Cinematic Sites

Hollywood is known as the movie capital of the world, but the city of Los Angeles itself has been featured in decades of film production as well. Historical, tourist and everyday local sites have lent themselves as backdrops in TV shows and award-winning films. Here is a selection of some of L.A.’s most notable cinematic settings.

Union Station
The Art Deco-style architecture, enclosed garden patios and generally timeless atmosphere of Los Angeles’ long-standing railway station have lent themselves well to both recent and classic films. Featured scenes from 1973’s romantic drama “The Way We Were” and 2001’s award-winning action film “Pearl Harbor” were shot at this major railway, subsequently proving its place among popular film backdrops as well as within Hollywood history.

Bradbury Building
The intricate wrought-iron balustrades, stairways and caged elevators of the Bradbury Building have made the structure a staple in many Hollywood films throughout the years. Situated in downtown L.A. on the corner of Broadway and 3rd Street, the office building and historical landmark is crucial to L.A.-based films such as Ridley Scott’s 1982 hit “Blade Runner,” in which it served as J.F. Sebastian’s hazy apartment, and more recently, as the architectural firm where hopeless romantic Tom meets Autumn in “(500) Days of Summer.” The edifice was also featured in the Academy Award-winning film “The Artist,” where fictional movie stars George Valentin and Peppy Miller pass each other on the stairwell to Kinograph Studios.

Flynn’s Arcade
The name Flynn’s Arcade is widely synonymous with 1982’s science fiction, pop culture hit “Tron” and the more recent “Tron: Legacy.” However, fans may not be aware that the former office and sanctuary of software engineer and video game creator Kevin Flynn, played by Jeff Bridges, now caters to a different audience. Trading the arcade cabinets and virtual worlds from the films for the bar stools and cafe tables of the New American cuisine restaurant, Akasha, the Culver City-based building is now a hot spot for both film buffs and food lovers alike.

Griffith Observatory
With the famous Hollywood sign to its north and a panoramic scope of downtown Los Angeles to its south, the Griffith Observatory lures not only scores of tourists and Angeleno natives, but also many Hollywood filmmakers with its picturesque view. Major blockbusters including “Charlie’s Angels” and “Terminator” have taken advantage of the landmark’s pinnacle location atop Mount Hollywood, but Nicolas Ray’s 1955 “Rebel Without a Cause” was the first film to prominently feature the observatory in various sequences, including the well-known fight scene between James Dean’s Jim Stark and Corey Allen’s Buzz Gunderson, local bully and gang leader. A bust of James Dean now resides on the observatory grounds, memorializing the film that put the attraction on the map.

Chinatown
Roman Polanski’s 1974 film noir “Chinatown” is named after none other than L.A.’s own Chinatown. The intense final scene of the award-winning film takes place here: Gunshots, a loud, incessant car horn, and a blood-curdling shriek conclude the scene and signify that the femme fatale has met an unfortunate ending. The real Chinatown is less dramatic, offering visitors Chinese cuisine and shops. The site has also served as a backdrop for 2003’s “Freaky Friday” and 1944’s “Dragon Seed,” starring Katharine Hepburn.