"Farewell, My Lovely"

The credit sequence of "Farewell, My Lovely" (Avco Embassy, 1975) features stylized footage of Hollywood landmarks. Here, just before the title appears, we're at the Earl Carroll Theatre, 6230 Sunset Blvd., just east of Vine St. The neon sculpture is of Beryl Wallace, Earl's girlfriend and a star of his shows. Thanks to Wayne King for noting the film's use of this footage. See the pages about the Earl Carroll Theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres site. 

The film is an adaption of Raymond Chandler's 1940 novel.  Moose Malloy, just out of prison, is looking for his former girlfriend Velma Valento, who for several reasons doesn't want to be located. Jack O'Halloran is Moose. Robert Mitchum plays private eye Philip Marlow. Also involved are John Ireland, Charlotte Rampling, Sylvia Miles, Harry Dean Stanton, Anthony Zerbe, Sylvester Stallone and Kate Murtagh. Dick Richards directed. The cinematography was by the king of noir, John A. Alonzo.   

The book had an earlier adaptation as "Murder, My Sweet" (1944) starring Dick Powell, Claire Trevor, Anne Shirley, Otto Kruger and Mike Mazurki. 

 

On the left it's the vertical of the Iris Theatre, 6523 Hollywood Blvd. It had opened in 1918 and in 1968, after a remodel by National General, emerged as the Fox Theatre. See the page about the Iris/Fox on the Los Angeles Theatres site.  

 

Looking east from Highland with the Hollywood Theatre on the right. Down the street it's the vertical sign for the Egyptian Theatre at 6712 Hollywood Blvd. and, a bit left of center, one of the radio towers atop the Warner Hollywood at 6433 Hollywood Blvd.   

See the pages about the Hollywood Theatre, the Egyptian Theatre and the Warner/Hollywood Pacific on the Los Angeles Theatres site for a history of the buildings along with many photos both recent and vintage. 

 

A view west with Hollywood appearing to be on fire. On the right it's one of the Warner Theatre's roof towers and a look down to the vertical and the marquee. The Iris/Fox is part of all that brightness on the other side of the street.  

 

Just for variety, we then get a c.1940 clip shot on Main St. The cafe on the left at 527 S. Main was in the Green Hotel building, also housing the Star Theatre at 529. In the center it's a pawn shop at 525. The Gayety, at 523, is on the right. See the Los Angeles Theatres page about the Gayety Theatre. It opened in 1905 as the Novelty. 

On IMDb: "Farewell, My Lovely"

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"The Haunting of Hollywood"

We get a scene in front of the boarded-ip Hollywood Pacific triplex in "The Haunting of Hollywood" (Venus Light Entertainment, 2024). See the pages about the theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres site for a history of the building, opened in 1928 as the Warner Theatre, as well as hundreds of photos old and new. 

 

Lilia Doytchinova wrote and directed this story set in the present day and loosely based on the life of Lilian 'Peg' Entwhistle, the unhappy starlet who died in 1932 by jumping off the Hollywoodland sign. Our leading man is an aspiring director who was her son. The film features William Mann, Stephanie Infante, Tiffany Downey, David Lami Friebe and Joseph Lopez. The cinematography was by Lucas D. Miller. 

 

 Among other Hollywood views, we get the obligatory drive-by of the Chinese. 

See the pages about Grauman's Chinese on the Los Angeles theatres website for more information about this 1927 vintage theatre. 

On IMDb: "The Haunting of Hollywood" 

"Vice Squad"

"On the street the real trick is staying alive." Season Hubley is a single mom working as a prostitute who reluctantly becomes a police informant in "Vice Squad" (Avco Embassy, 1982). On the right it's the Vogue Theatre, 6675 Hollywood Blvd. That's Las Palmas Ave. beyond.

The film also features Gary Swanson, Wings Hauser, Pepe Serna, Beverly Todd, Nina Blackwood and Sudana Bobatoon. Gary Sherman directed. The cinematography was by John Alcott. 

A view east across Las Palmas with Musso and Frank at the far right. The Vogue, now used as a church, was a 1935 design by S. Charles Lee.

Looking for action near the Cinema Theatre, 1122 N. Western Ave. It's a bit north of Santa Monica Blvd. The building survives but it's been churched. 

 

 

 

A bit of the Tiffany Theatre is seen in this late night view. It was at 8532 Sunset Blvd., west of La Cienega. It's been demolished. 

 

 

 

Back on Hollywood Blvd. This shot looks across toward the Pussycat Theatre, 6656 Hollywood Blvd., on the south side of the street between Cherokee and Las Palmas. It opened in 1940 as a newsreel house called the News-View. Later it was the New-View and, after its Pussycat era, was a revival house called the Ritz. 

 

 

 

Down the street across from the Fox Theatre, 6523 Hollywood Blvd. This over-exposed view made it into the trailer but not the finished film. At the time of the shoot they were running "The Fan" with Lauren Bacall and James Garner. 

 

A look west toward the Hollywood Pacific, the theatre that debuted in 1928 as the Warner Hollywood. 

 

Closer to Cahuenga for another Hollywood Pacific shot. 

 

A view east from El Centro toward the Pix, 6126 Hollywood Blvd. It opened in 1926 as a legit house called the Music Box and has also been called the Fox, Guild and Henry Fonda. It's now a music venue called the Fonda Theatre. They were running John Carpenter's "Escape From New York," a June 1981 release.

For more information about the theatres that are seen in the film see the Los Angeles Theatres pages about the Vogue, Cinema Theatre, Tiffany, New-View/Pussycat, Fox, Warner/Hollywood Pacific and the Music Box/Pix. 

On IMDb: "Vice Squad"   

Thanks to Ray Ottulich for the nudge about the Hollywood Blvd. footage in this film. He included a shot of the Vogue in his post about the film for The World of Noir Facebook group.  Elizabeth Pearce notes that the full film can be seen on a Russian website: https://ok.ru/video/1246674291455

"Once in a Lifetime"

For a Universal film we certainly hear lots about Vitaphone in "Once in a Lifetime" (1932). At the beginning we get a couple shots of the Warner Hollywood standing in for the theatre in New York that ran "The Jazz Singer." 

 

 A closer look at the boxoffice. Sorry about the quality here. These shots were taken from a very murky version of the film that's on YouTube. That readerboard below the marquee noted that a Larry Ceballos revue was also on the program. 

See the pages on the Los Angeles Theatres site about the Warner Hollywood. It opened in 1928, got renamed the Hollywood Pacific in 1968 and triplexed in 1978. It's been boarded up since 2012. 

The film is based on the 1930 Broadway hit by Moss Hart and George S. Kauffman that satirized Hollywood in the period during its transition to talkies. Aline MacMahon, Jack Oakie and Russell Hopton are vaudevillians going broke who decide to head west to teach elocution to silent movie stars. Also featured are Sidney Fox, Louise Fazenda, Gregory Ratoff, Zasu Pitts, Gregory Gaye and Onslow Stevens. Russell Mack directed. The cinematography was by George Robinson.   

Ratoff as studio head Herman Gloguaer: "What did they have to go and make pictures talk for? Things were going along fine. You couldn't stop making money - even if you turned out a good picture you made money."

On IMDb: "Once in a Lifetime" 

 

 

 

Jack Oakie, Sidney Fox, Gregory Ratoff, Aline MacMahon and Russell Hopton at the studio. It's a still that appears on IMDb. 

 

 

"It's Colossal!" A lobby card for the film.

"Model Shop"

Anouk Aimée drives past the Coronet Theatre in Jacques Demy's "Model Shop" (Columbia Pictures, 1969). She's being followed by Gary Lockwood as she goes north on La Cienega. 

 

Anouk Aimée died in Paris in 2024 at age 92. The film also features Alexandra Hay, Carol Cole, Tom Holland, Severn Darden and Neil Elliot. The cinematography was by Michel Hugo. 

 

A block north of the theatre, located at 366 N. La Cienega Blvd. See the page about the Coronet Theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres site. It opened in 1947 and was designated a City of Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in 2023.

Thanks to Alison Martino for sharing a 3 minute clip of this scene on her Vintage Los Angeles Facebook page. She comments:

"This movie shows Los Angeles in such an intriguing way. Gary Lockwood follows Anouk in his classic MG up La Cienega in 1969 L.A. He plays an unemployed, broke architect who becomes obsessed with an enigmatic French woman named Lola, who works as a model where customers take erotic photos.

"This flick has had a lot of influence on pop culture. It can be seen in an episode of 'Mad Men' (season 7, episode 3) and surely inspired Tarantino for 'Once Upon a Time In Hollywood.' Especially the driving scenes. 

"Anouk Aimee was a captivating screen presence who could hold your attention just by being still. Whether her work with Fellini or this underrated film, Aimee’s dignified poise will be missed. And for you L.A. historians, I’m sure you’ll notice they’re driving north up La Cienega passing a working oil well (where Kiddieland was), Tail ‘o the Pup, and The Islander before approaching Sunset Strip."

 

We get a view of the Tiffany Theatre in the center of the frame as Anouk and Gary turn onto the Strip. Dino's is this side of the theatre. Note the Playboy logo on the 9000 Building.    

Check out the Los Angeles Theatres page about the Tiffany Theatre for more information about this film house at 8535 Sunset Blvd. It opened in 1966.  

 

On one of several drives around Hollywood we get this shot looking north on Wilcox with a view of one of the towers atop the Warner/Hollywood Pacific, 6433 Hollywood Blvd. 

See the pages on the Los Angeles Theatres site about the Warner Hollywood for a history of the theatre, opened in 1928. 

 

Gary is driving around town looking for money so the finance company doesn't repossess his car. Here he's on Melrose stopping in to see a friend who works at an alternative weekly. In the next block it's the Melrose Theatre, at this point still with its roof sign. 

 

See the page about the Melrose Theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres site. It opened in 1924 as Jensen's Melrose and is now the Ukranian Culture Center, 4315 Melrose Ave. 

On IMDb: "Model Shop"

"Detour"

Ann Savage and Tom Neal head east on Hollywood Blvd. in search of a car dealer in Edgar G. Ulmer's "Detour" (Producers Releasing Corporation, 1945). Thanks to Dave Hunter for spotting the various theatres seen in this sequence. 

In this process shot they're passing the Iris Theatre, 6508 Hollywood Blvd. In the footage they used, dating from 1938, the theatre was running "The Buccaneer" with Fredric March, Franciska Gaal and Akim Tamiroff.  The Iris was renamed the Fox in 1968. Over on the right it's a bit of the marquee of the Colony Theatre, 6523 Hollywood Blvd. That house ended up being called the Holly.  

Tom plays a piano player hitching west to see his girlfriend. Along the way he acquires a car and a new identity. His troubles really start when he offers Ann's character a ride. The film also features Claudia Drake and Edmund MacDonald. Martin Goldsmith and Martin Mooney were the writers. The cinematography was by Benjamin H. Kline.  

See the pages about the Iris / Fox and the Colony / Holly on the Los Angeles Theatres site for more information and many, many photos.

 

Next a bit of the curved marquee of the Warner Hollywood comes into view on the right. It's at 6433 Hollywood Blvd.   

 

A moment later we see the Warner's banner for the April 1938 release "The Adventures of Marco Polo" starring Gary Cooper.

See the pages on the Los Angeles Theatres site about the Warner Hollywood for a history of the theatre, opened in 1928.  

 

They find a used car dealer but decide to not sell the car and head back west. She's got a new plan for him and he's even unhappier. In the background, above the mirror, we get a bit of the vertical of the Pantages Theatre at 6233 Hollywood Blvd. 

See the pages about the Pantages Theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres website for a history of this 1930 vintage showplace along with hundreds of photos.

On IMDb: "Detour"

"Cinerama Adventure"

The history of the Cinerama process gets a lively exploration in David Strohmaier's "Cinerama Adventure" (C.A. Productions, 2002). The film features clips from various productions as well as vintage footage of Lowell Thomas, Merian C. Cooper, Fred Waller, Michael Todd and others. There's rare behind the scenes production footage as well as views of many theatres. 

We also get more recent interviews with film historians, executives involved with the company, and descendants of many of the participants. Included are Rudy Behlmer, Leonard Maltin, Kevin Brownlow, A.C. Lyles, Michael Todd Jr., Greg Kimble, David Raksin, Arthur Manson, Saul Cooper and many more.

Here the film uses an L.A. Times photo to show "This is Cinerama" at the Warner, 6433 Hollywood Blvd. It opened with an invitational preview on April 29, 1953 and went on to have a 133 week run. 

 

  48th week at the Warner Hollywood in 1954. 

 

The premiere of "How The West Was Won" on February 20, 1963. It ran 93 weeks and was the last of the films in the three-strip process.

 

Another premiere view from footage included in "Cinerama Adventure."

See the pages on the Los Angeles Theatres site about the Warner Hollywood for a history of the theatre, opened in 1928.  

 

A shot from a film clip of the hoist used to deal with the big reels.  

 

Playing with a louvered Cinerama screen. 

 

A screen detail. 

 

Checking out the lenses in a booth somewhere for first film in the 70mm version of Cinerama, "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World." That's Stanley Kramer, the film's director, on the right. 

 

Cinerama Dome construction underway with a model of the theatre and the never-built office building/hotel in the foreground. 

 

A pan up from the previous shot revealing the construction progress. The theatre opened November 7, 1963 with "Mad World."  Visit the Cinerama Dome pages on the Los Angeles Theatres site for a history of the building and way too many photos.

On IMDb: "Cinerama Adventure"   

The film is on disc 3 of the various three-disc editions of "How the West Was Won" that was issued in 2008.

"Live a Little, Love a Little"

Elvis is late for work at his job as a photographer at the Hollywood Citizen-News in Norman Taurog's "Live a Little, Love a Little" (MGM, 1968). Up the street on Hollywood Blvd. we get a view of the towers atop the Warner Hollywood, 6433 Hollywood Blvd.

The film also features Michele Carey, Don Porter, Rudy Vallee, Dick Sargent, Sterling Holloway and Celeste Yarnall. The cinematography was by Fred J. Koenekamp.

See the pages on the Los Angeles Theatres site about the Warner Hollywood for a history of the theatre, opened in 1928. By the time of the Spring 1968 shoot for this film it had been renamed the Hollywood Pacific. Elvis loses his job but we get a fine tour of the press room and a fistfight as well.

The Hollywood Citizen-News building on the left has been rebuilt as restaurant, Mother Wolf. The hotel building beyond is now called Mama Shelter. Thanks to Adam Taylor for calling attention to the appearance of this Wilcox Ave. shot in a post on the Facebook group Lost Angeles.

 

Elvis later heads up to the Music Center for another photo assignment. That's the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in the background.

 

An obnoxious assistant to the photo subjects insists that the light is no longer good. Elvis gives him a reflector to hold. 

 

 It's the old "back up a little more" gag with the guy being ending up in the pool in front of the Mark Taper Forum. 

See the pages about the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and the Mark Taper Forum on the Los Angeles Theatres site for more about these theatres.

On IMDb: "Live a Little, Love a Little"

"Blonde"

The Hollywood Hills on fire! We get this fine mid-1930s shot looking north on Wilcox toward the Warner Theatre in "Blonde" (Fireworks/Robert Greenwald, 2001). The blue neon is lit on the tower but in this shot the signage says "Pacific," a name change that didn't occur until 1968.  Of course, when Marilyn was a kid the towers would have said "KFWB."

 

See the pages on the Los Angeles Theatres site about the Warner Hollywood for a history of this theatre, opened in 1928.  The Hollywood Citizen-News building on the left has been rebuilt as restaurant, Mother Wolf. The hotel building beyond is now called Mama Shelter. 

 

A closer look. In the car that this policeman is turning around are the young Norma Jean Baker, played by Skye McCole Bartusiak, and her mother Gladys Baker, played by Patricia Richardson. 

Brian Michael McCray comments: 

"I was there the night they shot that. The street looked frickin' amazing with all the old cars on it. It was like stepping into one of my old painted postcards."

Estefan Bravo adds:

 

"We went down too.... my Mother was annoyed at the Pacific sign."

The film is based on a novel by Joyce Carol Oates. Andrew Dominik also used the novel as his source material for his 2022 film for Netflix, again titled "Blonde." See the Theatres in Movies post about that version.

In this 2001 version Poppy Montgomery stars as the adult Marilyn. Also featured are Ann-Margret, Patrick Dempsey, Wallace Shawn, Griffin Dunne, Titus Welliver, Eric Bogosian, Kirstie Alley and Richard Roxburgh. Joyce Chopra directed. The cinematography was by James Glennon. The film had its initial run on CBS in May 2001. 

Most of the film was shot in Australia and the footage includes some nice theatre scenes. When Poppy and Wallace Shawn (as her agent) attend a screening of the 1950 film "The Asphalt Jungle" we get shots in a lobby that looks remarkably like the one at the United Artists in downtown L.A. 

Later we have shots of a theatre entrance when Poppy arrived at the premiere of the 1953 film "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes." But no Jane Russell character in sight. There's also a scene inside an Australian theatre for the shooting of "The Prince and the Showgirl" in 1957.

On IMDb: "Blonde"

A look up Wilcox toward Hollywood Blvd. in 2022. Photo: Google Maps. 

"Splice Here: A Projected Odyssey"

Australian director Rob Murphy tracks the decline of projection on film and interviews projectionists, archivists and historians who are helping keep the tradition alive in "Splice Here: A Projected Odyssey" (Picture Start, 2022).

Local interviewees of note include Quentin Tarantino, Leonard Maltin, Douglas Trumbull, Cinerama restorer Dave Strohmaier, former Cinematheque programmer Dennis Bartok and projectionists Paul Rayton, Mike Schleiger and Ben Tucker. The cinematography was by Joanne Donahoe-Beckwith. 

Among many other stops, the film visits Grauman's Chinese and the Warner Hollywood. We see a bit of the entrance and booth at the Egyptian and Rob explores the equipment by flashlight at the Cinerama Dome.

On IMDb: "Splice Here: A Projected Odyssey" 

 

Director Rob Murphy with a toppled Century projector and LP Associates lamphouse.

"Marlowe"

Liam Neeson plays Raymond Chandler's detective in "Marlowe" (Briarcliff Entertainment, 2023). His office is in Hollywood  and we get this CGI shot during the opening credits. The film, set in 1939, was shot in Ireland and Spain. Those towers would have said "KFWB" during the period of the film. Neil Jordan directed and was a co-writer. The film also stars Diane Kruger and Jessica Lange. The cinematography was by Xavi Giménez. Production design was by John Beard. 

 

A look toward the theatre from inside Liam's office a moment later. 

See the pages about the Warner Hollywood on the Los Angeles Theatres site for a history of the building along with hundreds of photos.   

On IMDb: "Marlowe"