"Girl Happy"

Elvis and his band mates go to Ft. Lauderdale during Spring Break on the orders of Chicago mob boss Big Frank in "Girl Happy" (MGM, 1965). The mission is to look after Frank's daughter, Shelley Fabares. Parts of the town certainly resemble Santa Monica. Here we're actually headed south on 3rd St. with the Criterion Theatre, 1313 3rd, on the far left. We'll circle back around a couple minutes later for a better view.

The film, directed by Boris Sagal, also features Gary Crosby, Mary Ann Mobley, Harold J. Stone, Joby Baker, Nita Talbot and Fabrizio Mioni.

Shelley is on a date with an untrustworthy guy. And Elvis knows her father will soon be calling to check in. So they hitch up the boat the couple is in and drive through downtown "Ft. Lauderdale" to get her back to the motel.  In this shot we're headed west on Santa Monica Blvd. with the Majestic Theatre on the far right. In 1967 it got renamed the Mayfair.

Somehow on the way to the motel we're back around on 3rd St. again for another view of the Criterion. They're running Disney's "The Moon-Spinners" along with "7 Faces of Dr. Lao" with Tony Randall and Barbara Eden. When the team gets to the motel, they launch the boat into the pool and toss Shelley the phone.

For more about these theatres head to the pages on the Criterion Theatre and the Mayfair Theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres site.

On IMDb: "Girl Happy"

"Someone to Love"

 The Mayfair Theatre in Santa Monica is the location for most of the running time of Henry Jaglom's "Someone To Love" (Rainbow Film Company, 1988). The film features Andrea Marcovicci, Sally Kellerman, Oja Kadar, Orson Welles, Michael Emil and Miles Kruger. 

 

 

Here Henry and his brother, played by Michael Emil, are trying to get in the front door of the closed theatre. Earlier Michael has explained to Henry that he's a silent partner in a real estate deal and that they own the theatre. But not for long. Michael has already engineered a deal to flip it to some developers who will put up a strip mall in its place.  

 

 

 

A bit of ornament around an exit sign at the head of an aisle. 

 

 

A peek into the darkened auditorium. 

 

 

Henry at the rear of the house. 

 

 

 A bit of side wall decor. 

 

Brother Michael chatting in the lobby with Miles Kruger, a thespian who has been left in charge of the doomed theatre. 

 

 

 

Another look toward the stage. Henry decides to have a party on Valentine's Day. He sends invitations to everyone he knows who's single and sends them mysterious invitations. His intention: start conversations to inquire as to why they're single at the moment. And film the event. 

 

The crew and some of the participants onstage. Note that curious brick wall upstage. It's unknown what the stage configuration was before the theatre's 1929 remodel. 

 

 

Sally Kellerman arrives. 

 

A look over to the house left box and another view of the brick upstage wall. 

 

 

Back in the house left corner for a conversation with Oja Kadar. 

 

 

Time for a meal break in the restaurant space upstairs. 

 

 

A look at the proscenium. 

 

 

A closer look at the ornament at the top of the proscenium. 

 

 

Henry having a conversation onstage with Andrea Marcovicci, playing his girlfriend. 

  

 

Andrea headed up the aisle near the end of the film. She's had enough.

 

 

With coat on and ready to go, Andrea peeks back in to ask: "Did you get enough footage?"

See the Los Angeles Theatres page about the Mayfair Theatre for more about the building. All that's left now is the facade with a new mixed-use building behind it.

On IMDb: "Someone to Love"

"Young Frankenstein"

The Mayfair Theatre appears in Mel Brooks' "Young Frankenstein" (20th Century Fox, 1974). We get a look at the back of the house prior to Irving Berlin's song "Puttin' on the Ritz."

Gene Wilder and Peter Boyle on stage during the scene at the theatre. 

A view of Peter Boyle at the end of the number also gives us a good look at the decor of the proscenium box beyond.

See the Los Angeles Theatres page about the Mayfair Theatre for more about the building. It's at 214 Santa Monica Blvd. in Santa Monica. All that's left now is the facade with a new mixed-use building behind it.

On IMDb:"Young Frankenstein"

"Models, Inc."

A lot of Reginald LeBorg's "Models, Inc." (Universal-International, 1952) was filmed in Santa Monica in 1951 and there's one quick shot with the Majestic Theatre in the background. The film is a "startling expose" of a racket in which of models marry for money. Imagine that. The film stars Howard Duff and Colleen Gray.

Thanks to Mike Hume for the screenshot. His report: "Sadly there's nothing more than this to be seen of the Majestic. It's a background shot 66 minutes in as our heroine Rusty Faraday, played by Coleen Gray, anxiously looks out for the car which is picking her up from outside Bank of America, from where she's just withdrawn a large amount of cash as part of a money racket. That's it!"

The Majestic, at 214 Santa Monica Blvd., was renamed the Mayfair in 1967. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for noting the appearance of the theatre in the film.

See the Los Angeles Theatres page about the Mayfair Theatre for more about the building. All that's left now is the facade with a new mixed-use building behind it.

On IMDb: "Models, Inc."