The 2004 Taylor Hackford film “Ray,” starring Jamie Foxx, tells the life story of legendary musician Ray Charles. Production primarily took place in Louisiana, with some additional filming in Los Angeles, California. Early in the film Ray Charles, played by Foxx, performs at The Rocking Chair club. Afterwards, the club owner Marlene, played by Denise Dowse, offers Ray to stay at her place, supposedly located in Seattle. The house can actually be found in New Orleans.
LOCATION: 4445 Venus St, New Orleans, LA 70122
The film jumps ahead to 1950 as Ray is performing in Los Angeles. Several quick establishing shots of the city are seen, including Los Angeles City Hall, which appears a couple times in the film. The iconic building has been featured in endless films, such as “L.A. Confidential,” “Liar Liar,” “Gangster Squad,” “Impulse,” L.A. Bounty” and more.
LOCATION: 200 N Spring St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
This building is also briefly seen as the Waters & Sons Record Shop during the Los Angeles establishing shot montage.
LOCATION: 426 S Main St, Los Angeles, CA 90013
The home of Della Bea Robinson, played by Kerry Washington, can be found in New Orleans.
LOCATION: 649 Park Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70114
After Ray and Della Bae get married, the move into this home, supposedly located in Texas, but actually found in New Orleans.
LOCATION: 1505 Bodenger Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70114
Ray and Della Bae later move into this home, located in Los Angeles.
The 1984 Brian De Palma film “Body Double” was shot in Southern California. Early in the film, Jake Scully, played by Craig Wasson, can be seen grabbing some food from the Tail O’ The Pup hot dog stand. The hot dog shaped site was originally located on La Cienega Blvd. At risk for demolition, it was relocated to San Vicente Blvd in the mid-80s, which is where the film shot its scenes. The business then closed in 2005 and the stand was put in storage until 2022, when it finally reopened in West Hollywood. The iconic stand has appeared in countless films, such as “L.A. Story,” “Annie Hall,” “Ruthless People,” “My Girl 2,” “Heartbreaker” and more.
LOCATION: 8512 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069 (previously located at 329 San Vicente Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90048 at the time of filming, originally located at 311 La Cienega Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90211)
Jake Scully lives at this building, located near the Fairfax neighborhood of Los Angeles.
LOCATION: 322 N Sycamore Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036
Jake gets a drink at the bar of Barney’s Beanery, another iconic Los Angeles relic, located in West Hollywood. The location appeared in the films “The Doors,” “Stuck On You,” “Out of Bounds” and more. It is perhaps most famous for its celebrity clientele. There are long standing, alleged stories that Jim Morrison was once kicked out for urinating on the bar and that Quentin Tarantino wrote portions of “Pulp Fiction” there.
LOCATION: 8447 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069
Jake stays on a friend’s couch at the Hollywood Tower Apartments.
LOCATION: 6200 Franklin Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90028
Jake is seen searching jobs at the The Original Farmer’s Market in Fairfax.
LOCATION: 6333 W 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90036
Jake meets Sam, played by Gregg Henry, at an acting class formerly located at 8451 Melrose Pl, West Hollywood, CA 90069. The building has since been demolished.
Sam invites Jake to the home of his rich friend, where he is house sitting. These scenes were filmed at the Chemosphere; a famous modernist house designed by John Lautner in the Hollywood Hills. The home has also appeared in the films “Charlie’s Angels” and “Tomorrowland,” as well as the TV show “The Outer Limits” Only the exteriors were seen in the film, the interiors were built on a studio stage.
LOCATION: 7776 Torreyson Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90046
Sam shows Jake the home of Gloria, played by Deborah Shelton, through the window with a telescope. In the film, the house is depicted as being in direct site from the Chemosphere house, but in reality it is located over five miles away in West Hollywood.
LOCATION: 1405 Miller Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90069
The front gate of Gloria’s home is a different location altogether, located near Los Feliz.
LOCATION: 4733 Cromwell Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027
Jake parks in this area.
In the distance he sees a mysterious man apparently stalking Gloria.
Jake follows Gloria and the man over to Beverly Hills, to the Rodeo Collecting shopping plaza, which had newly opened at the time of filming. The entrance seen in the film is still there, but a building has since been built atop it.
LOCATION: 421 N Rodeo Dr. Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Here is the area where Jake follows Gloria up the escalator.
Jake stands outside of this storefront and watches Gloria.
Jake continues following Gloria over to a beachfront motel in Long Beach. Gloria is first seen here talking at the lobby area, facing 11th Pl.
LOCATION: 1700 E Ocean Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90802 (S 11th Pl)
She then walks down 11th Pl to where it dead ends.
Gloria and Jake are seen walking down the stairs on the left. The building is no longer a motel and is now residential apartment units. The stairs have a gate and it is only accessible to tenants. There is a public stairway just to the right, however.
LOCATION: 33 S 11th Pl, Long Beach, CA 90802
Jake then continues to follow Gloria to the Bixby Passageway Tunnel Mural, located just a short distance away in Long Beach, near the public parking lot on Junipero Ave. While the tunnel itself has since permantenly closed and is now sealed off, the mural itself remains there.
LOCATION: 19 Junipero Ave, Long Beach, CA 90802 (GPS coordinates: 33°45’49.0″N, 118°10’05.2″W)
The Frankie Goes to Hollywood night club scenes were filmed in Downtown Los Angeles, in what is now a shoe store. The 1985 horror film “Fright Night” was also filmed here.
LOCATION: 1600 W 7th St, Los Angeles, CA 90017
The film’s climax was shot at the Los Angeles Aqueduct Cascades in Sylmar. While the area is fenced off and not accesible to the public, it can still be easily seen from the road. It is also easily seen from the nearby Interstate 5 freeway, where many Southern California motorists will probably recognize it as a familiar sight.
LOCATION: Los Angeles Aqueduct Cascades, Sylmar, CA 91342 (near the intersection of Balboa Blvd / Foothill Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 91342)
The 2016 Kevin Smith comedy “Yoga Hosers” was filmed in Southern California. The Eh-2-Zed store where the two Colleens, played by Harley Quinn Smith and Lily-Rose Depp, work can be found in Santa Clarita. The same location appears in John Carpenter’s “Christine.”
LOCATION: 22925 Lyons Ave, Santa Clarita, CA 91321
The 1976 horror classic “Carrie,” directed by Brian De Palma, was filmed in Southern California. Early in the film, Carrie, played by Sissy Spacek, is seen walking home from school along E Santa Paula St toward N 6th St in Santa Paula, California. Most of the trees lining the street have since been removed.
LOCATION: N 6th St / E Santa Paula St, Santa Paula, CA 93060
A boy riding a bicycle begins to tease Carrie when she uses her telekinetic powers to knock the boy off his bike.
The home of Sue Snell, played by Amy Irving, could be found in Pacific Palisades. However, it has since been heavily remodeled and no longer appears anything like how it did in the film.
LOCATION: 773 Amalfi Dr, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272 (heavily remodeled)
Carrie’s house has likewise long since been demolished. It could be found in Santa Paulo. The house next door, which could be seen in the background of some shots, still matches up.
LOCATION: 122 N 7th St, Santa Paula, CA 93060 (now demolished)
Later in the film, Tommy, played by William Katt, is seen approaching from here as he arrived to pick up Carrie.
Several of the high school scenes were filmed at Palisades High School. The girls are seen playing volleyball on the basketball courts. The same school was used in the 2003 remake of “Freaky Friday” and the TV series “Saved By The Bell,” as well as many more productions.
LOCATION: 15777 Bowdoin St, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272
The girls are also seen out on the football field of Palisades High School.
Later in the film, Carrie’s classmates play a horrific prank on her as they head to a slaughterhouse to collect some pig’s blood. These scenes were filmed in the city of Vernon. The same building and mural appears in “Zabriskie Point” and the 1977 film “Angel City.”
LOCATION: 3049 E Vernon Ave, Vernon, CA 90058 (near the intersection of Bandini Blvd / S Soto St)
The murals have since changed a bit, so these are approximations of the areas seen in the film.
A second high school was used for the scene where Freddy, played by Michael Talbott, asks to join the prom committee. This scene was filmed in San Fernando.
LOCATION: 576 N Maclay Ave, San Fernando, CA 91340
Carrie is seen entering a drug store, which can be found in Santa Paula.
LOCATION: 910 E Main St, Santa Paula, CA 93060
The boys stop in the building next door to rent some tuxedos.
LOCATION: 910 E Main St, Santa Paula, CA 93060
The exterior gym scenes were filmed at the Hermosa Beach Community Center. While a few brief shots of the interior are seen in the film, all of the interior prom scenes were filmed on a set at Culver Studios (9336 Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232).
LOCATION: 710 Pier Ave, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254
Carrie tells Miss Collins, played by Betty Buckley, that she has been invited to prom.
The iconic shot of Carrie leaving as the gym is engulfed in flames was filmed here at the Hermosa Beach Community Center.
The 1988 film “Earth Girls Are Easy” was shot in Southern California. The house of Valerie and Ted, played by Geena Davis and Charles Rocket, can be found in Northridge.
The house from the 2016 Kevin Pollack film “The Late Bloomer” can be found near the West Adams neighborhood of Los Angeles. The house also appeared in the TV show “Southland.”
The 2004 Clint Eastwood film “Million Dollar Baby” was shot around Southern California. Early in the film, Frankie, played by Eastwood, speaks with Father Horvak outside of this church, which can be found in Venice.
LOCATION: 940 Coeur D Alene Ave, Venice, CA 90291
Frankie’s house can be found in the Eagle Rock neighborhood of East L.A.
LOCATION: 5206 Argus Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90041
Scrap, played by Morgan Freeman, has dinner with Maggie, played by Hilary Swank, at the Broadway Diner. These scenes were filmed at the former Quality Cafe in Downtown L.A. The diner was a one-time staple of films, appearing in “Training Day,” “Ghost World,” “Catch Me If You Can,” “Another Day In Paradise,” “(500) Days Of Summer” “Seven,” “What’s Love Got To Do With It,” “The Heartbreak Kid” and many more. However, it was not an actual restaurant open to the public. Instead it was used solely for filming. Unless the building was being set up for a production, most of the time it was closed up and locked by a large metal door covering the front windows. So catching a glimpse of it was rare. Sadly, it ceased to function as a filming location and was completely renovated in 2014. The interior of the property no longer bears any resemblance inside to how it appeared in so many films.
LOCATION: 1238 W 7th St, Los Angeles, CA 90017 (since closed and remodeled)
Maggie’s apartment can be found in Venice.
LOCATION: 20 Dudley Ct, Venice, CA 90291
Maggie buys her mom a new house, which can be found in Sun Valley.
LOCATION: 11115 Wicks St, Sun Valley, CA 91352
After Maggie sustains an injury, she is checked into a rehab facility. The exterior scenes were filmed at St Luke’s Hospital in Pasadena. The same hospital appeared in the films “Kill Bill,” “Flags of Our Fathers,” “La La Land,” “Faster,” “Starsky & Hutch,” “Halloween II” (1981) and more.
LOCATION: 2632 E Washington Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91107
The 2005 film adaptation of “Bewitched,” starring Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell, was filmed in Southern California. The home of Isabel, played by Kidman, can be found in Studio City.
LOCATION: 4427 Radford Ave, Studio City, CA 91607
Late in the film, Isabel and Jack, played by Ferrell, move into this home, located in Hancock Park.
LOCATION: 510 S Lucerne Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90020
The 1984 film “Purple Rain,” starring Prince, was shot around Minneapolis, Minnesota and Los Angeles, California. Early in the film, The Kid, played by Prince, is seen performing at the First Avenue nightclub with The Revolution. The venue is seen multiple times throughout the film.
LOCATION: 701 N 1st Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55403
The exterior of the venue was actually a composite of two locations. Close-ups of the box office area were filmed at The Wiltern in Los Angeles.
LOCATION: 3790 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90010
The Kid’s house can be found in Minneapolis. Less than a year before his death, Prince actually purchased the home in 2015.
Later in the film, The Kid drives up to check on his mother, who is sitting on the curb. These scenes were filmed in Los Angeles. While his mother is sitting in front of 922 Irolo St, only the view across the street is seen, facing 919 Irolo St.
LOCATION: 922 Irolo St, Los Angeles, CA 90006 (facing 919 Irolo St, Los Angeles, CA 90006)