The 1993 Robin Williams film Mrs. Doubtfire is set around the neighborhoods of San Francisco, California. The house from the film can be found in the upscale Pacific Heights neighborhood.
LOCATION: 2640 Steiner St, San Francisco, CA 94115
The Seaver house from the 1980s sitcom “Growing Pains” can be found in Burbank, California, but you won’t find it in just any neighborhood. The house is actually part of the Warner Bros. Studios lot and can be seen as part of their tour. It can also be seen the the films “Gremlins,” “The Monster Squad” and “Deadly Friend,” as well as the TV series “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.”
LOCATION: 4000 Warner Blvd, Burbank, CA 91505
Dewey High in the show is John Marshall High School. A regular location in film and television, it has also appeared in such movies as “Rebel Without A Cause,” “A Nightmare On Elm Street,” “Pretty In Pink,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Bachelor Party,” “Grosse Pointe Blank,” “Grease” and “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” as well as such TV shows as “Boy Meets World,” “Boston Public” and many more. It was even used in the Van Halen music video for “Hot For Teacher.”
LOCATION: 3939 Tracy St, Los Angeles, CA 90027
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For years, the house from “A Christmas Story,” located in Cleveland, Ohio, remained a private residence and had undergone many updates, until 2004, when a private developer purchased the home and restored it back to how it appeared in the film. The buyer purchased with the intent of converting it into a tourist attraction. Today, the home is available for tours and you can even book the house to stay in overnight. The owner also purchased two properties across the street, converting one into a museum of memorabilia from the film, while the other was turned into a gift shop.
Located in the Tremont section of Cleveland’s West Side, the house has become a beacon for film lovers since it first opened to the public in 2006.
LOCATION: 3159 W 11th St, Cleveland, OH 44109
The interiors were actually shot on a sound stage in Toronto, Canada, but the owner remodeled the inside as well, to make it appear exactly as it did in the film.
A replica of Ralphie’s father’s “major award.” The owner of the house and museum actually runs a business selling these replica lamps, which is how he came up with the capital to invest in purchasing the properties when they went on the market.
The back yard. The shed is the one structure on the property than has not been restored in any way. It is original to how it appeared in the film.
A few behind the scenes photos.
Some props and wardrobe from the film.
A miniature model of the house.
A French poster for the film.
Throughout the long-running comedy series, “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” Larry David’s character has lived at a couple different locations. In more recent seasons, this Brentwood house has been his home.
LOCATION: 537 Moreno Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90049
For much of the series, Larry’s manager Jeff and his temperamental wife Suzie lived at this house in the Pacific Palisades.
LOCATION: 745 Alma Real Dr, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272
In the 1978 remake of “Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” the film’s most famous scene is easily the ending, involving Donald Sutherland’s character. The film was shot around San Francisco, with the memorable ending shot at Civic Center Plaza in front of San Francisco City Hall.
LOCATION: 1 Dr Carlton B Goodlett Pl, San Francisco, CA 94102
The house from the 1984 short film “Frankenweenie,” directed by Tim Burton, was filmed in South Pasadena. Burton later remade the film as an animated feature in 2012. Here is the home of the Frankenstein family, played by Shelley Duvall, Daniel Stern and Barret Oliver.
LOCATION: 816 Stratford Ave, South Pasadena, CA 91030
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Set upon the streets of Los Angeles, Nicolas Winding Refn’s “Drive” utilized locations both in the city and spread out across the Valley.
The opening robbery was filmed at Maestro DJ and Electronics warehouse in L.A.
LOCATION: 1710 Naomi Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90021
The Driver, played by Ryan Gosling, meets Carey Mulligan’s character at the Big “6” Market.
LOCATION: 550 S Rampart Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90057
The Driver lives a few doors down from Irene, in what is supposed to be an apartment building. These scenes were actually filmed at the MacArthur in Los Angeles, formerly known as the Park Plaza Hotel. No longer a functioning hotel, the MacArthur today serves primarily as a property for hosting filming and special events. It has been featured in many films, such as “Wild At Heart,” “Reservoir Dogs,” “Gangster Squad,” “Tango & Cash,” “Buffy The Vampire Slayer,” “The Hidden” and many more. The building is only seen from interior views in the film.
LOCATION: 607 S Park View St, Los Angeles, CA 90057
The Driver makes a deal with the criminals pressuring Oscar Isaac’s character Standard at MacArthur Park in front of the water. The same park was seen in the 1993 film “Falling Down.” For those unfamiliar with Los Angeles and planning a visit, MacArthur Park used to be considered a popular drug hangout. While there has been an effort to improve safety conditions at the park, it is still frequented by some addicts and homeless people. Visitors are advised to use some caution.
LOCATION: 2230 W 6th St, Los Angeles, CA 90057
Nino’s Pizzeria is a real pizza place, however the name of the restaurant is actually Vincenzo’s Pizza, located in Granada Hills. The sign was swapped out by the production, which also added the checkerboard paneling over the front windows.
LOCATION: 11045 Balboa Blvd, Granada Hills, CA 91344
The pawn shop’s robbery gone wrong was filmed at the Santa Clarita Elk’s Lodge, which is a bit of a distance from the other locations.
LOCATION: 17766 Sierra Hwy, Santa Clarita, CA 91351
The motel where a violent gunfight ensues is the Pink Motel in Sun Valley. It is not an operational motel, rather a set used for filming or special events. While we encountered no issues when visiting, according to many online comments, the property is not receptive to public visitation these days, preferring only professional clients. So be sure not to trespass. The motel property has been featured in countless productions, such as “The House Bunny,” as well as the TV shows “GLOW” and “Dexter” Due to the frequent use in productions, the director deliberately chose to film only the interiors of the motel, as to avoid immediate recognition.
LOCATION: 9457 San Fernando Rd, Sun Valley, CA 91352
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The 2012 Marvel film “The Avengers” shot in a wide variety of locations, including Cleveland, Ohio, New York City, New York, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Los Angeles, California and more. In an early scene in the film, Cleveland stood in for Russia. Black Widow, played by Scarlett Johansson, is bound to a chair being interrogated at this warehouse when she gets a call from Agent Coulson.
LOCATION: 2175 Ashland Rd, Cleveland, OH 44103
Having visited a lot of filming locations throughout many cities, this stood as one of the more precarious spots we’ve been. As such, we caution visiting yourself. While there were no signs posted prohibiting entrance and the building appears to be abandoned, it is in a derelict area and the building itself is in very poor condition. Entire portions of walls were missing and only an old, narrow staircase leads you to this top level where the scenes were shot.
While we encountered no issues during our visit, the building and surrounding area houses many potential hazards. Standing there in person, it is hard to believe a major motion picture shot here, but there’s no denying it offers a unique and interesting appearance.
While it is never seen from this exterior angle in the film, we have included an image of what the building looks like from the outside.
Cleveland also stands in for Stuttgart, Germany, where Loki descends down these stairs as he grabs the attention of the party guests. They all flee when Loki attacks a man. These scenes were filmed inside the Probate Court of Cuyahoga County. The building is open to the public, albeit with a security screening required upon entry. Photos are permitted inside.
LOCATION: 1 W Lakeside Ave, Cleveland, OH 44113
As Loki makes his way outside what is supposed to be the same building, he orders the frightened crowd kneel before him. This is followed by a brief battle against Iron Man, Captain America and Black Widow. These exterior scenes were filmed at a completely different location in front of Tower City Center, part of Cleveland Public Square.
LOCATION: 230 W Huron Rd, Cleveland, OH 44113
Most of the climactic battle was filmed in New York City. Thor can be seen from the top of the Chrysler Building wielding his hammer to battle enemies in the sky. The same building can be seen in the background of Stark Tower, a CGI created building which does not actually exist.
LOCATION: 405 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10174
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One of the most well known film locations in the Los Angeles area is Nakatomi Plaza from “Die Hard.” The building is actually Fox Plaza.
LOCATION: 2121 Avenue of the Stars, Los Angeles, CA 90067
Here is the opposite side of the building, also seen in the film. While the front of the building facing the street is easily visible to the public, this back area is typically off limits to public access. This same plaza also appeared in the film “Airheads,” with the building on the bottom right of the image below featured as the radio station.
As snow falls on “O’Hara’s Pub” in the opening scenes of Terry Zwigoff’s “Bad Santa,” the sunny streets of Venice, California are probably the last thought in the minds of the viewers. However, that’s exactly where the scenes were shot, at a store front along the famous Abbot Kinney Boulevard. A wooden facade was partially built over the store front, along with a neon sign, with only the outer brick lining still visible. It’s located just a couple doors down from the record label where Paul Rudd works in “This Is 40.”
LOCATION: 1100 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice, CA 90291
Willie, played by Billy Bob Thorton, lives at this apartment, located in Long Beach.
LOCATION: 1161 Magnolia Ave, Long Beach, CA 90813
Willie finds someone searching through his motel room. This scene was also filmed in Long Beach.
LOCATION: 446 W Pacific Coast Hwy, Long Beach, CA 90806
Willie hides out at Thurman Merman’s house, which can be found in West Hills, California.
LOCATION: 7211 Whitehall Ln, West Hills, CA 91307
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Film Oblivion 