A Cinderella Story (2004)

The house from the 2004 Hilary Duff film “A Cinderella Story” can be found in Altadena, California.

LOCATION: 1272 E Calaveras St, Altadena, CA 91001

Sam, played by Duff, works at this diner, located in Long Beach. The same diner has also appeared in the films “Zodiac,” “Corrina, Corrina” and “The Real McCoy.”

LOCATION: 4390 Atlantic Ave, Long Beach, CA 90807

During a masquerade ball, Sam takes a walk with Austin, played by Chad Michael Murray. This scene was filmed at the Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens in San Marino. The trellises they walk under can be found near the Rose Garden.

LOCATION: 1151 Oxford Rd, San Marino, CA 91108

License To Drive (1988)

The 1988 comedy “License to Drive,” starring Corey Haim and Corey Feldman, was filmed in Southern California. The high school where Les Anderson, played by Haim, sees Mercedes Lane, played by Heather Graham, being picked up by her boyfriend is Walter Reed Middle School in North Hollywood.  This same school was seen in the films “Role Models,” “Death Valley” and “Accepted,” as well as the TV shows “Malcolm in the Middle” and “7th Heaven.”

LOCATION: 4525 Irvine Ave, North Hollywood, CA 91602

Here is the house where Les lives with his family.

LOCATION: 536 Dalehurst Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90024

Les falls asleep during driver’s ed class and dreams about speeding around in the alley behind this building in Downtown Los Angeles. It has been featured in countless films and television series, including “Beverly Hills Cop,” “Beverly Hills Cop II,” “Divergent,” “The Muppets,” “Wrath Of Man,” “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” “Unlawful Entry,” “Inspector Gadget,” “Child’s Play 2,” “Enough” and dozens more.

LOCATION: 635 Mateo St, Los Angeles, CA 90021

Here his the home where a friend of Mercedes lives.

LOCATION: 661 Woodruff Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90024

This his the house where Mercedes lives.

LOCATION: 485 Loring Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90024

Wes takes Mercedes on a date to the El Rey Theatre, which was also seen in such films as “Night Of The Comet” and “Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back.”

LOCATION: 5515 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036

Archie’s Atomic Drive-in restaurant, where Les and Dean, played by Corey Feldman, flee after denting the door of a nearby car was filmed at Johnie’s Broiler in Downey.  The restaurant has a unique history, having appeared in many other films, such as “Heat,” “The Game,” “Short Cuts,” “My Stepmother Is An Alien,” “What’s Love Got To Do With It,” “One Hour Photo” and many more.  In 2007, the building was demolished.  However, Bob’s Big Boy purchased the property years later and rebuilt it based on the original blueprints and even some of the same materials.  So what stands now closely resembles what was seen in the film.

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LOCATION: 7447 Firestone Blvd, Downey, CA 90241

Dean’s house has been completely remodeled and no longer appears anything like how it did in the film.

LOCATION: 6313 Riggs Pl, Los Angeles, CA 90045

Safe (1995)

The house from the 1995 drama “Safe,” starring Julianne Moore and directed by Todd Haynes, can be found in Encino, California.

LOCATION: 3736 Alonzo Ave, Encino, CA 91316

The house is located on the same street as Ali’s house from “The Karate Kid.”

Carol, played by Moore, visits her friend’s home.

LOCATION: 17922 Medley Dr, Encino, CA 91316

The dry cleaners can be found in Valley Village.

LOCATION: 4806 Laurel Canyon Blvd, Valley Village, CA 91607

Elf (2003)

The 2003 Christmas comedy “Elf” was primarily filmed in New York City. After discovering he’s actually human, Buddy the Elf, played by Will Ferrell, seeks out his father Walter, played by James Caan, in New York. Walter’s office is located in the famed Empire State Building.

LOCATION: 20 W 34th St, New York, NY 10001

When Buddy takes Jovie, played by Zooey Deschanel, on a date, she shows him the Christmas tree in front of Rockefeller Center. The two then ice skate there.

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LOCATION: 45 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10111

Later in the film, Buddy helps Santa get his sleigh back into the air. The sleigh passes through Central Park at Bethesda Terrace and Fountain.  The terrace is another famous New York landmark seen in countless films.

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LOCATION: 72 Terrace Dr, New York, NY 10021 (inside Central Park)

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The Beverly Hillbillies (1993)

For the 1993 movie adaptation of “The Beverly Hillbillies,” the Clampett family lives in this house, which is not located in Beverly Hills, rather in Pasadena. The property has appeared in many productions, such as “The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement,” as well as the television shows “Charlie’s Angels,” “Murder, She Wrote,” “Knight Rider” and many more.

LOCATION: 1288 S Oakland Ave, Pasadena, CA 91106

While part of the home can be seen from the street, it is only a side of the house and doesn’t give you a proper perspective of just how large it really is.

Related articles: The Beverly Hillbillies

Short Cuts (1993)

The 1993 Robert Altman film “Short Cuts” is based on short stories by author Raymond Carver. Originally set in the Pacific Northwest, for Altman’s film adaptation, he switched the setting to Los Angeles. The film features intersecting stories performed by an ensemble cast.

The house of Ann and Howard Finnegan, played by Andie MacDowell and Bruce Davidson respectively, can be found in North Hollywood.

LOCATION: 4950 Bellaire Ave, North Hollywood, CA 91607

The house next door is where Zoe, played by Lori Singer, lives with her mother Tess, played by Annie Ross. After being injured by a car, the Finnegan’s son Casey returns home. Zoe is playing basketball with some friends in front of the garage and asks Casey why he’s not in school, but he does not answer.

LOCATION: 4946 Bellaire Ave, North Hollywood, CA 91607

The restaurant where Doreen, played by Lily Tomlin, works is the former Johnie’s Broiler in Downey.  She is visited there by her husband Earl, played by Tom Waits. The restaurant has a unique history, having appeared in many other films, such as “Heat,” “The Game,” “License To Drive,” “My Stepmother Is An Alien,” “What’s Love Got To Do With It,” “One Hour Photo” and many more.  In 2007, the building was demolished.  However, Bob’s Big Boy purchased the property years later and rebuilt it based on the original blueprints and even some of the same materials.  So what stands now closely resembles what was seen in the film.

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LOCATION: 7447 Firestone Blvd, Downey, CA 90241

Related articles: The Long Goodbye (1973)

House II: The Second Story (1987)

The 1987 horror sequel, “House II: The Second Story” was, like the original film, shot primarily in Southern California. This time the setting was a property known as the Stimson House, located near Mt. Saint Mary’s University.

The same house was featured in the film “After Midnight,” as well as such TV series as “Mad Men,” “Pushing Daises,” “The Bionic Woman” and more.

LOCATION: 2421 S Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90007

The Western scene was filmed at Paramount Ranch. Unfortunately in November 2018, the ranch fell victim to wildfires and nearly every building was burnt to the ground.  However, plans have been announced to rebuild the sets.

LOCATION: 2903 Cornell Rd, Agoura Hills, CA 91301 (now demolished)

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Related articles: House (1985)

Species (1995)

The 1995 sci-fi film “Species” was filmed in Utah, Southern California and Puerto Rico. Early in the film, after escaping from a science lab, the half-human, half-alien Sil, played by Natasha Henstridge, arrives by train into Los Angeles at Union Station.

LOCATION: 800 Alameda St, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Union Station has been seen in countless films, such as “Blade Runner,” “Catch Me If You Can,” “The Dark Knight Rises,” “Pearl Harbor” and many more.

Xavier Fitch, played by Ben Kingsley, assembles a team to find Sil. They set up operations at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel.  They first arrive at this alley entrance facing S Olive St.  The same alley can be seen in the film “Chinatown.” There is a gate here blocking entrance into the alley, so it’s a bit tricky getting a photo.

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LOCATION: Alley between 523 / 525 S Olive St, Los Angeles, CA, 90013

They are seen entering the lobby of the Millennium Biltmore, which has been featured in dozens of films, such as “Beverly Hills Cop,” “Independence Day,” “Blonde,” “Oppenheimer” and many more.

LOCATION: 506 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90071

The team is later seen leaving from this side of the hotel facing S Grand Ave. The same area can be seen in the films “Seven,” “A Star Is Born” and more.

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LOCATION: 530 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90071

Sil gets a hotel room at this hotel in West Hollywood.

LOCATION: 7212 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90046

The club Sil heads to in search of a man is actually the lobby of the famous Pantages Theatre in Hollywood, which was heavily dressed to appear like a club. The “entrance” seen in the film is the back of the building. The theater has likewise appeared in such films as “Ed Wood,” “Once Upon A Time In… Hollywood,” “The Aviator,” “The Bodyguard,” “Batman Forever” and many more.

LOCATION: 6233 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028

Looking to mate with a human partner as soon as possible, Sil aggressively picks up a man at the club and heads back to his place. After detecting he is a diabetic, she determines he’s not a suitable partner.

LOCATION: 1500 Blue Jay Way, Los Angeles, CA 90069

After getting into an accident, Sil meets another man she quickly tries to seduce. Just as she is about to have sex with him at his house, Preston and Laura, played by Michael Madsen and Marg Helgenberger respectively, catch up to her at the home, located in Pacific Palisades.

LOCATION: 14458 Rustic Creek Ln, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272

After Sil escapes, she returns back to the home in a car to observe Xavier Fitch’s team investigating the scene. This is a bit of movie magic as the road actually dead ends just a couple houses down into a cul-de-sac, so Sil would not have been able to approach the home from this direction. The team is seen driving past her vehicle, which in reality, they’d likewise be driving straight into the dead end.