Selma&Louis

Movie locations

Written by Selma-n-Louis on July 13th 2006 in Preparations

During our trip to the US we hope to stop by different movie locations. We’ll pick famous, and not so famous, spots. Here we’ll make a list of different places we plan to visit, so feel free to give us hints! Check out our planned travel route and let us know if we’re passing some obvious locations we just can’t miss.

Here’s our list - so far (and yes, this list is a work in progress):

Washington State

Seattle

The nineties hit Singles was shot in Seattle, Washington. Also among the locations was Jimi Hendrix grave at the Greenwood Memorial Park in Renton.

Of course, parts of Sleepless in Seattle was shot in Seattle.

Oregon

Salem

The classic One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest was shot at the Oregon State Mental Hospital in Salem, Oregon.

Timberline Lodge, Mount Hood

While most of the movie was shot in England, some exterior shots for The Shining were made at the Timberline Lodge on the south side of Mount Hood, about 60 miles east of Portland, Oregon. For those with a weak spot for Marlee Matlin, parts of the movie Hear no evil was shot in the area as well.

Astoria

The Goonies is just one of several rather quirky movies shot in Astoria, Oregon. For a list of movies (including Kindergarten Cop, Free Willy(!) and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles(!!!!) ) check out OldOregon.com

California

Napa Valley

Who can forget the fabulous TV show Falcon Crest? Most of the show was shot in Hollywood, but the exterior shots of the fictional Tuscany Valley were shot in Napa Valley. Spring Mountain Vineyard was used as the mansion of Angela Channing.

San Francisco

Many of the scenes for the Hitchcock classic Vertigo were shot in and around San Francisco. Among the famous locations are Lombard Street, “Americas crookedest street”, Fort Point/Presidio and of course the The Golden Gate Bridge.

The terrible, yet very enjoyable TV Series Full House featured some beautiful exterior shots of Alamo Square. If not in hope of seeing the Olsen twins, we’ve got to stop by for the idyllic view!

The Golden Gate Bridge, courtesy of James/Halonfury

Newberry Springs

On the way from LA to Las Vegas we might stop by Newberry Springs to check out the location for the movie Bagdad Cafe/Out of Rosenheim. It’s located along the historic Route 66 near Barstow in the middle of the Mojave desert, and the area offers many unique photographic experiences! The café was originally named the Sidewinder Café, but after the shooting of the movie, the name was changed to Bagdad Café.

Nevada

Las Vegas

Many movies are shot in Las Vegas, and we imagine being in Las Vegas must feel somewhat like beeing in a crazy movie. We’ll enter the city with thoughts about Casino, Showgirls, Oceans Eleven, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Leaving Las Vegas, hoping to leave safely without fear - or close encounters with the CSI!

Arizona

Old Tucson Studios

The fake western town at Old Tucson Studios was built in 1939 as a replica of 1860’s Tucson, and has later been used as a location for more than 50 western movies. The set doubles as a theme park, and is probably really, really cheesy. But it’s fun to know that scenes from classic TV series like Little House on the Prairie and Bonanza have been shot there, along with a bunch of other TV series and movies. The original town was destroyed in a fire in 1995, and the sets that were lost were not recreated. Instead, new buildings were created, so that you won’t even find recognizable buildings from your old favorite movies and series.

Utah

Monument Valley

The beautiful scenery of Monument Valley (located north and south of the border between Arizona and Utah) was used for many of the old John Ford western classics, such as Stagecoach, Rio Grande and The Searchers.

Later, the valley has been used for scenes in movies like Easy Rider, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Back to the Future III, Forrest Gump and Mission Impossible II.

Read more about The Valley in Film and Television at Wikipedia.

Moab

Almost all of the second half Thelma&Louise(!) was shot around Moab, Utah. But that’s just one of the many, many movies shot in the area.

Other movies includes Rio Grande, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Mission Impossible and a bunch of other movies.

West meets East (mitten that is) - Photo of Monument Valley, courtesy of Mike Pedroncelli

Massachusetts

Boston

We can’t visit Boston without stopping by the Bull&Finch Pub - where they filmed the exterior shots for Cheers.

“The Boston Movie Mile” is a nickname for the most filmed part of Boston. It’s located in the Beacon Hill area of Boston, starting at the beginning of Charles Street and ending at 1 Beacon Street. The list of movies with scenes shot along the Boston Movie Mile includes Good Will Hunting, The Boondock Saints and The Last Detail.

New Jersey

Red Bank / Leonardo

Kevin Smith shot his great debut film Clerks at the grocery store where he worked at the time. In fact, most of his movies are shot in and around his home town of Red Bank and nearby Leonardo. Today, Smith owns the comic shop Jay & Silent Bob’s Secret Stash in Red Bank, and above the shop is Holden and Banky’s apartment from Chasing Amy.

(Unfortunately (to Selma and lucky for Louis), the Meow Mix girl bar on Manhattan, featured in Chasing Amy, no longer exists)

Pennsylvania

Philadelphia

Of course, most of the movie Philadelphia was shot in Philadelphia.

The famous scene where Sly Stallone is running up the stairs in Rocky is shot in the “Rocky Steps” in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. A must see!

The Rocky Steps in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, courtesy of su1droot/Ben

Georgia

Savannah

Of course, important parts of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil were shot in Savannah. The Mercer House is where the real action took place, and it was also used for interior and exterior shots in the movie. We could visit Club One in search for the Lady Chablis, go to Bonaventure Cemetery, the true garden of good and evil, or stroll down Bull Street and into the Forsyth Park in search for Uga, the English bulldog who serves as the mascot for the University of Georgia and who is featured in the film (well, his predecessor, that is). Uga, as all the Ugas befor her, is owned by Sonny Seiler, who was Jim Williams real lawyer, and who played the judge in the movie. His law firm resides in the Armstrong House, 447 Bull Street, right next to the beautiful Forsyth park.

Savannah was also used as a location for the filming of Forrest Gump and the classic TV series Roots.

Juliette

The town of Juliette was used as the location for the Whistlestop Café in one of Selmas favorite movies, Fried Green Tomatoes (at the Whistlestop Café). The “Whistle Stop Café” is loosely based on a real-life restaurant, the Irondale Café in Irondale, Alabama - close to the birthplace of Fannie Flagg, who wrote the fantastic book on which the movie is based. Irondale might be a little too much off our track, but Juliette would make a perfect stop between Savannah and Nashville. And who knows - maybe we’ll run into Idgie?

Charleston

North and South was an important TV series in the eighties, and one of the beautiful plantations in the series is located at 1235 Long Point Road, Mount Pleasant, just outside of Charleston.

Tennessee

Memphis

Memphis is, of course, featured in many films about Elvis - as well as a number of other movies. Hustle and Flow was shot here, scenes from Walk the Line are located in Memphis and several of the John Grisham-based flicks have some action taking place here.

Jim Jarmusch’ great flick Mystery Train shows three intertwining stories taking place one night in Memphis. The movie features shots from Sun studio, Chaucher, Beale and Main Street, A. Schwab on Beale, Arcade Café, the statue of Elvis - among other Memphis sights (and a couple of references to Lansky’s).