Champagne For Caesar (1950) - Film Locations

In Champagne For Caesar (1950), Vincent Price, the "Master of Horror," shows that not only can he be sinister, but uproariously funny as well. I'm actually quite surprised that after this film that Price didn't do more comedies than he did. He nearly steals every scene in which he appears. But seeing Price in a perfect comedic part is just one of the delightful reasons that make Caesar a fun film to watch.

The story centers on Beauregard Bottomley, a genius (naturally played by Ronald Coleman) who goes on a television quiz show. While Coleman is on the show, he keeps getting all the questions correct and wins more and more money. The show's sponsor, the Milady Soap Co., headed by Price, wants to stop Coleman from winning. His solution is to send the seductive Celeste Holm after Coleman as a distraction. Coleman must resist Holm if he wants to continue winning on the show.

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CBS Columbia Square as seen in Champagne For Caesar.

CBS Columbia Square, 6121 Sunset Boulevard.

The quiz show takes place at CBS Columbia Square, located at 6121 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. See the comparison above showing how the building appears in the film compared to how the building appears today. This building served as CBS's radio and television operations for the West Coast from 1938 to 2007. Many popular radio programs originated here, including shows for Jack Benny, Jimmy Durante, Donald O. Connor, Burns and Allen, and Steve Allen. When television arrived, shows such as The Ed Wynn Show and the pilot episode for I Love Lucy were produced here. According to the book, James Dean: Dream As If You'll Live Forever, author Karen Clemens Warrick mentions that James Dean was an usher at CBS. She writes of Dean's experience that "Dean enjoyed watching the shows, but he did not like being told what to do and what to wear. He called the uniform a 'monkey suit.' He was fired at the end of the first week."

Art Linkletter and Ronald Colman at CBS.

Art Linkletter stars in the film as the quiz show host. In real life Linkletter was a popular radio and television host including the popular CBS program House Party, which ran for 25 years.

Vincent Price and Celeste Holm.

Red Studios Hollywood located at 846 North Cahuenga Boulevard in Hollywood was the location used for the Milady Soap Co. headquarters. The independent studio lot, first built in 1915, has had many previous tenants over the years and has been known at various times as the Metro Pictures Back Lot #3,  Motion Picture Center Studios, DesiLu Cahuenga Studios, Television Center Studios, and Ren-Mar Studios. Although the main entrance to the studio is on Cahuenga, for Champagne For Caesar the back entrance to the studio located on Lillian Way was used to film the entrance to the Milady Soap Co. Although the studio has been drastically remodeled, there are some details that are still the same, like the power source on the side of the building in the red circle and the sliding wire fence.

Red Studios Hollywood used for the "Milady Soap Co."

The back entrance to Red Studios located on Lillian Way.

During one part in the film we see Celeste Holm take Ronald Colman on a wild ride through Hollywood. They mainly drive down Hollywood Boulevard and then make a turn from Hollywood on to Vine Street heading south. They pass such landmarks as the Egyptian Theatre, the Vogue Theatre, and in the distance of one shot we see radio towers that stand on top of the Warner Hollywood Theatre.

Hollywood Boulevard approaching Las Palmas Ave.

Hollywood Blvd looking towards Las Palmas Ave.

In the comparison above we can see that the Egyptian Theatre is still standing on the right, the Vogue Theatre is still on the left, and in the distance the radio towers are still standing on top of what was formerly the Warner Hollywood Theatre.

Hollywood Boulevard and Cherokee Avenue.

Hollywood Boulevard at Cherokee Avenue.

In the next scene Holm and Colman turn from Hollywood Boulevard on to Vine Street heading south. In the background we get a glimpse of the Melody Lane Restaurant located on the northwest corner of Hollywood and Vine. Before this building was the Melody Lane Restaurant it was Carl Laemmle's Coco Tree Cafe. Laemmle (yes, the Universal Studios mogul) had hired architect Richard Neutra in 1932 to design a modern and fancy lunch spot, but with the idea that there would be billboards above the restaurant advertising Universal pictures. The Coco Tree Cafe was a success but when Carl Laemmle died in 1939, the Pig 'n' Whistle manager Sidney Hoedemaker took over the location and completely remodeled the building, turning it into the Melody Lane Restaurant. After Melody Lane the building would have several other tenants including Hody's, Howard Johnson's,  and most recently Basque Nightclub, until a fire destroyed the place in 2008. Today the corner is an empty lot.

Colman and Holm pass the Melody Lane restaurant at Hollywood and Vine.

Looking north on Vine Street across Hollywood Blvd. Vintage postcard view.

The same intersection of Hollywood and Vine as it appears now.

The final round of the quiz show takes place at another Hollywood landmark, the Hollywood Bowl. In the next two comparisons we first see cars arriving at the entrance to the Hollywood Bowl located on Highland Avenue and in the second the interior of the Hollywood Bowl. The Hollywood Bowl, an outdoor amphitheater primarily used for summer concerts, has long been a popular filming location. Other films that feature the Hollywood Bowl include A Star is Born (1937), Hollywood or Bust (1956), Moonlight Murder (1936), Two On A Guillotine (1965), It's A Good Feeling (1949), Anchors Aweigh (1945), and Double Indemnity (1944).

The Hollywood Bowl entrance as seen in the film.

The Hollywood Bowl entrance.

The quiz show moves inside the Hollywood Bowl.

A modern view inside the Hollywood Bowl.

Champagne For Caesar can be rented through ClassicFlix. The film includes a great cast with superb comedic performances. Add this to your queue the next time you're looking for a few laughs or are interested in seeing a few Hollywood landmarks.

Night Moves (1975) - Film Locations

Night Moves (1975), is a 70s era detective story starring Gene Hackman as a detective hired by an aging movie starlet to find her daughter. What at first appears to be a straight forward missing persons case turns out to be much more convoluted. What I found interesting about this film is that it features two old Burbank, California movie theaters that no longer exist. One was demolished and another has been completely remodeled and turned into a recording studio.

The first movie house seen in the film is the Magnolia Theater located at 4403 W. Magnolia Boulevard. In the film, Hackman is following his wife, who he discovers is having an affair when she walks out of the theater with another man. Classic movie fans may recognize this theater as the place where Fred MacMurray first meets Kim Novak in the crime film PUSHOVER (1954). The Magnolia Theater building is located just a mile and a half away from the Warner Bros. Studios lot, the studio that produced this film. Today the building is used as a recording studio and has been greatly remodeled from its days as a theater. The theater was built in 1940 and closed in 1979, just four years after Night Moves was released.

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Gene Hackman outside Burbank's Magnolia Theatre.

The former Magnolia Theatre building at 4403 W. Magnolia Blvd, Burbank, Ca.

Another view of the Magnolia Theatre as seen in Night Moves (1975).

The Magnolia Theatre building at 4403 W. Magnolia Blvd.

The screenshot below is of a building located next door to the Magnolia Theatre. That structure is also still standing, although remodled.

Building next door to Magnolia Theatre as seen in Night Moves.

The structure next door to the Magnolia Theatre.

Another old Burbank movie theater that appears in Night Moves is the old Cornell Theatre located at 1212 N. San Fernando Blvd, which can be seen in the screenshot below. What first caught my eye from the screenshot was the old Taco Bell sign and the McDonald's sign. From driving down this street multiple times before I remembered a Taco Bell restaurant and McDonald's located right next to each other. I figured if the earlier scene was filmed in Burbank then maybe this scene was also filmed in Burbank and perhaps at this location. What I didn't recognize was the Cornell neon sign on the right of the screenshot, but I recalled there being a Cornell Theatre in Burbank. I assumed that this must have been the location - and I was right.  That intersection where the Cornell Theatre stands is San Fernando Blvd and Cornell Drive.

The Cornell Theatre opened on November 18, 1949 and was demolished in 1980 after closing in 1978 - just three years after Night Moves was released. According to the website Cinema Treasures, The Cornell Theatre "had two main aisles that ran down the theatre... Inside the auditorium, all seating was on a single level. There were Art Deco style 'swirls' on the side-walls and on each side of the proscenium. The curved ceiling contained 'twinkling star' lights, giving a semi-Atmospheric style to the decoration."

Gene Hackman drives past the now demolished Cornell Theatre.

Looking down San Fernando Blvd. The Cornell Theatre once stood below the yellow arrow.

Night Moves (1972) was directed by Arthur Penn. Also starring are Jennifer Warren, Susan Clark and in early roles, James Woods and Melanie Griffith. The film is available on DVD and is currently available for streaming on Warner Archive Instant. If you like 1970s era detective/crime films like Klute (1971) or The Long Goodbye (1973), then this may be your thing.

Big City (1937) - Film Locations

Luise Rainer and Spencer Tracy

When I really like an actor I feel the need to see all of their films. I know not all of them will be great. Some will probably be only so-so or simply bad, but I get some enjoyment from watching the smaller or maybe less appreciated films that my favorite stars appeared in. At times I'm even surprised and a movie that I go into not expecting much turns out to have some qualities I really like. That's what happened when I watched Big City (1937), starring Spencer Tracy and Luise Rainer.

Tracy plays a New York City cab driver married to an immigrant wife (Rainer). The two are madly in love but things are tough in the big city, especially for independent cab drivers trying to make a living like Tracy, who are constantly being harassed by the big unionized cab drivers. Things get out of control, escalating to an all out battle between the independents and the union cabbies. After one person dies in an explosion, Tracy's immigrant wife is threatened to be deported.

The trouble with Big City is the story is all over the place. What starts as a romantic drama evolves into a manic slapstick comedy by the end, when a brawl erupts between the independents, the union cabbies and some famous athletes. The feel of the movie is inconsistent. Nevertheless, Tracy and Rainer make this movie fun to watch. I really enjoyed seeing Tracy and Rainer on screen in the only film they made together. Some other gems include seeing cameo appearances by some famous athletes of the time and something I'm always interested in, real world film locations.

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Jack Dempsey's Restaurant as seen in Big City.

Former site of Jack Dempsey's Restaurant in New York.

Near the end of the film, Tracy barges into a dinner meeting taking place inside Jack Dempsey's Restaurant. Tracy's wife is about to be deported and he pleads with the mayor, who is speaking at the dinner to help him, that if anyone could save his wife, it would be the mayor. The restaurant was a real location,  located at 8th Avenue and West 50th Street in New York and owned by heavyweight boxing champion Jack Dempsey, who has a cameo appearance. The place opened in 1935, just a couple years before Big City was filmed.  Above is an image of Jack Dempsey's Restaurant as it appears in the film and below that is a vintage postcard image of how the restaurant looked.

Jack Dempsey Restaurant site, 8th Ave at 50th St. Photo courtesy ScenePast.

The mayor decides to help Tracy. Escorted by some of the other dinner patrons (more famous athletes including Jim Thorpe, Jim Jeffries and Maxie Rosenbloom) the group races to the docks in a few cars to stop the ship that is about to deport Rainer. We see the cars race down two more real New York streets and then suddenly, for someone looking closely, one will notice the cars are racing down the streets of Hollywood! Below are two more views of New York and then the jump to Hollywood.

The first view is of Broadway, near the Jack Dempsey Restaurant location. In this view we see the Trans-Lux Theatre, located at 1619 Broadway. This theatre, which opened in 1931, was struggling by 1937 when this film was made. What's interesting is that in 1937, Jack Dempsey and his business partner Jack Amiel purchased the Trans-Lux property and converted the site into Jack Dempsey's Broadway Bar and Cocktail Lounge.

Trans-Lux Theatre, 1619 Broadway, New York

Contemporary view of the Trans-Lux Theatre site.

The next New York view seen in the film shows us the corner of West 47th Street and Broadway in Times Square. The most prominent building that can be seen in the screenshot is the Florsheim Shoe store. It's amazing how different Times Square looks today compared to 1937.

W. 47th Street and Broadway, New York

W. 47th Street and Broadway, New York

Now we jump to the Hollywood locations. As Tracy races down the New York City streets to reach his wife before she is deported we suddenly see the cars driving down Hollywood Boulevard and also down Ivar Avenue. Some of the buildings that can be seen are the Hollywood Citizen Stationary Store, a Schwab's store, Nancy's, Delphene's, a Thrifty Drug Store, a Colombia building, the Guaranty Building and the Broadway Hollywood Building.

Looking west down Hollywood Blvd from Cosmo St.

Looking west down Hollywood Blvd from Cosmo St.

Above is the first shot of Hollywood. This view is looking west down Hollywood Boulevard from Cosmo Street. The building with the neon "Dentist" sign is part of the Julian Medical Building, a former drug store with medical offices on top.

Hollywood Blvd at Cosmo St.

Corner of Hollywood Blvd and Cosmo St.

Corner of Hollywood Blvd and Cosmo St.

Former site of Schwabs and Hollywood Citizen Stationary.

Tracy's car races past Schwabs.

Thrifty Drug Store, SW corner of Hollywood Blvd at Ivar Ave.

Former site of Thrifty Drug Store, Hollywood Blvd at Ivar Ave.

Guaranty Building 6331 Hollywood Boulevard.

Guaranty Building 6331 Hollywood Boulevard.

Looking east down Hollywood Blvd from Ivar Ave.

Looking east down Hollywood Blvd from Ivar Ave.

Above is a view looking east down Hollywood Boulevard. The "Columbia" building is now hidden behind some trees. Below you can see a closeup image of this building to see how this building looks now. In the background of the screenshot the signs from the Broadway Hollywood Building and the Taft building can be seen - both buildings are still standing at the corner of Hollywood and Vine.

The former Colombia Building 6324-32 Hollywood Blvd.

Big City (1937) is available for rent through ClassicFlix. The film was directed by Frank Borzage and also stars Charley Grapewin, Janet Beecher, Eddie Quillan, Victor Varconi, Oscar O'Shea, Helen Troy, William Demarest, John Arledge, Irving Bacon, Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams, Regis Toomey, Edgar Dearing, and Paul Harvey.

All screenshots (c) Warner Home Video. All contemporary images (c) 2013 Google, except Jack Dempsey Restaurant site courtesy of ScenePast.

Talking Old Hollywood: Linda Dishman, Executive Director of the Los Angeles Conservancy

Linda Dishman, Executive Director of the L.A. Conservancy. 

Photo by Gary Leonard.

Talking Old Hollywood is a regular series on Dear Old Hollywood where writers, filmmakers, fellow bloggers, artists, historians, or pretty much anyone who is interested in classic movies will have a chance to highlight projects they are working on, share a little of their background and discuss their interest in old Hollywood and classic movies.

This week Linda Dishman, the Executive Director of the Los Angeles Conservancy, talks about everything from preservation, events organized by the L.A. Conservancy including classic movie screenings in historic theatres, to where you can have an old Hollywood style wedding.

Linda, what got you interested in preservation and how did you get involved with the Los Angeles Conservancy?

When I was young, we would visit my grandparents and aunts and uncles who lived about an hour away. On each trip, we would drive by the hospital where I was born. This sense of my parents celebrating something that was important to them (my birth) was meaningful and powerful, and it cemented for me the role that buildings have in telling stories.

I was familiar with the L.A. Conservancy when I lived and worked in Pasadena in the mid-1980s, and I even took several of the tours. I had worked in preservation at the local, state, and national levels of government, and I was ready to approach preservation from a different perspective when the Executive Director position was advertised. What I particularly liked about coming to the Conservancy was the combination of advocacy and educational efforts in saving the places that matter to Angelenos.

Are there any Los Angeles area buildings you are especially proud of that you were able to save?

I have to say that my favorite "win" is the former Cathedral of St. Vibiana (now known as Vibiana), which dates to 1876 and was designed by the first licensed architect in Los Angeles. It was one of our toughest, and ultimately most successful, preservation efforts. We didn't just prevent the building's demolition. We found a preservation-friendly buyer and brought in eleven architectural firms to create a new vision for the building so people could see the possibilities.

Saving Vibiana was a real turning point for the Conservancy. We were up against the entire power structure of the city,  including the Catholic Archdiocese who owned the building. In many ways it was a defining moment for us - a real "gut check" in terms of how hard we would fight to save an important building. Our work saving Vibiana also helped change people's attitudes toward the Conservancy and preservation, which is almost as important as saving the building itself. We stood up for this building, and people took notice.

Are there any Los Angeles buildings you wish could have been saved, but unfortunately lost the preservation battle?

I would say that our most disappointing loss is the Ambassador Hotel, which we spent two decades trying to save, including filing several lawsuits. We tried hard to adapt the hotel into a school for a school district that wanted a new building. When adaptive reuse was no longer an option, we shifted our plans...several times. We showed them how to build classrooms around the hotel building, and then how to turn the hotel into affordable housing. A developer is all about the bottom line, and we can often work with that and find a middle ground, but in this case, the school district steadfastly maintained that their need to tear it down was more important. There was just no getting around that.

Volunteer docent Randy Henderson leads one of the Conservancy's popular walking tours. Photo by Deissy Flores.

The Los Angeles Conservancy puts on many events and tours that the public can participate in. Can you tell us about those events/tours?

We've always had a twofold mission of advocacy and education, because raising awareness of historic places is essential to building support for their preservation. We have a very popular series of eight regular walking tours that explore various aspects of architecture in and around downtown L.A.

Each spring and fall, we also hold a one-time-only special tour to spotlight a particular geographic area, architect, style, or other topic. We often pair those events with panel discussions or other public programs to delve a little deeper into a topic. We also have important fundraising events, such as our annual Preservation Awards Luncheon that honors outstanding achievement in the field, as well as benefits at spectacular private homes.

And of course, our Last Remaining Seats series of classic films in historic theatres draws over 10,000 people each summer into the wonderful historic movie palaces of Los Angeles.

Linda Dishman welcoming guests to the 1930 Saban Theatre for a 2012 Last Remaining Seats screening. Photo by Larry Underhill.

Last Remaining Seats is one of my favorite events. Is there any possibility of that becoming a year round program?

Perhaps if our mission focused on historic theatres, but we work to preserve all types of historic places throughout Los Angeles County, so we have lots of other things to do! Last Remaining Seats won't be a year-round Conservancy program. But we are thrilled to see more organizations start to program these venues with classic films or other entertainment. That was one of the main goals of starting the series back in 1987 - to prove the viability of these theatres in drawing audiences today, even though it may take creative new types of programming.

Now that I have a young daughter, I'm already thinking of opportunities to expose her to Los Angeles history. Does the L.A. Conservancy have any events/activities that are good for families?

Absolutely. We offer versions of our Historic Downtown and Union Station walking tours tailored specifically for youth and families, and our website has a number of downloadable guides and activities for youth and families that are perfect any time. And our annual matinee features a classic family-friendly film.

One of the regular features on Dear Old Hollywood are posts showing filming locations for classic movies. Is there a classic movie or are there a few classic movies you enjoy because of the way Los Angeles is portrayed as a location?

Great question. They really run the gamut, from downtown in the great silent films of the 1910s and 1920s to the 1970s depiction of 1930s Los Angeles in Chinatown. Every single time I drive by the Archer School for Girls in Brentwood I think of Chinatown.

If you could travel back in time to another era of Los Angeles for a dinner and a movie date night, which L.A. restaurant would you eat at and which theatre would you see your movie?

Hands down, opening night of the Los Angeles Theatre would be an amazing time travel experience - everyone dressed to the nines, watching the premiere of Charlie Chaplin's City Lights and experiencing the Los Angeles Theatre for the first time.

Do you have a favorite "old Hollywood" restaurant or bar that is still around?

I love Musso and Frank. Not only does it look historic but the staff is so old school that you feel as though you have stepped back in time.

One question I get asked a LOT from people who are getting married is where they can have an old Hollywood style wedding. Are there any Los Angeles locations with "Hollywood" history that are available for weddings?

Oh yes - from the King Gillette Ranch in Malibu to Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills to a yacht once owned by John Wayne. We have dozens on our online list of historic sites available for special events.

Who can get involved in the Los Angeles Conservancy and what do they need to do? What kind of opportunities are there?

Anyone! There are lots of ways to get involved with the Conservancy, from becoming a member, to volunteering, to hosting a special event, to sharing their great photos of historic places, and more. Just visit our website for more information.

The Orpheum's Mighty Wurlitzer organ, the last remaining theatre organ on Broadway. Photo by Gary Leonard.

What's coming up next for the Los Angeles Conservancy?

We'll wrap up this season of Last Remaining Seats in late June (with screenings of the silent Ben-Hur June 26 and Casablanca June 29). We're hard at work on a number of preservation issues, including preventing demolition of L.A.'s first large-scale garden apartment community. Our special spring/summer program, Curating the City: Modern Architecture in L.A., continues through July. And we're planning great new programs for the fall. Every day's a new adventure at the Conservancy!

Thanks Linda. That was fascinating!