"The Idolmaker"

The audience is getting impatient before a rock concert in Taylor Hackford's "The Idolmaker" (United Artists, 1980). 

 

The film is based on the life of producer and rock promoter Bob Marcucci. It features Ray Sharkey, Peter Gallagher, Tovah Feldshuh, Paul Land, Maureen McCormick and Joe Pantoliano. The cinematography was by Adam Holender. David L. Snyder was the art director. Thanks to David for noting that major scenes in the film were shot at the Fox Wilshire in Beverly Hills.

 

A look toward the stage. Peter Gallagher is the attraction but he's a beginning rock and roll star and is nervous about going on. His character's stage name is Caesare.

 

The Fox Wilshire Theatre is standing in for a theatre in the New York area. Peter Snyder notes that it was supposed to be the Brooklyn Paramount. The Fox had closed as a film house in 1978 and at the time of this shoot was in transition. It would get a renovation in 1981 by the Nederlander organization with the auditorium getting a substantially darker look. Head to the Fox Wilshire/Saban Theatre pages on the Los Angeles Theatres site for many views of the theatre, now mostly used as a concert venue.  

 

Back in a dressing room. 

 

 

A balcony shot. 

 

 

Finally getting onstage. 

 

A wider view to the rear of the house. 

 

 

The show begins. 

 

Another shot to house right. This image is one that appears on IMDb.  

 

 

 

The girls are getting excited and rush the stage. The show is stopped. 

 

 

 

Back on stage again. 

 

 

They go on the road, taking the show to Memphis. For the exterior of the Memphis Civic Auditorium they used the Trinity Auditorium, on Grand Ave. between 8th and 9th.  

 

 

A look farther south on the facade reveals some sentiment against musicians coming down from New York. We are shown a newspaper story referring to them as carpetbaggers.  

 

See the page about the Trinity Auditorium on the Los Angeles Theatres site for more information about the building. 

 

 

When we go inside the "Memphis Civic" we're actually back at the Fox Wilshire. There weren't any lobby shots earlier in the film when it was standing in for a New York area theatre.

Ray Sharkey and Tovah Feldshuh in a heated discussion. 

 

 

 

The set for the Memphis show. 

 

 

 

A Fox Wilshire dressing room for the Memphis Civic. 

 

 

 

For the Memphis scenes the Fox Wilshire is lit quite differently. We see only the spectators. No light on the walls and no views of the proscenium this time. 

 

 

Yes, he wins them over and the show is a success. But Peter's character is fed up and decides he needs a new agent.

On IMDb: "The Idolmaker" 

 

Constructing the Memphis Civic set onstage at the Fox Wilshire. Thanks to David L. Snyder, the film's art director, for sharing this photo from his collection. He comments: 

"This is how I was able to double the Fox Theatre location for the Brooklyn Paramount and the Memphis Civic Auditorium. At that time a developer had plans to demolish the theater and replace it with a 'glass box' highrise. The City of BH was all for it and to advance the plan, they demanded we obtain a Building Permit in addition to the Filming Permit. 

 

"Once we had approval the City sent over a building inspector who demanded I make revisions to the set based on the city's Building Code. During this period, preservationists prevailed, and the Fox was landmarked and saved. All the above is my 1980 memory of the events."

 

Cast and crew on the Fox Wilshire stage after shooting the Memphis scene. Thanks to David L. Snyder,  for adding this photo as a comment to a post about the theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres Facebook page.

"Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit"

We get this shot of the Trinity Auditorium, 855 S. Grand Ave., in "Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit" (Touchstone Pictures, 1993). The film is mostly set in San Francisco where the staff of a Catholic high school recruits Las Vegas headliner Whoopi Goldberg to whip their choir into shape. Gee, if they can only win a religious music competition that's being held in Los Angeles, maybe the Archdiocese won't close the school. 

The film also features Kathy Najimy, Lauryn Hill, Maggie Smith, Barnard Hughes and James Coburn. Bill Duke directed. The cinematography was by Oliver Wood. The competition, taking up the last 25 minutes of the film, is held at the Trinity. Thanks to David Saffer for noting the building's role in the film.

 

 

 

On the way to the competition, the kids drive by the former Hollywood Theatre, 6764 Hollywood Blvd. 

 

A look toward the Trinity's stage.  

 

 

 

One of the contestants onstage. 

 

A look down from the center balcony. 

 

 

 

Sister Whoopi onstage. 

 

 

Looking out from upstage right.

See the pages about the Trinity Auditorium and the Hollywood Theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres site for more information about these two buildings. 

On IMDb: "Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit"

"The Bank"

Charlie Chaplin filmed the opening scene of "The Bank" (Essanay, 1915) in front of the Trinity Auditorium, 855 S. Grand Ave. Thanks to the famed silent film detective John Bengtson for the Chaplin image above. See his fine article "How Charlie Chaplin Filmed The Bank" for more details about both the film and the building.

John notes: "Charlie Chaplin’s Essanay comedy 'The Bank' (1915) marks his final cinematic footsteps in downtown Los Angeles.  While Broadway, and other nearby Historic Core streets appear in several of his early Keystone films, including 'Making A Living,' 'His Favorite Pastime,' 'The New Janitor,' and especially 'His Musical Career,' Chaplin would never again stroll these urban sidewalks to make a movie [note: 'City Lights' (1931) includes scenes of Charlie and the drunken millionaire, perhaps stunt doubles, driving around several downtown corners...]"

See John's "Rare Chaplin Scenes" article for some early downtown views and his PDF of his "'City Lights' Film Location Tour.

Another shot from the film -- a screenshot from the new Blu-Ray edition of "The Bank." Again thanks to John Bengtson.

See the Los Angeles Theatres page on the Trinity Auditorium for more about the building.

On IMDb: "The Bank"

"High And Dizzy"

The facade of the Trinity Auditorium, 855 S. Grand Ave., puts in an appearance in "High and Dizzy" (Rolin Films/Pathé, 1920). Harold Lloyd and his pal Roy Brooks are drunkenly carousing in front of the building. We're about seven minutes into the twenty-four minute film. They've just come out of the building after drinking for an hour and forty minutes in Roy's room.

Spotting a policeman, they try to appear sober.   

Yet, as they pass, Brooks can't resist tripping the policeman.

Thanks to famed silent film detective John Bengtson for spotting the Trinity in the film. These images, appearing in his Silent Locations article "How Charlie Chaplin Filmed The Bank," show his analysis. "The Bank" also shot in front of the Trinity.

See the Los Angeles Theatres page on the Trinity Auditorium for more details about the 1914 vintage building.

On IMDb: "High and Dizzy"

"Bumping Into Broadway"

 

Harold Lloyd hitches a ride to downtown in the two-reeler "Bumping Into Broadway" (Rolin Films / Pathé, 1919). The car stops across the street from the Trinity Auditorium at 855 S. Grand Ave. Harold was fleeing his rooming house where he couldn't pay the rent because he gave all his money to Bebe Daniels so she could pay hers. The "Broadway" in the title isn't the one in Los Angeles. Although filmed in L.A., the movie is set in New York.

 

Harold puts his feet down after chauffeur #2 has let the passenger out and gets back in. 

 

Playing it cool. 

 

The car drives away.

 

Staring in indignation. 

 

Consulting his data, he realizes the theatre Bebe performs in is nearby. 

 

We cut to a shot of a stage door, filmed elsewhere. After trying a couple of times, he eventually hides in the clock we see on the right and is carried in by two stagehands.

The film's locations are detailed in John Bengtson's fine article "How Harold Lloyd Filmed Bumping Into Broadway." It got a new restoration and appears with the Criterion Blu-Ray edition of a 1928 Lloyd film, "Speedy." Also see John's article "How Charlie Chaplin Filmed 'The Bank'."It's another film with shots of the Trinity Auditorium.

See the Los Angeles Theatres page on the Trinity Auditorium for more about this 1914 vintage building.

On IMDb: "Bumping into Broadway"