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.
The 1992 Quentin Tarantino film “Reservoir Dogs,” like much of his work, was filmed around Los Angeles, California, with many of the locations found in close proximity to one another around the Eagle Rock neighborhood of East L.A. The opening restaurant scene, which establishes all of the characters, was filmed at Pat And Lorraine’s in Eagle Rock. The restaurant is still alive and well and more or less looks the same as when it appeared in the film.
LOCATION: 4720 Eagle Rock Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90041
Here is the general area where the guys sat. The circular table was added by the production.
The restaurant is very welcoming to fans of the film and has a still photo from the movie on their wall.
They also have a poster for the film on another wall.
The parking lot where the cast walks in the opening credits does still exist. However, the brick wall is no more. It is part of a bowling alley and has been remodeled a bit. This is what the wall looks like now, in the approximate area where the cast walked.
What can be matched up better is the ending shot of the opening credits sequence. The buildings across the street still appear identical. However, a fence and gate have since been added along the street.
LOCATION: 4459 Eagle Rock Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90041
The most famous location from the film was the warehouse where the men rendezvous after the heist. The majority of the film takes place there, but sadly, it no longer exists. The property was formerly a mortuary, which was incorporated into the production design, with upright caskets visible and a hearse under a tarp. The area where Mr. White, played by Harvey Keitel, talks to Mr. Pink, played by Steve Buscemi, was intended to look like an embalming room.
Once located at 59th Ave and Figueroa St in Highland Park, the building sustained damage from an earthquake and was later demolished. The apartment of Mr. Orange, played by Tim Roth, was also located above the warehouse in the same building, so that too is gone. Here is what the area looks like today, with a different building and parking lot now occupying the space.
LOCATION: 5860 N Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90042 (now demolished)
One element from the original film can still be matched up at the location. This building across from the parking lot can be seen as Mr. White first brings Mr. Orange into the warehouse. It can be seen again as Mr. Blonde walks to his car outside.
The film cuts in non-linear form to a jewelry store robbery gone wrong. Mr. Pink is seen running along the north side of York Blvd, with police chasing close behind him.
LOCATION: 5025 York Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90042
He drops his briefcase right in this area, then picks it up and continues running.
In a bit of movie magic, Mr. Pink suddenly switches sides of the street, running on the south side of York Blvd to the intersection of N Avenue 50, where a car hits him. In reality, he would’ve been running back the direction he began. In the film, a gas station is seen at the intersection, but it is now a small park.
LOCATION: Intersection of N Avenue 50 and York Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90042 (nearest address is 5000 York Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90042)
The police catch up and Mr. Pink opens fire on them at this same corner. Mr. Pink is standing on N Avenue 50, firing towards York Blvd.
Mr. Pink escapes by vehicle up N Avenue 50, with a cop shooting at him from behind in the intersection. Overall, while this area has changed some since filming, a lot of it is still recognizable from how it appeared in the film
The office of Joe, played by Lawrence Tierney, could be found in an upstairs office space at Chapman Market, located in Koreatown. There’s a few different second floor sections of the plaza, but here’s a look at the general area. The office is of course only seen from interior views in the film.
LOCATION: 3465 W 6th St, Los Angeles, CA 90020
The restaurant where Mr. Orange tells another officer all of the intel he’s collected is Johnie’s Coffee Shop Restaurant in midtown Los Angeles. The restaurant closed many years ago, but still operates as a filming location. It has appeared in “The Big Lebowski,” “American History X,” “Miracle Mile,” “Gone in Sixty Seconds,” the 1983 film “Suburbia” and many more.
LOCATION:6099 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90048
Mr. Orange rehearses “the commode story,” about being stuck in side a bathroom with a group of police officers and an aggressive dog, while in possession of drugs. Several locations appear as he rehearses and then tells the story. He is first seen rehearsing on the rooftop of this building in Hollywood, with the top of the Hollywood First National Bank Building visible behind him (which itself also appears in the films “The Nice Guys” and “Twins“). The roof area has changed a bit since filming took place.
LOCATION: 6751 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028
He continues telling the story in front of a graffiti covered wall. This was a platform that was part of the city’s original metro train line. The area has since been cleaned up and the structure seen in the film still stands. However, it is now located in the rear courtyard of an apartment complex named Belmont Station Apartments and can be seen from the street facing S Toluca St. The same location appears in such films “The Running Man,” “Colors,” “Predator 2,” “Point of No Return,” “The Replacement Killers” “The One” and more. It also appeared in the television series “V.”
LOCATION: 1304 W 2nd St, Los Angeles, CA 90026 (facing S Toluca St)
The scene then jumps to Mr. Orange actually telling Joe, Nice Guy Eddie and Mr. White the story inside a club. These scenes were filmed inside a former club located in North Hollywood. While the building is still there, the interior is now completely changed from how it appeared in the film. The same building appeared in the TV show “Pam & Tommy.”
LOCATION: 4923 Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood, CA 91601
Finally, the scene ends up with the rehearsed scenario actually playing out inside a bathroom. This was filmed in the men’s bathroom on the ground floor of the MacArthur, 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. David Lynch’s “Wild At Heart” and the Coen Brothers’ “Barton Fink” also filmed in this exact restroom, which as since been remodeled a bit, but remains largely recognizable.
LOCATION: 607 S Park View St, Los Angeles, CA 90057
Mr. Orange leaves his apartment and gets in a car with Nice Guy Eddie, Mr. White and Mr. Pink at the intersection of S Ave 59 and Figueroa St. This is accurate to where his apartment was formerly located, just out of frame to the left.
LOCATION: S Ave 59 / Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90042
The jewelry store exterior can be found in Burbank. Mr. White and Mr. Orange go over the robbery plans as they are parked outside.
LOCATION: 2612 W Burbank Blvd, Burbank, CA 91505
Mr. Brown, played by Quentin Tarantino, crashes his car in this alley. It is located near Marmion Way, but it’s actually at the intersection of two unnamed alleys. We’ve provides the exact GPS coordinates below.
LOCATION: GPS coordinates: 34.109187, -118.195118, near 5522 1/2 Marmion Way, Los Angeles, CA 90042
This house can be seen in the background behind the crashed car.
As the police arrive, Mr. White opens fire on them from here, with this building visible behind him.
Mr. White and Mr. Orange walk up the alley toward Marmion Way.
They hijack a car right where the alley meets Marmion Way. While not obvious in the film, in person it is very noticeable that the lanes of the road are split down the center by a railway track, so the car in the scene would’ve been driving along the wrong side of the street. We’ve again provided exact GPS coordinates, as it can be slightly confusing if you don’t know the area.
LOCATION: GPS coordinates: 34.109680, -118.195474, near 5522 Marmion Way, Los Angeles, CA 90042
To see our “Reservoir Dogs” location page, click here.
The 1991 film “Eye of the Storm,” starring Dennis Hopper, was filmed almost entirely at the Club Ed movie set in Lancaster, California. The building is not an actual running business and was built specifically for this film. After the production, it remained standing and continues to be used for filming purposes today. It is private property and closed to the public. However, it can be seen quite easily from the road.
LOCATION: 42848 150th St, Lancaster, CA 93535
Club Ed has since been in many films, including “The Devil’s Rejects,” “Nothing To Lose” “Woman of the Hour” and “Rubber.”
To see our “Eye of the Storm” location page, click here.
In Steven Spielberg’s “Catch Me If You Can,” Frank Abagnale Jr., played by Leonardo DiCaprio, lives at this home early in the film. Supposedly located in New York, the real home can be found in Studio City, California. It is located next door to the house from “My Stepmother Is An Alien.”
LOCATION: 12075 Valleyheart Dr, Studio City, CA 91604
Frank and his family are forced to move into a smaller apartment at this building, which can be found in Yonkers, New York.
LOCATION: 110 Buena Vista Ave, Yonkers, NY 10701
Frank Abagnale Sr, played by Christopher Walken, reads a letter from his son as he walks into the Abagnale Stationers store, which can be found in San Pedro.
LOCATION: 421 W 6th St, San Pedro, CA 90731
After posing as an airline pilot, Frank begins forging payroll checks at the former Ambassador Hotel. The hotel was a staple of film and television, appearing in such films as “The Graduate,” “Forrest Gump,” “Seven,” “Bobby,” “True Lies,” “L.A. Story,” “True Romance,” “The Mask,” “Calendar Girl” and dozens more. The hotel has since been demolished, with only this post and statue from the original building remaining.
LOCATION: 3400 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90010 (now demolished)
Carl, played by Tom Hanks, is on the hunt for Frank, who stays at the Tropicana Motel in Hollywood. While the Tropicana was a real motel at one time, it was demolished in 1988. Instead, the Hollywood Roosevelt was used. It’s actually the rear of the Roosevelt building that is seen in the film.
LOCATION: 7000 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028 (rear of the building on Hawthorn Ave)
Carl eats at a diner, where a waitress tips him off that the alias Frank has been using is the name of “The Flash” in the comic books, cluing him in that his suspect may be younger than he originally thought.
LOCATION: 1238 W 7th St, Los Angeles, CA 90017 (since closed and remodeled)
The Miami Airport where Frank slips past the FBI by surrounding himself with attractive flight attendants was actually filmed at the Ontario Airport in Ontario, California. This particular terminal is not in active use and has popped up in countless other films, including “Saving Mr. Banks,” “Zodiac,” “Blow,” “Argo” and many more.
LOCATION: 1940 Moore Way, Ontario, CA 91761
Another view of the same airport, depicted as the baggage claim terminal in the film.
Later in the film, Frank takes his father to an upscale restaurant, where he tells him he bought him a Cadillac. The actual location is not a restaurant at all. It’s the famous “Pompeian Room” of the Doheny Mansion, located on the campus of Mount Saint Mary’s University in Los Angeles. While the mansion does offer occasional tours to the public, some of the guides can be strict about allowing photos inside. Many films have shot at the mansion, including “The Princess Diaries,” “Drag Me To Hell,” “Flowers In The Attic,” “Spider-Man 3,” “The Three Amigos” and more.
LOCATION: 10 Chester Pl, Los Angeles, CA 90007
The bank scenes were filmed at Union Station, a train station in downtown Los Angeles. It has featured in many films as well, such as “Blade Runner,” “The Dark Knight Rises,” “Species,” “Bugsy,” “Pearl Harbor” and more.
LOCATION: 800 N Alameda St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Frank strikes up a romance with Brenda, played by Amy Adams, who brings him to the house of her father, played by Martin Sheen. Frank has to make an abrupt departure with the FBI hot on his heels. The house used in the film can be found in Pasadena. The address is on E Crary St, but the back of the house faces that direction and the perimeter is surrounded by a wall, so you won’t see much from there. The front side of the house is actually around the block on Layton St, which dead-ends into the driveway of the home. The same house has also been seen in the films “Matilda,” “Hocus Pocus,” “Scream 2” and “The Midnight Hour.” Unfortunately, the property owners have since posted no trespassing signs near the end of Ladyton St, making it much more difficult for pedestrians to see the house anymore.
LOCATION: 2186 E Crary St, Pasadena, CA 91104 (front of the home faces Ladyton St)
Frank is arrested in front of his mother’s house, which can be found in Pasadena. The same location appears in the film “Disturbia.”
LOCATION: 3077 E California Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91107
Late in the film, Frank passes this store and stops as he sees a pilot’s uniform on display. This can be found just a few buildings up from the Abagnale Stationers store seen early in the film.
The 1991 film adaptation of “The Addams Family” was shot in Southern California. The primary location was of course the house, which was a set built for the film and dismantled after production. The facade was built atop a hill above Burbank. Reader Peter Hillman kindly allowed us to share these photos of the house he took back at the time of filming. He added that the back portion was just a frame, barely visible if you looked up from the mountains. Thanks to Peter for these fantastic shots!
LOCATION: Lockheed View Dr, Burbank, CA 91501 (GPS coordinates: 34°12’17.6″N, 118°18’35.3″W, now demolished)
This fake wall was built across the street to cover shots from the house looking outward.
Here is what the area looks like now where the house was built.
After a scheme by Tully Alford, Abigail Craven and Gordon, the Addams family loses their home and wind up in this motel, located in Sylmar. Wednesday and Pugsley are seen selling drinks out front.
LOCATION: 12171 San Fernando Rd, Sylmar, CA 91342
Lurch belches fire and burns a wooden Native American statue in front of this building.
Morticia Addams, played by Anjelica Huston, is seen walking from this direction, with the Addams car parked near the back.
Across the street behind Lurch is a Tombstone billboard. Just out of frame to the left is another filming location. The Olympic Coffee Shop has been featured in such films as “Over The Top,” “Memento” and “Every Which Way But Loose,” as well as such TV shows as “Too Old To Die Young,” “Bosch” and “NCIS: Los Angeles.”
Additional sets were filmed at Sunset Las Palmas Studios, known then as the Hollywood Center Studios, which is likewise where the 1960s television series shot.
The 2006 film “Little Miss Sunshine” was primarily filmed in Southern California. In the film, this hotel, supposedly located in Scottsdale, Arizona, is where Richard Hoover, played by Greg Kinnear, comes to confront Stan Grossman, played by Bryan Cranston. The real hotel is actually located in Valencia, California. The same hotel appeared in the films “Twilight” and “Magnolia” (interiors only), as well as numerous TV shows, including “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” “CSI: New York,” “NCIS,” “Big Love,” “Las Vegas,” The Unit,” “Make It or Break It” and more.
LOCATION: 24500 Town Center Dr, Valencia, CA 91355
This Volkswagen van was one of five used in the film. It can be found on display at the Peterson Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, California.
LOCATION: Peterson Automotive Museum, 6060 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036
The murder house from season 1 of the TV series “American Horror Story” can be found in Los Angeles, California. The house attracts such a high volume of fans from the show that when it was sold in 2015, the new owners, who claimed they were unaware of the home’s connection to the show, sued the previous owners and their realtor for allegedly failing to divulge the house’s pop culture notoriety and the influx of visitors it would attract.
LOCATION: 1120 Westchester Pl, Los Angeles, CA 90019
Briarcliff Manor, one of the main locations of Season 2, “Asylum,” can be found in Santa Ana, California. The same building has appeared in the films “Legally Blonde” and “Catch Me If You Can.”
LOCATION: 211 W Santa Ana Blvd, Santa Ana, CA 92701
The 1989 horror film “Puppet Master” was largely filmed at the Castle Green Apartments in Pasadena, California. Castle Green has been featured in countless films, such as “True Romance,” “The Sting,” “Wild At Heart,” “The Little Rascals,” “Deja Vu,” “Sneakers,” “Bugsy,” “The Last Samurai” and many more.
John Carpenter’s original 1978, classic horror film, “Halloween,” is one of those films that tends to inspire people to seek out it’s filming locations. Nearly everything from the film can still be seen today, much of it within a small radius of one another. These locations have been heavily documented over the years, but that won’t stop us from taking a look at some of the most iconic spots from the film.
Laurie Strode, played by Jamie Lee Curtis, lives at this house, supposedly located in Haddonfield, Illinois, but actually filmed in South Pasadena, California.
LOCATION: 1115 Oxley St, South Pasadena, CA 91030
Another view of the house, from the corner of Oxley St and Fairview Ave. The owners of the house are quite welcoming to fans of the film, which is always refreshing to see, even leaving Halloween pumpkins on their front porch year round.
Haddonfield Elementary school is actually Garfield Elementary in Alhambra. The interior of the same school also serves as Laurie’s classroom.
LOCATION: 110 W McLean St, Alhambra, CA 91801
Some bullies are seen teasing Tommy.
Tommy continues walking past the front of the school.
Laurie and Lynda are walking home from school at this street corner.
LOCATION: Corner of Highland St and Fairview Ave, South Pasadena, CA 91030
They cross the street, whenever they feel they are being followed by a car being driven by a strange figure. The camera looks back toward Fairview Ave, where the car first turns down the street.
LOCATION: Facing the street approximately in front of 1014 Highland St, South Pasadena, CA 91030 (looking towards Fairview Ave)
Annie yells “Hey jerk, speed kills!” at the car, when it hits it’s breaks. The camera in this shot is on the same street, now facing the opposite direction, towards Meredian Ave. The houses from a couple very different kinds of films, “Liar Liar” and “Space Jam,” were shot on this same block. John Carpenter would himself return to the same neighborhood for his 1983 Stephen King adaptation, “Christine.”
LOCATION: Facing the street approximately in front of 1014 Highland St, South Pasadena, CA 91030 (looking towards Meridian Ave.)
Laurie and Annie are walking toward these shrubs, when they appear to see Michael Meyers looking out at them.
They approach the shrubs and look behind them, only to see no one is there.
LOCATION: 1019 Montrose Ave, South Pasadena, CA 91030
The Michael Meyers house was originally located at 707 Meridian Ave, South Pasadena, CA 91030. Since then, some apartments have been built in it’s place. The original house, however, was spared from demolition at the last minute in 1987. A South Pasadena resident, recognizing the historical importance of the home and realizing it was about the be demolished, purchased it for a mere $1, with the promise to relocate the house and keep it in tact. It wasn’t moved very far away, just over on Mission Street, near some train tracks. Later recognizing that the home had historical significance, the city of South Pasadena would go on to designate the home as a California landmark. Many iconic movie locations have been demolished over the years, so it’s always nice to hear of stories where one was not only spared, but preserved and honored. While fans of the film are encouraged to visit the house, it is currently occupied by a local business, who simply asks visitors to keep to the driveway area and refrain from attempting to go up on the porch or inside.
LOCATION: 1000 Mission St, South Pasadena, CA 91030 (original 707 Meridian Ave, South Pasadena, CA 91030)
Right across the street from the Myers house, you’ll find the hardware store Michael robs. The same intersection appears in the film “13 Going On 30,” ” as well as “Step Brothers,” “Straight Talk,” “Carpool” and “Prototype.”
LOCATION: 966 Mission St, South Pasadena, CA 91030
Just a couple blocks away from Hollywood Blvd, you’ll find the Wallace house.
LOCATION: 1537 N Orange Grove Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046
Just across the street is Doyle’s house. The same house has appeared in the Rodney Dangerfield comedy “Back To School,” as well as the TV series “American Horror Story.”
LOCATION: 1530 N Orange Grove Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046
Overall, if you are a fan of the original “Halloween” film, you’ll likely have an enjoyable time strolling around South Pasadena visiting many of these spots and it won’t even consume too much of your time.
Film Oblivion 