"Smash-Up: The Story of a Woman"

We get a short montage as a marginal singing cowboy played by Lee Bowman rises to become a major singing radio star in "Smash Up: The Story of a Woman" (Universal-International, 1947). This shot features an unidentified theatre. 

At the beginning of the film we see that his wife, played by Susan Hayward, was headed for quite a singing career herself. But after her marriage as the husband's career blossomed she felt neglected and started serious drinking. Also featured are Marsha Hunt, Eddie Albert, Carl Esmond and Carleton G. Young. It was written by John Howard Lawson, Lionel Wiggam and Dorothy Parker. Stewart Heisler directed. The cinematography was by Stanley Cortez. 

The second image we get is of the Four Star, on the Miracle Mile at 5112 Wilshire Blvd. See the page about the Four Star Theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres site. 

The last marquee we see in the montage is a doctored view of the Beverly on Beverly Dr. in Beverly Hills. The marquee actually had the theatre's name above the three readerboards. See the Los Angeles Theatres page about the Beverly Theatre for photos and more information.

On IMDb: "Smash-Up: The Story of a Woman"   The full film can be seen on YouTube.  

"The Slavey"

An intriguing shot from "The Slavey" (Model Comedy Company, 1919). It appears that there's a quite opulent theatre over on the right although the location hasn't been identified. The film stars Gale Henry, Milburn Morante and Hap Ward. Bruno C. Becker directed.

Thanks to John Bengtson for the screenshot. Check on his latest explorations via the Silent Locations blog "Chaplin-Keaton-Lloyd film locations (and more)." 

The film can be seen on YouTube: version #1 - 17 minutes | version #2 - 23 minutes | See the article about Gale Henry on the site of the Women Film Pioneers Project. 

On IMDb: "The Slavey"

"Mr. Saturday Night"

A flashback to the Ed Sullivan Show in "Mr. Saturday Night" (Columbia, 1992). Buddy Young, Jr., the comic played by Billy Crystal, has been waiting a year for this. The scene was filmed at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre, 4400 Wilshire Blvd. 

 

Crystal's brother Stan is played by David Paymer and Julie Warner is his wife. The film was written by Crystal along with Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandell. Crystal directed. The cinematography was by Don Peterman.

 

 

Crystal enthusiastically coming onto the thrust stage at the Ebell. He discovers that he's going on right after the Beatles and can't get the audience to pay any attention to him. He starts insulting them and blows his chances for a return gig. 

See the page about the Wilshire Ebell Theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres site for a history of the building and many photos. 

 

Another flashback scene features the brothers as teenagers. We're looking at the act just before them at some unknown venue standing in for the "Pitkin Avenue Theatre" in Brooklyn. 

It's unknown where this was shot -- perhaps on a soundstage. Or maybe at the Ebell. The Skouras-style decor in front of the stage suggests it might have been shot at a house like the El Portal in North Hollywood or the California in Huntington Park that had a stage and had also been "Skouras-sized." But the decorative panel seen here in front of the stage doesn't seem to match what was installed at either of those two houses. 

 

 

 

A look behind the screen at the "Pitkin Avenue." The teenage versions of Stan and Buddy are played by Michael Weiner and Jason Marsden. It had been a double act but Stan decides he doesn't want to do it anymore. He becomes Buddy's manager.  

 

The brothers at an unidentified theatre later in the film.

On IMDb: "Mr. Saturday Night"

"Nasty"

The beginning of "Nasty," Janet Jackson's 1986 music video, gives us a view of the readerboard above the entrance doors at the Globe Theatre, 744 S. Broadway. Thanks to Sean Ault for spotting the theatre in the video. 

A wider view of the Globe's ticket lobby. 1986 was the last year of operation as a movie theatre.  

 

Heading into the auditorium. But we're not at the Globe for the auditorium shots and it's unknown where they were done. The proscenium box area doesn't look like the Globe's and that column on the right supporting the balcony isn't where it would be if we were at the Globe.  

 

Another auditorium shot. They're eating popcorn from tubs with the Metropolitan Theatres logo. The seats we see don't match the type in the Globe in the 1980s.

See the Los Angeles Theatres pages about the Globe Theatre for a history of the building along with many photos. It opened in 1913 as the Morosco.

On YouTube: "Nasty"

"Movie Night"

Charley Chase takes his family to the movies, and wins a goose, in the silent short "Movie Night" (Hal Roach / MGM). Among other problems he's trying to pass his wife's brother off as a child and his daughter gets the hiccups. This could all be a studio set but the assumption is that we're at some unidentified theatre. 

 

 

 

Chase getting in line. 

 

 Finally his turn at the boxoffice.

 

 

 

A bit of interesting painted detail inside. 

 

 A side wall view. One factor suggesting that this is a real theatre is the slope of the floor.

On IMDb: "Movie Night"

In the 1936 short "Neighborhood House" Charley again goes to the movies and wins a prize. 

"The House of Flickers"

At the boxoffice of an unidentified theatre in "The House of Flickers," a rare 18 minute Fox "Sunshine Comedy" released March 15, 1925. The screenshots are from a print in the Danish Film Institute collection. It was directed by Ben Stoloff and features a cast including James Parrott, William Courtright, Bob McKenzie, Kalla Pasha, Bobby Dunn, Pete the Pup, Louise Carver, Eddie Boland, and Bynunsky Hyman. 

 

Thanks to John Bengtson for spotting the film online and sharing the data about it. Keep up with his latest investigations on the site Silent Locations. Some exteriors were filmed on Larchmont Blvd. but it's unknown if the Larchmont Theatre was used. It opened in 1922. See the page on the Los Angeles Theatres site for shots from several movies in which it appears.  

 

The booth, with access via ladder and trap door. 

 

 

Threading up a reel on one of the Powers projectors.

 

 

The rear of the auditorium.  As John Bengtson notes: it's a bit too elaborate to just be a set. 

 

 

 

The crowd pouring in for the first show. 

 

 

A shot at the back of the house. The manager is on the right. 

 

Striking the arc -- with the door open. Later he'll lose a hot carbon out one of the ports. 

 

A view to the screen as the show starts. 

 

 

A closer look at the proscenium decoration. 

 

Another proscenium view. At times the actors in the film interact with the audience. 

 

 

A Larchmont Blvd. shot. That's a reel of film rolling across the street toward the drug store. 

 

A ticket lobby view. There's an organ grinder in the audience. His monkey threw the film out a window.

 

Another ticket lobby view. Trying to deal with runaway film. 

 

A nice shot of one of the projectors. But with the film running onto the floor. 

 

 The resultant mess. It's all the monkey's fault. 

 

 

There's still a picture on the screen but it's now upside down and backward. 

 

 

Here's a flipped version. At the theatre at least three kids and a dog do headstands to look at it the way it was being projected. We're on Broadway looking north from 7th St. Down the block on the right is the Orpheum, a house that opened in 1911. It's been renamed. See the pages about the Palace Theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres site for lots of information and many photos.

The film can be seen on Vimeo from the Danish Film Institute. It's under the Danish title "En biograftur med forhindringer." That translates as "A Cinema Trip With Obstacles."

 On IMDb: "The House of Flickers"

"Mabel's Adventures"

A mystery theatre seen in "Mabel's Adventures" (Keystone, 1912). It appears we're at someplace like a theatre called Pacific, Optic or Majestic yet the known locations with those names don't match what we see here. Thanks to John Bengtson for the screenshot.  It'll remain on the unidentified list at the moment. Any ideas?

The short film, directed by Mack Sennett, stars Mabel Normand, Fred Mace and Ford Sterling.

On IMDb: "Mabel's Adventures"

"M"

The door is opening as a man is dragging a squealing kid out of the auditorium of an unidentified theatre in Joseph Losey's "M" (Columbia, 1951). The film stars David Wayne, Howard Da Silva and Martin Gabel.

A killer of children is on the loose and other patrons think this is the guy so they beat him up a little. Note the posters in the cases for "The Red Shoes." Recognize that terrazzo pattern?

They apologize after learning that the girl is the man's daughter. 

Later we spend a bit of time on the Promenade at Ocean Park where the killer likes buying candy and balloons for kids he meets. Here we get the signage for the Dome Theatre in the background. See the page about the Dome Theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres site for a history of the theatre as well as many photos.

The blind balloon seller has put a chalk "M" on the guy's back after he recognizes a tune the killer plays on the flute. He alerts another worker, who gives chase. The marquee we see here isn't the Dome but a space that at various times was the Casino Gardens Ballroom and the Fun Palace.

We get a look at a number of other L.A. locations including many shots on Bunker Hill, in the 3rd St. Tunnel, and a fine sequence inside the Bradbury Building.

On IMDb: "M"

"For Heaven's Sake"

Clifton Webb and Gigi Perreau go to the movies at an unidentified theatre in "For Heaven's Sake" (20th Century Fox, 1950). He's an angel who wants to learn some western mannerisms so he can pose as a big time investor when he materializes into the life of Bob Cummings and Joan Bennett. His real mission is to convince them to patch up their differences and have a kid. Gigi is an astral being of some sort who will turn into the kid.

George Seaton directed. Cummings is a producer, Bennett is his always bankable star who wants a break. Joan Blondell is around as the writer of a new play. Edmund Gwenn is a second angel on the case. 

Panning down for a boxoffice view.

Webb and Perreau go right in -- they're invisible to all but us. 

Walking by the doorman.

A lobby view. 

Looking at a Gary Cooper poster for inspiration. No, we don't see them watching the movie. From this we cut to a shot at a racetrack where Webb, looking like a rich Texan, meets Bennett and Cummings. And he seems to know what horses to pick. 

On IMDb: "For Heaven's Sake"

"An Actor Prepares"

We start "An Actor Prepares" (Gravitas Ventures, 2018) at the Shrine Auditorium, 665 W. Jefferson Blvd. It's a tribute to actor Atticus Smith, played by Jeremy Irons. His character has a heart attack at the tribute and, unable to fly, the film becomes a road trip east to go to his daughter's wedding. Steve Clark directed the film which also features Jack Huston, Mamie Gummer, Megalyn Echikunwoke, Ben Schwartz, Jeremy Irons, Matthew Modine, and Will Patton.

See the pages about the Shrine Auditorium on the Los Angeles Theatres site for a history of the 1926 vintage building along with several hundred photos.

A look onstage, not shot at the Shrine. Most of the movie was shot in Georgia.

A lobby view shot at an unknown location.

Another lobby shot at the unidentified theatre.

On IMDb: "An Actor Prepares"