal.  

Inside the lobby at the premiers. It's a shot done at the El Portal.

Another street view of the premiere, once again using the La Reina. On the left that's a car that's crashed into the bleachers set up for the premiere within the film.

Thanks to Eitan Alexander for spotting the theatres in the film as well as providing the screenshots. See the pages about Grauman's Chinese, the La Reina Theatre and the El Portal Theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres site for more about these movie palaces.

On IMDb: "The Happy Hooker Goes Hollywood"  | The entire film can be viewed on You Tube.

"The Outside Man"

We get a fine tour of Los Angeles in Jacques Deray's "The Outside Man" (United Artists, 1973). Jean-Louis Trintignant (coming from France) and Roy Scheider (in from Detroit) are hit men who soon find out they're working for the same guy, a Los Angeles mobster who wants them both dead. Ann-Margret is the former owner of a sleazy bar who gets caught in the middle.

Here we're in West Hollywood looking east on Sunset with Trintignant across the street from the Cinematheque 16, 8818 Sunset Blvd. Note the marquee in the upper right corner.

Trintignant's character is supposed to go back to Paris but feels he won't be safe even there. So he goes hunting for those who set him up. And finds Scheider constantly on his tail. He's trying to get downtown and a bunch of bikers give him an escort, point him west on Hollywood Blvd., and tell him downtown is straight ahead.

Here he's just west of Vine St. stopping to pick up a hitchhiker. In the distance we get the scintillating marquee of the Music Box Theatre, 6126 Hollywood Blvd. At the time of the shooting it was called the Pix. It's now a music venue called the Fonda Theatre.

A shot back a bit gives us part of the marquee for the Vine Theatre, running "Nicholas and Alexandra." The hitchhiker, who turns out to be a Jesus freak, tells him to do a U-turn. The guy doesn't do well. Scheider, aiming at Truntignant, shoots him.

The film gives us some fine aerial views of the city and shots of downtown, Bunker Hill, and Venice. In addition, we're treated to many views, such as this one, of Scheider and Trintignant trying to elude each other on the pier of Pacific Ocean Park as the remaining buildings are in the middle of demolition.

 

We even make it out to Sherman Oaks. Thanks to Sean Ault for getting the screenshot of this view with the La Reina Theatre in the background. It was an S. Charles Lee design at 14626 Ventura Blvd. that opened in 1938.

See the pages on the Los Angeles Theatres site about the Cinematheque 16, the Music Box, the Vine Theatre and the La Reina Theatre for history of each of these filmhouses and many, many photos.

On IMDb: "The Outside Man"  If you can't find a copy of the film note that Cinefile Video in West L.A. has it in their collection. Glen Norman advises that the film is available in two versions, one of them X-rated.

"Hop"

We have a situation in Tim Hill's "Hop" (Universal, 2011) with a bunny who's designated to be the year's Easter Bunny but decides to skip his duties and run away to be a drummer. He takes an Elon Musk-like tunnel from Easter Island (where the bunnies live, you know) to Hollywood.  Here he's hopping along in front of the Pantages, 6233 Hollywood Blvd.

See the Los Angeles Theatres pages about the Pantages Theatre for many photos of the building. It's a film/vaudeville house designed by B. Marcus Priteca that opened in 1930.

The bunny at Hollywood and Vine. He gets a map of the stars' homes and heads to the Playboy mansion. He likes that logo with the ears, you see. There he meets James Marsden, a slacker who's house sitting there.

When the two go for a ride around town we get a drive-by of the former La Reina Theatre, on Ventura Blvd. in Sherman Oaks. See the page about the La Reina for a history of that theatre along with some photos.

Marsden agrees to take the bunny, who he calls EB (for Easter Bunny) to audition as a drummer for The Hoff (David Hasselhoff) at the Orpheum, 842 S. Broadway.

Hasselhoff onstage conducting auditions. 

 EB in audition mode.

Marsden coming on from stage left to ask why The Hoff stopped the audition. He stopped it because he was already convinced that EB was wonderful.

As we leave the theatre we get a look at signage going up for the Hoff.  All is well -- except that the Pink Beret ninjas have been sent by EB's father to bring him back to Easter Island. All ends well as EB and Marsden decide to split the duties of being the Easter Bunny. Marsden becomes the first human to take on the job.

Visit the pages about the Orpheum Theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres site for a history of the 1926 vintage vaudeville house along with hundreds of photos.

On IMDb: "Hop"