Introduction
I'm on the move all over the Los Angeles area with a look at four filming locations this month, starting off with the classic music video Borderline by Madonna.
Then, we'll drop in on Laurel and Hardy on the Westside of LA to look at the filming location of their 1929 comedy Perfect Day. Just nearby, the Our Gang / The Little Rascals kids are going camping in Bear Shooters.
And finally, we head south to the town of Carson for a visit to the famous, real-life fire station used in the TV series Emergency!
Climb aboard the virtual time machine and start exploring these filming locations then and now!
Madonna - Borderline (Music Video) (1984)
The Plot
Madonna is hanging out with her boyfriend and other friends in the neighborhood when a well-dressed man spots her and takes her to his photography studio. His photos of her put her on the cover of magazines and she becomes famous. But Madonna soon tires of being a fashion model and returns to her old life with her friends.
The Filming Location: The Arts District Of Los Angeles
Question: In the 1984 music video for the Madonna song Borderline, where did they film the scene where the photographer first encounters Madonna?
Answer: The scene was filmed in the parking lot of 500 Mateo Street on the Santa Fe Avenue side.
The filming location then and now photo above shows us a part of Los Angeles that in some ways hasn't changed very much at all since Madonna filmed this music video in February of 1984.
The approach to the East 4th Street Bridge over the Los Angeles river running next to South Santa Fe Avenue is still there, as is the large building in the background. But the neighborhood (now called the Arts District) has undergone a rebirth and is alive with galleries, cafes and the first high rise "luxury apartments" building has just gone up directly in back of where I stood when I took the "now" photo.
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Laurel and Hardy - Perfect Day (1929)
The Plot
Laurel and Hardy attempt to take their wives and "Uncle Ed" on a picnic, but car trouble spoils their plans.
An Ordinary Home Now Famous As A Filming Location
Question: Where was the 1930 Laurel and Hardy movie Perfect Day filmed?
Answer: The movie was filmed in front of 3120 Vera Avenue in Los Angeles, California.
It's rare that an ordinary home that appeared in a movie made a century ago in Los Angeles survives today, let alone looks almost exactly as it did in the film. The movie location then and now photo above shows just such a house!
The filming location is on Vera Avenue on the west side of Los Angeles and remarkably, many of the homes on this street that date back to the 1920s are still standing and in great shape. Unlike many neighborhoods in Los Angeles that fell victim to the building of the Santa Monica I-10 Freeway in the 1960s, this particular block was spared. The freeway is just about 100 feet to the left.
Oh, and this house and the others down the block are all valued at over $1 million today according to Zillow!
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Laurel and Hardy - Perfect Day - Filming Locations - Quick Preview Video
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Laurel and Hardy - Perfect Day - Complete Filming Locations Video
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Our Gang / The Little Rascals - Bear Shooters (1930)
The Plot
The Gang are going on a camping trip!
The Filming Location: The Palms Neighborhood Of Los Angeles
Question: Where were the scenes of the kids preparing for the camping trip in the 1930 Our Gang / The Little Rascals movie Bear Shooters filmed?
Answer: These scenes were filmed in the alley between Motor Avenue and Mentone Avenue south of Woodbine Street in the Palms neighborhood of Los Angeles.
The filming location then and now comparison photo above is a great illustration of how the west side of Los Angeles has changed in the past century.
Back in 1930, this neighborhood was primarily single-family homes, with beautiful lawns, trees and shrubs in abundance. Alleys like the one shown above were still unpaved.
This all changed in the late 1950s when the City of Los Angeles rezoned the area for multiple unit dwellings which meant the end of a beautiful neighborhood and resulted in the extremely high-density development we see today, with literally every inch of ground built on or paved over.
In Case You Missed It
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Our Gang / The Little Rascals - Bear Shooters - Filming Location - Quick Preview Video
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Emergency! - Nagging Suspicion (1974)
The Plot
Squad 51 is called to come to the aid of an exotic dancer at a strip club who has become ill.
A Visit To The Famous Fire Station Filming Location Used In Emergency!
Question: Where were the scenes of the first station in the 1970s TV series Emergency filmed?
Answer: These scenes were filmed at 2049 East 223rd Street in Carson, California.
Fans of 1970s TV will immediately recognize this filming location as the Fire Station for "Squad 51" from the TV series Emergency!
In this then and now filming location comparison above, practically nothing has changed at this location over the past 50 years. The flagpole is in the same spot, the little wall on the left side of the property is the same as is the station building itself.
If you're planning a tour of Los Angeles area filming locations, this is one that definitely should be on your list!
In Case You Missed It
Quick Preview Video: Watch an excerpt from the complete filming locations video from this movie here:
Emergency! - Nagging Suspicion - Filming Locations - Quick Preview Video
Member Exclusive - Full Then and Now Filming Locations Documentary Video and Photo Gallery
If you have made a small donation and are a current member, you can view the ENTIRE filming locations video by clicking here to Login and then clicking here:
Emergency! - Nagging Suspicion - Filming Locations Then and Now - Complete Documentary Video
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Emergency! - Nagging Suspicion - Complete Filming Locations Photo Gallery
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In case you missed it: My September 2024 featured filming locations then and now photos blog entry.
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