"The Killing of a Chinese Bookie"

Ben Gazzara is riding down Santa Monica Blvd. in a cab in the John Cassavetes film "The Killing of a Chinese Bookie" (Faces Distribution, 1976) when he asks the cabbie "Is that a movie house up there? I feel like a movie." The theatre was the Pussycat at 7734 Santa Monica Blvd. in West Hollywood. 

Ben is a club owner in trouble with the mob boys because of a gambling problem. The film also features Timothy Carey, Seymour Cassell, Robert Phillips, Morgan Woodward, Virginia Carrington, Alice Friedland and Donna Gordon. The cinematography was by Mitch Breit and Al Ruban.  

Ben standing in front of the Pussycat. He looks around for a bit and then hops into another cab.

This West Hollywood theatre began its life as a neighborhood house called the Monica and after the Pussycat era was over was known as Studs. See the page about the Monica Theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres site for more about the venue.

On IMDb: "The Killing of a Chinese Bookie"

"Hollywood Boulevard"

 

An aspiring starlet played by Candice Rialson hits Hollywood and, of course, visits Grauman's Chinese near the beginning of "Hollywood Boulevard." (New World Pictures, 1976). The film about "the street where starlets are made" features Mary Woronov, Paul Bartel, Jonathan Kaplan and Godzina. Direction was by Joe Dante and Allan Arkush. Jamie Anderson did the cinematography.

 

 

We get a quick drive by the Pussycat Theatre on Santa Monica Blvd. as part of Candice's first film job. Well, she thinks it's a film job. She's actually been recruited to be a getaway driver in a bank robbery. The theatre, at 7734 Santa Monica Blvd. in West Hollywood, began its life as a neighborhood house called the Monica.   

 

 

We get this great triple feature on the marquee of the Gilmore Drive-In at 41:20 into the film. Our stars have been involved in making one of the films and this is the premiere -- and possibly only showing. Thanks to Benny Ballejo for posting the shot on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook page.   

 

 

 

Another fine marquee shot a moment later. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for posting this one on Photos of Los Angeles. 

 

A little altercation in the booth during the film's sequence at the drive-in. The Gilmore was on 3rd St. east of Fairfax. The Grove shopping mall is now on the site.

See the pages about Grauman's Chinese, the Monica/Pussycat Theatre and the Gilmore Drive-In on the Los Angeles Theatres site for a history of these venues.

On IMDb: "Hollywood Boulevard"    The entire epic is available for free viewing on the site Tubi.

"Hot Rod Gang"

 

The Monica Theatre, 7734 Santa Monica Blvd., is seen in "Hot Rod Gang" (American International, 1958). In fact we go by it several times in the first few minutes of the film as we race up and down Santa Monica Blvd. Thanks to Bret Mannon for spotting the theatre. 

 

The film, directed by Lew Landers, is about a kid who joins a rock band to earn money to support his drag racing habit. It stars John Ashley, Jody Fair and Gene Vincent. The cinematography was by Floyd Crosby.

 

We quickly meet up with another couple of guys and race on opposite sides of the street with one set of wheels on the curb. In this view north on Virgil toward Sunset Blvd. we get a bit of the Vista Theatre over on the right. 

 

Another shot a moment later with more showing of the Vista, 4473 Sunset Dr. 

 

Back on Santa Monica Blvd. with another view of the Monica. 

 

About 27 minutes in John Ashley and Jody Fair take a hurried drive up Vermont Ave. giving us a glimpse of the marquee of the Los Feliz Theatre, 1822 N. Vermont Ave. 

 

That's about all we get of the Los Feliz as the film cuts to a dissolve into a party scene but the marquee and the vertical sign are seen over on on the right.

For more data and photos of these movie houses head to the pages about the Monica/Pussycat/Studs Theatre, the Vista Theatre and the Los Feliz Theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres site.

On IMDb: "Hot Rod Gang."  The full film can be seen on YouTube: version 1 | version 2 - a bit sharper |

A poster that appears with the film's listing on IMDb. 

"Inside Deep Throat"

 We get lots of shots of the Monica Theatre as the Pussycat in the documentary "Inside Deep Throat" (Universal, 2005).  The film explores the making of "Deep Throat" and its aftereffects.

Here, the jurors in the "Deep Throat" obscenity trial are visiting the Monica to see the film in its natural surroundings. 

The film gives us a look at the marquee of the Sunset Theatre, 1508 N. Western Ave. See the Los Angeles Theatres page about the Sunset for more about the now-vanished theatre.

 On a quick drive-by tour of skid row, "Inside Deep Throat" gives us a fuzzy view of the Optic Theatre, 533 S. Main St.

Another look at the Optic.

 The downtown Main St. excursion also gets us a glimpse of the Art Theatre.

On IMDb: "Inside Deep Throat"