"Targets"

Early in Peter Bogdanovich's film "Targets" (Paramount, 1968) we get a look at the Sepulveda Drive-In, 6161 Sepulveda Blvd. The shooter, played by Tim O'Kelly, is driving by on the 405. He's been buying a new gun and stocking up on ammo. The film stars Boris Karloff as an aging Hollywood star, Nancy Hsueh as his assistant and Bogdanovich, of course, as the director of Karloff's last several films. The cinematography was by László Kovács.

See the page about the Sepulveda Drive-In on the Los Angeles Theatres site for information about the venue and more photos. 

 

The next morning Tim drives by the Reseda Drive-In, 18441 Vanowen St. in Reseda.  

 

 

A closer look at the signage. Byron Orlock, Karloff's character is doing an appearance.

 

 

 

A look back at the Reseda's sign. Tim's already shot several family members. 

 

A screen tower view a moment later.  

 

 

 

Heading to the top of a Chevron tank at Sepulveda and Oxnard St. to pick off people on the 405. That's a bit of the Sepulveda Drive-in's screen in the upper left. 

 

 

 

After the shootings from the tank, cops are everywhere. He's back near the Reseda. He had seen Karloff's character the day before out the windows of a gun shop on Sunset Blvd. and had planned on being here for the personal appearance.

 

 

 

A bit early for the show. But good for avoiding the police. Note the Pacific Theatres blue and yellow. 

 

The Reseda's box office.  

 

Finding a spot. But he's not going to stay in the car anyway. 

 

A look over to the booth. It'll later be one of the targets.

 

He's seen a manager come out of the screen tower so takes his bag of guns and goes in. 

 

 

 

We get to see the sign as it lights up. 

 

The operator in the booth checking his Strong arc lamps. 

 

Threading one of the Simplex XLs. 

 

The Motiograph soundhead. 

 

 

 

The Reseda's snackbar. There are rumors of a shooter but the film keeps running.

 

 

 

Up in the tower picking people off with a gun pointed out through a hole in the screen. 

 

 

 

Time for Karloff and his assistant to arrive. 

 

 

 

Greeted as they approach the boxoffice. People are dying, the show is still running, Karloff goes in. 

 

 

The man in the booth is the next target. 

The shooter slips, knocks his bag of guns and ammo down through the tower's structure. He climbs down, grabs another gun and comes out. Karloff is on the screen in "The Terror" and also approaching him in person. The shooter looks back and forth at the two and, totally confused, crumples to the ground as the police arrive. 

 

The next morning. The only car on the field is the shooter's. See the page on the Los Angeles Theatres site about the Reseda Drive-In.

On IMDb: "Targets"

"The Other Side of the Wind"

We're on a bus going through Van Nuys in the unfinished Orson Welles film "The Other Side of the Wind" (Netflix, 2018) when we get a look at the Sepulveda Drive-In, 6161 Sepulveda Blvd. The bus had left Paramount Studios and was headed to the 70th birthday party at the home of a film director played by John Huston. Aboard are some actors and execs that were involved in the day's shoot as well as dummies that were evidently used as passengers for a scene we don't get to see. 

Featured in the film are Oja Kodar, Peter Bogdanovich, Susan Strasberg, Norman Foster, Lilli Palmer, Edmond O'Brien, Robert Random, Mercedes McCambridge, Norman Foster, Cameron Mitchell and Paul Stewart. The cinematography was by Gary Graver.

When Orson Welles died in 1985 he left about 100 hours of footage for the film as well as sketches, a partial workprint, and some edited scenes. He had shot the footage between 1970 and 1976 and worked on editing it into the 1980s. After years of legal wrangling by various parties, Netflix acquired the film's elements in 2017 and assembled it for a 2018 release. 

 

The marquee a moment later. "I Drink Your Blood" and "I Eat Your Skin" were 1971 releases.

See the page about the Sepulveda Drive-In on the Los Angeles Theatres site for information about the venue and more photos.  

 

An unknown theatre seen in several shots early in the film where footage was being screened from the film-within-the-film, also titled "The Other Side of the Wind." As we see here, it's in 1.85. The rest of the film uses a 1.37 aspect ratio, some footage in black and white, some in color.

 

Late in the film we head to the "Magnolia Gardens Drive-In" for a private screening of the film-within-the-film after the power fails at John Huston's house. It's unknown where these scenes were shot. 

 

 

It's a very long night. Oja Kadar, the star of the film they've screened, stays until the end. 

 

 

 

Sunrise at the drive-in. 

 

A last look at the screen. With a train running by.

Several sources, including the Wikipedia article about the film, assert that the drive-in scenes were shot in Reseda at the Reseda Drive-In. But that doesn't seem to be a match in terms of fencing, playground equipment, and that train we see running behind the screen tower. 

See the Cinema Treasures page about the Reseda. It's a location Bogdanovich did use for his film "Targets." In that film we also get a quick drive-by view of the Sepulveda Drive-In.

On IMDb: "The Other Side of the Wind"

"The Bank Shot"

The Sepulveda Drive-In Theatre in Van Nuys gets a cameo in "The Bank Shot" (United Artists, 1974). Gower Champion directed this caper film based on a novel by Donald Westlake. It stars George C. Scott, Joanna Cassidy, Clifton James and Bob Balaban. The cinematography was by Harry Stradling, Jr.

Thanks to Eric Schaefer for spotting the theatre in the film and getting the screenshot. 

 

The gang had put wheels under a manufactured home-style temporary bank and hauled it away. But it's green and easily recognized. Here they're bringing it into the drive-in for a project: painting it pink.  

 

 

A look back toward the snackbar/booth. 

 

 

A view toward the screen. 

See the page about the Sepulveda Drive-In on the Los Angeles Theatres site for information about the venue and more photos. 

On IMDb: "The Bank Shot"