Year: 2017

  • The “Lights Out” House

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    Lights Out Cast Accidentally Cursed the House Where they Filmed.”  So blared a headline from an Entertainment Weekly article about the 2016 horror film.  As you can imagine, the words had me drooling.  I first learned about the movie back in January from fellow stalker “sparklesnow” who left a comment on one of my Instagram photos asking for some help in tracking down the large Tudor-style estate where virtually all filming took place.  When I popped “Lights Out” and “house” in to a Google search, the EW column was the first item kicked back.  In it, actor Alexander DiPersia was quoted as saying, “A week after we finished shooting the basement scene [which] is very terrifying, I got a call from friends saying, ‘Turn on the news.’  And the house was on fire, like right after we finished shooting.  From the basement, smoke was emanating up.  We cursed that place.”  A locale that was not only featured in a horror flick, but that also got vexed by the production?  Count me in!  I couldn’t imagine a place more perfectly suited to my Haunted Hollywood postings.  So I set right out to track it down.

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    Thankfully, the search was not very hard.  Being that Lights Out was released in July 2016, I knew that filming had to have taken place in 2015.  So I scoured the internet for reports of any fires at L.A.-area residences that year and came across this Los Angeles Daily News article detailing a blaze that struck a three-story home located at 140 South Avenue 59 in Highland Park on November 7th.  One look at Street View images of the dwelling in comparison to the pad shown in the movie’s trailer confirmed it was the right spot.  Fortunately, the inferno, which was put out within 43 minutes of the fire department’s arrival, does not appear to have caused much damage to the locale because, as you can see below, the Lights Out house is currently standing and seemingly intact.

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    In real life, the property is known as the Finis E. Yoakum House, named for the doctor-turned-faith-healer who commissioned it.  Following a serious buggy accident in Denver in 1894, Yoakum migrated to Los Angeles, hoping the city’s temperate climate would aid in his recovery from his many injuries.  A few months after arriving in La La Land, he attended a Christian Alliance prayer meeting, where he was blessed by a priest and almost immediately healed.  The experience inspired Yoakum to assist others who were suffering.  In 1900, he opened up his Queen Anne-style residence at 6026 Echo Street in Highland Park to those in need, providing shelter, clothing and food for free.  In return, the residents performed charitable acts and helped around the property, which Yoakum dubbed the Pisgah Home, named for the mountain from which Moses first spotted the promised land.  It was not long before Finis’ crusade took on momentum, transforming into a religion that became known as the Pisgah Home Movement.

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    In short time, more space was needed to house Pisgah Home’s growing number of residents.  Several cottages were added to the Echo Street property and those that couldn’t fit in the ancillary structures would sleep in tents in the yard.  Yoakum and his wife even had to move into a tent themselves at one point so that their residence could be utilized for those in need.  In 1915, Pisgah Home members constructed a new, much larger Tudor-style dwelling for Yoakum and his family just up the road at 140 South Avenue 59.

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    The doctor only lived in the lavish structure for five years before passing away in 1920.  After his death, the various properties making up Pisgah Home, most of which still stand today, were divided up amongst his family and the Movement.  The Finis E. Yoakum house, which is a Los Angeles Historic Cultural-Monument, was subsequently sold and today is a privately-owned residence.

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    The 19-room estate, which looks much the same today as it did when it was originally built, features 8 bedrooms, 5 baths, 6,140 square feet of living space, a finished basement, several fireplaces, a 0.41-acre plot of land, a large swimming pool, and a detached 2-car garage.

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    Sadly, not much of it can be seen from the street.

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    In Lights Out, the Finis E. Yoakum House served as the residence of Sophie (Maria Bello) and Martin (Gabriel Bateman).  I watched the movie shortly before writing this post and, let me tell you, it is absolutely terrifying – in the best way possible.  I mean, the trailer alone was enough to make me want to sleep with the lights on for at least a week.

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    The sprawling property was used extensively throughout the flick.

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    Even the real life interior (which is exquisite!) was utilized in the filming.

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    Though undeniably beautiful (that woodwork and detailing!), I can see why the house was chosen for the movie.  It definitely has a looming quality to it.  Those stairs and doors just look like they give good creak!

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    As Alexander DiPersia mentioned in the EW article, Lights Out’s basement scene was particularly harrowing.  According to IMDB, the mannequins featured in the segment were not props, but actually belong to the Yoakum House owners, who store them in the cellar!  Shudder!  Whether or not the home was actually cursed during the production, causing the fire that later broke out there, I’ll never know, but one thing’s for sure – I wouldn’t ever want to set foot in that basement to find out!

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    The Yoakum House is actually a frequent horror film star.  In the 2014 thriller Ouija, the property was featured as the home of Debbie Galardi (Shelley Hennig), though only interiors were used.

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    A residence just a few doors down at 5915 Echo Street was utilized for all exterior shots.

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    Well, almost all exterior shots.  The Yoakum House’s pool did make an appearance in the film.

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    The dwelling also popped up in interior scenes in Ouija’s 2016 sequel, Ouija: Origin of Evil.

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    In non-horror-movie-related news, the Yoakum House portrayed the bed and breakfast owned by Heaton (Kevin Pollak) and Rita Upshaw (Illeana Douglas) in the 2013 dramedy Chez Upshaw.  Both the exterior . . .

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    . . . and interior were utilized in the shoot.

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    For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

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    Until next time, Happy Stalking!  Smile

    Stalk It: The Finis E. Yoakum House, aka Sophie and Martin’s residence from Lights Out, is located at 140 South Avenue 59 in Highland Park.

  • The “Pacific Heights” House

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    I have been waiting for this day for months!  Yep, that’s right folks – it is finally, finally time for my annual Haunted Hollywood postings and I could not be more excited!  In honor of the occasion, I have added a Haunted Hollywood category to my site and while I typically only publish three columns a week during normal months, I am going to attempt to do a write up of a new spooky spot every single day of October.  God knows I have enough material!  We’ll see how it goes.  For my first locale this year, I thought I’d cover the house from Pacific Heights.  I stalked the picturesque pad, which can’t actually be found in the tony neighborhood the film was named for but about three miles south in Potrero Hill, last fall while visiting San Francisco.  Though I actually find Pacific Heights to be more anger-inducing than scary, I still thought it would be fitting to include the dwelling that served as its focal point in my October postings.

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    For those who haven’t seen Pacific Heights, the 1990 thriller – or “horror film for yuppies” as Roger Ebert dubbed it – tells the story of Patty Palmer (Melanie Griffith) and Drake Goodman (Matthew Modine), a young San Francisco couple who use all their savings to purchase a dilapidated, but still rather pricey (try $749,000!) Victorian home with two rental units supposedly located at 170 Pacific Street.  Patty and Drake fix up the residence themselves, move into the top floor space and lease out the two rentals, one of them to maniacal con man Carter Hayes (Michael Keaton), who proceeds to terrorize the couple, as well as the occupants of the other unit, without paying so much as a dime of his monthly rent.  Due to San Francisco’s pro-tenant property laws, Drake and Patty are powerless to stop Carter, evict him, or do much of anything really.  Screenwriter Daniel Pyne was inspired to pen the film’s script after his own experience of trying to evict a deadbeat tenant from an apartment he once owned.

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    In the film, Patty and Drake’s real estate agent informs them that the turreted home was built around 1886 and “probably remodeled slightly in the ‘40s.”

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    In reality, the statuesque Queen Anne was constructed in 1895.

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    The three-story dwelling was made to look significantly run-down for the movie’s early scenes.  According to William A. Gordon in his book Shot on This Site, “When the production company discovered it, the house had been recently repainted.  To create a ‘distressed’ look, they masked the entire house with sound-blasting frisket, a substance with light adhesive on one side and paper on the other.  The painted side was treated with chemicals to make the exterior look cracked and aged.  After two days’ filming, the crew removed the frisket.”

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    After Drake and Patty complete their improvements, the property comes to resemble its actual self.

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    Only the exterior of the residence was utilized in the filming.  Interior scenes were shot on a set built on a soundstage at The Culver Studios in Culver City.

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    The views shown in the film are real and absolutely breathtaking (though the San Francisco skyline has changed considerably since Pacific Heights was lensed almost 30 years ago).

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    In fact, in Shot on This Site, Gordon says the home was chosen for the movie because of its stunning panoramic views.

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    Along with spectacular views, in real life the residence also boasts a corner 0.06-acre lot, 4 bedrooms, a den, 3.5 baths, 3,200 square feet, 2 fireplaces, an eat-in kitchen, bay windows, parquet flooring, vaulted ceilings, separate guest quarters, a finished basement, a 1-car garage, a patio, a BBQ area, an attic, a garden, and a studio in-law apartment, just like in the movie.  Per Zillow, the pad is currently worth a whopping $3.27 million.

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    Zillow also states that the property appeared in several episodes of Nash Bridges, but I am unsure of which episodes in particular.  If anyone happens to know, please fill me in!

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    For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

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    Until next time, Happy Stalking!  Smile

    Stalk It: Drake and Patty’s residence from Pacific Heights is located at 1243 19th Street in San Francisco’s Potrero Hill neighborhood.

  • Bette Davis’ House from “Feud”

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    My favorite Big Little Lies quote belongs to Madeline Martha Mackenzie (Reese Witherspoon), who, in response to Celeste Wright (Nicole Kidman) advising her to let something go, quips, “I love my grudges.  I tend to them like little pets.”  A woman after my own heart, I swear!  Oh yes, I am a definite grudge-holder.  So I really should have loved Ryan Murphy’s 2017 anthology series Feud, the first season of which detailed the longtime rivalry between actresses Bette Davis and Joan Crawford (played by Susan Sarandon and Jessica Lange, respectively).  The show just didn’t grab me, though.  Not in the way that American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson, Murphy’s other recent anthology series, did.  Don’t get me wrong – it’s not that I didn’t like Feud.  I avidly watched all eight episodes and thoroughly enjoyed their historical nature, as well as the period costumes and elaborate (and extremely accurate) sets.  But more often than not, the storyline seemed lacking and I kept finding myself feeling bored.  I did have a massive fondness for the series’ locations, though, namely the grand Tudor that Bette called home.  So when a fellow stalker named AB emailed me the pad’s address a few months back, I immediately jotted it down and couldn’t have been more excited when I finally made it out to Cheviot Hills to see it in person it last week.

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    Bette’s sprawling mansion was featured repeatedly throughout Feud.

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    The stately property was utilized in both on location filming and establishing shots.

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    The Feud production team went to great lengths to keep the locations featured on the series true to life.  The Cheviot Hills residence most closely resembles Ms. Davis’ Laguna Beach mansion located at 1991 Ocean Way, though that pad is situated on top of a cliff overlooking the Pacific.  The front of it is much less grand than the manse that appeared on Feud, but the rear and side are pretty darn dramatic.

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    In real life, the massive 1926 estate boasts 7 bedrooms, 7 baths, 5,436 square feet of living space, 21 rooms, a wet bar, a pool, a barbeque area, a 3-car garage, a jetted tub, a fireplace, a 0.63-acre lot, a garden, a deck, and an in-law unit.

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    You can check out some amazing photographs of the home taken in 1928, shortly after it was built, here.

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    Only the exterior of the dwelling was utilized on Feud.  Interior scenes taking place at Bette’s house were shot on a soundstage at 20th Century Fox Studios in Culver City, where much of the series was lensed.

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    In a February 2017 Variety article, Feud production designer Judy Becker describes Bette as a traditionalist when it came to her décor.  She says, “Bette was from outside of Boston.  She was a Yankee.  We did a brown and green and earthy palette for her.  She had a lot of American Colonial furniture, and she had a braided rug.  You would think you were in New England, but this was in L.A.”  In her research of the actresses’ homes, Becker found that despite moving several times throughout her life, Bette’s furnishings and design schematic always remained the same.

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    Unfortunately, I could not find any images of the interior of the Cheviot Hills residence, but man, oh man, would I love to see what it actually looks like.  I can only imagine how gorgeous it must be!

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    I did learn, though, thanks to the Just Call Me Aggie website, that the pad was owned by actress Agnes Moorhead from 1946 to 1953.  Upon moving in, Moorhead hired famed interior decorator Tony Duquette (whom you may remember from this post) to design the place.

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    For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

    Big THANK YOU to fellow stalker AB for finding this location!  Smile

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    Until next time, Happy Stalking!  Smile

    Stalk It: Bette Davis’ house from Feud is located at 2720 Monte Mar Terrace in Cheviot Hills.

  • Dana’s House from “The Goldbergs”

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    Brenda and Dylan.  Winnie and Kevin.  Rachel and Joey.  Adam and Dana.  All TV couples who didn’t wind up together, but who, in my never-to-be-humble opinion, really should have.  Though, since The Goldbergs is still on the air, I guess there’s still hope for the latter two.  I mean, any romance that starts out with an ‘80s movie re-creation has to end well, right?  It would just be sacrilege otherwise!  For those who don’t watch the popular ABC series, when tween Adam Goldberg (Sam Giambrone) falls in love for the first time – with Dana Caldwell (Natalie Alyn Lind), the 13-year-old girl down the street who “smells like Fruity Pebbles” – he professes his feelings by standing in her front yard, boom box held above his head, serenading her with Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes,” a la Lloyd Dobler (John Cusack) in Say Anything . . .  The moment, of course, pulled at this 80s-loving-stalker’s heart strings.  So when my friend/fellow stalker Michael (you know him from his many guest posts) recently informed me of the location of Dana’s house, I ran right out to see it in person.

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    The Goldbergs’ Say Anything . . . homage occurs in Season 1’s “The Ring.”  In the episode, Adam realizes he is in love with Dana and seeks advice from his lady-killer grandpa, Pops Solomon (George Segal), who urges him, “You gotta go for it!  Make a big gesture, something that’ll show her exactly how you feel.”   Things don’t go quite as planned, though, for poor Adam.

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    Upon hitting play on his boom box, he accidentally wakes up Dana’s brother and father before suffering the ultimate humiliation of getting caught in the sprinklers.   Despite the fact that, as Adam later laments to Pops, “I serenaded her brother, I dropped my boom box, and I soaked my Lloyd Dobler coat,” the grand gesture is not lost on Dana and, in the end, Adam gets the girl.

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    While watching the scene, Michael noticed that a small park-like area was visible across the street from Dana’s house.  Figuring the dwelling was most likely located in the same vicinity as the Cheviot Hills residence that portrays the Goldberg family home on the series, he started poking around the neighborhood via aerial views looking for a tiny landscaped space situated across from residences and it wasn’t long before he found the right spot.  As it turns out, Dana’s pad is just around the corner from Adam’s!

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    As Michael also noticed (I totally missed it!), set dressers covered over a portion of the home’s garage with foliage for the shoot, as well as most of the driveway with fake grass.

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    In actuality, the property’s driveway takes up almost the entire northern end of the front yard, as you can see below.

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    In real life, Dana’s house boasts 3 bedrooms, 4 baths, and 2,934 square feet.

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    The picturesque pad, which was originally built in 1948 and features a 0.28-acre lot, is massive in person – much larger than it appeared onscreen.

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    The Caldwell residence popped up a few times on The Goldbergs, including in the Season 1 episode titled “You’re Under Foot” . . .

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    . . . and in Season 2’s “Cowboy Country.”

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    Inexplicably, a different home was used as Dana’s in the Season 2 finale titled “Goldbergs Feel Hard.”  Though little other than the front door of the property was shown, it is definitely a different locale, as you can see below.

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    Dana’s residence has actually been featured in several productions over the years.

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    Thanks to my friend Chas, of the It’s Filmed There website, I learned that in the Season 2 episode of Joan of Arcadia titled “Game Theory,” which aired in 2005, the pad belonged to a different Dana – Dana Tuchman (Kevin Rahm), Joan Girardi’s (Amber Tamblyn) teacher.

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    In the Season 1 episode of Bones titled “The Woman in the Car,” which aired in 2006, the property portrayed the supposed Washington, D.C.-area home of Carl Decker (Zeljko Ivanek).

    Thanks to filminglocs, I discovered that the Caldwell residence was also featured in the Season 7 episode of House titled “Carrot or Stick,” which aired in 2011, in the scene in which Dr. Robert Chase (Jesse Spencer) tries to figure out who took a suggestive photo of him.

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    For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

    Big THANK YOU to my friend Michael (you can read his many guest posts here) for finding this location! Smile

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    Until next time, Happy Stalking!  Smile

    Stalk It: Dana’s house from The Goldbergs is located at 2885 Club Drive in Cheviot Hills.  The property that portrays the Goldberg family’s residence on the series can be found just around the corner at 3071 Earlmar Drive.

  • The Former Site of the “Eight Is Enough” House

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    One of my biggest filming location pet peeves is when an unfound spot from an old movie or television show is explained away as having been demolished without any evidence to support that allegation.  Like Whitney Houston, I wanna see the receipts!  So when I recently came across an Eight Is Enough message board in which several commenters mentioned that the home where the Bradford family lived on the popular ABC series had been torn down years back, I was not quick to believe the claims and decided to look into the matter myself.  As I eventually learned, the EIE house was indeed razed long ago, sadly.  Because questions about the residence linger online, though, I figured it was worthy of a blog post – especially since my friend Michael (you may remember him from his many guest posts) was able to dig up some proof of its demolition.

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    For those not familiar with Eight Is Enough, the show, which ran from 1977 to 1981, was based upon the 1975 memoir of Tom Braden, a Washington, D.C.-area political columnist who, with wife Joan, had eight children.  For the series, the family’s last name was changed to Bradford and the setting shifted to Sacramento, where Tom (Dick Van Patten) and second wife, Abby (Betty Buckley), lived with their large brood – David (Grant Goodeve), Mary (Lani O’Grady), Joannie (Laurie Walters), Susan (Susan Richardson), Nancy (Dianne Kay), Elizabeth (Connie Needham), Tommy (Willie Aames) and Nicholas (Adam Rich) – in a charming two-story Colonial-style dwelling.  (Diana Hyland, the actress who played Joan, Tom’s first wife and mother of the Bradford clan, sadly passed away in the middle of the series’ inaugural season and only appeared in the first four episodes.  Tom then married Abby at the beginning of Season 2.)

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    A commenter on the Eight Is Enough message board had stated that the Bradford pad formerly stood right off Lankershim Boulevard at 10703 Chiquita Street in North Hollywood.  Early on in my research, though, I unearthed a The Sacramento Bee article from 2015 in which associate producer Sandra Bice said that the property used on the show was located in Burbank.  She explained that EIE location managers likely did some scouting of Sactown neighborhoods and then found a house in the vicinity of Warner Bros. Studio, where the series was lensed, that had a similar look and feel.  I was not sure which source to believe, but felt an associate producer was likely more credible.  To fulfill my due diligence, I did look into the Chiquita Street address, though.  Number 10703 is no longer in existence, but, as Google showed me, that address falls at the end of a small cul-de-sac in Studio City, not North Hollywood.  While there are several newly built homes situated in the cul-de-sac today, aside from a mid-90s construction date, I could find no other information on them or what stood there prior anywhere.

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    Seemingly stuck, without any sort of idea where to turn next, I brought Michael in on the hunt.  Thankfully, he was able to work his usual magic, showing me the receipts via a 1984 Press Democrat article in which the home’s location was spelled out in literal black and white.  As it turns out, the message board commenter was correct – almost.  The Eight Is Enough house was once located at 10733 Chiquita Street (not 10703).

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    Running a search on that address, Michael then came across a building permit which showed that the residence was torn down in 1996.

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    The permit also provided a diagram revealing how the property was formerly laid out.

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    Armed with that information, I headed over to the Historic Aerials website to see if I could figure out exactly where the house and its detached garage used to be situated.  Though a bit hard to see, the Bradford residence and garage are marked with pink and blue arrows, respectively, in the images below.

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    Using that imagery, along with the building permit, I was able to discern that the Eight Is Enough house and garage formerly stood in the areas denoted with pink boxes below.

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    That spot is pictured below in its current state.

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    The home, said to be at 1436 Oak Street in Sacramento on the series, was used extensively throughout Eight Is Enough’s 5-season run.  Not only did the dwelling pop up regularly in establishing shots . . .

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    . . . but it also appeared in each episode’s opening credits . . .

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    . . . as well as in countless on location scenes.  The residence was also featured in the 1987 made-for-television movie Eight Is Enough: A Family Reunion and in 1989’s An Eight Is Enough Wedding, but, unfortunately, I could not find a copy of either production with which to make screen captures for this post.

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    Only the exterior of the dwelling appeared on Eight Is Enough.  Interiors were filmed inside of a soundstage at Warner Bros. Studio.

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    Though the Bradford house is long gone, the road leading up to it still looks relatively the same.

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    Thanks to IMDB and the Eight Is Enough message board, I learned that the residence was an onscreen regular in its day, most likely due to its charming aesthetic, proximity to several studios, and Anywhere, U.S.A. feel.  In the Season 2 episode of The Rockford Files titled “Where’s Houston?,” which aired in 1976, the Bradford pad portrayed the home of Houston Preli (Lane Bradbury).

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    I believe the property’s actual interior was also utilized in the episode.

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    The pad popped up on The Rockford Files once again two years later, this time as the supposed Sherman Oaks home belonging to Jay Rockfelt’s (John Pleshette) parents in Season 4’s “Dwarf in a Helium Hat.”

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    From the way the episode was shot, I can say with certainty that the real life interior was also featured.

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    The Eight Is Enough house was used in an establishing shot of the residence belonging to Rebecca Steck (Paula Hoffman) in the Season 2 episode of Valerie – or The Hogan Family, if you’re watching in syndication – titled “Caught on a Hot Tin Roof,” which aired in 1986.

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    Interestingly, the shot was actually borrowed from the pilot episode of Eight Is Enough, which makes sense being that both series were produced by Lorimar.  Though the quality of The Hogan Family cap is terrible (I could not find a hi-res version of “Caught on a Hot Tin Roof” to stream), as you can see, the images above and below are one and the same.

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    In 1987, it popped up as the supposed Eden, Oregon-area Sitwell Mortuary where Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) met with some blackmail victims in the Season 4 episode of Murder, She Wrote titled “Trouble in Eden.”  (Thanks to fellow stalker Dennis for the tip!)

    The property’s interior also briefly appeared in the episode, though the main mortuary room featured was, I believe, just a set.

    The Bradford home also portrayed the Conventry Presbyterian Halloween Spook House in the Season 3 episode of Quantum Leap titled “The Boogieman: October 31st, 1964,” which aired in 1990.

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    Thanks to fellow stalker AJM, I learned that the Bradford residence was used extensively as the home of Cus D’Amato (George C. Scott) and Camille Ewald (Lilyan Chauvin), where Mike Tyson (Michael Jai White) lived while training to become a boxer, in the 1995 biopic Tyson.

    The interior of the pad also appeared in the movie.

    Update – While perusing photographs of the 1938 Lankershim Bridge collapse, a fellow stalker named Paul spotted the Bradford home!  He was kind enough to share the photos with me to post here.  The image below is from the USC Libraries Digital Collection.  The Bradford pad is denoted with a blue circle.  Though not perfectly clear, it is a much better shot of the property than the ones provided by Historic Aerials.  I love that, despite the somewhat fuzzy imagery, the home is still definitely recognizable from Eight Is Enough.

    The second photo Paul shared comes from the Water and Power Associates website and, once again, the Bradford residence, which is pictured from the rear, is circled in blue.  Though I have not been able to discern when precisely the property was originally built, at least we now know, thanks to Paul, that it was constructed at some point prior to 1938.

    For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

    Big THANK YOU to my friend Michael (you can read his many guest posts here) for helping to confirm this location!  Smile

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    Until next time, Happy Stalking!  Smile

    Stalk It: The Bradford home from Eight Is Enough was formerly located at 10733 Chiquita Street in Studio City.  The residence was torn down in 1996 and a new house now stands in its place.

  • Lacy Park from “Say Anything . . . “

    Lacy Park from Say Anything-7024

    Despite having lived in the San Gabriel Valley for 15 years, I somehow never visited Lacy Park in San Marino.  I had heard of it, sure (the kids I used to babysit would watch fireworks there every Fourth of July), and knew it was a popular recreation spot, but was never exactly certain of its location.  Lacy Park is often called one of San Marino’s “hidden gems” and now that I have been there, I can see why.  Those unaware of its presence could easily drive right by without noticing it at all.  Largely unmarked by signs and its parking lot hidden from view, the site isn’t exactly easy to find.  And, for whatever reason, I never sought it out.  But when Greg Mariotti, from The Uncool website, informed me that a scene from Say Anything . . . had been lensed on the premises (while the two of us were working on our guide to the 1989 movie’s Los Angeles locations), I knew I had to get over there ASAP to see it for myself.

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    The spot where Lacy Park is now situated was originally home to a lake.  Yes, a lake!  Lake Avenue in Pasadena is named after it, in fact.  Created by streams that poured down from the nearby mountains, the reservoir served as a water supply for the Gabrielino-Tongva Indian tribe in its early days.

    Lacy Park from Say Anything-6998

    Lacy Park from Say Anything-7000

      In the 1770s, Spanish missionaries descended upon the area and dammed up the lake in order to use it for power.

    Lacy Park from Say Anything-7004

    The mere got further use – and slowly began to dry up – in 1854 when a vintner named Benjamin D. Wilson purchased it, as well as a significant amount of surrounding acreage, and started employing the water to irrigate his vineyards.  He eventually allowed owners of neighboring land to also utilize the spring, which he dubbed “Wilson Lake,” depleting it significantly.

    Lacy Park from Say Anything-7001

    Lacy Park from Say Anything-7009

    In 1900, the site, which had been renamed “Kewen Lake,” was still large enough for swimming and George S. Patton, who grew up in the area, would take regular dips there.  (There’s even a memorial to the General on the property – it’s pictured below.)

    Lacy Park from Say Anything-7013

    In the ensuing years, the reservoir continued to reduce in size, becoming little more than a pond.  The city of San Marino decided the grounds would be better utilized as a public park and began re-imagining it as such in 1924.

    Lacy Park from Say Anything-7020

    Lacy Park from Say Anything-7022

    City councilman William Hertrich and landscape designer Armin Thurnher helped devise the bucolic space, which opened to the public as Lacy Park, named in honor of San Marino’s then mayor Richard H. Lacy, in 1925.

    Lacy Park from Say Anything-7002

    Lacy Park from Say Anything-7007

    The 30-acre idyll is easily one of the most beautiful parks I’ve ever had the pleasure of visiting.

    Lacy Park from Say Anything-7003

    Lacy Park from Say Anything-7008

    Situated in the center of the peaceful glen is a huge, open expanse of rolling lawn, surrounded by two walking loops (one measuring 3/4 mile and the other measuring 1 mile) framed by a mass of trees on all sides.  Much of the foliage, which includes oak, sycamore, and palm trees, was donated by railroad mogul Henry E. Huntington, whose estate – now the Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens – is located just blocks away.  Lacy Park also boasts a rose arbor, six tennis courts, a baseball field, and a children’s jungle gym.

    Lacy Park from Say Anything-7018

    Lacy Park from Say Anything-7019

    In Say Anything . . . , Lloyd Dobler (John Cusack), Diane Court (Ione Sky) and the rest of Lakewood High’s Class of ‘88 gather with friends and family at Lacy Park immediately following their graduation.

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    While there, Lloyd surreptitiously poses next to Diane while his BFF Corey Flood (Lili Taylor) snaps a photo.

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    Lacy Park also pops up in the 2002 thriller One Hour Photo as the spot where Seymour Parrish (Robin Williams) watches Jakob Yorkin (Dylan Smith) play soccer.

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    Supposedly Bill Cosby shot a movie at Lacy Park, as well, though I am unsure of which movie.  Fellow stalker Chas, of the It’s Filmed There website, recently asked me how I identify all of the productions that have been lensed at a particular location.  My answer?  “I Google the sh*t out of places.”  Winking smile  Well, today’s locale definitely provided the most unusual tip I’ve ever unearthed  regarding filming information.  While up to my usual Google tricks researching Lacy Park, I came across a deposition from the Cosby case (which you can see here and here) in which a plaintiff asserts that she met the actor while he was filming a movie at Lacy Park “in or about 1974.”  Despite the rather unusual nature of the lead, I, of course, felt compelled to figure out which movie she was referring to, but, unfortunately, as of yet, I have not been able to.  The only two that fit the bill as far as timing goes are Let’s Do It Again and Uptown Saturday Night.  While the former is not available for streaming anywhere, I was able to scan through the latter.  Though it does feature a park scene (pictured below), because of the mountains visible in the background and the arid nature of the foliage, I am 99.9% certain that it was shot at Griffith Park, not Lacy.

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    And while this Outlook Newspapers article says that Monster-in-Law also did some filming at Lacy Park, I scanned through the 2005 movie and did not see it pop up anywhere.

    Lacy Park from Say Anything-7014

    Lacy Park from Say Anything-7016

    For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

    Lacy Park from Say Anything-7005

    Until next time, Happy Stalking!  Smile

    Stalk It: Lacy Park, from Say Anything . . . , is located at 1485 Virginia Road in San Marino.  Be advised – non-area residents have to pay a $4 fee to enter the grounds on weekends.

  • Ambassador College from “That Thing You Do!”

    Ambassador College from That Thing You Do-5076

    All historic structures in the Los Angeles area with the word “ambassador” in their name seem to be doomed.  The famed Ambassador Hotel, which once stood at 3400 Wilshire Boulevard in Koreatown, was razed in 2005.  And the former Ambassador College, at 131 South St. John Avenue in Pasadena, was largely demolished beginning in 2013.  Coincidentally, both sites were featured in the 1996 film That Thing You Do!  I never got to see the Ambassador Hotel in person while it was still intact, sadly, but I did visit Ambassador College on many occasions during the time I lived in Pasadena.  Though a frequent filming locale, for whatever reason, I never blogged about the place.  Until now, that is.

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    Ambassador College was originally established by radio evangelist/Worldwide Church of God founder Herbert Armstrong in 1947.  Upon moving his church’s headquarters to Pasadena, Armstrong decided to create a four-year university on the premises that would teach the religious institution’s ideals.  He purchased several neighboring homes and mansions on Orange Grove Boulevard and began transforming them into a school.

    Ambassador College from That Thing You Do-5054

    Ambassador College from That Thing You Do-5051

    Over the years, Armstrong acquired more nearby residences and plots of land, and his school, which he dubbed Ambassador College, eventually encompassed a large 4-block, 48-acre area consisting of outcroppings of mansions, gardens, and buildings.

    Ambassador College from That Thing You Do-5041

    Ambassador College from That Thing You Do-5059

    In 1963, he employed the Daniel, Mann, Johnson and Mendenhall (DMJM) architecture firm to devise a cohesive design for the haphazard site.

    Ambassador College from That Thing You Do-5056

    Ambassador College from That Thing You Do-5060

    The group’s creation was a mid-century modern masterpiece.

    Ambassador College from That Thing You Do-5061

    Ambassador College from That Thing You Do-5058

    DMJM hired architect Peter J. Holdstock to design many new campus buildings, including three that became a focal point – the Ambassador Auditorium;

    Ambassador College from That Thing You Do-5062

    Ambassador College from That Thing You Do-5065

    the Hall of Administration;

    Ambassador College from That Thing You Do-5039

    Ambassador College from That Thing You Do-5038

    and the Student Center;

    Ambassador College from That Thing You Do-5064

    Ambassador College from That Thing You Do-5067

    all of which surround a reflecting pool and fountain . . .

    Ambassador College from That Thing You Do-5083

    Ambassador College from That Thing You Do-5069

    . . . that is capped off by a towering sculpture of egrets taking flight designed by David Wynne.

    Ambassador College from That Thing You Do-5070

    Ambassador College from That Thing You Do-5071

    Daniel, Mann, Johnson and Mendenhall also bought in landscape architect Garrett Eckbo to overhaul the campus’ sprawling grounds.

    Ambassador College from That Thing You Do-5052

    Ambassador College from That Thing You Do-5042

    The result was a dazzling array of colorful gardens, picturesque vistas, and sparkling fountains.  You can see some fabulous photos of the school shortly after the redesign project was completed here.

    Ambassador College from That Thing You Do-5044

    Sadly, virtually none of it remains.  Armstrong passed away in 1986 and Ambassador College faltered in his absence.  The school, a four-year, liberal arts institution, was not without its fair share of controversy, which didn’t help matters.  I won’t get into the details, but tales from disgruntled alumni can be found all over the internet, most describing the Worldwide Church of God as a cult.  The campus was shuttered in 1990 and students and teaching staff were transferred to a sister facility in Texas.  The Pasadena site remained vacant for almost a decade before being put up for sale in 1999.  The property was finally sold off in 2004 to three different entities – Harvest Rock Church, Maranatha High School, and the Sares-Regis Group.  The latter made plans to turn their 11-acre portion of the campus into a mixed-use development.

    Ambassador College from That Thing You Do-5055

    Ambassador College from That Thing You Do-5035

    As part of the project, Sares-Regis tore down many of the school’s historic structures.  Today, Ambassador College is a shell of its former self.

    Ambassador College from That Thing You Do-5081

    Ambassador College from That Thing You Do-5092

    My most recent visit to the school took place last month and I was shocked to see that the campus was virtually unrecognizable.  Thankfully, the Ambassador Auditorium still stands.

    Ambassador College from That Thing You Do-5063

    Ambassador College from That Thing You Do-5072

    The fabulously honeycombed Hall of Administration is long gone, though.

    Ambassador College from That Thing You Do-5089

    Ambassador College from That Thing You Do-5088

    Fortunately, I managed to snap a photo of its interior during a previous visit in August 2015.

    Ambassador College from That Thing You Do-5080

    Ambassador College was featured at the end of That Thing You Do!, in exterior shots of the supposed Santa Monica City of Broadcasting, where The Wonders filmed their The Hollywood Television Showcase segment.

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    The Ambassador Auditorium’s dressing room . . .

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    . . . and a campus bathroom were also utilized in The Hollywood Television Showcase scene.

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    That Thing You Do! is hardly the only production to have been lensed at Ambassador College, which should come as no surprise.  The school’s clean lines and striking architecture transfer beautifully to both the big and small screen.

    Ambassador College from That Thing You Do-5050

    Ambassador College from That Thing You Do-5037

    The campus has been such a hotbed of filming activity over the years, in fact, that it would be impossible for me to chronicle its entire resume here.  But a list of some of the highlights can be found below.

    Ambassador College from That Thing You Do-1746

    In the Season 1 episode of The Incredible Hulk titled “Life and Death,” which aired in 1978, Ambassador College masked as the hospital where Dr. Stan Rhodes (Andrew Robinson) worked, though not much of it was shown.

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    The school popped up once again on The Incredible Hulk later that same year, this time as a psychiatric institute at the University of Hawaii in Season 2’s “Married.”

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    The campus’ Hulett C. Merritt mansion is where Dr. David Banner (Bill Bixby) married Dr. Carolyn Fields (Mariette Hartley) in the episode.

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    James ‘Thunder’ Early (Eddie Murphy) drops his pants during a live televised performance being shot in the Ambassador Auditorium in 2006’s Dreamgirls.

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    George (Colin Firth) taught at Ambassador College in the 2009 drama A Single Man.  Of shooting at the school, an Interiors article states, “The filmmakers searched for a lecture hall that fit the time period; while most colleges had updated their lecture halls and buildings, this college in particular had been left untouched, for the most part.  There was some modification and adjustments done in the interior spaces, such as painting and the removal of modern accoutrements, such as replacing whiteboards with blackboards, as a way of making the space more appropriate for the period.”  Sadly, the Fine Arts Building, where filming took place, was one of the buildings lost to development, demolished in 2013.

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    2009 was busy for Ambassador College.  That year, the interior of the Hall of Administration portrayed an immigration office in the Season 1 episode of Lie to Me titled “Depraved Heart.”

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    That same year, Nathan Ford (Timothy Hutton) attended a gala at the Ambassador Auditorium in the Season 1 episode of Leverage titled “The First David Job.”

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    The Hall of Administration popped up – as a museum – in the Leverage episode that followed, as well, titled “The Second David Job.”

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    The Hulett C. Merritt mansion also served as temporary safe house for Nathan and his team in the episode.  Both the exterior . . .

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    . . . and interior of the property were utilized in the shoot.

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    The Hall of Administration portrayed the FBI office where Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) worked in Fast & Furious, also in 2009.

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    President Fitzgerald Grant (Tony Goldwyn) was shot outside of the Ambassador Auditorium in the Season 2 episode of Scandal titled “Happy Birthday, Mr. President,” which aired in 2012.

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    That same year, the school appeared in one of my favorite commercials of all time, the Microsoft Surface “Movement” ad directed by Jon Chu.  You can watch it here.

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    The campus was featured extensively in the first season of the reality competition series King of the Nerds, which aired in 2013.

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    In 2014, Jennifer Jareau (A.J. Cook) was kidnapped from outside of the Ambassador Auditorium at the end of the Season 9 episode of Criminal Minds titled “The Road Home.”

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    That same year, the interior of the Hall of Administration masked as the interior of Golden Fang Enterprises, Inc. Corporate Headquarters in Inherent Vice.

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    Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen) fights Andrew Garner (Blair Underwood) in the Hall of Administration’s lobby in the Season 3 episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. titled “Chaos Theory,” which aired in 2015.

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    And in 2016, Ambassador College masked as the Japanese National Archives in Tokyo in the Season 3 episode of The Last Ship titled “Legacy.”

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    For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

    Ambassador College from That Thing You Do-5053

    Until next time, Happy Stalking!  Smile

    Stalk It: The former Ambassador College site, from That Thing You Do!, is located at 131 South St. John Avenue in Pasadena.

  • Community Church at Holliston from “That Thing You Do!”

    Community Church at Holliston from That Thing You Do-6767

    Many moons ago, around the time I first moved to Los Angeles in early 2000, the Pasadena Historical Society hosted a special exhibition about filming in the area.  I, of course, attended and, along with learning that Dylan McKay’s (Luke Perry) house from Beverly Hills, 90210 was located just down the street from Casa Walsh, I also gleaned that fave movie That Thing You Do! had been lensed at two Crown City locales – the now largely defunct Ambassador College (at 131 South St. John Avenue) and the Holliston Avenue Methodist Church, now Community Church at Holliston (at 1305 East Colorado Boulevard).  Though I visited both sites many times over the years, I have somehow never done a blog on either.  So I figured it was time to change that.  A write-up on Ambassador College will be coming soon, but today I thought I’d cover the Community Church.

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    Community Church at Holliston has an interesting history – one that involves a move.  Yes, the structure was actually moved from one location to another.  But more on that in a bit.

    Community Church at Holliston from That Thing You Do-6787

    Community Church at Holliston from That Thing You Do-6774

    The parish was originally built in 1887 at the southeast corner of East Colorado Boulevard and South Marengo Avenue (where the Pacific Southwest Trust & Savings Bank building stands today).  The Gothic-style structure, then known as the First Methodist Episcopal Church, was razed after its tower and roof were blown off during a bad storm in 1891.  A replacement church was subsequently constructed on the site in 1901.

    Community Church at Holliston from That Thing You Do-6776

    The new church, Richardsonian Romanesque in style, was designed by architect John C. Austin, who was also responsible for giving us the Theodore Groene/Bahn Jewelry Store building in Ventura and the Griffith Observatory in Griffith Park.  You can see photos of the church during its early days here, here, and here.

    Community Church at Holliston from That Thing You Do-6783

    Community Church at Holliston from That Thing You Do-6782

    In 1923, it was decided that the congregation needed more land and a larger worship space, so the First Methodist Episcopal Church was taken apart – literally – and moved piece by piece to its current location at the corner of East Colorado Boulevard and South Holliston Avenue, where it was rebuilt with a few alterations.  It re-opened to the public in December 1924.

    Community Church at Holliston from That Thing You Do-6793

    Community Church at Holliston from That Thing You Do-6784

    The sanctuary boasts a façade consisting of Sespe-covered-bricks which, along with the gothic-style windows, apses, and crenelated roofline, gives the church a very castle-like appearance.

    Community Church at Holliston from That Thing You Do-6785

    Community Church at Holliston from That Thing You Do-6790

    The large inner courtyard is especially reminiscent of a castle.

    Community Church at Holliston from That Thing You Do-6797

    Community Church at Holliston from That Thing You Do-6801

    The parish has undergone several name changes over the years, becoming Holliston Avenue Methodist Church, then Holliston Church, and finally Community Church at Holliston, as it is known today.

    Community Church at Holliston from That Thing You Do-6781

    Community Church at Holliston from That Thing You Do-6777

    In That Thing You Do!, the Community Church at Holliston was the spot where The Oneders recorded their first single, for their soon-to-be-hit song “That Thing You Do.”

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    The reason their inaugural record was laid down in a church?  That’s all thanks to Guy Patterson (Tom Everett Scott).  When the idea of recording an album first comes up, Guy informs the group that he has a relative in the record industry.  Well, sort of.  As Lenny Haise (Steve Zahn) explains, Guy’s uncle, Uncle Bob (Chris Isaak), “records church music, choirs, favorite sermons, stuff my mom listens to.”  Uncle Bob does indeed help The Oneders, though, recording their first single in what is supposedly a locale Eerie, Pennsylvania church.  In the scene, you can see the sanctuary’s E.M. Skinner pipe organ.

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    Sadly, when we showed up to stalk the church, mass had just ended and the interior was packed with people.  Though we did get to see the inside, I did not snap any photographs of it due to the crowds.  I was able to take pictures of the courtyard area, though, thankfully.  You can check out some images of the Community Church at Holliston’s interior here.

    Community Church at Holliston from That Thing You Do-6799

    Community Church at Holliston from That Thing You Do-6800

    I used to live not far from Community Church and happened upon the filming of a Cold Case episode on the premises one day.  Or actually, episodes.  The locale appeared in Season 6’s special two-parter, titled “The Long Blue Line” and “Into the Blue,” both of which aired in 2009.  For the shoot, the church was transformed into the Pennsylvania Military Institute.

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    Community Church at Holliston from That Thing You Do-6798

    Though I couldn’t venture onto the property to watch the filming, I could see a few of the courtyard scenes being shot from the street, all of which involved military formations and marching.  It could not have been more cool to witness!

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    Community Church at Holliston from That Thing You Do-6799

    For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

    Community Church at Holliston from That Thing You Do-6784

    Until next time, Happy Stalking!  Smile

    Stalk It: The Community Church at Holliston, from that Thing Thing You Do!, is located at 1305 East Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena.

  • New York’s Paley Park

    New York's Paley Park-1130664

    New York has no shortage of “secret” places.  I blogged about one – Grand Central’s Whispering Gallery – on Friday.  Another that the Grim Cheaper and I are fond of is Paley Park, located in NYC’s Midtown East neighborhood.  We happened by the site while wandering along 53rd Street during our very first visit to the Big Apple in 2004 and were so struck by its beauty that we had to pop in for a closer look.  We now make it a point to stop by at least once during every trip.  Though not a filming location (at least that I know of), Paley Park is such a stunning spot, I decided it was most definitely worthy of a blog post.

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    Paley Park is one of many pocket parks or vest-pocket parks, i.e. small landscaped spaces open to the public, located on the island of Manhattan.

    New York's Paley Park-1130667

    New York's Paley Park-1130669

    The pocket park concept was first proposed by landscape architecture firm Zion & Breen Associates during a 1963 Architectural League of New York exhibition.  A couple of years later, broadcast giant William Paley submitted a spot to built the prototype – a 40×100-foot plot of land he owned that formerly housed one of New York’s most preeminent nightclubs.  Sherman Billingsley’s Stork Club, as it was known, stood at 3 East 53rd from 1934 to 1966 and, during its heyday, played host to such guests as Marilyn Monroe, Joe DiMaggio, Lucille Ball, John Barrymore, Charlie Chaplin, Carmen Miranda, Judy Garland, Ernest Hemingway, Tallulah Bankhead, Frank Sinatra, Humphrey Bogart, Grace Kelly, Ronald Reagan, Spencer Tracy, and Elizabeth Taylor.  The Stork was shuttered in October 1965 due to financial losses from a longtime labor dispute and the building that once housed it was razed the following year after being purchased by Paley.  Soon after, plans got underway to construct the park.

    New York's Paley Park-1130678

    New York's Paley Park-1130676

    Designed by Zion & Breen partner Robert Zion, along with input from Paley, the miniscule park is situated on a scant 1/10 of an acre (only 4,200 square feet!) that is set back from 53rd Street in a tucked away spot surrounded by buildings on three sides.  The east and west sides, covered in English Ivy, were dubbed “vertical lawns” by Zion.

    New York's Paley Park-1130679

    At the rear of the park stands a 40-foot-wide, 20-foot-tall waterfall that pumps 1,800 gallons of water per minute.  The white noise it creates completely drowns out the din of 53rd Street which sits just steps away.  The result is a peaceful oasis – a tiny and unexpected respite from the hustle and bustle of the city.  The idyll also features moveable tables and chairs (designed by Eero Saarinen and Harry Bertoia, respectively), 12 honey locust trees, and a small café, all set atop granite paver flooring.

    New York's Paley Park-1130672

    New York's Paley Park-1130673

    Named in honor of William’s father, Samuel Paley, the park opened to the public on May 23rd, 1967.

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    Paley Park is easily one of the most beautiful spots on the island of Manhattan.  As such, I was certain it had to have been featured onscreen numerous times.  Try as I might, though, outside of William H. Whyte’s 1980 documentary The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces, I could not find one single instance. The Stork Club did pop up in a couple of movies, however, including 1947’s Daisy Kenyon and Alfred Hitchcock’s 1956 noir The Wrong Man (pictured below).

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    Located just a half a mile away, at 217 East 51st Street, is another gorgeous pocket park that the GC and I only discovered on our most recent trip to Manhattan last April.  Known as Greenacre Park, the bucolic spot was designed by Sasaki, Dawson, DeMay Associates in 1971.

    Greenacre Park-1130802

    Greenacre Park-1130803

    The 60×120-foot park also boasts a waterfall, this one rising 25 feet.  Sadly, no photographs are allowed at the site, so I was only able to snap a few from the street.

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    On a stalking side note – my good friend Kerry (you may remember her from her fabulous guest post about the farmhouse from All of My Heart) has just started her own filming locations blog, I’ve Scene It On Hallmark.  As the name suggests, she will be chronicling locales featured in the popular Hallmark Channel movies and series.  Her guest post really resonated with so many of my readers and I know her new blog will, too!  So, go check it out!  Congratulations, Kerry!

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    For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

    New York's Paley Park-1130683

    Until next time, Happy Stalking!  Smile

     Stalk It: Paley Park is located at 3 East 53rd Street in New York’s Midtown East neighborhood.  Greenacre Park can be found at 217 East 51st Street, also in Midtown East.

  • Grand Central Terminal’s Whispering Gallery

    Grand Central Terminal's Whispering Gallery-1130952

    New York is a magical place.  I always describe it as such.  It is not just the abject filming locations, gorgeous architecture, and surplus of history that make the city so majestic, but the little, notable things that seem to be tucked around every corner.  Take for instance the Whispering Gallery at Grand Central Terminal.  On the lower level of the landmark train station is a small alcove framed by four pillared archways.  Commuters and tourists rush through it everyday, hurriedly passing underneath the tiled bows, taking no note of its symmetrical beauty or its acoustic secret.  Linger a few minutes in the 2,000-square-foot chamber, though, and you will undoubtedly see friends enter together, wander to opposite corners, turn to face the pillars, and then either immediately proclaim “How cool!” or start giggling.  Their exuberance is due to the fact that the curvature of the Gallery’s ceiling provides a seamless path for low-level sound to travel up one side and down the other, arriving in the ear of a listener 50 feet away.

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    I first read about the phenomenon shortly before my inaugural visit to New York in 2004.  The guidebooks I purchased in preparation for the trip didn’t specify exactly where in Grand Central the Whispering Gallery was located, though, and I somehow got the impression that it was part of the Main Concourse.  So, on our first sojourn to the station, the Grim Cheaper and I excitedly headed to opposite corners of the grand room, turned and faced the walls, and, like a couple of idiots, proceeded to whisper to each other.  Neither of us heard a peep, outside of the hustle and bustle of commuters, and walked away from the experience thoroughly confused, I am sure drawing quite a few laughs from Manhattanites in the know.  Thinking the Whispering Gallery was a hoax, we never re-visited the search on any of our subsequent trips to the Big Apple.  I did not even think about the site until years later, in fact, when I happened to mention our failure to fellow stalker Owen, of the When Write Is Wrong blog, during our first meet-up, which took place in NYC in 2009.  Owen was quite familiar with the Whispering Gallery, knew of its exact location, and assured us it was real.  While he wanted to show it to us that day, unfortunately we ran out of time.  But he vowed that on our next visit, he would take us there.  Though it took 7 years for that visit to materialize, Owen made good on his promise.

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    Grand Central Terminal's Whispering Gallery-1130943

    As he showed us, the Whispering Gallery is located on Grand Central’s lower level, in the Dining Concourse, just outside of the iconic Oyster Bar.

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    The rotunda, which is actually a convergence of three commuter corridors, was constructed, along with the rest of Grand Central Terminal, in 1913.  The vaulted space was designed by Rafael Guastavino and his son, Rafael Guastavino, Jr., of the Guastavino Fireproof Construction Company.  The duo, who also created domed masterpieces at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, the City Hall subway station, and the Bronx Zoo Elephant House (just to name a few), utilized their signature technique to create the Gallery.  As the Metropolitan Transportation Authority website explains it, “Guastavino’s method of arch construction uses layers of thin, glazed terracotta tiles set in mortar in a herringbone pattern.  The tiles are naturally fireproof and as strong as steel or wooden beams but weigh much less.”

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    The result is a dazzling display of gilded masonry.

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    And yes, a scientific curiosity.  Thanks to the laws of physics and the Gallery’s parabolic-curved ceiling, two friends can stand at opposite corners of the room, face the wall, whisper to each other, and those whispers will magically be heard.  The GC and I tested it out, with Owen acting as our guide, and I am happy to report that the phenomenon is absolutely real – and so incredibly cool.

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    There are differing beliefs as to whether or not the Guastavinos intended the effect.  The New York Times quotes architect Frank J. Prial, Jr., who worked on the 1990s restoration of the terminal, as describing the acoustical occurrence as “a happy coincidence.”  Apparently, during the restoration project, Prial’s firm, Beyer Blinder Belle, did not come across any evidence that the sound effect was deliberate.  But author Lisa Montanarelli states in her book New York City Curiosities that the Guastavinos “designed the whispering gallery based on architectural principals that have been used for centuries worldwide – from the dome of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London to the Temple of Heaven in Beijing to the Gol Gumbaz in Bijapur, India.”  Regardless if the phenomenon was accidental or intended, the Whispering Gallery is a fabulous “secret” site, one that I cannot more highly recommend visiting and testing out for yourself.

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    The Whispering Gallery is also a filming location!  In the 2011 remake of the movie Arthur, Naomi (Greta Gerwig) shows the unique spot to Arthur (Russell Brand) during their first date and he proceeds to officially ask her out – via whisper, of course – while there.

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    My friend Katie, who runs Matthew Lillard Online, let me know that Cereal (Lillard), Dade (Jonny Lee Miller), Kate (Angelina Jolie) and the gang skated through the Whispering Gallery at the end of 1995’s Hackers.  Thanks, Katie!

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    The Gallery is also said to have been featured in the 1996 romcom Breathing Room, but unfortunately I could not find a copy of it anywhere with which to make screen captures for this post.

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    The Oyster Bar, also designed by the Guastavinos, has been featured in a couple of productions, as well.  Though we did not venture inside the historic eatery during our Whispering Gallery stalk, I figured it still bears mentioning here.  The restaurant popped up a couple of times in the 2016 thriller The Girl on the Train.

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    That same year, Prairie Johnson (Brit Marling) dined there with Dr. Hunter Aloysius ‘Hap’ Percy (Jason Isaacs) in the Season 1 episode of The OA titled “New Colossus.”

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    Though a scene in the Season 1 episode of Mad Men titled “Red in the Face” was set at a supposed New York City oyster bar, the specific oyster bar wasn’t mentioned.  Countless websites state that filming of the segment took place at Grand Central, but that information is erroneous.  The AMC series was shot almost in its entirety in Los Angeles and the “Red in the Face” scene was lensed at Musso and Frank Grill in Hollywood, as detailed in this post.  Being that Musso’s (as the eatery is commonly called) looks nothing like Grand Central’s Oyster Bar (as you can see below), I am unsure of how the confusion came to be.

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    Another “secret” spot in Grand Central that we checked out while in New York last April was a section of dirty ceiling in the Main Concourse.  When the room’s massive rooftop mural was cleaned in the mid-90s (a job that took 6 months to complete at a cost of $1 million!), the John Canning Company, the group that performed the restoration, left one small 9×18-inch patch tainted.  That patch can be found near the crab’s claw in the hall’s northwest corner.  While most websites (and even Grand Central tour guides) claim that the dirt was caused by nicotine tar from the hundreds upon hundreds of commuters who puffed in the Concourse before cigarettes were banned, JCC disputes this fact, stating that the grime, which boasted a 2-inch thickness in some spots, was actually created by air pollutants, including car and truck exhaust and soot emissions from area industrial plants.  JCC left the small patch of dirt intact for future study.  According to the company’s website, such patches “provide the complete environmental history of the building’s interior.”

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    Though the dirty ceiling patch was referenced in Arthur, it wasn’t shown.  A close-up view of it can be seen below, though.

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    For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

    Big THANK YOU to my friend/fellow stalker Owen, from the When Write Is Wrong blog, for showing me this location!  Smile

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    Until next time, Happy Stalking!  Smile

    Stalk It: Grand Central Terminal is located at 89 East 42nd Street in the Midtown East area of New York.  The Whispering Gallery, from Arthur, can be found just outside of the Grand Central Oyster Bar & Restaurant, which is on the Lower Level in the Dining Concourse.  The dirty ceiling patch is located near the crab’s claw in the northwest corner of the Main Concourse.