Introduction
This month we're taking a virtual tour of the Los Angeles area in the 1920s and 1930, starting off with the cult classic movie Reefer Madness.
Our Gang / The Little Rascals take us to the streets and alleys on the Westside of Los Angeles in their 1932 comedy The Pooch. Harold Lloyd shows us just how rural parts of Los Angeles were in is 1920 movie Get Out And Get Under.
We wrap things up with a look at the Los Angeles River - when it was still a river - in his 1921 movie The Idle Class.
Reefer Madness (1936)
The Plot
Reefer Madness - the legendary cult classic movie from the 1930s warning the youth of the dangers of drugs!
The One Scene Filmed On Location
This low budget movie was filmed at the United Artists studios at 1041 North Formosa Avenue in West Hollywood, California. Only one scene was filmed on location, and the crew didn't have to travel far - it was shot on Santa Monica Blvd. just outside the studio!
This part of the scene shows a car being driven at high speed by actor Warren McCollum in front of what was then 7291 Santa Monica Blvd. It was built in 1929 and was a tire shop for many years. At some point, this part of the block was redesignated the "7300 block" and today the building is designated 7335 Santa Monica Blvd.
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Reefer Madness - Filming Location - Quick Preview Video
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Reefer Madness - Complete Filming Locations Video
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Reefer Madness - Complete Filming Locations Photo Gallery
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Our Gang / The Little Rascals - The Pooch (1932)
The Plot
Stymie is praying for $5 so that he can get his dog Petey back from the dog catcher. As luck would have it, a gust of wind blows a $5 bill out of a lady's hands and it lands right in front of Stymie!
An Alley As Filming Location
The filming location then and now in the photo above shows Stymie and the Gang on their way to save Petey from the dog catcher. It was filmed in the the Palms neighborhood of Los Angeles, in an alley between Motor Avenue and Vinton Avenue, just south of Woodbine Street. This was an often used filming location in the Our Gang / The Little Rascals series, having appeared in DOZENS of films as early as 1922!
A Link To The Past
The only building in both the "then" and the "now" views in the photo is the Palms Elementary School seen in the distance at the end of the alley.
In Case You Missed It
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Our Gang / The Little Rascals - The Pooch - Filming Location - Quick Preview Video
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The Little Rascals - The Pooch - Complete Filming Locations Video
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The Little Rascals - The Pooch - Complete Filming Locations Photo Gallery
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Harold Lloyd - Get Out And Get Under (1920)
The Plot
Harold is late for a performance of his amateur theatre group and we go along for the ride as he speeds along the streets of 1920 Los Angeles.
A Historic Time Capsule Of Los Angeles
Like the Our Gang / The Little Rascals movie The Pooch, this movie was also filmed in the Palms neighborhood of Los Angeles. The view above shows us just how much this area has changed over 100 years.
The location of this scene is National Blvd at the intersection of Manning Avenue, the view is looking north. In the 1920 view, we can see wooded areas, open fields and telegraph poles, along with telephone poles bringing phone service to the few lucky residents in the area that could afford it.
Today, every inch of land has been built on and paved over. So much for "progress!"
In Case You Missed It
Quick Preview Video: Watch an excerpt from the complete filming locations video from this movie here:
Harold Lloyd - Get Out And Get Under - Filming Location - Quick Preview Video
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Harold Lloyd - Get Out And Get Under - Filming Locations Then and Now - Complete Documentary Video
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Harold Lloyd - Get Out And Get Under - Complete Filming Locations Photo Gallery
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Charlie Chaplin - The Idle Class (1921)
The Plot
Charlie Chaplin's Tramp pays a visit to a luxury golf resort.
Los Angeles Filming Locations From The 1920s
Chaplin filmed all over the Los Angeles area in this comedy short, going as far east as Pasadena for the opening train station scene and as far west as Beverly Hills for the location of the luxury golf resort. For the actual golfing scenes, he landed between the two locations.
Filmed on the banks of the Los Angeles River (prior to it being made into a concrete flood control channel), we get a great view of the river in its natural state in the then and now filming location photo above. Today, this location is the Rio de Porciuncula Picnic Area at 3207 Los Feliz Blvd on the east bank of the Los Angeles River. The view is looking north.
In Case You Missed It
Quick Preview Video: Watch an excerpt from the complete filming locations video from this movie here:
Charlie Chaplin - The Idle Class - Filming Location - Quick Preview Video
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Charlie Chaplin - The Idle Class - Filming Locations Then and Now - Complete Documentary Video
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Charlie Chaplin - The Idle Class - Complete Filming Locations Photo Gallery
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In case you missed it: My August 2025 featured filming locations then and now photos blog entry.
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