Goldie Hawn – IAMNOTASTALKER

October 21, 2019October 22, 2019

Nuart Theatre from “Foul Play”

I was hesitant to include today’s locale in with my Haunted Hollywood postings being that the Nuart Theatre is neither haunted nor a horror movie location, per se. But the small arthouse venue did cameo in one of my favorite thrillers/comedies – 1978’s Foul Play – as the site of a murder, no less, so I figured it was fair game. Especially considering I had stalked the place years ago while writing a 2015 article for Discover L.A. about the city’s best places to beat the rain but had somehow never dedicated a post to it. So here goes!

[ad]

Commissioned by Forrest W. McManus and boasting terrazzo flooring, 660 seats and a single screen, the Nuart Theatre opened on August 21st, 1930 with a star-studded gala.

Nine years later, the site was remodeled and the neon Art Deco marquee that now stands above the entrance installed.

The Nuart went through several ownership changes over the ensuing decades, first falling under the Fox West Coast Theatres umbrella from 1941 to 1954, then running independently for several years before finally getting snapped up by Landmark Theatres in 1974.

The space underwent a major renovation in 2006 during which the seating was downsized to 303 chaises to allow for roomier accommodations. With beer and wine also served on the premises, today the Nuart easily holds up against L.A.’s many luxury theatres.

Such an arthouse fave amongst Angelinos, in fact, the Nuart consistently ranks as one of the area’s best theatres and has been lauded by such entities as LAist, the Los Angeles Times and Curbed LA. Los Angeles magazine even recognized the place for its “Top-Rated Popcorn” in 2009. The Nuart is also famous for its regular showings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show (which have been taking place since the ‘80s), as well as its many celebrity Q&As with the likes of such luminaries as Harry Dean Stanton, Halle Berry, Burt Lancaster, Ridley Scott, Mel Blanc, John Waters and Mark Hamill. And, of course, it’s also a filming location!

In Foul Play, Gloria Mundy (Goldie Hawn) heads to the Nuart, said to be on San Francisco’s Union Street, one dark and stormy night (because, of course) to meet Bob ‘Scotty’ Scott (Bruce Solomon) for a film noir double feature. During the retrospective, Gloria discovers that Scott has been stabbed to death in his seat. By the time she reports the killing to the theatre manager, though, his body has gone missing (dun dun dun!), setting her off on a path to find the guilty party. Quite a lot of the venue is shown in the movie, including the exterior;

the ticket booth area and front entrance;

and the lobby.

From the way the segment was shot and because various message boards I’ve come across concerning the Nuart mention that its interior was decidedly red in color before the 2006 remodel, I am fairly certain that the inside of the theatre itself also appeared in Foul Play.

Oddly though, in 1976, two years prior to Foul Play, the Nuart was featured in the Season 1 episode of Starsky & Hutch titled “Silence” . . .

. . . but the theatre interior shown did not match what was seen in Foul Play in the slightest, which has me thoroughly confused. I am guessing that Starsky & Hutch must have only utilized the exterior of the Nuart and then shot interiors in a screening room located back at 20th Century Fox Studios where the series was lensed, but that is just a hunch.

The Nuart has appeared in a couple of other productions, as well. Thanks to fellow stalker MM, I was reminded that the theatre popped up briefly each week in the opening credits of the television series Moonlighting, which aired from 1985 through 1989.

Guy Franklin (Alexander Tovar) runs into Heather (Megan Rosati) at the Nuart at the end of the 2016 film Show Business.

And Maddie Kendall (Jennifer Love Hewitt) and Howie “Chimney” Han (Kenneth Choi) head to the Nuart for a date in the Season 2 episode of 9-1-1 titled “Buck, Actually,” which aired in 2018.

Though the Nuart is said to be the spot where Leonard Hofstadter (Johnny Galecki), Howard Wolowitz (Simon Helberg) and Raj Koothrappali (Kunal Nayyar) attend a Planet of the Apes marathon in the Season 1 episode of The Big Bang Theory titled “The Pancake Batter Anomaly,” no filming actually took place there. The episode was instead shot in front of a live audience on a soundstage-built set at Warner Bros. Studio in Burbank, where the show was lensed.

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

Until next time, Happy Stalking! Smile

Stalk It: Landmark’s Nuart Theatre, from Foul Play, is located at 11272 Santa Monica Boulevard in Sawtelle. You can visit the venue’s official website here.

October 1, 2018October 16, 2019

Pasadena Central Library from “Foul Play”

It’s my favorite day of the year! No, it’s not Halloween already – it’s October 1st, which marks the start of my annual Haunted Hollywood postings and the beginning of the Halloween season (well, it marks the latter for most people, anyway – I started decorating for the holiday weeks ago!). To kick things off, I thought I’d write about Pasadena Central Library. I stalked the gorgeous book repository last month in preparation for my October blogs, figuring the place would be the perfect segue into the season thanks to its appearance in several scary productions, most notably the 1990 “thrill-omedy” Arachnophobia. But as I only just learned thanks to a few knowledgeable chat room commenters, while the library was briefly featured in the film’s original theatrical run, apparently the footage shot there was not included in later releases – not in any versions available on DVD nor via streaming. Because the site has numerous other connections to the chiller genre, though – namely a cameo in the 1978 mystery Foul Play – I decided to forge ahead with the post.

[ad]

The Pasadena Public Library was originally established as the Pasadena Library and Village Improvement Society in 1882, four years before the city itself was incorporated. Its initial headquarters, built in 1884, was situated on Colorado Boulevard near Raymond Avenue (though it was known as “Raymond Street” at the time) on what was then the Central School campus. Two years after it was constructed, the entire building was moved a few blocks south to 42 West Dayton Street. When the need to expand arose in 1890, the library then set up shop in a dramatic turreted property on the corner of Raymond Avenue and Walnut Street. A model of that site, made from stone taken from the actual building and currently on display in the Central Library’s Main Hall, is pictured below. (Sadly, that structure was razed at some point after the current library was erected. Oh, how I wish it had been left intact! I mean, it couldn’t look more like a real life haunted house if it tried! Can you imagine the Halloween fun that could be had there if it was still standing?)

In 1922, the Bennett, Parsons and Frost architecture firm was commissioned to oversee the development of a civic center for Pasadena set to include a city hall, a civic auditorium, and a new library.

The firm held a design contest for the three structures in which ten architecture companies competed. Myron Hunt (who also gave us Thornton Gardens, Occidental College, Wattles Mansion, the Langham Huntington Hotel, the Huntington Library, Art Collection, and Botanical Gardens and the Pasadena Elks Lodge) and H.C. Chambers’ proposal was chosen for the new library and construction on their Spanish Colonial Revival-style masterpiece began on May 19th, 1925.

The structure was completed a little less than two years later and the building was dedicated on February 12th, 1927.

The exterior of the three-story, U-shaped property is comprised of a central courtyard with a fountain, cast concrete friezes, Corinthian cast stone columns, paned arched windows, and outdoor reading alcoves.

While undeniably impressive . . .

. . . the interior is the real sight to behold.

Boasting intricate woodwork, spectacular coffered ceilings, pendant lighting, Italian marble flooring, oak shelving, and ornately carved doorways and hallways, the inside of the building is nothing short of breathtaking.

The sweeping Main Hall is the library’s crown jewel. Measuring 33 by 203 feet, the room features 45-foot ceilings, oak wainscoting and bookshelves, cork flooring (to mask the sound of footsteps), and a set of handsome dark wood and wrought-iron tables that run the length of the space.

Each of the library’s many chambers can be reached via the Main Hall, including the Children’s Room . . .

. . . which was originally named the “Peter Pan Room” in honor of the Maud Daggett-sculpted fireplace that stands as the space’s focal point and depicts the story of the beloved children’s book;

the Reference Room;

the Centennial Room;

the Business Wing;

the Humanities Wing;

and the floors upon floors of book stacks.

The city embarked upon an extensive restoration and “historically sensitive” renovation of the building between 1984 and 1990. The result is nothing short of striking as the photos in this post attest to.

Pasadena Central Library, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, is elegant, opulent, and grand.

It is not at all hard to see how the site wound up onscreen copious times.

It is also not hard to see how it ended up in so many productions of the spooky nature. Though gorgeous, with its towering ceilings, dark woodwork, colossal size, and maze-like stacks, the space does lend itself quite easily to the macabre.

I certainly wouldn’t want to be there alone after dark – like Gloria Mundy (Goldie Hawn) found herself in Foul Play.

In the flick, the interior of the Pasadena Central Library appears a few times as the inside of the supposed San Francisco-area Sarah B. Cooper Public Library where Gloria works – and is attacked by Whitey Jackson (William Frankfather) while on the job late at night.

Pasadena Central Library also pops up in the 1988 horror comedy Dead Heat as the spot where Roger Mortis (Treat Williams), Doug Bigelow (Joe Piscopo), and Randi James (Lindsay Frost) search through obituaries.

The venue portrays the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. where Lloyd Bowman (Ken Leung) decodes a threatening cypher from Francis Dolarhyde (Ralph Fiennes) in the 2002 thriller Red Dragon.

In the Season 5 episode of Ghost Whisperer titled “See No Evil,” which aired in 2009, a young student named Steve (Jerry Shea) is haunted by a vengeful specter while studying at Pasadena Central Library late at night.

I happened to visit the library during the filming of the scene, which took place on July 17th, 2009, and am happy to report that the crew could not have been nicer. They even allowed me to snap some photos of the set while the cast was on a break.

I am unsure of why the “hot set” tape was placed around the areas used in the filming, but I am guessing it was because producers had the space set up exactly as they wanted for the scene and did not want any elements disturbed. There were also quite a few special effects involved in the segment, so if sections of the library were already rigged, that would explain the tape, as well.

For one effect, special lamp shades with X’s cut into them were utilized, as a crew member pointed out to me.

The library has cameoed in a plethora of non-scary productions, as well.

Grace McQueen (Jessica Tandy) hosts a story hour in the Children’s Room at the end of the 1991 made-for-television movie The Story Lady.

The site portrays the Harvard Law Library where Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) studies in the 2001 comedy Legally Blonde.

The locale masks as the Georgetown Law Library where Clifford Calley (Mark Feuerstein) secretly meets with Donna Moss (Janel Moloney) and begs her to set up a meeting with Josh Lyman (Bradley Whitford) in the Season 3 episode of The West Wing titled “H. Con-172,” which aired in 2002.

In the Season 3 episode of Cold Case titled “Beautiful Little Fool,” which aired in 2006, the property plays the Library of Philadelphia where Lilly Rush (Kathryn Morris) and Nick Vera (Jeremy Ratchford) research the Roaring Twenties while trying to solve a murder case.

Ray Drecker (Thomas Jane) meets with a new client at Pasadena Central Library in the Season 2 episode of Hung titled “Beaverland,” which aired in 2010.

Though countless websites claim that Matilda was shot on the premises, I have scanned through the movie numerous times and did not see it pop up anywhere. The library supposedly appears in the 2002 crime thriller The Salton Sea, as well, but I also scanned through that film and did not spot it.

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

Until next time, Happy Stalking! Smile

Stalk It: Pasadena Central Library, from Foul Play, is located at 285 East Walnut Street in Pasadena. You can visit its official website here.

October 5, 2009October 4, 2009

The First Wives Club Building

Amazingly enough, I still have a long list of New York filming locations that I have yet to blog about from last year’s trip to the Big Apple. One of those locations is the Fifth Avenue building where Dan Hedaya lived with his trashy trophy-girlfriend Sarah Jessica Parker in fave movie The First Wives Club. Now, I know The First Wives Club is a fairly old movie – it premiered over 13 years ago – but it happens to be one of my all time favorites. It is one of those rare flicks that, if I happen to catch on TV, no matter where I am or what I am doing, I HAVE to stop and watch the whole thing. I just never, ever get tired of it! Especially the scene when Goldie Hawn storms into her cheating estranged husband’s office, slams two quarters down on his desk and says “As per our agreement, I sold our assets to a friend of mine. Here’s your half. Considering our history together, I thought a dollar was terribly fair.” At her ex’s stunned expression, Goldie shrugs, says, “Oh, alright! Take it all!” and slams the other two quarters down on his desk. LOL LOL LOL Anyway, when I found a location from the movie in a stalking book I picked up for last year’s NYC trip called Manhattan on Film: Walking Tours Of Hollywood’s Fabled Front Lot, I just had to drag my boyfriend right out to stalk it.

The Fifth Avenue building was actually featured in only one scene in the movie – the brief, but memorable window washing scene. In The First Wives Club, spurned first wives Bette Midler, Diane Keaton, and Goldie Hawn connive to get even with their estranged ex-husbands, all of whom have recently left them for younger women. Bette Midler’s husband, played by Clueless’ Dan Hedaya, and his new mistress, played by none other than a pre-Sex and the City Sarah Jessica Parker, live in the upscale Fifth Avenue co-op with the horrendously ugly staircase pictured above. In order to steal some potentially damaging business files, Bette, Diane, and Goldie scam their way into the apartment and ransack the place while Dan and SJP are away.

Completely oblivious to the breaking and entering scheme that is taking place in their apartment, the two return home earlier than expected and almost catch the first wives in the act.

At that point, the trio’s only means of escape is an abandoned window washing scaffolding machine located just outside of Dan and SJP’s apartment.

But, of course, the scaffolding malfunctions while the women are on it and they are plummeted down towards Fifth Avenue, stopping safely mere seconds before colliding with the pavement. LOL

Before hitting the ground, though, the scaffolding stops at the window of an apartment building, where the residents notice that standing in front of them is none other than Academy-award winning actress Elise Richard, played by Goldie Hawn in the film.

The couple yell out to her “You look GREAT, Elise!” and even with imminent danger pending, Elise gets a huge smile on her face and yells out “Thanks!”. LOL God, I love that movie!

Until next time, Happy Stalking! 🙂

Stalk It: The window washing building from The First Wives Club is located at 1056 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.

September 5, 2008February 13, 2009

Armando’s in the Desert

This past weekend, while vacationing in Palm Springs, I dragged my boyfriend and my parents to Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell’s fave Mexican restaurant in the Desert called Armando’s Dakota Bar and Grill. I’ve heard from several friends who live in the Palm Springs area that the Hollywood couple dine at Armando’s every Sunday evening during Palm Springs’ high season. I’ve blogged about Armando’s once before, but at the time had yet to eat at the restaurant. So this weekend I was determined to hit the place up.

Unfortunately, we didn’t spot any celebs while lunching there this past Sunday, but according to our super-friendly waiter Jeffrey, aka “Duke”, anyone who’s anyone has eaten at Armando’s. Besides regulars Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell, who always eat outside on the restaurant’s front patio even though people constantly walk by and gawk at them, Duke also recently served Nikki Hilton who came in to grab a bite to eat, while her sister Paris sat outside in the car the entire time talking on her cell phone. LOL Heiresses are so strange! According to Duke, during the “Season” in Palm Springs, Armando’s turns into celeb central. So if you want to dine next to a celeb, your best bet is to hit up Armando’s during the months of October through February.

Every since discovering Don Antonio’s Restaurant in West LA (much thanks to Speidi!), I have fancied myself something of a Mexican food connoisseur. But I can rarely find a restaurant that is even on the same playing field as my beloved D.A.’s. I must admit, though, that Armando’s was really, really yummy! I would say that it ranks a very close second to Don’s and is the perfect place to get your Margarita on if you can’t make it out to West LA. I highly recommend stalking Armando’s if you ever find yourself in Palm Desert – as much for the food as for the celeb sightings.

Until next time, Happy Stalking! 🙂

Stalk It: Armando’s Dakota Bar and Grill is located at 73-260 El Paseo in Palm Desert. If you get a chance, also hit up She She, an adorable little boutique across the street at 73-999. I picked up a fab shirt on their “Super Sale Rack” for $9.99 and a super cute Hamsa bracelet for $10.

April 29, 2008February 17, 2009

Celeb Dining in the Desert

Got a tip from a good friend who lives in Palm Springs that Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell often frequent the Mexican restaurant Armando’s Bar and Grill when they are in the Desert. So I just had to go stalk it this weekend. Armando’s is a really cute little Mexican restaurant located right in the heart of the El Paseo shopping district in Palm Desert. We didn’t get a chance to eat there this weekend, but we did a quick walk-through and neither Kurt nor Goldie was anywhere to be found. 🙁 Oh well, maybe next time! The same friend also tells me that Goldie and Kurt now own a home in Ironwood Country Club, located just a few miles away from Armando’s. Sadly, Ironwood is a guarded club and you can’t enter the property without an invite from a member.

While stalking Armando’s I happened to discover a store that I think is now my new favorite place in all of Palm Springs! It is called Heiress and I don’t think it sells anything that is not pink or sparkly. 🙂 My boyfriend said it looked like a Pepto Bismo bottle threw up inside. 🙂 According to the lady working there, Nikki Hilton and Britney Spears have both visited the store. They sell really cute clothes and jewelry – all of which are reasonably priced. I bought an adorable “Carrie” style necklace that says “Blonde” – I love it!

Until next time, Happy Stalking! 🙂

Stalk It: Armando’s Bar and Grill is located in Palm Desert at 73260 El Paseo. Supposedly Kurt and Goldie dine there every single weekend. El Paseo is similar to Beverly Hills’ Rodeo Drive and is a fabulous place to shop. I HIGHLY recommended visiting there if you are in the Desert. Heiress can be found directly next door to Armando’s, on the corner of El Paseo and Lupine Lane. Ironwood Country Club is located at 73735 Irontree Drive, but if you don’t know a member, you can’t get on the property. 🙁

March 18, 2008December 6, 2013

Vacation Homes of the Stars

Since the early 1930’s, Palm Springs has been a favorite desert oasis for the Hollywood elite. With its perfect winter and springtime weather, fabulous shopping, and beautiful desert ambiance, it’s not very hard to see why. While visiting the desert this weekend, I dragged my boyfriend on my very own little stalking tour of Downtown Palm Springs. Much to my boyfriend’s delight, the Palm Springs Visitors’ Center was kind enough to provide a free Map of the Stars’ Homes to act as our guide. 🙂

Our first stop was the home of Oscar winner, best-selling author, and Hollywood producer Sidney Sheldon. Sheldon was a top television and movie producer back in the 1960’s, creating such hits as I Dream of Jeannie, The Patty Duke Show and The Bachelor and The Bobby-Soxer. His home looks like it is straight out of the 60’s and is very reminiscent of the Brady Bunch home in Studio City. Unfortunately, the house appears to be in serious disrepair and needs a little TLC.

The next home we hit up was Kirk Douglas’ 1960’s style beauty just down the road from Sidney Sheldon’s house. Before selling this house in 1999, Kirk spent many a weekend here with his wife. My boyfriend absolutely fell in love with this house and all of its mid-century splendor. The house definitely has a Palm Springs/Old Hollywood feel to it and has been perfectly maintained. I am actually surprised the house hasn’t been used as a filming location, as it has a definite “Rat Pack” vibe to it.

Down the road from Kirk and Sidney, is the home Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn used to vacation at. I was shocked at the normalcy of this house – especially the lack of a gate or foliage to hide the property from stalkers and prying eyes. I am guessing they owned this home long before Kate Hudson became a household name and paparazzi favorite.

Just a few blocks away is Marilyn Monroe’s former desert home. I absolutely love this house! It looks as if it hasn’t been touched since Marilyn lived there in the 1950’s. The home, like most on the Palm Springs movie star tour, is very stalker-friendly, with no gate or wall hiding it from view.

Last, but not least, we stalked two former Elvis Presley homes. The first is the honeymoon home of Elvis and Priscilla – they lived here from May of 1967 to early 1968. It was while living in this house that the two fell in love with Palm Springs and decided to purchase another home located in the Little Tuscany section of Palm Springs. While I am not a huge fan of 1960’s architecture, I must admit that this house is definitely not short on charm. It is just so “Elvis”! 🙂 I think it is extremely cool that the owners have chosen not to remodel or change the exterior of the home and have left it looking almost exactly as it did in Elvis’ day.

The last home we stalked was the Little Tuscany abode Elvis and Priscilla purchased in the late 1960’s. At the time of his death, this home, along with Graceland, were the only two properties owned by The King. While Elvis’ honeymoon home is charmingly reminiscent of Old Palm Springs, this Little Tuscany house is absolutely hiddy and a total eyesore! The perimeter of the home is actually surrounded by large rocks painted white, resembling snow. It’s pretty atrocious!!

Until next time, Happy Stalking! 🙂

Stalk It: The city of Palm Springs is located 110 miles east of Los Angeles. You can stop by the Palm Springs Visitors’ Center, located at 2901 N. Palm Canyon Drive, for your very own free Map of the Stars’ Vacation Homes. Via Lola Street is chock full of stars’ homes, including the former homes of Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell at 550 Via Lola, Kirk Douglas at 515, and Sidney Sheldon at 425. Marilyn Monroe’s former house is located just a few blocks away at 1326 Rose Avenue. Nat King Cole lived for a time at number 1258. 1350 Ladera Circle is the home Elvis and Priscilla Presley lived in when they first got married. 845 Chino Canyon is the Little Tuscany home Elvis owned at the time of his death.