"The Stars Are Singing"

Lauritz Melchoir stops by New York's "Cosmopolitan Opera House" in "The Stars Are Singing" (Paramount, 1953). He plays an ex-opera star looking for a favor but fears the general manager of the company won't see him -- at their last encounter he broke some furniture. Here he's checking out a limo in front to see if it's the manager's.

 

The stage doorman recognizes him and, although has doubts, brings Lauritz in and asks him to wait downstage left while he inquires. This shot is a studio set.    

 

 He looks out at the house. For this shot they used an image of Philharmonic Auditorium, 5th and Olive. 

 

He looks toward house left and has a vision of one of his triumphs in the house, singing an aria from "Pagliacci." For this we're definitely NOT at the Philharmonic.  

 

 

Taking a bow at the end of his daydream. The doorman comes back with the news that the manager will not see him.  

He was looking for help with the authorities about his niece, a young Polish girl played by Anna Maria Alberghetti who stowed away on a ship and jumped into the harbor before the ship docked. She does get help by new friends Rosemary Clooney, Bob Williams and Tommy Morton. Also involved are Fred Clark, Don Wilson, Lloyd Corrigan and Mikhail Rasumny. And Ike. Norman Taurog directed. Lionel Lindon did the Technicolor cinematography. 

See the page about the Philharmonic Auditorium on the Los Angeles Theatres site.  

On IMDb: "The Stars Are Singing"     The full film is on YouTube. 

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"Spider-Man 2"

Tobey Maguire grabs a ticket to "Importance of Being Earnest" from his mirror in "Spider-Man 2" (Columbia Pictures, 2004). The ticket says we're going to the Lyric Theatre and helpfully adds that it's "Off Broadway." 

 

 

At the Lyric, a backlot creation.

 

 

Posters at the Lyric for one of the stars of "Earnest," Tobey's prospective girlfriend Kirsten Dunst.  

 

 

He really intends to go to the show but there's an emergency elsewhere in Manhattan. A car is hurtling through the air. We're on Hill St. looking west on 7th. Note the "Diamonds" vertical, a sign that once said "Warners." On the right it's the marquee, at a time when some of its neon still worked. 

 

 

A moment later the car is suddenly suspended. Spider-Man at work. 

 

Don't miss the pages about the Warner Downtown on the Los Angeles Theatres site. It opened as the Pantages in 1920 and was called the Warrens when its life ended as a movie house in the 1970s.   

 

 

Meanwhile, Kirsten's show goes on, without Tobey in the house. He tries to come late but an usher won't let him in. Thanks to former Ivar Theatre manager David Carlton for noting that we're looking at a false proscenium built at the Ivar. Visit his site: IvarTheatreHistory.com. That horizontal stripe in the upper right of this shot is the only bit of real Ivar decor that we see. 

 

 

A closer shot of the stage.  

 

 

A look off left at the Ivar.  

See the Los Angeles Theatres page about the Ivar Theatre for more about the building. It's a small legit house, now used by the L.A. Film School, that opened in 1951. It's located at 1605 Ivar Ave., between Hollywood Blvd. and Selma.   

Sam Raimi directed. The film also features Alfred Molina, James Franco, Rosemary Harris, J.K. Simmons, Donna Murphy, Daniel Gillies and Bill Nunn. The cinematography was by Bill Pope.   

On IMDb: "Spider-Man 2"  

We do get theatre scenes again in "Spider-Man 3" (2007) but Kirsten is on Broadway. Very briefly. They use the Orpheum. See the Theatres in Movies post. 

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"The Sting II"

We go to a backlot theatre exterior in "The Sting II" (Universal, 1983). We're told "The theatre business is bad. This one is running fights." The caper this time involves Jackie Gleason fixing a boxing match to get even for a murder and being the victim in a previous con.  

The cast also includes Terri Garr, Mac Davis, Karl Malden, Oliver Reed, Harry James, Ron Rifkin and Monica Lewis. Jeremy Kagan directed. The cinematography was by Bill Butler.  

 

When we go through the front doors we're in the Variety Arts Theatre, 940 S. Figueroa St.  

 

The inner lobby. At the time Milt Larsen was operating the building with various areas as a theatre, cabaret space, vaudeville museum, nightclub and bar.  

 

In the auditorium, where there's a boxing ring set up. We're looking back toward the lobby. 

 

 

Another main floor shot, this time with a view toward the stage.  

 

 

Looking down from the balcony.  

 

A look across to house right.   

 

 

The fix is in. Observing the action.  

 

 

Conferring with Oliver Reed.  

See the pages about the Variety Arts Theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres site. The main auditorium in the 1924 vintage building opened as a legit theatre called The Playhouse. 

On IMDb: "The Sting II" 

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"Return From Witch Mountain"

A view north on Grand toward the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion from "Return from Witch Mountain" (Disney, 1978). 

 

There are lots of scenes of the leveled-but-not-rebuilt Bunker Hill area. Here it's a view of the back of the Million Dollar Theatre's building when Kim Richards and her new friends head out in search of her kidnapped brother, played by Ike Eisenmann. 

See the pages about the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and the Million Dollar Theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres site.  

 

Adults in the film include Bette Davis, Christopher Lee, and Jack Soo. John Hough directed. The cinematography was by Frank V. Phillips. It's a sappy kid's movie but, as Lisa Kouza Braddock notes, worth seeing for its location shots of the Rose Bowl, Wolf Lair and various industrial and warehouse sites.    

 

Some of the cleared blocks for what would become L.A. Live and the Convention Center. 

On IMDb: "Return From Witch Mountain"  

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"Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen"

We go to the Galway Theatre on Main St. in Clive Donner's "Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen" (American Cinema Releasing, 1981). It's set in San Francisco and for their Chinatown they used some backlot stuff -- and a bit of Main St. Paul Lohmann was the cinematographer.

 

Peter Ustinov plays Charlie, in town because his bumbling grandson Richard Hatch is getting married to Michelle Pfeiffer. Here on this trip to Chinatown Brian Keith as the San Francisco police chief is also along. There have been a string of very strange murders that Charlie may help solve. Also in the cast are Lee Grant as the kid's maternal grandmother, Roddy McDowall as Lee's wheelchair-bound butler, Rachel Roberts as a demented maid, Paul Ryan as the police chief's assistant, and Angie Dickinson as the queen of the title. 

 

 

 

Meeting up with some of Charlie's acquaintances in front of the Galway. It was at 514 S. Main, occupying a storefront in the Leonide Hotel building, a structure that dates from 1905.

 

 

 One of the locals saying hi to Charlie.

 

 

A later view of the Galway signage when Richard and Michelle drive by in a cab. 

 

 

A view from the cab. Maybe it's a white suit contest. 

 

See the page about the Galway Theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres site for a history of the venue and more photos. The building survives but the Galway space has been remodeled. 

 

 

They're headed to the Eltinge Theatre, a backlot creation. The theatre was running old Charle Chan films.

 

 

  

Climbing a fire escape on an unknown building with the goal to get into a scene dock on top of the stage. Michelle was in her wedding dress. They were getting married later in the day but Richard got an urgent communication about the necessity of getting to the Eltinge.  

 

 

 

Michelle wants to keep going up to the roof but Richard suggests trying a door. 

 

 

  

Inside the "Eltinge" they find themselves in a dark fan room. It's an unidentified location but could have been shot in the basement at the Variety Arts Theatre. 

 

 

Once in the scene dock they get chloroformed and tied up by the Dragon Queen. Shot on a soundstage. 

 

 

 Another shot of the theatre facade as Peter and others come to the rescue. 

 

 

Peter, as Charlie Chan, enters the scene dock set.  

 

 

Roddy McDowall arrives after motoring there in his wheelchair. Discouraged by the fire escape, he buys a ticket and enters through the front door.  

 

 

Peter Ustinov, Richard Hatch, Michelle Pfeiffer, Rachel Roberts, Paul Ryan and Lee Grant have a conversation about the mysterious killings.

 

 

  

Lee runs away from the group and slides down a ramp to the stage. Is she the murderer? Peter follows.  

 

 

Roddy arrives. How he got up to the scene dock isn't explained. But now it's time to roll down the ramp. 

 

 

In the auditorium with a Charlie Chan movie on the screen. Now we're back at a real location: The Variety Arts Theatre, 940 S. Figueroa St.  

 

 

 

Looking to stage left. Lee Grant runs across the stage.  

 

 

A view from the stage right flyfloor.  

 

 

  

On the ropes.  

 

 

Downstage right.  

 

 

She's in front of the screen as the Charlie Chan in the movie points a finger and says "You're the murderer!"  

 

 

The audience applauds. Lee runs up the aisle.  

 

 

Running across the Variety Arts lobby.  

See the pages about the Variety Arts on the Los Angeles Theatres site for photos and historical information about the building.   

 On IMDb: "Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen" 

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