"Wilson"

Woodrow Wilson, played by Alexander Knox, is at a political rally during his campaign for Governor of New Jersey in Henry King's film "Wilson" (20th Century Fox, 1944). The theatre they used was the Biltmore at 5th and Grand. Thanks to theatre historian Kurt Wahlner for identifying the theatre in the film and capturing this grand panorama that opens our visit to the theatre. Click on it for a better view.

The film stars Geraldine Fitzgerald, Thomas Mitchell, Ruth Nelson, Mary Anderson, Ruth Ford, Madeleine Forbes, Charles Coburn, Vincent Price, Eddie Foy Jr. and Cedric Hardwicke. The cinematography was by Leon Shamroy and an uncredited Ernest Palmer. 

 

Thanks to Kurt for all the screenshots appearing on this page. He comments: 

 

"The picture never fails to trot out a brass band, and this is no exception - placing the band in the stage boxes house right, with the pit filled with supporters. The scene is fairly lengthy. There is a sweep of the orchestra floor, lots of footage of Wilson speaking from the stage, Thomas Mitchell heckling him from the balcony. I did enjoy it - even though TONS of stuff was glossed over and there were more than a few outright falsehoods, but on the whole, I can see that being hectored with Wilson’s message had audiences going, 'We’re workin’ on it, we’re working on it!' in the closing year of WWII.

"But Wilson’s story IS inspirational and terribly sad, because, at the end, it makes you wonder what a man’s life is for - what does it amount to? Reading about Wilson recalls the 'nattering nabobs' and the film, I think, captured that, without sending everyone out on a total buzz-kill. I was wondering how far they would go with his story - he leaves the White House; end. Not a bad place to end it, but it skips the fact that, as a bed-ridden paralytic, he wanted to run for a third term in 1920. He got clobbered, got progressively worse and died in 1924. Not a good ending!

"I very much doubt that WILSON will ever be fixed up by our chums at Fox. I very much doubt that another Technicolor thing with a similar time frame, 'Life With Father,' will ever improve from its current video edition - and it was a whopping hit. But it was sort of cringe-worthy when I finally saw it a couple years ago."

 

 

Enthusiasm among the delegates at the back of the main floor.  

 

Getting a look at the side boxes as the camera pans toward the stage. 

 

 

Alexander Knox onstage as Wilson. 

 

 

A look at the action on house left side of the main floor.  

A better look at the band in the house right boxes. 

 

 

 

A collage of the pan from the band up to the 2nd balcony, encompassing the last shot and the next two.  Kurt comments: "Some of the film has decidedly odd uses of colored gels to heighten mood."

 

Panning up the house right wall. 

 

 

The crowd in the 2nd balcony. 

 

 

William Eythe as "Princeton Man" George Felton leading cheers in the 1st balcony  

 

 

A 1st balcony view to the stage. 

 

 

Thomas Mitchell as Joseph Patrick Tumulty. 

Another view of Mitchell. He's asking if Wilson, in his mission to root out corruption, will go after party bosses such as the ones sitting in the house left boxes. 

 

 

Alexander Knox, as Wilson, addresses the party bosses in the boxes.  

 

 

Directing his remarks to Mitchell in the balcony. 

 

Thurston Hall, as Senator Edward Jones, addresses the crowd. 

 

 

Time to strike up the band. 

 

They're not worried. It's all just talk. James Rennie as boss Jim Beeker, Thurston Hall as Senator Edward Jones, unknown, and J.M. Kerrigan as Ed Sullivan

 

The theatre, adjacent to the Biltmore Hotel, opened in 1924. See the Biltmore Theatre page on the Los Angeles Theatres site for photos and data. 

 

 

For the scenes at the 1912 Democratic convention we're at the Shrine Auditorium's Expo Hall. Kurt comments: "The scenes at the conventions are hair-raising in their logistical scope." The Hall is a flat-floored space with a wrap-around balcony that's on the north side of the Shrine Auditorium. Here we're looking in from the 32nd St. entrance. The Auditorium portion of the complex is behind the far wall.

 

 

A look toward the east wall. 

 

 

 

Another view toward the dais and the south wall of the hall. 

 

 

An unidentified politician. There are many speeches.

 

 

 

Paul Everton as Judge John W. Westcott placing Wilson's name in nomination.  

 

 

Cy Kendall as New York Delegation leader Charles F. Murphy pledging to champion Clark.

 

 

 

An unknown actress as Lady Liberty. 

 

Lady Liberty's profile shot. 

 

George Macready as Wilson's Convention Manager William McCombs telling Wilson he thinks the nomination has been lost. The reply is that he'll be hanging in there until the end and his delegates shouldn't be released. 

 

Edwin Maxwell as William Jennings Bryan announcing Nebraska's delegates will back Wilson. 

 

 

Another cue for the band: Wilson will be the 1912 Democratic Party nominee!

"Wilson" returns to the Expo Hall for the 1916 Democratic convention but it's just a brief moment of coverage compared to the circus we see for 1912.

See the main page about the Shrine Auditorium on the Los Angeles Theatres site for a list of many other films where the building appears. There's also a separate page for the Expo Hall. 

Thanks to Kurt Wahlner for the screenshots as well as the work identifying the actors in various shots. Visit his terrific site about the Chinese Theatre: GraumansChinese.org

On IMDb: "Wilson"

 

Alexander Knox onstage at the Biltmore in "Wilson." It's a promotional still that appears on IMDb.

"The Falcon's Alibi"

We get a look at the Olympic Theatre, on 8th just west of Broadway, when we go "uptown" in "The Falcon's Alibi" (RKO, 1946). The treat in this film is getting to see Jane Greer do two numbers as a nightclub songstress. But her ending isn't a happy one after she's discovered two-timing her boyfriend Elisha Cook, Jr.

This film, one of sixteen in the Falcon series, stars Tom Conway as an amateur detective trying to solve a society jewelry robbery and multiple murders. Also featured are Paula Corday, Vince Barnett, Emory Parnell, Esther Howard, Jean Brooks and Jason Robards Sr. Ray McCarey directed. The cinematography was by Frank Redman. Thanks to anonymous tipster about the Olympic's appearance in the film. There's a similar shot in the 1945 Columbia film "Boston Blackie's Rendezvous."

 

 

 Another look at the Olympic. This time we're looking west from Hill St.

See the pages about the Olympic Theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres site for a history of the building along with many photos.   

 

 

In this murky view north on Hill St. it's the Warner Downtown on the left, at the corner of 7th.

See the pages about the Warner Downtown on the Los Angeles Theatres site for a history of the building as well as several hundred photos. The theatre, now used for selling jewelry, opened as the Pantages in 1920. 

On IMDb: "The Falcon's Alibi" 

A comment on the site notes that one of the songs in this film advertises the "new picture 'The Bamboo Blonde,'" also from RKO. It featured Jane Greer and Jean Brooks and was released three months after "The Falcon's Alibi."  

A poster for the film appearing on IMDb.

"I'm Gonna Git You Sucka"

 

Keenan Ivory Wayans goes to the Black Revolutionary Headquarters when he's looking for help taking back the neighborhood in the blaxploitation spoof "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka" (United Artists, 1988). 

 

We're looking at a storefront just east of the entrance to the Ebony Showcase Theatre, 4720 W. Washington Blvd. The building was identified by Kurt Crucial in his fine twenty minute "80s Life" piece on YouTube about the film's locations. Thanks to Sean Ault for locating it.  

 

The film also features Bernie Casey, Isaac Hayes, Jim Brown, Antonio Fargas, Dawnn Lewis, Ja'net Dubois, Damon Wayans and Clu Galagher. Keenan Ivory Wayans directed. The cinematography was by Tom Richmond. 

 

The plan of action is targeting the businesses owned by Mr. Big, the local crime lord played by John Vernon. Here one of the guys is throwing a bomb into the entrance of the Belasco Theatre, 1050 S. Hill St. The curse of the neighborhood is too many gold chains so Mr. Big's Chains 'R' Us and Jewelry Salon stores are targets.

 

 

A bomb into another storefront. Note all the chains in the window.

 

A wider view as the guys drive away. The theatre entrance is on the left, with milk glass letters saying "1050 South Hill." On the right it's the entrance to the second floor ballroom. 

 

 

The blast at the Chains 'R' Us store in the Belasco building. 

 

A moment later.  

 

 

As the guys drive away we get a look north toward the marquee of the Mayan Theatre, 1038 S. Hill.

Thanks to Sean Ault for spotting the Hill St. action in the film. See the pages about the Belasco and Mayan theatres on the Los Angeles Theatres site for historic data and many photos of each building. 

On IMDb: "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka"

"Cage of Evil"

Ronald Foster and Patricia Blair take a drive east on 7th St. and we see the Warner Downtown at 7th and Hill in a process shot in "Cage of Evil" (United Artists, 1960). 

It's a tale of a detective trying to solve a jewel robbery. He falls for both the thief's girlfriend and the stolen diamonds. The film, directed by Edward L. Cahn, also features Harp McGuire, John Maxwell, Robert Shayne and Helen Kleeb. The cinematography was by Maury Gertsman. 

 

 

A moment later. Thanks to Eitan Alexander for spotting the theatre in the film and getting the screenshots. He comments that in the background film the Warner was running Hitchcock's "I Confess," a February 1953 release starring Montgomery Clift and Anne Baxter.

Eitan notes that the full film can be seen on YouTube and adds: "The Warner scene starts at about 14:30. Can't say that I'd recommend watching the whole thing though." 

 

 

As they cross Broadway we get signage on the left for the jewelry store in the Loew's State building. The Warner's vertical is in the distance and a bit of the vertical on the Bullock's store at 7th and Broadway is on the right. 

See the pages about the Warner Downtown on the Los Angeles Theatres site for a history of the building as well as several hundred photos. The theatre, now used for selling jewelry, opened as the Pantages in 1920. 

On IMDb: "Cage of Evil"

A poster for the film that appears on IMDb.

"No Man's Land"

A look north toward the Arcade Theatre, 534 S. Broadway, from "No Man's Land" (Orion Pictures, 1987). Thanks to Eric Schaefer for spotting the theatre and getting the shot of Randy Quaid. This film about a rookie cop and a car theft ring was directed by Peter Werner and also stars Charlie Sheen, D.B. Sweeney, Lara Harris and M. Emmet Walsh. The cinematography was by Hiro Narita.  

Head to the Los Angeles Theatres site for the pages about the Arcade Theatre where you'll find many photos both vintage and recent. 

 

Later Charlie and D.B. make the rounds of various clubs looking for a guy and end up at the Mayan Theatre, 1038 S. Hill St. 

 

They're pretending it's a basement club. After the shot outside we see the guys coming down a flight of stairs to the balcony lobby level.  

 

A shot deeper into the space. Charlie tells D.B. the guy's not here and that he should check out the bar downstairs. But he actually sees him and heads over to him. 

 

Charlie shoots the guy and he grabs a Mayan warrior as he falls.

See the pages about the Mayan Theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres site. It opened in 1927 as a legit theatre specializing in musical comedies. For the last few decades it's been a nightclub.

On IMDb: "No Man's Land"