TV Locations – Page 3 – IAMNOTASTALKER

June 15, 2020June 14, 2020

The Howard Motor Company Building from “The Mentalist”

I always play tourist in my own town. Never was that more the case then when I resided in Pasadena. The area is so chock-full of notable locales, though, that sometimes it takes a newcomer to point them out. My friend Kim recently embarked upon her first visit to Crown City (it was socially-distanced, of course!) and in poring through the Facebook photos she posted that day, I was pleasantly surprised to see pics of the Howard Motor Company Building! Though Kim took note of the gorgeous structure immediately upon passing it, I drove by daily while living in Pasadena and even once witnessed The Mentalist filming on the premises, but somehow never dedicated a post to the place! So to the top of my To-Stalk List it went and I headed over there shortly thereafter.

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The Howard Motor Company Building was designed in 1927 by the Austin Company of California architecture firm.

The Spanish Colonial Revival-style structure served as an automobile showroom for the dealership through 1938, at which time the Busch-Morgan Motor Company moved in.

The stunning building continued to operate as a car gallery through at least 1996.

The ornate edifice, with its spectacular California Churrigueresque detailing, was intended to attract passersby traveling along the popular Route 66, get them to stop, and hopefully buy a new car. The concept certainly worked on my friend Kim who immediately pulled over to get a better look at the place.

The Howard Motor Company Building is easily one of Pasadena’s most beautiful structures.

The interior is just as incredible as the exterior!

Sadly, the property, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, has been tenantless for pretty much as long as I remember, though it sometimes houses a Spirit Halloween store in the Fall.

The long-term vacancy left it open for the filming of The Mentalist in November 2009. My dad and I happened to be driving by when the shoot was being set up and, of course, stopped to watch.

Though I don’t have any photos from that day, we were invited inside to take a peek at the space with all of its glorious set dressing and, let me tell you, the Howard Motor Company Building was definitely ready for its close-up!

In the episode, Season 2’s “Redline,” which aired in February 2010, the site portrayed the supposed Marin County Zenith Motors showroom, where Patrick Jane (Simon Baker) and the CBI team investigated the murder of a woman found stuffed inside the trunk of a car. The program showcased both the exterior . . .

. . . and interior of the space to spectacular effect!

With the red carpeting, extensive foliage and up-lighting, the episode really gives us an idea of what the building must have looked like back in its heyday.

Big THANK YOU to my friend Kim for reminding me of this location! 🙂

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

Until next time, Happy Stalking! Smile

Stalk It: The Howard Motor Company Building, from the “Redline” episode of The Mentalist, is located at 1285 East Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena.

June 12, 2020June 13, 2020

Mother Moo Creamery from “Big Little Lies”

Though Big Little Lies’ second season was an all-around disappointment, the biggest letdown of all was Meryl Streep and Reese Witherspoon’s infamous ice-cream-throwing scene – captured by paparazzi and splayed all over the internet – which never actually made it to the screen. The cut didn’t go unnoticed. Calling the lost segment “the biggest lie so far,” the Eater website opined, “The biggest mystery of season two revolves around a food fight that never happened.” Thanks to some signage visible on neighboring buildings in the paparazzi pics, I tracked down and stalked Mother Moo Creamery, the adorable Sierra Madre ice cream shop where the cone-tossing scene took place, long before the sophomore season premiered. So the disappointment over its non-airing was particularly stinging for me. Though Streep assured fans the footage would be included in the Season 2 DVD extras, that did not come to pass. Oh, BLL producers, why are you holding out on us? Regardless, I figured Mother Moo was still worthy of a post and, since restaurants are just starting to reopen, decided now was the perfect time to pen it!

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Bright, colorful, and cheery, Mother Moo Creamery is the cutest little ice cream shop you ever did see!

Pinwheels in the planter box? Come on! So adorable!

It’s like the ice cream parlor of your dreams!

And it’s even more charming inside!

The ice cream offerings at Mother Moo are plentiful. The Grim Cheaper and I opted for a scoop of the salty chocolate and it was literally the best cone of my life!

Besides the divine scoops, Mother Moo also sells gifts, candy, and other sundries.

It is not at all hard to see how the darling shop wound up onscreen, especially on a series as picturesque as Big Little Lies.

While the cone-throwing footage never made it to to the airwaves, Mother Moo Creamery – or at least the exterior of it – did! In the episode titled “Kill Me,” Madeline Martha Mackenzie (Witherspoon) and her daughter, Abigail Carlson (Kathryn Newton), have a terse interaction with Mary Louise Wright (Streep) outside of the parlor.

We get a better look at the jeweler next door than we do Mother Moo in the segment, though.

Fortunately, we have those paparazzi photos which largely went viral thanks to a fan named Matt who posted one on Twitter with the caption, “I am praying Reese pelts Meryl with that ice cream,” to which Reese responded, “Oh Matt! No need to pray. I got her!”

Of course, I had to do it!

Shortly before Big Little Lies’ Season 2 premiere, Reese posted an Instagram photo posing with her television daughter at the shop, so I had to emulate that, as well!

Long before Mother Moo Creamery moved in, the storefront that houses it appeared briefly as an electronics shop in the 1982 horror film Halloween III: The Season of the Witch. It is amazing how little of the space has changed in the almost forty years since the segment was lensed!

I am fairly certain the site was an electronics store in real life during that time because, thanks to fellow stalker Walter, I learned that in 1986 it also popped up in the Season 2 episode of Highway to Heaven titled “Close Encounters of the Heavenly Kind” as Jack’s Video Repair, where Harvey Milsap (Harold J. Stone) attempted to get a job.

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

Until next time, Happy Stalking! Smile

Stalk It: Mother Moo Creamery, from the “Kill Me” episode of Big Little Lies, is located at 17 Kersting Court in Sierra Madre. You can visit the eatery’s official website here.

June 10, 2020June 8, 2020

The Deco Building from “Hollywood”

Ryan Murphy’s latest Netflix series, Hollywood, is worth a watch for a slew of reasons, not the least of which is its locations. The Los Angeles featured in the 1940s-set show is nothing short of jaw-dropping! Even the seemingly mundane spots like the bank Jack Costello (David Corenswet) and his wife, Henrietta (Maude Apatow), briefly visit in episode 1 are drool-inducing! So I, of course, set out to ID it! Countless Zigzag Moderne elements were visible dotted around the striking space, leading me to do a Google search for “Art Deco,” “bank,” and “Los Angeles.” One of the first results kicked back was this L.A. Conservancy page detailing The Deco Building at 5209 Wilshire Boulevard in Hancock Park. I had never heard of the place, but headed right over to Google Images and was floored at what I saw – a pristine Art Deco time capsule hidden away on a busy L.A. street. Despite its stunning exterior, I had driven by countless times without even realizing it was there! I decided to promptly amend that by doing some socially-distant stalking of it just a few days later.

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The Deco Building was originally constructed as the Security-First National Bank in 1929. You can check out a photo of it from its early days here.

Designed by the Morgan, Walls and Clements architecture firm, the exterior is clad in stunning black and gold terracotta tile.

Sadly, it is one of the only black and gold Art Deco structures still standing in the city.

The Deco Building operated as a bank until 1970 and subsequently went through several different incarnations including a gold and silver wholesale dealership, a Persian rug showroom, and a cabaret/private club known as Zephyr. Following a restoration in 1999, the site was transformed into upscale office space.

Though the exterior is spectacular, it is the inside that is the real stunner.

The two-story space, which is a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument, features high ceilings, a mezzanine, gilded skylights, and intricate chandeliers. The vault, visible at the back of my photos above and below, even remains intact!

Considering its gorgeously preserved architecture, it is no surprise that the property wound up in a production like the historically-set Hollywood.

In the premiere episode, titled “Hooray for Hollywood,” Jack and Henrietta head to the bank building hoping to secure a $20,000 loan to buy a home, but they are unsuccessful.

Though brief, the scene is pivotal as the loan denial pushes Jack to agree to work as an escort at Golden Tip Gasoline, thereby setting off the series’ main storyline.

The short segment also gives us fabulous glimpses of The Deco Building’s interior and all of its grand detailing.

Hollywood is not the site’s only small-screen foray.

The Deco Building portrays the headquarters for Governor Charles Brooks’ (Richard Burgi) re-election campaign in the Season 2 episode of Lie to Me titled “Bullet Bump,” which aired in 2010.

And J (Issa Rae) has a job interview there in the Season 2 episode of The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl titled “The Call,” which aired in 2013.

The Deco Building also boasts a Disney connection! A portion of the Mickey’s of Hollywood store at Disney World’s Hollywood Studios was modeled after the structure. You can check out an image of it here.

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

Until next time, Happy Stalking! Smile

Stalk It: The Deco Building, aka the bank from the “Hooray for Hollywood” episode of Hollywood, is located at 5209 Wilshire Boulevard in Hancock Park.

June 8, 2020June 7, 2020

Alicia Kent’s House from “Bosch”

I’m just gonna say it – Bosch is straight-up real estate porn! There isn’t one residence that has been featured on the long-running Amazon police procedural that I wouldn’t want to live in! The striking cantilevered cliffside abode belonging to Harry (Titus Welliver), Chief Irving’s (Lance Reddick) charming Spanish dwelling, and, in the latest season, the sleek mid-century modern home of (spoiler!) victim-turned-suspect Alicia Kent (Lynn Collins). They are all perfection! One look at the latter’s massive wooden double front doors, tiered front steps, and cement siding, and I was smitten! So I set out to find it.

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A “2647” address number was visible on the curb in front of the house in the Season 6 premiere, titled “The Overlook.”

And thanks to a view of the backyard shown in episode 4, “Part of the Deal,” I knew the pad was situated in the Hollywood Hills just below the Hollywood Sign. So I started searching 2600 blocks in that area and quickly came across Alicia’s home at 2641 Lake Hollywood Drive. As it turns out, the last digit of the address was changed from a “1 “to a “7” for the Bosch shoot. Nice try, producers, but you have to wake up pretty early in the morning to fool me!

In real life, the striking property boasts 5 bedrooms, 4 baths, 2,997 square feet of living space, an entrance atrium, floor-to-ceiling glass sliders, a media room, a fireplace, a maid’s room with a bath, a 0.43-acre lot, a large pool, a spa, and sweeping views of the Lake Hollywood Reservoir, Palos Verdes and downtown L.A. You can check out some MLS photos of the interior from when it last sold in 2010 here.

Per building permits, both the interior and exterior of the 1965 pad were extensively remodeled in 2012.

The property’s original façade is pictured in the top Google Street View image below.

Though dated, the place was pretty spectacular even then!

But today it is downright stunning!

Harry initially visits the house in “The Overlook” while performing an emergency welfare check on Alicia, the wife of a medical physicist whose murdered body has just been discovered.

The pad goes on to appear in several additional episodes of Season 6.

Bosch captured the home and all of its mid-century glory beautifully.

The place’s actual interior is also utilized on the show. As you can see in the images below as compared to the 2010 MLS photos, the inside looks quite a bit different today than it did when the property last sold.

The incredible backyard is featured on Bosch, as well, and is, in my opinion, the showpiece of the entire house.

On a stalking side-note – My friend Shaun recently started a filming locations/pop culture landmarks/historical sites blog named All About Los Angeles. I’ve long been a fan of his Instagram account and his photogenic way of showcasing the city’s many highlights. Thanks to his unique interests, he has even managed to introduce me to countless new-to-me spots, which is saying a lot considering I’ve been at this crazy hobby a long time. You can check out his new site here!

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

Until next time, Happy Stalking! Smile

Stalk It: Alicia Kent’s house from Bosch is located at 2641 Lake Hollywood Drive in the Hollywood Hills.

June 5, 2020June 26, 2020

Dan and Betty’s House from “Dirty John: The Betty Broderick Story”

No true crime case has fascinated me quite as deeply as the murder of prominent La Jolla attorney Dan Broderick and his wife/former mistress, Linda Kolkena. The intrigue is odd considering we know who the killer is (Dan’s first wife, Betty, confessed immediately following the slayings), we know the why (she could not get over the affair, the divorce settlement or the fact that Dan had moved on), and we know the how (on numerous occasions Betty has detailed sneaking into Dan and Linda’s Hillcrest home on November 5th, 1989 and shooting the couple dead). There’s really no mystery here. Yet, I.am.engrossed. So is much of the world. There have been myriad books and articles written on the subject, television interviews broadcast (including several with Betty conducted from prison), and a two-part made-for-TV movie starring Meredith Baxter that aired in 1992. But the public can’t seem to get enough. So it is no surprise that the USA Network decided to dedicate the second season of its Dirty John series to the case, with Amanda Peet and Christian Slater at the helm. Dirty John: The Betty Broderick Story hit the small screen this past Tuesday. My interest was piqued long before that, though. In fact, I started tracking down the show’s locations as soon as the first trailer was released! The spot that most interested me, of course, was the home where Dan and Betty lived before their relationship went bad, which turned out to be a snap to find.

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In the first Sneak Peek of the series, which was released in early May, a young Dan and Betty are shown removing a “For Sale” sign from the yard of their new house. An address number of “19854” was clearly visible on the front of the property in the scene and, thanks to its early-80s tract look, I figured it could most likely be found in the San Fernando Valley. So, armed with that information, I headed over to Google and fairly quickly IDed the place as 19854 Dina Place in Chatsworth.

I ran out to stalk it – from an appropriate social distance, of course – shortly thereafter. I call the picture below “Stalking in the time of the Coronavirus.” Winking smile

Betty Broderick’s story is a tale as old as time. Wife works to put husband through school (in Dan’s case, medical and law school) while managing the household and caring for the children. Husband finally starts making money, opens up own practice, buys a house, and a new sports car. Not long after, husband begins affair with young secretary (in Dan’s case, his 21-year-old legal assistant, whom he hired even though she couldn’t type). Husband leaves wife for secretary, files for divorce, and things get ugly. Extremely ugly. At the center of Dan and Betty’s divorce proceedings was their longtime family home, which they both referred to as the “Coral Reef house.”

The actual Coral Reef house (pictured in the top Google Street View image below) is located at 5555 Coral Reef Avenue in La Jolla. Dan and Betty purchased the 5-bedroom, 3-bath, 3,000-square-foot pad, which you can see interior photos of here, in 1976 after their rental in nearby Clairemont was damaged in a fire. Per a 1989 San Diego Reader article, Dan was just on the cusp of hitting it big financially. Author Jeannette DeWyze states, “Betty said they moved there with virtually no furniture, and even after her third child, a son, was born in 1976, she continued to work nights as a cashier and hostess at the Black Angus restaurant in Kearny Mesa. According to her, the family only became ‘solvent’ around 1979. ‘I can remember because we built a swimming pool in the back yard. And that’s a luxury, right? We financed it onto the house, so it wasn’t like we paid cash for it or anything, but we were able to increase the house payment a little. So, in my mind, that’s when he had some money.'” When a cracked slab was discovered at the property in the fall of 1984, the family moved out and into a rental nearby so that repairs could be performed. Dan left Betty the following spring, moving back in Coral Reef alone for a time and then into a handsome dwelling in San Diego’s Hillcrest neighborhood. On February 4th, 1986, he sold their longtime home out from under Betty via a legal loophole (granted she had been trying to stall and hamper the process for months), and when she found out, she was so furious she proceeded to drive a car into his Hillcrest residence! Like I said, things got extremely ugly. As you can see below, Dirty John: The Betty Broderick Story location managers really strove to find a house for the series that closely resembled the real thing, which I couldn’t appreciate more.

The peaked red-tile roof, three-car garage, double front doors, stepped front walkway, and Spanish style of Dan and Betty’s actual former home are all a direct match to those of its TV counterpart, as you can see in the MLS photo of Coral Reef as compared to the image of the house used on the series below!

Not only that, but the TV pad still has a very ‘80s feel, despite being 2020, so producers must have been elated to find it!

In real life, the 1976 home boasts 4 bedrooms, 5 baths, 3,989 square feet, a 0.41-acre lot, a pool, a jacuzzi, and a tennis court.

I had to laugh at the Ferrari parked out front being that Dan bought the same kind of sports car shortly before leaving Betty – both on the series and in real life. His was red, but still. Life imitating art imitating life, I guess.

The property’s backyard is also being featured on the series.

The inside of Dan and Betty’s residence was, I believe, just a set – one closely based upon that of 19854 Dina Place. And though I could not find interior photos of the home with which to verify that hunch . . .

. . . an Instagram follower named mz._royale informed me that the very same property appeared in another true crime anthology series based in San Diego! In 2018, it popped up as the supposed Rancho Bernardo home where Andrew Cunanan (Darren Criss) grew up in the “Creator/Destroyer” episode of The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story.

I was thrilled to discover while watching that the home’s actual interior also appeared in the episode!

Though it is similar in layout and design to the inside of Dan and Betty’s house, as you can see above and below, the two are not one and the same, making me all the more certain that filming of Dirty John took place on a set.

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

Until next time, Happy Stalking! Smile

Stalk It: Dan and Betty Broderick’s house from Dirty John: The Betty Broderick Story is located at 19854 Dina Place in Chatsworth. The couple’s real-life former residence can be found at 5555 Coral Reef Avenue in La Jolla.

June 3, 2020June 4, 2020

Jack’s Apartment from “Hollywood”

I’ve always considered myself extremely knowledgeable when it comes to historic Los Angeles locales. But Ryan Murphy’s latest series, Hollywood, absolutely schooled me on the subject, introducing me to countless architectural marvels and notable spots from decades past. The site that fixated me most was the stunning apartment building where show-biz hopeful Jack Castello (David Corenswet) lived with his wife, Henrietta (Maude Apatow). One look at the coffered ceilings, carved columns, and elaborate stuccowork had me wondering aloud, “Is that place real?” I promptly set out to find the answer to that query and am happy to report back that it is!

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An address number of “1737” was visible on the exterior of Jack’s building in the first episode, “Hurray for Hollywood.” I had a strong hunch the property could be found in Tinseltown, so I did a Google search for “1737,” “apartment building,” and “Hollywood,” and the first result kicked back was for La Leyenda, a historic complex situated at 1737 Whitley Avenue. One look at Street View imagery of the property told me it was the right spot. (As you can see below, a neon sign was also visible in the episode, but, for the life of me, I could not make out what it said, which turned out to be a good thing as the piece was just set dressing put in place solely for the shoot.)

La Leyenda, Spanish for “The Legend,” was designed in 1927 by Leland A. Bryant, the prolific architect who also gifted Los Angeles with the Sunset Tower Hotel, Granville Towers, Harper House, Romanesque Villa Apartments, and Afton Arms.

Initially boasting 59 units, the 6-story Spanish Colonial Revival-style structure is chock-full of ornate detailing including Churrigueresque carvings, wrought iron doors, and the prettiest fire escape I ever did see!

It is stunning!

Those lampposts!

La Leyenda even seems to make rainbows spontaneously appear!

The locale’s carved stucco exterior reminds me quite a bit of The Shelley, aka the Seinfeld apartment building.

During the heyday of Hollywood, such stars as Mary Astor, Bing Crosby, El Brendel, Marie Prevost, Johnny Weissmuller, and Hal LeSueur resided on the premises. In more recent years, Flea and Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers called the place home.

Today, the building, Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #817, boasts 66 apartments, a gym, a laundry room, a large garden complete with a fountain, what one listing describes as “movie star closets” (I don’t know what a movie star closet is, but it definitely sounds like something I want!), and the most gorgeous lobby I’ve ever seen!

As soon as I saw Jack walk across the grand space in Hollywood’s first episode, I was smitten! What I wouldn’t give to see that lobby in person! I seriously need to befriend someone who lives there!

Thankfully, the building’s exterior is just as stunning! Surprisingly, it is only shown once on the series, when Henrietta returns home from a day at work to find Jack cooking her dinner in Hollywood’s premiere episode.

Jack and Henrietta’s apartment interior was, I believe, just a set, though one modeled closely upon actual La Leyenda units, one of which you can see photos of here. I am obsessed with all of the vintage tile and built-ins!

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

Until next time, Happy Stalking! Smile

Stalk It: La Leyenda, aka Jack’s apartment from Hollywood, is located at 1737 Whitley Avenue in Hollywood.

June 1, 2020May 30, 2020

The “Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper” House

Considering the number of people who share this crazy hobby and the length of time we’ve all been at it, you’d think most ‘90s-era sitcom houses would have been found by now. So I was shocked to receive an email in mid-May from fellow stalker Chris (who tracked down the site of Michelle’s downhill derby from Full House, as well as Mary-Kate and Ashley’s home and Chateau Emanuel from The Adventures of Mary-Kate & Ashley) asking if I knew the location of the supposed Oakland residence where Mark Cooper (Mark Curry) and his roommates lived on the popular TGIF series Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper. I didn’t but told him I’d be happy to assist in tracking it down. Well, it turns out Chris didn’t need my help! With no address number to guide him and no idea if the house was in Northern California, where the show was set, or Southern, where it was lensed, he somehow managed to ID it in record time! Just four days later, he wrote me back with its location – 514 El Centro Street in South Pasadena! So I headed right on over there while doing some socially-distant stalking shortly thereafter.

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In real life, the charming 1904 pad boasts 1,665 square feet (though it looks much larger from the street), 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, a 0.18-acre lot, and a large detached garage.

Though the City of South Pasadena Inventory of Historic Resources notes the place as being “Early Craftsman,” I consider it more Victorian in style.

Either way, it’s gorgeous.

The stained glass windows give the property a definite Bay Area feel, so it is no surprise that it wound up on Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper – especially considering Warner Bros. Studio, where the series was lensed, is just a short distance away.

Fate really stepped in during Chris’ hunt for the locale. As he explained the search to me, “I managed to find it by chance and in a very roundabout way. I had actually watched an episode of Smart Guy last night (as I’ve currently run out of Mr. Cooper episodes) and noticed how their house and driveway was slightly similar to Mr. Cooper’s and wondered whether it was perhaps in the same area, especially as producer Danny Kallis was connected to both shows. I then managed to find the original stock footage of the Smart Guy house and on one of the shots, I could see the numbers ‘521’. I then looked up a postal/parcel map of Los Angeles, typed in ‘521’ and worked my way through each address on Google Maps. The idea was that if I could find the Smart Guy house then maybe Mr. Cooper’s would be nearby. When I came to 521 El Centro Street on the list, I don’t know what it was, but there was something about the area that resembled Mr. Cooper’s neighborhood (possibly the little front walls and similar front steps). I also knew his house was on a wide road and so out of curiosity, I clicked on the Street View image of it. I then turned the camera to the right and as I did so, I spotted a house in the distance that looked like Mr. Cooper’s. I then went up the street a bit and to my amazement, found it at 514. Ironically, I never did find the Smart Guy house which I was hoping would lead me to it, yet still got the result I was hoping for regardless. It was also ironic that Mr. Cooper’s house turned out to be a 500 number too and had I not been searching for a 521 number, I probably wouldn’t have found it.” Hats off to you, Chris, for a job well done!

The property first popped up in Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper’s second episode (no house was featured in the pilot) and then went on to appear in establishing shots throughout the series’ five-season run.

The pad was almost always shown from an eastern-facing angle but, as you can see below, that viewpoint looks a bit different today thanks to a leafy tree growing in the front yard that largely hampers its visibility from the street.

Otherwise though, little of the Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper house has changed since its television stint 28 years ago!

Only the exterior of the residence was utilized on the show. Interiors were filmed on a set built inside Stage 9 at Warner Bros.

Big THANK YOU to fellow stalker Chris for finding this location!

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

Until next time, Happy Stalking! Smile

Stalk It: Mark’s house from Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper is located at 514 El Centro Street in South Pasadena.

May 29, 2020June 2, 2020

The Oviatt Penthouse from “Hollywood”

There’s no denying that Henry Willson (Jim Parsons), the Hollywood character based upon the real-life post-war power agent to the stars, is despicable. But he’s also, hands down, one of the best parts of the show! Those one-liners, amirite? I couldn’t help but smile every time he came onscreen. The only thing better than his pithy comments was his incredible, mid-century office! The ziggurat lighting sconces, shiny wood paneling, and marble fireplace were enough to make me drool! Thanks to the space’s unique detailing, I recognized it immediately as the Oviatt Penthouse, the sleek Art Deco former home of clothier James Oviatt. I got to tour the grand site, situated on the 13th floor of downtown L.A.’s Oviatt Building, while scouting wedding venues back in 2008 and was completely taken with it – so much so that I brought my mom back to see it just a few days later. She was equally taken, describing it as having the feel of an Old Hollywood train car. Though the Grim Cheaper and I did not end up getting married there, the Oviatt Penthouse left an indelible impression, so I, of course, identified it straightaway when it popped up on Hollywood.

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The exquisite 10-room suite was created in 1928 by Parisian interior design firm Saddler et Fils (French for “Saddler and Son”).

Replete with gleaming marble, ornate chandeliers, Lalique glasswork, moire wall coverings, hand-carved parquet flooring, and burled maple, mahogany and thuya built-ins, the Oviatt Penthouse is a definite stunner!

Interestingly, the master bath is one of the space’s most lavish and talked-about areas, featuring carved lacquer-covered terra cotta walls, a Lalique glass skylight, a brightly-tiled steam/massage room, two sinks (one strictly for shaving), a large step-down bathtub, and a bidet.

With a hideaway toilet, the powder room is also pretty darn unique! (And yes, I know it looks like our tour guide is flipping off the camera below, but, in reality, I just happened to catch him at an unfortunate moment while he was pointing out features of the latrine.) Now you see it . . .

. . . now you don’t!

The powder room features a hidden sink, as well!

The Oviatt Penthouse also has an upper and lower terrace, the latter of which is reached via the curved staircase pictured below. During James’ tenure, the spaces were comprised of a tennis court, a small pool, a putting green, gardens, and a sunbathing beach made complete with sand brought in from the French Riviera.

James, who lived as a bachelor there until marrying his wife, Mary, in 1945, called the penthouse his “castle in the air.” The couple remained on the premises until their deaths in the 1970s.

The Oviatt Penthouse was completely restored in 1977 and then again in 1988 and today is used as a special events venue.

During the latter renovation, a wall was taken down, combing the property’s second bedroom with the dining area to create more space for revelers.

The terrace accoutrements were also removed to make the outdoor area special-event friendly.

Otherwise, the flat was left largely unchanged and simply restored to its original glory. As a 1988 Los Angeles Times article states, “Guests stepping from the elevator now will see virtually the same flooring spaces that Oviatt and his architects laid out 60 years ago.” You can check out additional photos of the penthouse here, as well as a video tour here.

Henry Willson’s office appears several times throughout Hollywood, first popping up in the episode titled “Hooray for Hollywood: Part 2” in the scene in which aspiring actor Rock Hudson (Jake Picking) has his initial meeting with the agent.

The penthouse’s living room was utilized for all of Henry’s office scenes.

Though outfitted with a desk, bookshelf, and other furnishings for the shoot, producers really didn’t have to add much to transform the space into a 1940s-era talent agency.

For whatever reason, the room’s intricate chandeliers were swapped out with more conventional ones. The originals would have fit better with the time period, as well as the accompanying décor, so it was a bit of an odd move. Otherwise though, the office is perfection!

Additional areas of the penthouse appeared on Hollywood, as well, including the dining room, which portrayed Henry’s waiting room. The space was heavily dressed for the shoot and the wall mural covered over, rendering it largely unrecognizable as you can see in the screen capture and matching photograph below.

The master bedroom also made an appearance . . .

. . . as did many of its actual furnishings.

The penthouse’s spectacular hallway, which is capped by a canopied ceiling painted with a night sky, was featured, too. The bold geometric carpeting running the length of it is a nod to both The Shining and Murphy’s American Horror Story: Hotel (the latter was also shot at the Oviatt Building!). It looks as if the carpet was even left intact after Hollywood wrapped.

The Netflix series isn’t the penthouse’s first cameo.

Bugsy Siegel (Warren Beatty) very briefly takes a telephone call in the master bathroom in the 1991 biopic Bugsy.

Max Hoover (Nick Nolte) and Elleroy Coolidge (Chazz Palminteri) break up a party there in the 1996 drama Mulholland Falls.

And thanks to fellow stalker Gilles I learned that Mylene Farmer also shot her “California” music video at the penthouse in 1996.

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

Until next time, Happy Stalking! Smile

Stalk It: The Oviatt Penthouse, aka Henry Willson’s office from Hollywood, is located on the top floor of the Oviatt Building at 617 South Olive Street in downtown L.A. The space is not open to the public, but can often be viewed via the Los Angeles Conservancy’s Art Deco Walking Tour.

May 27, 2020May 31, 2020

Golden Tip Gasoline from “Hollywood”

Who knew what we needed right now was a happy retelling of Hollywood history? Ryan Murphy, apparently! And he sure delivers with his new Netflix series, aptly titled Hollywood. Loosely based upon an actual high-end prostitution ring run out of a 1940s Tinseltown gas station, the show is a feast for the eyes when it comes to locations! Apartment buildings, offices, restaurants – every spot featured is prettier than the last. At the center of it all is Golden Tip Gasoline, a gleaming yellow and white Streamline Moderne site that had me drooling as soon as it came onscreen. So, of course, I set out to find it. Thankfully, doing so was a snap thanks to this Eastsider article which chronicled the October 2019 filming of “a new Netflix drama set in 1940s Hollywood” at Luis Lopez Automotive. One look at the photos of the Atwater Village repair shop dressed in all of its retro glory told me it was the right place. So to the top of my To-Stalk List it went and I headed over there while doing some socially-distant stalking in L.A. last week.

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Luis Lopez Automotive was originally constructed as a Mobil station in the 1930s. You can check out an early photo of it here. It is amazing how little of the structure has been altered over the years!

Per Eastsider, the adjacent repair shop was added sometime in the 1940s.

The locale didn’t become Luis Lopez Automotive until Luis Lopez Sr. took over in 1968. The photo of him featured on the homepage of the shop’s website looks like it was ripped straight out of a scene from Hollywood!

Luis’ son, Luis Lopez Jr., worked at the garage throughout his childhood, eventually becoming full-time in 1995. He runs the place today.

With its sleek lines, dotting of palm trees and brilliant blue sky backdrop, the shop is definitely cinematic!

I couldn’t stop snapping photos!

Considering its picturesque aesthetic and retro look, it’s no surprise the site wound up in Hollywood. It is out of Golden Tip Gasoline (a double entendre if I’ve ever heard one!) that Ernie West (Dylan McDermott) runs his very lucrative prostitution ring, employing young Hollywood hopefuls like Jack Castello (David Corenswet) and Archie Coleman (Jeremy Pope) to, ahem, “service” Tinseltown’s elite.

Though the station does boast a yellow and white color scheme onscreen, production did away with its amber paint trim for the shoot, I’m guessing to give it a cleaner look.

A secondary overhang and additional pumps were also added to the northeast side of the station for the filming.

Though my images above and below were taken from slightly different angles than the screen captures, they show what that area looks like in real life.

Despite the alterations, Luis Lopez Automotive is still very recognizable from its Hollywood stint.

The only thing missing is the fabulously retro Golden Tip sign.

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

Until next time, Happy Stalking! Smile

Stalk It: Luis Lopez Automotive, aka Golden Tip Gasoline from Hollywood, is located at 2751 Fletcher Drive in Atwater Village.

May 25, 2020May 28, 2020

Chief Irving’s House from “Bosch”

Bosch never fails to disappoint when it comes to locations – or storylines, for that matter. The latest season, the show’s 6th (Bosch is Amazon’s longest-running original series, incidentally!), was no different. One spot stood out far above the rest, though – the spectacular Spanish home where Chief Irvin Irving (Lance Reddick) lived with Jun Park (Linda Park). One look at the beamed ceilings, wrought-iron chandeliers, and tiled fireplace, and I was completely smitten. So, of course, I set right out to find it.

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Thankfully, a street sign reading “4300 West 8th” was visible in the season’s first episode, titled “The Overlook,” in the scene in which Harry Bosch (Titus Welliver) drives away from Irving’s house, leaving him standing alone on the front sidewalk.

Upon spotting the signage, I promptly headed over to 4300 West 8th Street, Los Angeles via Google Street View, and, sure enough, there was Irving’s residence staring back at me from the southeast corner of 8th and Plymouth Boulevard! Hardly able to contain my excitement, I drove out to L.A. last week to stalk it – from an appropriate social distance of, course!

In person, the place did not disappoint.

And, as it turns out, boasts quite an interesting history.

The sprawling Mission Revival-style pad was originally designed by architect Frank Meline in 1922 as a Sunday school/rectory for a local Methodist church. The bell-tower-looking chimney certainly reflects that.

The church sold the property in 1926 to the Ruskin Art Club, a women’s organization dedicated to supporting the arts and artists of Southern California. The group proceeded to utilize the structure, which is Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #639, as a clubhouse for the next nine decades.

Sadly, the site fell into quite a bit of disrepair during the later years of the Ruskin Art Club’s tenancy. By 2014, the group found itself no longer able to maintain it and put it on the market. Scott Lander of Lander Design quickly snapped the place up and began transforming it into a single-family residence. Though it was in pretty bad shape when he got his hands on it, his renovation is nothing short of exquisite! You can check out some before and after pics here.

Today, the dwelling boasts 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, 2,890 square feet, countless original details, a living room with exposed beams, multiple Batchelder tile fireplaces, a central courtyard, a detached 2-car garage, and a 1-bedroom, 1-bath guest house.

Oh, and a massive 0.34-acre corner lot.

You can check out some additional interior images of it here.

As I discovered while writing this post, Chief Irving’s house actually first made an appearance during Bosch’s fifth season. I failed to take note of it at the time, though, I think largely because the dazzling vaulted ceiling was never shown.

It was not until Season 6’s “Three Widows” that we were given a glimpse of it and I was stopped right in my tracks!

Though the MLS images above and below were taken from opposite angles than what was shown on Bosch, you can still see that the home looks just as gorgeous in real life as it did onscreen. In fact, it appears that some of the actual décor and furniture were even utilized on the show!