"Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot"

Although it's set in Portland, Joaquin Phoenix is onstage in a wheelchair at the Rialto Theatre in South Pasadena at the beginning of Gus Van Sant's film "Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot" (Amazon, 2018). 

He's playing John Callahan, paralyzed in a car accident, who overcomes a drinking problem and becomes a cartoonist. We see this shot several more times in the film. Also featured are Rooney Mara, Jonah Hill, Jack Black and Beth Ditto. The cinematography was by Christopher Blauvelt. 

 

 

 

A look toward the stage. 

 

Out into the house. Like the first shot, we come back to this view several times.

See the Los Angeles Theatres page about the Rialto Theatre for lots of history and many photos. It's a 1925 design by Lewis A. Smith at 1023 Fair Oaks Ave. Since 2017 it has been used as a church.  

On IMDb: "Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot"

"Sam's Son"

The Rialto Theatre in South Pasadena was used for Michael Landon's film "Sam's Son" (Invictus Entyertainment, 1984). It's the story of Landon's troubles as a teenager and eventual success on a high school track team. Eli Wallach, Anne Jackson and Timothy Patrick Murphy starred. The cinematography was by Ted Voigtlander. 

Thanks to Rick Rische for mentioning that the film shot at the theatre when he was working there.  

See the Los Angeles Theatres page about the Rialto Theatre for lots of history and many photos. It's a 1925 design by Lewis A. Smith. Since 2017 it has been used as a church.

On IMDb: "Sam's Son"

"Larceny"

Looking west toward the stagehouse of the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, 300 W. Green St. It's a shot from "Larceny" (Universal-International, 1948).

Thanks to Riich Kay for this screenshot as well as eleven more Pasadena views from the film on the Noirish Los Angeles post #60959. He notes that we start the film in Miami Beach but about twelve minutes in shift our location to "Mission City."  

George Sherman directed. The film stars John Payne, Joan Caulfield, Dan Duryea, and Shelley Winters. The cinematography was by Irving Glassberg.

See the page about the Pasadena Civic Auditorium on the Los Angeles Theatres site for more photos of the building and information about its history.

On IMDb: "Larceny"     The full film is available on YouTube.

"The Laundromat"

We're China in Steven Soderbergh's film "The Laundromat" (Netflix, 2019). Bo Xilai, Communist Party Secretary of Chongqing, is addressing an audience just prior to his arrest for corruption. The scene was shot at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium at 300 E. Green St. in Pasadena.

The film stars Gary Oldman, Antonio Banderas, Meryl Streep, James Cromwell and many others. It's a collection of stories about shady financial practices including offshore accounts, shell companies and money laundering. 

Thanks to Mike Hume for the screenshots. He comments: "I wonder how much of the audience was real and how much painted-in. It looked like quite a major location shoot for only a minute or two in the movie." Visit the fine page about the Civic on Mike's Historic Theatre Photography site. 

See the page about the Pasadena Civic Auditorium on the Los Angeles Theatres site for more photos of the building and information about its history.

On IMDb: "The Laundromat"

"Tapeheads"

We see lots of various L.A. locations in the Bill Fishman film "Tapeheads" (Avenue Pictures, 1988). The last fifteen minutes is spent at a concert (with complication) at the Raymond Theatre in Pasadena. John Cusak and Tim Robbins play two former security guards who find improbable success in the music video business.

Also along for the very fun ride (in parts large and tiny) are Katy Boyer, Mary Crosby, Clu Gulager, Connie Stevens, Michael Nesmith, King Cotton, Courtney Love and Jello Biafra. Thanks to Marc Edward Hueck for noting the appearance of the Raymond in the film.

Katy Boyer doing a marquee change to reflect a last minute program change. She plays an artist who is hiding the fact from Robbins and Cusak that she's also the daughter of the slimy presidential candidate played by Clu Gulager.

Cusak heading backstage.

On the south side of the theatre with hit men employed by the presidential candidate arriving to find an incriminating video tape of their boss. The hit men end up doing a bit of dancing in the show.

Mary Crosby running up to the booth with the tape the guys are looking for. It's a great shot swirling around the curved ramp. The problem is that at the Raymond the booth is on the main floor.

The candidate's hit men swarming into the booth. 

Crosby with the tape. The booth's front wall is behind her. 

Cusak with the tape in front of the right wall of the booth. It's an interesting equipment display. There's a Simplex brand 4 channel mag/optical amp rack on the left.  Directly behind him it's generator controls and switching for various arc lamps. On the right with an exotic copper metalflake paint job it's a Simplex XL projector with a Simplex SH-1000 soundhead that has been shoved out of the way. That's a Strong arc lamp behind the projector.

There are video monitors all over the booth because the event is to go on national television. When Gulager bursts into the booth demanding the tape that was shot at one of his sex costume parties, Robbins suggests putting it in a player to even see if it's the right one after all the chasing. Of course he sends it out nationally.

A murky view of the auditorium during the show. 

 Backstage looking off left. 

The best shot we get of the theatre's decor. The guy is a record executive played by Don Cornelius.

See our page on the Raymond Theatre for more about the 1921 vintage building. Much of the decor remains inside but, sadly, the building has been condo-ized and is no longer a theatre.

On IMDb:"Tapeheads"

"Opening Night"

We spend a lot of time at the Fox Ritz Theatre, 5214 Wilshire Blvd., near the end of its life when it was called the American in "Opening Night" (Faces Distribution, 1977). Here Gena Rowlands is seen upstage right, coming onstage from her dressing room. She plays an overwrought actress trying to understand the character she's playing in a new play headed for Broadway.

The Ritz is supposed to be a tryout house called the Orpheum in New Haven. John Cassavetes directed and also appears as an actor in the film. Other featured performers include Ben Gazzara as the director, Joan Blondell as the play's author, Paul Stewart as the distressed producer and Zohra Lampert as Gazzara's wife.

Does it look like a legit house? Not really with all those drapes. But that was its use at the time.

A side wall view during rehearsal with Blondell and Stewart watching.

Looking out. The square in the terrazzo where the boxoffice was says "American Theatre." 

"We're going to walk." We get a rare glimpse of the marquee soffit. 

Lampert, Gazzara and Rowlands on Wilshire. The street sign at the corner says "Sycamore." 

A look into the house during a preview performance. 

Gazzara pacing the lobby during a preview. 

A mirror view and a closer look at the Skouras-ized drinking fountain. 

Downstage right. We'll later see that dimmerboard at another theatre.

Another down right view.

The show is going badly. Gazzara is up on a platform letting in the house curtain. 

 

Heading out. Time to take the show to New York. 

See the Los Angeles Theatres page about the Ritz Theatre for more about the building. Now gone, it was a 1926 design by L.A. Smith for West Coast Theatres. Thanks to Brendan Lucas and Henry Stanny for noting the appearance of the Ritz in the film.

Rowlands spots the marquee of the show's New York theatre during a stroll the day of the opening. We are indeed on Broadway but it's Broadway in Los Angeles. It's the marquee of the Arcade Theatre, 534 S. Broadway.

The crowd coming into the Arcade Theatre for the New York opening. That bit of yellow readerboard just beyond is the marquee of the Cameo Theatre. 

See the pages about the Arcade and Cameo theatres on the Los Angeles Theatres site for the history of the buildings along with many photos both vintage and recent.

When we go inside our Broadway house in New York it turns out we're at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium. Here we're offstage right with the lockrail behind the dimmers we last saw at the Ritz. It's immediately obvious that we have lots more wing space here. The same set is onstage that we saw at the Ritz. 

Strangely overdressed theatregoers coming in for the premiere. And what's also strange is that they're coming down the balcony stairs ratther than going up.

A look across the auditorium prior to the show. Rowlands is late. Out drinking again and trying to come to terms with her part. It calls for an older woman and she's determined to figure out a way to play it without age being relevant. She's said that it'll be the end of her career if she's percieved as old. 

Downstage right at the Civic waiting to start.

Blondell and Stewart at the back of the main floor. 

Onstage at the Civic. The show doesn't go well. Rowland's character is drunk and improvising.

Rowlands and the crew backstage waiting for a cue during the show's last act.  

See the page about the Pasadena Civic Auditorium on the Los Angeles Theatres site for photos of the building and information about its history. 

Gazzara outside the Arcade during the show. He's heading to a bar for a double Scotch.

On IMDb: "Opening Night"

"American Pie 2"

The Pasadena Playhouse is briefly seen in the J.B. Rogers film "American Pie 2" (Universal, 2001). The cast includes Jason Biggs, Sean William Scott, Shannon Elizabeth, Mena Suvari, Chris Klein, Natasha Lyonne and Eugene Levy.

Mike Hume has the report: "Here’s all that we see of the Pasadena Playhouse: a fleeting glimpse of the courtyard! Heather (Mena Suvari), supposedly in Spain, receives a phone call from her boyfriend Oz (Chris Klein). She answers the call on a balcony above a plaza and then goes indoors, seemingly to her apartment, to take the rest of the call. Blink and you miss it!"

Thanks to Mike for the research and the screenshot. We also get a quick shot of the Pasadena City Hall for another image of the architecture in Spain. 

For a great tour of the Playhouse, a theatre that opened in 1925, visit Mike's Pasadena Playhouse page on his Historic Theatre Photography website.

Also see the page about the Pasadena Playhouse on the Los Angeles Theatres site for information and photos.

On IMDb: "American Pie 2"

"Pulp Fiction"

Looking east on Hollywood Blvd. in Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction" (Miramax, 1994). Note the Pacific neon lit on the former Warner Theatre, 6433 Hollywood Blvd.

Uma Thurman has just overdosed and John Travolta is frantically driving her to Eric Stoltz' house for a shot of adrenaline. With a big syringe. Right in the heart. Also starring in the film are Samuel L. Jackson, Ving Rhames and Bruce Willis. Thanks to Jonathan Raines for spotting the shot.

See the pages on the Los Angeles Theatres site about the Warner Hollywood for a history of this 1928 movie palace along with hundreds of photos of various areas of the building.

"You lost all your L.A. privileges." Pasadena's Raymond Theatre, 129 N. Raymond Ave., was used for the exterior of the building for Bruce Willis' boxing match. He was supposed to take a dive in the 5th and didn't. The film also shot scenes nearby in Kendall Alley off of Union Street and Raymond Ave.

See our page on the Raymond Theatre for more about the 1921 vintage building. Much of the decor remains inside but, sadly, the building has been condo-ized and is no longer a theatre.

On IMDb: "Pulp Fiction"

"This Is Spinal Tap"

The band is in New York for this shot in Rob Reiner's "This is Spinal Tap" (Embassy Pictures, 1984) but the shot was done at 8th and Broadway in Los Angeles with the marquee of the Tower Theatre visible out the window and the Rialto down the block. At the Tower it was "Sorceress" and "The Sender." Bruno Kirby played the driver. 

See the pages about the Tower Theatre and the Rialto Theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres site fr histories of the two venues and many photos. The Tower is now an Apple store and the Rialto an Urban Outfitters. The film features Reiner along with Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer and Ed Begley, Jr. The cinematography was by Peter Smokler.  

 

Although the Raymond Theatre at 129 N. Raymond Ave. in Pasadena was the venue for many of the  film's concert scenes, we never get any good views of the theatre. Here's a shot looking off right from near the beginning of the film. 

 

 

A bit of a look at the auditorium sidewall.  

Another look house right with a glimpse at the murals. 

A peek toward the rear of the house. 

A better look at the booth at the rear of the main floor.

 

See the page about the Raymond Theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres site for more about the 1921 vintage building. In its later years it was renamed the Crown Theatre and then as a concert venue it was rebranded as the Perkins Palace. Much of the decor remains inside but, sadly, the building has been condo-ized and is no longer a theatre.

 

James Blair notes that they also filmed at the Variety Arts Theatre, where he was technical director in the 1980s. This is a shot from the Chrysalis number, one he remembers being filmed there. 

 

Another scene at the Variety Arts was with the band lost in the basement and wandering various corridors as they try to find their way to the stage.  

 

The Stonehenge concert scenes were also done at the Variety Arts. James notes: "I freaked out when I overheard the crew talking about flying in a Stonehenge set..." It was a piece that was supposed to be 18' high but, as we learn in the film, the drawing given to the woman who built it mistakenly showed the dimension as 18". 

See the pages about the Variety Arts Theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres site for a history of the 1924 vintage building. In addition to the 1,200 seat main theatre, there's a ballroom, library, several bars, and a smaller theatre space on the 3rd floor. It's at 940 S. Figueroa St, across from the Hotel Figueroa and just north of L.A. Live.  

On IMDb: "This Is Spinal Tap"  

| alphabetical list by film title | list by theatre name or geographic area |

| Los Angeles Theatres | L.A. Theatres on Facebook |