Dale’s Party House from “St. Elmo’s Fire”

Dale's Party House from St. Elmo's Fire (14 of 14)

If stalking is my number one love, organizing ranks a close second.  This weekend, I went full-on Monica Geller with all of my filming location spreadsheets and it. was. glorious.  Not only did the process give me hours upon hours of enjoyment, but it made me realize how many sites remain sitting in my backlog waiting to be blogged about, the vast majority from my 2016 trips to New York, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.  In the interest of purging, so to speak, I thought I’d dedicate today’s post to one of them – the Georgetown residence where Kirby Keger (Emilio Estevez) follows his crush, Dale Biberman (Andie MacDowell), to a party in the 1985 classic St. Elmo’s Fire.

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Very little of the home is actually shown in the movie, though the scene shot there is pretty darn memorable (“I’m obsessed, thank you very much!”).  In fact, the view below is the only real glimpse we get of the place.

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Dale's Party House from St. Elmo's Fire (8 of 14)

I learned about the pad (along with Third Edition bar, another St. Elmo’s Fire locale that I blogged about on Friday) thanks to my friend Owen, of the When Write Is Wrong blog, who emailed me a long list of D.C.-area stalking sites just prior to my trip.  At the time, I had yet to see the film and, when I finally sat down to do so recently, I was left wondering how on earth Owen had managed to find the place when so little of it was visible – not to mention how on earth I was going to verify its cameo in a post.  It was not until re-watching the segment while simultaneously poking around Street View that I was able to corroborate things thanks to the unusual property situated across the street, which can be seen behind Kirby at one point.

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In real life, Dale’s party house, which is largely hidden from view thanks to the surrounding foliage, boasts 9 bedrooms, 8 full baths, 3 half baths, 6,372 square feet, 3 stories, a formal living room, a banquet-sized dining room, a breakfast room, a library, a gym, a parlor, hardwood flooring throughout, an elevator (!), a fully-finished basement with a wine cellar, a 2-bedroom staff apartment, a walled garden, terraces, a veranda, a pool, and parking for 6 cars.

Dale's Party House from St. Elmo's Fire (5 of 14)

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The 1875 property last sold in January 2018 for a whopping $7.37 million.

Dale's Party House from St. Elmo's Fire (3 of 14)

Thanks to the real estate listing photos posted online – which you can see here and here (and you can take a virtual tour here) – I was able to ascertain that the interior of the home was also used in St. Elmo’s Fire.  Though very little of it can actually be seen and what is seen is blurred due to Kirby’s movements, the party house’s general layout matches what is shown in the MLS images.

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Certain architectural details match, as well, namely the large pocket doors leading from the living room to the dining room.

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I so love that there is a piano on display in the same exact spot as in the movie!

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For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

Big THANK YOU to fellow stalker Owen, of the When Write Is Wrong blog, for telling me about this location! Smile

Dale's Party House from St. Elmo's Fire (1 of 14)

Until next time, Happy Stalking!  Smile

Stalk It: The house where Kirby follows Dale to a party in St. Elmo’s Fire is located at 3053 P Street NW in Georgetown.

The Landmark Screening of “The Way”

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Last Wednesday evening, shortly before a ginormous wind storm took hold of Los Angeles, celebrity aficionado Pinky Lovejoy, of the Thinking Pink blog, and fellow stalker CB, of the Mike the Fanboy website, invited me to be their plus-one at a screening of the new movie The Way, which was to be followed by a question and answer session with the film’s director Emilio Estevez, star Martin Sheen, and producer David Alexanian.  Because the event was taking place at the Landmark Theatre located all the way out in Westwood, though, and because The Way has a run-time of 115 minutes, and because this stalker is not a big fan of “films” – I much prefer “movies” to the typically pretentious art house fare usually found at indy theatres – I was not especially looking forward to attending.  But I absolutely love me some Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez, so I decided that I would just have to bite the bullet and that is how I found myself heading out to the Westside last Wednesday night, just as 85-mile-per-hour winds were beginning to blow.

The Way–Preview

The Way, which you can watch a preview of by clicking above, turned out to be, by no stretch of the imagination, one of the best movies I have ever seen in my entire life!  I honestly cannot say enough good things about it and was actually very hesitant to write this post as I knew it would take me quite a bit of time to put into words all of the fabulous things that I wanted to express.  The film, which was written and directed by Emilio Estevez, is nothing short of phenomenal in so many ways – it features a completely unique and riveting story, a wonderful script, fabulously rich characters, incredible scenery, remarkable performances, and a touching and profound sentiment.  I do not want to say a lot about The Way as I feel it should be viewed without much prior knowledge, but at its core is the story of El Camino de Santiago, a real-life 500-mile route through France and Spain that pilgrims, or “peregrinos” as they are officially called, walk (yes, walk!) on their way to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, where the remains of Saint James are believed to have been buried.  The journey, which is just as much spiritual as it is physical, lasts about eight weeks with peregrinos walking about twelve to fifteen miles per day.  At night, the travelers stay at refugios, small inns or hostels, where they are provided with a homemade meal and a bed.  The refugios are just as much a part of the journey as the walk itself, as pilgrims break bread with the refugio owners and their fellow travelers, creating new friendships and learning local customs along the way.  I find it unbelievable that prior to watching the film, I had never heard even a mention of El Camino de Santiago.  I am now absolutely fascinated by it, as I am sure all those are who have seen The Way.   If you have yet to see the movie, I cannot more highly recommend doing so.  It is an uplifting adventure and historically-rich journey that you will not be sorry you took.

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Immediately following the screening, Martin Sheen, Emilio Estevez, and David Alexanian walked to the front of the theatre and the Q&A session began.  And I have to say that it was almost as fascinating as the movie itself.  Martin talked about how in 2003 he had been approached by his then 19-year-old grandson, Taylor Estevez (Emilio’s son), to walk the Camino.  Because Martin was filming The West Wing at the time, he did not have enough weeks off to walk the entire 500-miles, so Martin’s wife suggested that the two rent a car and drive along the Camino route.  That way they could see how difficult of a trek it would actually be and prepare themselves for walking it someday in the future.  And that is exactly what Martin and Taylor did.  (Can I just say here how adorable it is that Taylor asked his grandfather to go on this journey with him?  LOVE IT!  Reminds me of the relationship I have with my grandma.)  Things did not exactly go according to plan, though, as one night during their journey, while dining at a refugio, Taylor and the refugio owner’s daughter locked eyes and, as Martin said in the Q&A, “they’re still looking at each other”.  Taylor ended up staying in Spain and marrying the refugio owner’s daughter and they are still together to this day.  Their love story and the experiences Taylor and Martin shared on their Camino journey inspired Martin to ask Emilio to write a screenplay about it.  The father/son duo, who live next door to each other, collaborated on the story and The Way is the result of their efforts.

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The Way was shot entirely on location along El Camino de Santiago (in chronological order, mind you), with the crew using only the camera equipment and supplies that they could carry on their backs, which makes the behind-the-scenes story almost as amazing as the actual movie.  So basically, while filming a movie about El Camino, the crew was actually taking the journey themselves.  So incredibly cool!

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Martin and Emilio honestly could not have been funnier, warmer, or more engaging during the Q&A and I love both of them even more now than I did before.

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After the Q&A, CB, Pinky, and I went up to Martin, who was EXTREMELY friendly and more than happy to pose for a pic with us.  I was actually an extra in an episode of The West Wing about eleven years ago and had the pleasure of watching Martin perform firsthand.  The man is a phenomenon and I will never forget coming home that night and saying to my mom, “I learned more about acting in one day of observing Martin Sheen than I did in four years of college as a theatre major!”  My mom was not too pleased to hear that, being that she footed my college tuition, but it was absolutely true.  The scene I was an extra in involved Martin’s character, President Jed Bartlet, giving a speech to his daughter’s college.  The speech was LONG – at least five minutes of continuous dialogue – and Martin knew that thing backwards and forwards.  The filming took over 14 hours (not kidding!) during which Martin had to repeat the monologue over and over and over again and, let me tell you, the guy never faltered or forgot one single word!  And he had just as much energy during Take 1 as he did during Take 103.  It was incredible to witness.  Even more incredible was the fact that every time the director yelled “Cut!”, Martin would seamlessly shed his Jed Barlet persona to address all of the extras, regaling us with stories of his life and acting career.  Once the director would yell “Action!”, Martin would once again transform into his character and continue on with his speech without missing a beat.  I am still awed by it to this day!

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Emilio Estevez also could not have been nicer or more friendly and I have to say that it was pretty incredible getting to tell Gordon Bombay himself that The Mighty Ducks was one of my very favorite movies.  Smile

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After the show, Pinky, who I swear could spot a celebrity while blind-folded in a snow storm, saw actor Ed Lauter, who played Colonel Glenn in fave movie Girls Just Want to Have Fun.  We, of course, asked Ed for a picture and he happily obliged.  Yay!  All in all, it was a fabulous night and I am SO incredibly glad that I went!

You can read CB’s write-up of the event and see some videos he took of the Q&A session on the Mike the Fanboy website here.

Big THANK YOU to Pinky Lovejoy, from the Thinking Pink blog, and CB, of the Mike the Fanboy website, for inviting me to this event.

Until next time, Happy Stalking!  Smile

Stalk It: There is no stalking location for this one, but you can catch The Way in theatres now and you can visit the movie’s official website here.

Mickey’s Diner from “The Mighty Ducks”

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I thought I’d give y’all a break from the myriad of Beautiful Girls locations that I’ve been blogging about as of late by dedicating today’s post to a very famous and historic St. Paul restaurant named Mickey’s Diner.  The diner is something of a Twin Cities landmark and pretty much every Native Minnesotan that my parents and I met while in the North Star State two weeks ago – from the concierge at our hotel to the barista at the local coffee shop – told us that we absolutely HAD to grab a bite to eat there.  Ironically enough, though, like any good stalker, I already had Mickey’s at the very top of my Must-See-While-In-Minnesota list long before our plane even touched ground at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.  I first found out about the diner a few weeks prior to my trip thanks to the the IMDB Mighty Ducks filming locations page and, since I loved the entire Mighty Ducks series – especially its leading man, Joshua Jackson – I was dying to see the place in person.  Unfortunately though, because I had over twenty locations on my To-Stalk list, I didn’t have time to actually eat at Mickey’s, which is a real shame as I hear the food there is absolutely to die for!   Not eating at Mickey’s is truly my only Minnesota stalking regret.  🙁  Ah well, there’s always next time!

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Mickey’s Diner was founded by friends David “Mickey” Crimmins and John “Bert” Mattson, who decided to purchase a dining car after attending the National Restaurant Convention in Chicago in 1937.  The fifty foot by ten foot car, which was one of the first to be designed in the Art-Deco-style, was originally built in Elizabeth, New Jersey by the Jerry O’Mahoney Company.  In 1939, the completed restaurant was transported by a flatbed railcar to its current location at the corner of West 7th and St. Peter Streets in Downtown St. Paul.  It has been in continuous operation – 24 hours a day, 365 days a year – ever since and, after three generations, is still owned and operated by the Mattson family.  On February 23, 1983, Mickey’s was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

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Mickey’s Diner is an incredibly cool little spot and the people there truly could NOT have been nicer.  They answered all of my silly little questions about the filming that has taken place there over the years and allowed me to take all of the photographs of the interior that I wanted, even though I wasn’t actually dining there.  I’m hardly the first stalker to visit the place, though.  According to this article written by Chicago Sun-Times staff writer Dave Hoekstra, the restaurant’s current owner, Melissa Mattson, conducted a survey back in 1999 to determine how many of her patrons were actually movie buffs who had come to stalk the diner due to its many cinematic appearances.  According to her findings, stalkers account for five percent of her customers.  Love it!    

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In Disney’s The Mighty Ducks, Mickey’s was the spot where Charlie Conway’s (aka Joshua Jackson’s) mom Casey (aka Heidi Kling) worked.  The diner also appeared in the movie’s sequels, D2: The Mighty Ducks and D3: The Mighty Ducks.  And yes, that is a VERY young Joshua Jackson pictured in the above screen captures!  🙂

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In 1996’s Jingle All The Way, Howard Langston (aka Arnold Schwarzenegger) pushed his car to Mickey’s Diner after running out of gas on a Minnesota bridge.  And while the real exterior of the restaurant was used in the filming . . .

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. . .  the interior was actually a set that was recreated on a soundstage.  As you can see in the above screen captures, the set was built to be much larger than the actual restaurant.  In real life, the diner boasts four booths, which are located at the far west end of the dining car, 17 counter stools, and can only accommodate a maximum of 36 patrons.

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The 2006 movie A Prairie Home Companion actually opens up at Mickey’s Diner, where private investigator Guy Noir (aka Kevin Kline) is shown feasting on “a grilled cheese sandwich with beans for a chaser” before heading across the street to work at the Fitzgerald Theatre one rainy Saturday night in St. Paul. 

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The diner is also the site of the movie’s closing scene, in which Guy, along with his friends Rhonda Johnson (aka Lilly Tomlin), Yolanda Johnson (aka Meryl Streep), Lola Johnson (aka Lindsay Lohan), Dusty (aka Woody Harrelson), GK (aka Garrison Keillor), and Lefty (aka John C. Reilly), discuss taking their former radio show on the road for a farewell tour.  And apparently, quite a few of the stars of A Prairie Home Companion would stop into Mickey’s quite regularly to grab a bite to eat during their time on location in St. Paul.  So cool!  Mickey’s Diner has also been featured in the television series Rachel Ray’s Tasty Travels, Unwrapped, Roker on the Road, Alton Brown’s Feasting on Asphalt, and Jesse Ventura’s Minnesota.  The diner is also something of a celebrity hotspot and has attracted the likes of Roseanne Barr, Tom Arnold, Liv Tyler, Bill Murray, Andy Garcia, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, John Stewart, the Beach Boys, New Kids on the Block, and Julio Iglesias, who once spontaneously serenaded a Mickey’s waitresses while on bended knee. 

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On a side note – While making A Prairie Home Companion, the movie’s stars, including Woody Harrelson, Lindsay Lohan, Lily Tomlin, Tommy Lee Jones, Kevin Kline, Virginia Madsen, and John C. Reilly, all bunked at the absolutely gorgeous St. Paul Hotel.  The St. Paul was built in 1910 by the Minnesota-area architectural firm of Reed and Stern, who are perhaps best known for designing Grand Central Station in New York.  The hotel is absolutely beautiful inside and if you are in the area, I HIGHLY recommend stalking it.  The next time I visit Minnesota, I am DEFINITELY booking myself a room there!  🙂

Until next time, Happy Stalking!  🙂

Stalk It: Mickey’s Diner is located at 36 West 7th Street in St. Paul, Minnesota.  The restaurant is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.  You can visit the Mickey’s Diner website here.  The St. Paul Hotel is located at 350 Market Street, also in St. Paul, Minnesota.  You can visit the St. Paul Hotel website here.