The Nice Guys (2016)

The 2016 Shane Black film “The Nice Guys,” starring Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling, takes place in Los Angeles in 1977. Much of the filming took place in Southern California, with some additional filming in Atlanta, Georgia. The opening shot is seen behind the Hollywood sign.  There is a public hiking trail that goes up to and behind the sign.  The sign itself is heavily monitored by security.

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LOCATION: Hollywood Sign, Los Angeles, CA 90068 (GPS coordinates: 34°08’02.8″N, 118°19’17.5″W)

Early in the film, Jackson Healy, played by Russell Crowe, beats up a man at this house, which can be found in the View Park-Windsor Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles. The house has since been remodeled a bit. This same home is briefly seen in “Lords Of Dogtown.”

LOCATION: 3975 Kenway Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90008

The Hollywood First National Bank Building is briefly seen as a radio announcer repeats a smog advisory. The same building also appears in the film “Twins“, as well as briefly in the background of a rooftop scene in “Reservoir Dogs.”

LOCATION: 6777 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028

The home of Holland March, played by Ryan Gosling, can also be found in the View Park-Windsor Hills neighborhood.

LOCATION: 4255 Enoro Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90008

The home of Misty’s Aunt, whom March takes on as a client, can be found in the same neighborhood.

LOCATION: 4585 W Mt Vernon Dr, View Park-Windsor Hills, CA 90043

The exterior of the bowling alley where March’s daughter Holly, played by Angourie Rice, has a birthday party can be found in Covina, a bit far away from most of the other locations in the film.

LOCATION: 1060 W San Bernardino Rd, Covina, CA 91722

Healy and March encounter Amelia’s protest group on the stairs of City Hall in Downtown Los Angeles. The building has been featured in endless films, such as “They Live,” “L.A. Confidential,” “Liar Liar,” “Ray,” “Fracture,” “Gangster Squad,” “Impulse,” L.A. Bounty” and more.

LOCATION: 200 N Spring St, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Healy and March meet with Amelia’s mother, played by Kim Basinger, at The John Ferraro Building in Downtown L.A. It has been featured in countless films and television shows, such as “Inception,” “Hancock,” “The Omega Man” and more.

LOCATION: 111 N Hope St, Los Angeles, CA 90012

The empty plot of land where Holly reads alone can be found in Baldwin Hills.

LOCATION: 5245 Veronica St, Los Angeles, CA 90008

The Hollywood Tower Apartments are briefly seen as March speculates maybe the birds can’t breathe, as he sits stuck in traffic. The same apartments appears in the film “Body Double.”

LOCATION: 6200 Franklin Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90028

The home of Misty Mountains, played by Murielle Telio, can be found back in View Park-Windsor Hills.

LOCATION: 5003 Parkglen Ave, View Park-Windsor Hills, CA 90043

Pearl Harbor (2001)

The 2001 Michael Bay film “Pearl Harbor” was primarily filmed in Hawaii, Southern California and England. In the film, Rafe McCawley, played by Ben Affleck, is accompanied by Danny Walker, played by Josh Hartnett, as he departs a train station to join the front lines of the war in England. These scenes were filmed at Union Station, a train station in Downtown Los Angeles.  It has been featured in many films, such as “Blade Runner” “Catch Me If You Can,” “The Dark Knight Rises,” “Species,” “To Live And Die In L.A.,” “Bugsy,” “Nick of Time,” “The Replacement Killers,” “Mike’s Murder,” “The Way We Were,” “Union Station,” “Under the Rainbow” and more.

LOCATION: 800 N Alameda St, Los Angeles, CA 90012

The scenes where Doolittle, played by Alec Baldwin, prepares his pilots to fly short takeoffs were filmed at the north hangar of the Marine Corps Air Station Tustin (72-7 Tustin Ranch Rd, Irvine, CA 92606). There are two hangers located at the air station, which closed back in 1999 and has since been used in many productions, such as the 2009 version of “Star Trek,” “The Hindenburg,” “The Man’s Navy” and “Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me.” It also appeared in Michael Jackson’s music video for “Hold My Hand,” as well as countless commercials. In 2023, a fire destroyed the north hanger. However, the south hanger, which has been seen in such TV shows as “The X-Files” and “From the Earth to the Moon,” was unaffected by the fire and remains standing.

Evelyn Johnson, played by Kate Beckinsale, leaves a movie theater after she is upset by one of the newsreels. This scene was filmed at the Warner Grand Theater in San Pedro, California. The same theater also appeared in many other films, including “Zodiac,” “What’s Love Got To Do With It,” “Babylon,” “Seabiscut,” “Remote Control,” “Win A Date With Tad Hamilton,” “It’s Pat: The Movie,” “Ghosts Of Mississippi,” “Boys And Girls,” “Live By Night,” “Worth Winning,” “Mark Of Love,” “Invasion Earth: The Aliens Are Here” and “From Wharf Rats to Lords of the Docks.” It has also appeared in such television series as “The O.C.,” “Party Of Five,” “Melrose Place,” “T.J.Hooker,” “7th Heaven” and “Cousin Skeeter.”

LOCATION: 478 W 6th St, San Pedro, CA 90731

Evelyn and Danny talk next door to the theater at the fictional Black Cat Diner.

LOCATION: 470 W 6th St, San Pedro, CA 90731

Japanese planes are seen approaching Hawaii near Kualoa Regional Park, with a small island known as Mokolii seen on the right. It is a popular photo spot for tourists and very close to the house from “50 First Dates.”

LOCATION: Near Kualoa Regional Park, 49-479 Kamehameha Hwy, Kaneohe, HI 96744

A man is seen riding a motorcycle towards a bunker, where the planes are first detected by American radar. This scene was filmed at Kualoa Ranch in O’ahu. The ranch offers tours and this area can be seen on their film tour. Inside are many props and displays showcasing the many filmed shot at the ranch over the years.

LOCATION: Kualoa Ranch, 49-560 Kamehameha Hwy, Kaneohe, HI 96744

The Japanese planes are also seen passing this area, which is also part of Kualoa Ranch. Kualoa Ranch has been featured in dozens of films, such as “Jurassic Park,” “Jurassic World,” “Triple Frontier” and many more, as well as the television show “Lost.”

Related articles: Bad Boys (1995), The Rock (1996), Bad Boys II (2003), Transformers (2007)

Jerry Maguire (1996)

The 1996 Cameron Crowe film “Jerry Maguire,” starring Tom Cruise and Renee Zellweger, was filmed in Southern California. The condo where Jerry, played by Cruise, lives can be found in Marina Del Rey. It is only seen from interior views in the film.

LOCATION: 3811 Ocean Front Walk #1, Marina Del Rey, CA 90292

The home of Rod Tidwell, played by Cuba Gooding, Jr., is a bit of a drive outside of L.A. to Westlake Village.

LOCATION: 1760 Kirsten Lee Dr, Westlake Village, CA 91361

The home of Dorothy, played by Zellweger, can be found in Manhattan Beach up a very steep and narrow hillside. It must have been a challenge getting movie trucks into this space.

LOCATION: 527 23rd St, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266

Jerry and Dorothy go on a date at a mexican restaurant, which still exists today near Playa Vista. It is only seen from interior views in the film.

LOCATION: 4141 S Centinela Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90066

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Tenacious D In The Pick Of Destiny (2006)

The 2006 comedy “Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny,” starring Jack Black and Kyle Gass, was filmed in Southern California. The film opens at the childhood home of JB, played by Jack Black, supposedly located in Kickapoo, Missouri. The real home can be found in Los Angeles.

LOCATION: 6956 W 85th St, Los Angeles, CA 90045

The exterior of the club the band performs at is located in Long Beach. However, most of the shots of the back area seen in the film can no longer be lined up easily anymore, as the bar has since erected an outdoor seating canopy and surrounded it in fencing.

LOCATION: 2913 E Anaheim St, Long Beach, CA 90804

JB and KG, played by Kyle Gass, stop for food at the Halfway House Cafe in Santa Clarita. The same location has appeared in many productions, such as “Waitress,” “Top Gun: Maverick,” “Space Cowboys,” “The Twilight Zone: The Movie” and “Westworld.” The cafe also appeared in a famous commercial starring Cindy Crawford.

LOCATION: 15564 Sierra Hwy, Santa Clarita, CA 91390

Thanks to Hollywood in Real Life for locating the Long Beach bar.

Ghost World (2001)

The 2001 Terry Zwigoff film “Ghost World” was shot in Southern California, despite the filmmaker’s best efforts to disguise that fact. The school seen during graduation at the beginning of the film is Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies (LACES).

LOCATION: 5931 W 18th St, Los Angeles, CA 90035

The home of Enid, played by Thora Birch, can be found in the Baldwin Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles.

LOCATION: 5660 Clemson St, Los Angeles, CA 90016

Later in the film, Enid has a yard sale out front. As she’s taking her items back inside, Rebecca, played by Scarlett Johansson, invites her out, but Enid declines.

Enid has lunch with Rebecca at the former Quality Cafe in Downtown Los Angeles.  The location appears in a couple different scenes with the girls. The diner was a one-time staple of film, appearing in “Seven,” “Training Day,” “Catch Me If You Can,” “Another Day In Paradise,” “(500) Days Of Summer” “Million Dollar Baby,” “The Rules Of Attraction,” “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 (much like Johnie’s Coffee Shop in mid-town L.A.).  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. 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)

The convenience store where Josh, played by Brad Renfro, works can be found in the Miracle Mile neighborhood. The store has since closed.

LOCATION: 901 S La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036

Josh gives the girls a ride through San Pedro. Most of the businesses seen in the street shot are still the same.

LOCATION: Near S Gaffey St / W 5th St, Los Angeles, CA 90731

It is a challenge placing the location of the Wowsville 50s Diner, as very little is seen of the exterior and the interior suggests a different location. What is more identifiable is the outside area where Seymour, played by Steve Buscemi, nearly gets into an accident. This spot can be found in San Pedro.

LOCATION: Centre St / 5th St, San Pedro, CA 90731

While the green building behind Seymour has since been demolished, you can see the curvature of the road and the port in the background still matches. More details of the Northeast corner match up in old street and satellite views as well.

However, the area where the diner appears to be, from the perspective of the characters, would be the Southwest corner, which is now demolished and was a courthouse parking lot prior to that, suggesting the diner was a filmed at a different location.

This corner in Venice appears a couple times in the film, first when Enid and Rebecca discuss what Satanists do, then again near the end of the film, when Enid walks alone.

LOCATION: 2498 Lincoln Blvd, Venice, CA 90291

Enid and Rebecca take an interest in Seymour and follow him to his home, which can be found just around the block from the location used as Enid’s home in the film.

LOCATION: 3449 Carmona Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90016

Seymour holds a garage sale next to his apartment building, where Enid purchases a used LP.

The man waiting for the bus that never comes sits at a bench in front of this wall in San Pedro.

LOCATION: 406 W 6th St, San Pedro, CA 90731

The location is seen again at the end of the film.

The fictional Zine-O-Phobia shop can also be found in San Pedro.

LOCATION: 365 W 6th St, San Pedro, CA 90731

Enid visits Seymour at an outpatient clinic. As she exits, Rebecca is sitting on a bench outside waiting for her. This location can be found in Santa Clarita, a bit of a distance from most of the other filming locations.

LOCATION: 22607 6th St, Santa Clarita, CA 91321

Enid walks alone past a Radio Shack store and looks across the street to see the man waiting for the bus that never comes. In reality, the two locations are nowhere near one another.

LOCATION: 5786 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038 (facing Arden Pl)

The final shot was filmed on the Sixth Street Viaduct in Downtown Los Angeles. The original bridge was demolished in 2016, due to a flaw in the original concrete used to build the bridge, which gave it a high likelihood of eventual collapse. A new bridge was built in its place and opened in 2022. The original bridge appeared in countless films, including “Terminator 2: Judgment Day,” “Drive,” “Repo Man,” “Grease,” “Blade,” “Swordfish,” “Double Dragon” and dozens more.

LOCATION: Sixth Street Viaduct, E 6th St, Los Angeles, CA 90013 (rebuilt and remodeled)

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The Cable Guy (1996)

The 1996 Jim Carrey comedy “The Cable Guy” was filmed in Southern California. The exterior of this building was used as the apartment of Steven Kovacs, played by Matthew Broderick. The same building has appeared in many films, including “Changeling,” “Twins,” “American Pie 2,” “Ouija,” “Oujia: Origin of Evil,” “Annabelle: Creation,” “The Ring 2,” “Puppet Master II,” “Truth or Dare,” “Where Sleeping Dogs Lie,” “Species III” and many more. It has also appeared in numerous TV shows, such as “Westworld,” “You,” “American Crime Story,” “Teen Wolf,” “Bosch: Legacy” and more.

LOCATION: 306 Loma Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90017

The memorable scene at Medieval Times, where Chip, played by Carrey, challenges Steven to a battle was filmed in Buena Park. It is a real establishment still in operation.

LOCATION: 7662 Beach Blvd, Buena Park, CA 90620

Changeling (2008)

In the 2008 Clint Eastwood film “Changeling,” Christine Collins, played by Angelina Jolie, lives in this home, located in San Dimas, California.

LOCATION: 126 W 2nd St, San Dimas, CA 91773

The psychiatric hospital is actually an apartment complex. This same building has appeared in many films, including “The Cable Guy,” “Twins,” “American Pie 2,” “Ouija,” “Oujia: Origin of Evil,” “Annabelle: Creation,” “The Ring 2,” “Puppet Master II,” “Truth or Dare,” “Where Sleeping Dogs Lie,” “Species III” and many more. It has also appeared in numerous TV shows, such as “Westworld,” “You,” “American Crime Story,” “Teen Wolf,” “Bosch: Legacy” and more.

LOCATION: 306 Loma Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90017

Related articles: Breezy (1973), The Bridges Of Madison County (1995), Million Dollar Baby (2004), American Sniper (2014)

Busting (1974)

The 1974 buddy cop movie “Busting,” starring Elliott Gould and Robert Blake, was filmed in Los Angeles, California. One of the movie’s most famous sequences, a gun fight spilling out in a night market, was filmed at the Grand Central Market in Downtown L.A.

LOCATION: 317 S Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90013

A popular eating spot, Grand Central Market has appeared in many films, including “La La Land,” “Color Of Night,” “City Of Angels,” “I Am Sam” and many more.

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Vice Detectives Michael Keneely and Patrick Farrel, played by Gould and Blake, stake out the home of Carl Rizzo, played by Allen Garfield. Rizzo’s house can be found in Hancock Park.

LOCATION: 184 S Hudson Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90004

Later in the film, the detectives visit the house again.

They are seen knocking at the front door.

Michael Keneely gets dropped off by a taxi in front of this apartment building in Hollywood, where he and his partner both end up taking beatings.

LOCATION: 6501 Yucca St, Los Angeles, CA 90028

At the La Brea Tar Pits, the detectives get a warning that they’re risking their lives to continue going after Rizzo.

LOCATION: 5801 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036