"Edge of Doom"

Footage of various downtown L.A. locations appears behind the credits of "Edge of Doom" (RKO, 1950). Behind Samuel Goldwyn's credit we're looking south on Main St. from the middle of the 300 block. That's the Follies on the right. Thanks to Claudia Mullins for spotting the theatre.   

See the Los Angeles Theatres page about the Follies Theatre, 337 S. Main St. It opened as the Belasco in 1904 and was demolished in 1974.  

Mark Robson directed. The cinematography was by Harry Stradling. Farley Granger plays a troubled young guy who can't understand why his ogre of a boss won't give him a discount on flowers for his mother's funeral. And he gets so pissed off at the local priest that he kills him. Dana Andrews plays another priest who tries to help. Joan Evans is Farley's girlfriend. It's all a religious mess. 

 But, 35 minutes into the film we get the Galaxy Theatre. Farley has killed the priest and he's out on the street.

 

Thanks to Claudia for spotting this shot and the later views of the marquee and boxoffice. It's actually the Mason Theatre, 127 S. Broadway. We're looking north toward 1st St. At the time of this film it was a Spanish-language house. Here they've dressed it as a newsreel theatre.  

 

Farley approaches the theatre and notices a commotion. Somehow he's drawn into the crowd and we get this shot of the boxoffice.  

 

 A look over toward the entrance doors.

 

A shot from out on Broadway. It turns out there had been a robbery. 

 

 

A look at the marquee soffit. The Galaxy's robbery is the subject of discussion later in the film and a hood played by Paul Stewart is brought in for questioning by the police. Later he's fingered for the murder of the priest as well. But Farley is "helped" by another priest played by Dana Andrews and later turns himself in because, as Dana tells us, he was troubled by his "immortal soul."  

See the Los Angeles Theatres page about the Mason Theatre. It closed in 1955 and was soon demolished. 

On IMDb: "Edge of Doom   The full film is on Internet Archive.  

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"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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"Million Dollar Hotel"

We get a lot of Main St. and especially the Rosslyn Hotel in the Wim Wenders film "Million Dollar Hotel" (Lionsgate, 2000). Here we're getting a view out a window of FBI agent Mel Gibson questioning Jeremy Davies in front of the Regent Theatre, 448. S. Main St. Thanks to Haley S. for suggesting a look at the film's use of Main St. locations. 

 

Another view of the Regent and, over on the left, the Main Theatre with its "XXX Movie" signage at 438, in a storefront of the Canadian Building.    

 Mel doing an interrogation in his car with a bit of a Regent reflection. 

 

 Jeremy on his skateboard in front of the Main Theatre. 

 

 

A look south across the Regent's entrance.  

Mel on the sidewalk with Mila Jovovich. The Regent is over on the far left.  

Mel's trying to investigate the death of one of Jeremy's friends in a fall off the roof. Was it suicide or was he pushed? The film also features Amanda Plummer, Jimmy Smits, Peter Stormare, Gloria Stewart, Tom Bower, Donal Logue, Julian Sands and Bud Cort. The cinematography was by Phedon Papamichael.  

See the pages about the Main Theatre and the Regent Theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres site for a history of the venues.  

 On IMDb: "The Million Dollar Hotel"

 

Mila on the roof. It's an image from IMDb.  

A much earlier film with scenes on the roof of one of the Rosslyn Hotel buildings is "Their Last Haul" (L-KO/Universal, 1915), a one reeler starring Hank Mann, Wallace MacDonald and Alice Howell. It's on YouTube. Thanks to Ranjit Sandhu for suggesting it. 

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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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