Paul Thomas Anderson’s 2012 film “The Master” was shot primarily around Northern California, with a few scenes also being filmed in Southern California, Hawaii and Nevada. Early in the film, Freddie Quell, played by Joaquin Phoenix, is seen serving in the military, stationed somewhere in Hawaii. These scenes were filmed at Papa‘Iloa Beach on the North Shore of Oahu, as identified by Reel News Hawaii.

LOCATION: Papa‘Iloa Beach, Haleiwa, HI 96712

Here is another photo of the same location, kindly provided to us by Christian Hernandez at Boogie Sights.

Freddie is seen working aboard a Navy vessel. These interior scenes were filmed aboard the USS Hornet in Alameda. Public tours are available for those interested. There is actually an exterior shot of the aircraft carrier, but only in the “Back Beyond” deleted scenes and outtakes feature. These photos of the USS Hornet were also provided to us by Christian Hernandez at Boogie Sights.

LOCATION: USS Hornet – Sea, Air and Space Museum, 707 W Hornet Ave, Alameda, CA 94501

Freddie meets Lancaster Dodd, played by Philip Seymour Hoffman, as he sneaks aboard Dodd’s boat as a stowaway.  That boat is the USS Potomac, which is docked in Oakland, California.  You can actually take tours aboard the boat.

LOCATION: 540 Water St, Oakland, CA 94607

A view of the back of the boat.  The production added a canopy to the upper deck, where guests were seen dancing when Freddie first approaches.

Another, wider view of the USS Potomac, where it regularly docks.

Freddie is seen visiting his sweetheart, Doris, at this house in Crockett, California.  The house has since received a paint job.

LOCATION: 619 Winslow St, Crockett, CA 94525

A full view of the home, though it is never seen from this angle in the film.  It sits perched on a steep hilltop of a very narrow, one way road overlooking a lake.

Freddie and Doris sit on this park bench. These park shots are provided courtesy of Christian Hernandez at Boogie Sights, who also identified the location. It can be found almost directly across the street from the Lancaster Dodd house, past the concrete structures and to the left. We’ve provided GPS coordinates below.

LOCATION: Alden Park, 8th St, Vallejo, CA 94592 (GPS coordinates: 38°05’51.6″N, 122°16’15.4″W)

Supposedly located in Philadelphia, the home of Helen Sullivan, played by Luara Dern, can found on Mare Island in Vallejo, California. The property, known as the Captain’s Mansion, is a former event space and can be a bit tricky to find. The first challenge is that many houses spanning several blocks on this street look almost identical and are used for similar purposes.  There are subtle differences from house to house, however, be it minor architectural variations, trees and shrubs, views in the background, etc. To located this house, make sure you arrive at the intersection of Walnut Ave and 8th St on Mare Island and you’ll see the house, which has the number “822” on the front steps.

LOCATION: 1075 Walnut Ave, Vallejo, CA 94592 (near Walnut Ave and 8th St, GPS coordinates: 38°05’49.9″N, 122°16’18.2″W)

The theater where Freddy and Clark, played by Rami Malek, hand out flyers in front of the ticket booth is the Los Angeles Theatre (615 S Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90014) in Downtown L.A.

The Causes’s first congress, celebrating the release of Lancaster Dodd’s second book, was supposedly located in Phoenix, Arizona. The building is actually located in Norwalk, California. The same street has appeared in many films, such as “Another Day In Paradise” and “Frailty.” In some of the teaser trailers, alternate shots can be seen of some of the buildings across the street.

LOCATION: 12124 Front St, Norwalk, CA 90650

Related articles: Hard Eight (1996), Boogie Nights (1997), Magnolia (1999), Punch-Drunk Love (2002), There Will Be Blood (2007), Inherent Vice (2014), Licorice Pizza (2021)