By Jan Wahl–
The Beverly Hillbillies theme song was really the soundtrack of my early life. I grew up in West Los Angeles, the land of swimming pools and movie stars. It was also the perfect location for many iconic movies.
1959’s Gidget might not be the most important of these films, but it was the first one that I remember taking place near my own backyard. It starred diminutive teenager Sandra Dee and the sunny world of Santa Monica beaches. In this comedy/romance, Gidget desperately wants to surf, and becomes even more excited about the sport when she meets Moondoggie (James Darren) and “The Big Kahuna” (Cliff Robertson). What could have been silly becomes charming as we dive deep into the surf culture, and beaches that are still the same and perfect for today’s Gidget selfies. Head over to Leo Carrillo State Park Beach where 1959 lives again. Put on a suit, grab a waxed board, and look like hanging ten is more interesting to you than hanging out with Moondoggie.
Go east and right in the center of downtown is another place that begs for selfies: Los Angeles City Hall. It is one of the few buildings in the city that has not been destroyed or given a facelift. Completed in 1928, the edifice’s towering three-tiered form embodies the energy and ambition of the city. Movies about detectives and policemen often use this location at 200 North Spring Street. Television shows always spring to mind, with my favorite being Dragnet, which features City Hall in its opener. Just the facts, ma’am. I also think of the Adventures of Superman, which had City Hall standing in for the offices of the Dailey Planet. Perry Mason had a view of it from his office window, and Prince’s music video Diamonds and Pearls featured City Hall as a primary locale.
On the silver screen, Los Angeles City Hall is evocative of everything official in the City of Angels. The 1953 version of War of the Worlds destroyed it, and V had City Hall crumbled when the visitors attacked Earth.
Moving on, it’s time to get out your fedoras and trench coats for three of the best films made about Los Angeles. All are well worth watching again today.
1997’s neo noir L.A. Confidential has the police operating out of City Hall, with their badges emblazoned with the building itself. The year is 1953 and we are at the intersection of corruption and celebrity. From a clandestine prostitution ring where women are surgically altered to resemble film stars to brutally ambitious officers hoping to make a name for themselves, it is a wild ride through scandal, blackmail, and murder.
1920’s political corruption is in the classic Chinatown, giving us the true history with a few sordid embellishments on the water wars of Los Angeles. We go into the future with Bladerunner, using the still standing Bradbury Building, Union Station, and City Hall in one of the most influential sci fi movies ever made. While hunting super androids through a dystopian city, detective Harrison Ford leads us around flying cars and the increasing use of artificial intelligence.
Let’s drive on the freeways over to the Westside for other locations. Of course, on the way, take an off ramp to enjoy one of the best musical numbers since Busby Berkeley discovered chorus girls. The opening number of LaLa Land explodes on the 130-foot-high interchange between Interstate 110 and 105. Two full days of filming closed this area, but it looks like it took months to create the joyous, wildly creative “Another Day of Sun.” Play this one on YouTube for a jazzy, upbeat experience.
Now we go on to Beverly Hills and Hollywood for two of the truly great films of all time. In Billy Wilder’s brilliant Sunset Blvd., aging silent star Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson) lives in a decaying mansion on the fabled street. She hires a desperate young screenwriter (Bill Holden) to help her stage a comeback, an attempt that turns into a nightmare. The Renaissance-style mansion was built in 1922 and was once owned by J. Paul Getty. It was also used in Rebel Without a Cause before it was torn down. There are other huge, old roaring twenties style homes on the north side of the street right before the Sunset Strip that can stand in. Bring your feather boa, studly gigolo, and stuffed monkey; get ready for a selfie closeup, Mr. DeMille.
The house of another Wilder great is still standing in the Beachwood Canyon area (6301 Quebec Drive). It was the perfect spot for the dark, steamy thriller Double Indemnity—the only movie Wilder told me he got perfectly right. (Talk about perfectionism … what’s wrong with Some Like It Hot, The Apartment, and Ace in the Hole?) In Double Indemnity, the mysterious, sexy Phyllis (Barbara Stanwyck) plots the murder of her husband while seducing an insurance salesman (Fred MacMurray). The Hollywood Bowl and MacMurray’s apartment at 1825 N. Kingsley Drive remain intact.
But instead of a stroll on the boulevards of broken dreams, you might want a taste of Los Angeles glamour. Stop for a drink at The Beverly Wilshire Hotel, grab some Chanel and Tiffany shopping bags, and dress chic down Rodeo Blvd. at the corner of Rodeo and Santa Monica Blvd. in Beverly Hills. Find a snooty shopgirl and, no matter what your gender is, you too can feel like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman!
Jan Wahl is a Hollywood historian and film critic on various broadcast outlets. She has two Emmys and many awards for her longtime work on behalf of film buffs and the LGBTQ community. Contact her at
www.janwahl.com
Off the Wahl
Published on August 8, 2024
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