"Putting Pants On Philip"

Laurel and Hardy walk by the Meralta Theatre in Culver City in their short "Putting Pants on Philip" (Hal Roach/MGM, 1927). Thanks to Chris Bungo for detailing the film's many Culver City locations in the presentation he has on YouTube. The poster is for "Lonesome Ladies," a July 1927 release with Lewis Stone and Anna Q. Nilson.  

The theatre was at 9632 Culver Blvd. See the Meralta Theatre page on the Los Angeles Theatres site for more data and photos. 

On IMDb: "Putting Pants On Philip"

"On the Front Page"

The Beverly Theatre in Beverly Hills is seen in the distance in the two-reel comedy "On the Front Page" (Pathé,  November 1926). The theatre had opened in May 1925. We're looking north on Beverly Dr. toward Wilshire. The scene with Tyler Brooke, and soon a motorcycle cop, begins 4:44 into the film. Also featured are Stan Laurel, Lillian Rich, Bull Montana and Edgar Dearing. James Parrott directed. 

 

Another shot looking north toward Wilshire. Note the motorcycle cop tailing Tyler. 

 

He's looking at the cop after being stopped. 

 

Tyler comments that Edgar Dearing, as the policeman, looks like Santa Claus. His headgear and beard are items that Tyler had been throwing out of his car that had hit the policeman. 

See the pages about the Beverly Theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres site for a history of the venue along with many photos. The building was demolished in 2005 after later lives as retail space and as a bank. 

Thanks to Roy Rogers Oldenkamp for investigating film via a post of a shot on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook page that showed a statue used in the 1925 version of "Ben Hur." The film can be seen on YouTube.  

On IMDb: "On the Front Page"

"Duck Soup"

Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy appear in the two-reel short "Duck Soup" (Hal Roach/Pathé, 1927) as the first time they were paired together as comedy leads. Fred Guiol directed. The film starts in MacArthur Park where the boys are trying to elude forest rangers who are determined to conscript them to fight forest fires. A chase ensues, we go to Culver City and then it's time for downtown.

 

Here we're heading south on Grand Ave. toward 7th St. The light-colored three story building to the left of Stan's head is the Criterion Theatre, 642 S. Grand Ave. The building with the arches on the right side of the image is now called the Milano Lofts.

The theatre had opened as the Kinema in 1917. For a history and a number of photos see the Criterion Theatre page on the Los Angeles Theatres site.

Thanks to John Bengtson for all the research and screenshots appearing here. You can read all about his discoveries on his 2020 Silent Locations post "How Laurel and Hardy Filmed Duck Soup." Also see John's 2023 update that's celebrating a Flicker Alley Blu-ray release "Laurel and Hardy: Year One." Dave Lord Heath has also done a post about "Duck Soup."

Still looking south on Grand but this shot was done farther up on Bunker Hill. We're approaching 5th St. with the now-vanished Biltmore Garage on the left and the Biltmore Theatre hiding just beyond, on the southeast corner of Grand and 5th. Across the street to the right we see the grounds of the Central Library.

Another shot a bit closer to 5th. John notes that the Biltmore Garage was also seen in the 1934 Carole Lombard film "The Gay Bride." That wall we see of the theatre is the back wall of the stagehouse. The entrance was around the corner on 5th.

A view looking back up Grand toward 5th. On the right is the back end of the Biltmore, with a poster up for "Ben-Hur," a film that played a roadshow engagement at the theatre.

The theatre, adjacent to the Biltmore Hotel, opened in 1924. See the Biltmore Theatre page on the Los Angeles Theatres site for some photos and data.

By the time we're a bit over five minutes into the film it's done with downtown and off to Beverly Hills. The film ends with Stan and Oliie fighting a fire near the Hal Roach Studios after they are dragooned by the rangers.

On IMDb: "Duck Soup"   A 21+ minute version of the film is on YouTube from TwinHat.

"Just Rambling Along"

 Stan Laurel stars in "Just Rambling Along," a 1918 Hal Roach/Pathé one reeler filmed on and around the pier in Ocean Park. Here near the beginning we get a view looking north toward the stagehouse of the third location of the Rosemary Theatre. The film is on You Tube.

After the Rosemary moved to a new location at the head of the pier around 1919 this theatre was renamed the Rialto. See our page on this third Rosemary Theatre location on the Los Angeles Theatres site for more photos.

On IMDb: "Just Rambling Along"