The Complete Guide to “Jerry Maguire” Filming Locations – Part II

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The Complete Guide to Jerry Maguire Filming Locations, which I’ve partnered up with Greg Mariotti of The Uncool to compile, continues today!  In case you missed it, be sure to check out Part I here.

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18. Cushman’s House – (Morehart Mercantile, 9016 Mupu Road, Santa Paula)

“You know, I told myself, ‘He shows up, we stick with him.’” – Matt Cushman

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Matt Cushman (Beau Bridges), whose word is stronger than oak, makes a verbal agreement to keep Jerry as his son Frank’s agent while in the living room of his Odessa, Texas ranch house. Filming actually took place at a home on the sprawling grounds of Morehart Mercantile, a feed and farm supply company in Santa Paula.

19. Jerry, Ray and Dorothy’s Airport Goodbye – Terminal A Entrance, John Wayne Airport (18601 North Airport Way, Santa Ana)

“Jerry, do you know the human head weighs eight pounds?” – Ray Boyd

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Dorothy and Ray drop Jerry off at the airport before the NFL Draft outside of the entrance to Terminal A at the John Wayne Airport. While there, Dorothy fondly watches a father say goodbye to his wife and young son.

20. Airport Gate – Terminal 6, Los Angeles International Airport (600 World Way, Westchester)

“No, I am not Hootie.” – Rod Tidwell

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Jerry, Rod and Cush meet up en route to the NFL draft at what is supposed to be the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.  While there, some young boys approach Rod for an autograph, mistakenly thinking he is Darius Rucker from Hootie & the Blowfish.  The scene was not actually lensed in the Peach State, but at Terminal 6 of the Los Angeles International Airport.  A replica of the suit Martin Luther King Jr. wore during his meeting with Lyndon B. Johnson, which has been on display at ATL since the 1980s, was created for the scene in exacting detail by production designer Clay Griffith.  It is visible just to the left of Rod in the above screen capture.

21. New York Marriott Marquis – The L.A. Hotel Downtown (333 South Figueroa Street, downtown Los Angeles)

“Rod, you know what was great about you down there? For about five minutes you unloaded that rather large chip that resides right there on your shoulder and, you know what? You let people in – and you were brilliant.” – Jerry Maguire

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Jerry, Rod and Cush attend the NFL Draft not at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square as was stated in the movie, but at what was then the Sheraton Grande in downtown Los Angeles. The exterior, lobby, and mezzanine level of the upscale property, which became the L.A. Hotel Downtown in 2012, were heavily dressed with Marriott Marquis signage, convention booths, and football memorabilia for the draft segments, but are still largely recognizable. Don’t go looking for the gift shop or Cush’s hotel suite there, though. Those scenes were shot at Sony on sets built on Stage 21 and 22, respectively. The ballroom where Jerry and his goddess-of-rock-climbing fiancé Avery Bishop (Kelly Preston) break up can’t be found there, either . . .

22. Avery and Jerry’s Break Up – International Ballroom, Hilton Los Angeles Airport (5711 West Century Blvd. Westchester)

“I won’t let you hurt me, Jerry. I’m too strong for you. Loser!” – Avery Bishop

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Though Jerry unceremoniously dumps Avery while at the NFL Draft, the scene was not shot at the L.A. Hotel Downtown where the other Draft segments were lensed, but in the International Ballroom at the Hilton Los Angeles Airport. Avery does not take the break-up well – “No one has ever dumped me!” – and repays Jerry with several uppercuts to the face and a knee to the groin. Imagine if he had gotten her the ring she really wanted! Howard Stern’s Artie Lang makes a cameo in this scene, but it was cut from the theatrical version. It will be included as an extended scene on the 20th Anniversary Blu-ray! Unfortunately, the International Ballroom has been remodeled significantly in recent years and no longer resembles its onscreen self.

23. United Airlines Club Room – TWA Ambassadors Club, Los Angeles International Airport (Terminal 3, 300 World Way, Westchester)

“See this jacket I’m wearing? You like it? Cause I don’t really need it because I am cloaked in failure!” – Jerry Maguire

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The TWA Ambassadors Club in Terminal 3 of LAX was dressed to look like a United Airlines Red Carpet Club for the scene in which Jerry drowns his sorrows over losing both Cush and Avery during the Draft. The lounge was also utilized for the short segment at the beginning of the movie in which Calvin Nack (Brent Barry) won’t sign an autograph for a little boy. Today, the Ambassadors Club space houses the Virgin America Loft at LAX.

24. Arizona Cardinals Training Facility (8701 South Hardy Drive, Tempe, Arizona)

“These are the ABCs of me, baby!” – Rod Tidwell

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Jerry watches a rather mediocre practice of Rod’s – and attempts to discuss Rod’s contract with Dennis – while on the western field of the Arizona Cardinals Training Facility in Tempe, Arizona. The property’s locker room and bathroom were also utilized for the famous “Help me help you” sequence in which Jerry explains the hardships of his job (“It is an up-at-dawn, pride-swallowing siege that I will never fully tell you about, OK?”) while Rod “air dries.” Sadly, that area of the site was gutted as part of a remodel in early 2015. The Arizona Cardinals Training Facility was also used during a few of the movie’s game sequences and was where Rod received medical treatment towards the end of the film.

25. The Crocodile – Moody’s (333 South Figueroa Street, downtown L.A.)

“Meet me at the Crocodile, 8 o’clock.” – Dennis Wilburn

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Though Tempe did boast a popular hangout known as the Crocodile Café in the ‘90s, filming of the scene in which Dennis stands Jerry up was not actually shot there. Instead, an eatery named Moody’s located just off the lobby of the Sheraton Grande (now the L.A. Hotel Downtown) was utilized for the shoot. While the wood-paneled space has been shuttered for several years, it remains intact and still looks much the same as it did onscreen. You can see some more images of it here.

26. Jerry and Dorothy’s First Date – Paco’s Tacos (4141 South Centinela Avenue, Del Rey)

“You wanna go out to dinner?” – Jerry Maguire

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For their first date, Jerry and Dorothy head to Del Rey staple Paco’s Tacos where the two enjoy a romantic meal of Mexican fare set to the tune of a Mariachi version of “Words Get in the Way.” Little of the property’s décor has changed since filming took place twenty years ago. Even the brightly-colored fish tank that Dorothy and Jerry sat next to still looks the same as it did onscreen. Nearly everything on the menu at the decades-old Paco’s is made fresh daily on the premises, including the tortillas which patrons can watch being sculpted by hand. The popular restaurant also popped up several times on the 1970s television series CHiPs.

27. Rod’s Camel Chevrolet Commercial Shoot – Lost Dutchman State Park (6109 North Apache Trail, Apache Junction, Arizona)

“I didn’t shoplift the pootie! Alright, I shoplifted the pootie.” – Jerry Maguire

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Rod attempts to film a Camel Chevrolet commercial with an actual camel and then schools Jerry on the art of dating a single mom while at the base of the Superstition Mountains at the incredibly picturesque Lost Dutchman State Park. The 320-acre site was named after the Lost Dutchman’s Gold Mine and is a popular camping and hiking area, as well as a popular filming location, having also appeared in the 1987 comedy Raising Arizona.

28. Veterans Stadium Press Box – Stage 21, Sony Studios (10202 West Washington Boulevard, Culver City)

“Loser!” – Avery Boyd

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Avery flashes Jerry the loser sign while in the press box of what is supposed to be Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia during one of Rod’s games. The box was actually a set, though, built at Sony on Stage 21.

29. Veterans Stadium Exterior – Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (3911 South Figueroa Street, Exposition Park)

“Not everyone has what you have.” – Jerry Maguire

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Rod and Jerry share a heart-to-heart (which doesn’t end well) outside of Veterans Stadium after Rod’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Filming actually took place near the entrance to Gate 5 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, though. The Coliseum was used for several sequences in Jerry Maguire, including the scene in which Jerry is shown swimming underwater (that bit was shot at the property’s LA84 Foundation/John C. Argue Swim Stadium), the segment in which Sugar tries to poach Rod before the big game at the end of the movie, and the aforementioned scene from the opening montage in which Cush tosses footballs in “Odessa, Texas.”

30. Restaurant Where Marci Goes into Labor – Reel Inn (1220 3rd Street, Santa Monica)

“I hate you going to the movies alone without me.” – Rod Tidwell

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A lunch date with Rod and Jerry and their families at the Reel Inn on the Santa Monica Promenade ends abruptly when Marcee Tidwell (Regina King) unexpectedly goes into labor. Sadly, the fish restaurant has since closed and today is an American Apparel store. The only aspect of the space that remains recognizable is its open ceiling and exposed ductwork. The Reel Inn’s sister eatery in Malibu remains a local staple, though, as it has been since it first opened in 1986.

31. Jerry and Avery’s Airport Encounter – Tom Bradley International Terminal, Los Angeles International Airport (1 World Way, Westchester)

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In a scene that was shot as an homage to the opening of The Graduate, Jerry and Avery pass each other while traveling in opposite directions on a moving walkway at the Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX.

32. Cardinals/Cowboys Game – Sun Devil Stadium (500 East Veterans Way, Tempe, Arizona)

“No, no, no. No, wait, wait. Just – just let me enjoy this for a minute.” – Rod Tidwell

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Jerry Maguire’s climactic final game was lensed at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. The thrilling segment, in which Jerry finally gets Rod to dance, was shot during an actual Cardinals/Cowboys football game. The scene in the hallway outside of the locker room following Rod’s big moment was also shot at Sun Devil Stadium, as was the segment in which Jerry runs to the field to get to Rod after his injury. The press box and football announcers sequences were not shot on location at the arena, though, but were sets built on Stage 21 at Sony.

33. The Up Close Show – Stage 8, Sony Studios (10202 West Washington Boulevard, Culver City)

“Jerry Maguire, my agent – you are my ambassador of kwan, man!” – Rod Tiwell

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Though Rod vows not to shed a tear while being interviewed by Roy Firestone (who played himself) on Up Close, he winds up wailing after receiving the news of his new $11.2-million/4-year offer from the Arizona Cardinals. Filming of the Up Close show scenes took place on Stage 8 at Sony Pictures Studios.

34. Ray Tosses a Ball to Little Leaguers – Pote Field (4730 Crystal Springs Drive, Griffith Park)

“Hey, I don’t have all the answers.  In life, to be honest, I’ve failed as much as I’ve succeeded.  But I love my wife.  I love my life.  And I wish you my kind of success.” – Dickie Fox

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Jerry Maguire comes to a close at Pote Field in Griffith Park, where Ray impresses a group of Little League players – and Jerry – as he tosses back an errant ball before walking hand-in-hand with Jerry and Dorothy off into the sunset.  An alternate ending, where Jerry takes Ray to the zoo, will be featured on the 20th Anniversary Blu-Ray.

The Complete Guide to “Jerry Maguire” Filming Locations – Part I

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Few romantic comedies appeal to both sexes. Even fewer are responsible for adding instantly recognizable catch phrases to the lexicon. And fewer still remain engaging and poignant decades after the fact. Jerry Maguire is one such film. Amazingly, the Cameron-Crowe-directed flick turns twenty today! Yes, as implausible as it may seem, Jerry Maguire first hit the big screen on December 13th, 1996. The movie has always been one of my favorites and remains just as loved in my household today as it did when it originally premiered. In honor of its 20th anniversary, I’ve teamed up with Greg Mariotti of Crowe’s official website, The Uncool, to uncover and compile a complete list of all of the film’s shooting locales, as well as some insider tidbits. So, without further ado, we present The Complete Guide to Jerry Maguire Filming Locations – Part I.  Stay tuned for Part II tomorrow.  And for those who want to soak up even more behind-the-scenes info, the movie’s 20th Anniversary Blu-ray, chock full of new extras, will be hitting shelves on January 3rd.

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1. Opening Montage

“So, this is the world and there are almost 6 billion people on it. When I was a kid, there were three. It’s hard to keep up.” – Jerry Maguire

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The movie’s opening, in which successful sports agent Jerry Maguire (Tom Cruise) introduces the audience to several of his young clients, was shot at various athletic facilities across L.A., mainly in the San Gabriel Valley. The “Indiana” Basketball Court where Clark Hodd (Michael James Johnson), the best point guard in the country, shoots hoops is Robinson Park, located at 1081 North Fair Oaks Avenue in Pasadena. The area where Clark plays in the segment was remodeled in the mid-2000s and the number of courts reduced from four to two, so it looks a bit different today. Erica Sorgi (the All-American diver played herself) – “You’ll see her in the next Olympics!” – skips across the living room of a house at 972 Cornell Road in Pasadena before hurling off a diving board a few miles away at the Rose Bowl Aquatics Center at 360 North Arroyo Boulevard. Dallas Molloy (also playing herself), whose lawsuit, as Jerry tells us, helped paved the way for women boxers everywhere, throws jabs in the boxing gym at Villa-Parke Community Center at 363 East Villa Street, again in Pasadena. The “Indio” baseball field where Art Stallings (Jordan Ross) shows us what pure joy looks like is Pote Field at 4730 Crystal Springs Drive in Griffith Park. The “Great Frank Cushman” (Jerry O’Connell) tosses a pigskin at what is supposed to be an Odessa, Texas stadium, but, in reality, he is at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum at 3911 South Figueroa Street in Exposition Park. And Brookside Golf Course at 1133 Rosemont Avenue in Pasadena is where a young golfer (Brandon Christianson) throws a club at his coach.

2. NFL Owners Meeting – The Westin Los Angeles Airport (5400 West Century Boulevard, Westchester)

“Now I’m the guy you don’t usually see. I’m the one behind the scenes. I’m the sports agent.” – Jerry Maguire

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Following the opening, the scenery shifts to an NFL owners meeting taking place in the bustling lobby of what was then the LAX DoubleTree Hotel, but today is The Westin Los Angeles Airport. There, Jerry wheels and deals for his various clients, trying to secure a $14-million-per-year/5-year offer for one player. Hey, no one said winning was cheap!

3. Sports Management International Exterior – Brickell Bay Office Tower (1001 Brickell Bay Drive, Miami, Florida)

“33 out-of-shape agents guiding the careers of 1,685 of the most finely tuned athletes alive.” – Jerry Maguire

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Though Jerry Maguire was lensed solely in California and Arizona, an establishing shot of downtown Miami’s sleek Brickell Bay Office Tower was used to represent the exterior of Sports Management International, aka SMI, where Jerry and his fellow agents work.

 

4. SMI Interior – Stage 23, Sony Pictures Studios (10202 West Washington Boulevard, Culver City)

“I will not rest until I have you holding a Coke, wearing your own shoe, playing a Sega game featuring you, while singing your own song in a new commercial starring you, broadcast during the Super Bowl in a game that you are winning – and I will not sleep until that happens.” –  Jerry Maguire

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The interior of the Sports Management International office was an elaborate set that took up almost all of Stage 23 at Sony Pictures Studios. The sprawling two-story space, which was inspired by the office in Billy Wilder’s The Apartment, was comprised of a large central bullpen containing rows upon rows of desks, surrounded by a perimeter of windowed private offices and meeting rooms. The views visible from the various office suites were created via a large backdrop made from a photograph taken from a building at Newport Center, located at 620 Newport Center Drive in Newport Beach.

A deleted office scene, which will be featured on the 20th Anniversary Blu-ray, was shot on the top floor of the parking structure located at 600 Corporate Pointe in Culver City.

5. Houston Police Station – Airport Center Parking Garage (5250 West Century Boulevard, Westchester)

“Listen, there’s no proof of anything, except this guy is a sensational athlete.” – Jerry Maguire

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The world of sports starts to lose its luster for Jerry when his football player client is arrested for statutory rape and taken to a “Houston police station.” Filming of the scene actually took place in the parking garage at Airport Center near LAX.

6. Steve Remo’s Hospital Room – Veterans Administration Medical Center (5901 East 7th Street, Long Beach)

“It would take a tank to stop your dad. It would take all five Super Trooper VR Warriors to stop your dad.” – Jerry Maguire

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Jerry gets a reality check – and the finger! – courtesy of a client’s young son at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Long Beach. The hospital segments involving Steve Remo (Toby Huss) and his family were the first of the film to be shot.

The scenes featuring Jerry’s idol Dicky Fox, who was played by Jared Jussim – a lawyer at Sony – were also shot on location at the medical facility.

7. Airport Shuttle (California Avenue and Ocean Avenue, Santa Monica)

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Though there is no airport in the vicinity in real life, the scene in which Jerry is shown riding in a Budget car rental shuttle down a rainy street was shot on Ocean Avenue just north of California Avenue in Santa Monica.

8. Miami Corporate Conference Hotel – Long Beach Marriott (4700 Airport Plaza Drive, Long Beach)

“And then it happened. It was the oddest, most unexpected thing. I began writing what they call a mission statement. Not a memo – a mission statement. You know, a suggestion for the future of our company.” – Jerry Maguire

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The “Miami” hotel where Jerry and his fellow agents attend a corporate conference is actually a conglomeration of three different locations. The elevator bay, front desk and atrium-like lobby where Jerry receives a standing ovation after handing out his mission statement can be found at the Long Beach Marriott. Jerry’s actual room, where he stays up all night writing the statement (“And I’m not even a writer!”), was a set built on Stage 21 at Sony. And the stairwell Jerry runs down while on his way to the Copymat is the back staircase of the Sydney Poitier Building at Sony Pictures Studios.

9. Copymat – Kinko’s (6301 Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood)

“That’s how you become great, man. Hang your balls out there.” – Copymat Jesus

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The “Miami” Copymat where Jerry prints 110 copies of his The Things We Think and Do Not Say mission statement – even the cover looks like Catcher in the Rye! – was actually a Kinko’s located on Sunset Boulevard in the heart of Hollywood. The site was razed in 2002 in order to make way for Sunset + Vine, a 750,000-square-foot mixed-used development comprised of upscale apartments, restaurants and retail stores. Fun fact – Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains portrayed the “Copymat Jesus” in the scene.

10. Airplane Ride – Stage 21, Sony Pictures Studios (10202 West Washington Boulevard, Culver City)

“First class is what’s wrong, honey. It used to be a better meal. Now it’s a better life.” -Dorothy Boyd

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Dorothy Boyd (Renée Zellweger) longingly listens to Jerry tell the tale of his engagement from afar while sitting in a coach seat on a plane ride from Miami to Los Angeles. The scene, along with the movie’s other airplane sequences, was shot on Stage 21 at Sony.

11. Baggage Claim – Terminal A, John Wayne Airport (18601 Airport Way, Santa Ana)

“I know who you are. You’re Dorothy Boyd. You’re in accounts. You have the side middle cubicle with a poster of Albert Einstein’s face morphed onto Shaquille O’Neal’s body.” – Jerry Maguire

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It is at Baggage Claim 2 in Terminal A of the John Wayne Airport that Dorothy loses Ray (Jonathan Lipnicki) – and tells Jerry how much she loves his “memo.” John Wayne was featured in many of Jerry Maguire’s airport segments, including the scene towards the end of the movie in which Jerry rushes through a quiet terminal hallway to get home to Dorothy, which was shot in front of the car rental counters. Cameron returned to this location in 2004 to shoot Elizabethtown. It was the first film to use the airport, post 9/11.

12. Jerry’s Condo (3811 Ocean Front Walk #1, Marina del Rey)

“There’s no real loyalty. And the first person who told me that, Jerry Maguire, was you!” – Avery Bishop

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A contemporary 2-bedroom, 3-bath, 2,368-square-foot condo overlooking the ocean in Marina del Rey serves as Jerry’s sleek home in the film. The pad’s interiors, including kitchen and living room, appear throughout the movie, though Jerry’s bedroom was a set built on Stage 21 at Sony. Interestingly, the property performed triple duty in Jerry Maguire. Not only did it portray Jerry’s residence, but it was also utilized as Cardinals General Manager Dennis Wilburn’s (Glenn Frey) office and Jerry’s hotel room in the scene in which the two speak on the phone about Rod Tidwell’s (Cuba Gooding Jr.) contract. The condo recently sold on October 27th, 2015 for $2,754,000.

The exterior of a home two doors up the street at 3719 Ocean Front Walk was used as the exterior of Jerry’s condo in a scene that wound up on the cutting room floor.

13. Jerry’s Bachelor Party – Grand Havana Room (301 North Canon Drive #215, Beverly Hills)

“He cannot be alone.” “He – he can’t be alone.” “He’s almost phobic.” – Jerry’s former girlfriends

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Jerry’s bachelor party, where he comes face to face with his greatest fear of being alone via a humorous video clip starring his many former flames, is held in the private, members-only Grand Havana Room in Beverly Hills. The exclusive cigar club, which was originally established in April 1995, is still in operation today and looks much the same as it did onscreen in Jerry Maguire.

 

14. Cronin’s Restaurant – Café Figaro (9010 Melrose Avenue, West Hollywood)

“What about me? You know what I went through knowing I was gonna have to fire my mentor? Carrying that around in my head for a week! Could you get past yourself for a second?” – Bob Sugar

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The now defunct West Hollywood eatery Café Figaro masked as Cronin’s, the busy restaurant where Bob Sugar (Jay Mohr) fires Jerry in the movie. The kitschy spot, which was decorated with decoupaged newspaper articles and Tiffany lamps, was originally established in 1969 and remained in operation through 1997. The site has since gone through numerous remodels and restaurant iterations and today houses Au Fudge, the insanely popular, ultra-chic and innovative kid-friendly bistro founded in part by actress Jessica Biel. Both the interior and exterior of the space were utilized in Jerry Maguire.

15. Kathy Sanders’ House – Stage 21, Sony Pictures Studios (10202 West Washington Boulevard, Culver City)

“Oh, Jerry!” – Kathy Sanders

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Jerry’s client Kathy Sanders (Angela Goethals) feigns anguish over Jerry’s firing at a set built on Stage 21 at Sony. The scene was inspired by a similar event in Cameron Crowe’s life in which, thanks to faulty call-waiting, the director caught an actress in pretend agony over deciding not to take a part in one of his films.

16. Rod Tidwell’s House (1760 Kirsten Lee Drive, Westlake Village)

“I’m a valuable commodity! I go across the middle. I see a dude coming at me, trying to kill me, I tell myself ‘Get killed. Catch the ball.’ Booyah! Touchdown! I make miracles happen!” – Rod Tidwell

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It is at a large Mediterranean-style home situated on a quiet cul-de-sac at the top of a hill in Westlake Village that one of the most famous sequences in all of moviedom was shot. While standing in the pink-tiled kitchen of his supposed Arizona residence, Rod delivers his famous “Show me the money!” speech and Jerry secures his one client. The scenes at the Tidwell home were the last of the movie to be filmed and both interiors and exteriors were utilized in the shoot.

17. Dorothy’s House (527 23rd Street, Manhattan Beach)

“Don’t cry at the beginning of a date. Cry at the end, like I do.” – Laurel Boyd

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Dorothy and her sister Laurel’s (Bonnie Hunt) charming yellow bungalow can be found on a sleepy street in Manhattan Beach, looking much the same as it did onscreen twenty years ago. Though the interior of the sisters’ home, including the kitchen, living room, Dorothy’s bedroom, and Ray’s bedroom, was a large set built on Stages 22 and 23 at Sony, it was modeled partly upon the residence’s actual 3-bedroom, 2-bath, 1,820-square-foot interior. The wooded backyard, where Dorothy and Jerry got married and then later broke up, was also a set built on Stage 22. A bedroom located in the home next door at 529 23rd Street was also utilized as part of Dorothy’s house.

Be sure to check out Part II of The Complete Guide to Jerry Maguire Filming Locations here!

The “Kill Bill” Church

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One location that my dad and I visited while stalking in the Lancaster and Palmdale areas last week was the Sanctuary Adventist Church which was used prominently in the 2003 and 2004 Quentin Tarantino movies Kill Bill: Volume 1 and Kill Bill: Volume 2.  And although I have never actually seen either of the Kill Bill flicks, I was dying to stalk the church because, thanks to fave book Hollywood Escapes: The Moviegoer’s Guide to Exploring Southern California’s Great Outdoors, I found out that it also had a very small, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo in the 2002 Britney Spears movie Crossroads, in which I was an extra.  I should mention here that if you are planning to spend a day stalking in Palmdale – and I do HIGHLY recommend doing so – I suggest you print out maps of each and every location that you are wanting to visit before heading out the door.  I failed to do so and had planned on using my navigation system to lead me to each locale, but, let me tell you, that did NOT pan out very well.  At most points during our journey, my navigator had no idea where on earth we were – more than once it told me I was driving on a road that didn’t exist!  LOL – and a few times it even took us on routes through dirt roads that wound up at dead ends.  And while Palmdale and Lancaster are not exactly desolate – there’s even a Starbucks there! – most of the filming locations in that area are pretty far removed from civilization.  I suggest that you not make a stalking journey out there alone and that you arrive with a full tank of gas and a car that is in good working order.

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The Sanctuary Adventist Church, which up until recently was known as the Calvary Baptist Church, is an actual working religious facility that, sadly, does not appear to currently be in the best of shape.  The tiny Spanish-style chapel definitely has a Southwestern feel to it and it is not very hard to see why Quentin Tarantino chose to use it as the site of the wedding day massacre in his two-part action flick.  Especially with that lone Joshua tree that stands in front of it and gives the church a very picturesque, very cinematic feel.

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As you can see in the above photograph, the church is also located on a very desolate and very remote stretch of desert road, which gives it a very non-L.A., non-California feel.  In fact it is hard to believe that the place is located just a scant sixty miles away from the hustle and bustle that is Los Angeles.

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In Crossroads, the church stood in for the supposed Arizona-area Native American souvenir stand that Lucy (aka Britney Spears), Kit (aka Zoe Saldana), Mimi (aka Taryn Manning), and Ben (aka Anson Mount) stop at during their journey from Louisiana to California.  It is while at the stand that Lucy asks her friends for advice on whether she should show up at her estranged mother’s house unannounced or call her beforehand.

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Ironically enough, even though the church is supposed to be a roadside souvenir stand in the movie, for whatever reason producers decided to leave the Calvary Baptist Church sign up during the filming.

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In Kill Bill: Volume 1 and 2, the Sanctuary Adventist Church stood in for the supposed El Paso, Texas-area Two Pines Wedding Chapel where the Deadly Viper Assassination Team (aka Vivica A. Fox, Lucy Liu, Daryl Hannah, Michael Madsen, and David Carradine) attempt to kill “the Bride” (aka Uma Thurman).

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I am fairly certain that the real life interior of the church, which you can see a photograph of here, was also used in the production of both films.

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The church has also been featured in numerous other productions, as well.  In fact, the intersection of 198th Street East and East Avenue G, where the church is located, is quite a famous little stretch of land.  In the 1981 movie True Confessions, the Sanctuary Adventist Church is where Detective Tom Spellacy (aka Robert Duvall) visits his brother Father Des Spellacy (aka Robert DeNiro).

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The 1999 Jean-Claude Van Damme action flick Dessert Heat (which, for some reason, is also named Inferno), was filmed almost in its entirety in both the former High Vista Diner and the sundries store located directly across the street from the Sanctuary Adventist Church.  The church is visible in the background throughout the vast majority of the movie. 

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Jubal  Early (aka Pat Morita) is also shown ringing the church bell at one point in the movie, although that bell is no longer there in real life.

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In Desert Heat, the High Vista Diner is where both Rhonda Reynolds (aka Gabrielle Fitzpatrick) and Dottie Matthews (aka Jaime Pressly) worked.  In real life, the place was not a real working restaurant, but, much like Four Aces and Club Ed, was solely built for use as a filming location.  Sadly though, the structure was torn down back in early 2008 and is now nothing more than a dirt lot.  You can see a photograph of what it used to look like here and here.

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Right next to the former High Vista Diner location is another vacant building which stood in for the Elis Emporium Sundries and Surplus store in Desert Heat.  And while that structure is still currently standing, I am not sure for how long that will be the case.

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As you can in the above photographs, the building does not look to be in the best of shape, although it is apparently still available for filming.  Winking smile

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The Elis Emporium structure was also visible in the background of the opening scene of True Confessions and I do believe that it was a real working grocery store at one point in time.

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The little motel that Henry Howard (aka Robert Symonds) and his wife (aka Priscilla Pointer) owned in Desert Heat used to be located directly behind the Elis Emporium building, but it has also since been torn down.

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In Nurse Betty, the High Vista Café stood in for the supposed Williams, Arizona-area Canyon Ranch Bar where Betty (aka Renee Zellweger), and later Wesley (aka Chris Rock) and Charlie (aka Morgan Freeman), stop while making their way towards California.

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I am fairly certain that the interior of the Canyon Ranch Bar was filmed elsewhere though, as it looks nothing like the interior of the diner from Desert Heat and also appears to be quite a bit larger than the former High Vista Diner building.  My guess is that the interior Canyon Ranch Bar scenes were filmed on a soundstage somewhere in Hollywood. 

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The Kill Bill church is also just barely visible in the background of Nurse Betty in the scene in which Charlie and Wesley arrive at the Canyon Ranch Bar.

Until next time, Happy Stalking!  Smile

Stalk It: The Sanctuary Adventist Church, aka the Kill Bill church, is located at the intersection of 198th Street East and East Avenue G in Lancaster.  The High Vista Diner was formerly located directly across the street from the church at the southeast corner of 198th Street East and East Avenue G.  The Elis Emporium Sundries and Surplus Store from Desert Heat is located at the southwest corner of 198th Street East and East Avenue G.

The Jerry Maguire House

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A couple of months ago, I gave Mike, from MovieShotsLA, the mission of locating Dorothy Boyd’s house from the 1996 movie Jerry Maguire.   From a quick internet search, Mike was able to ascertain that Dorothy’s tiny yellow house was located in an area of Manhattan Beach known as the “Tree Section”.  The home’s exact location, though, was not mentioned anywhere online and since Google Maps Street View is not available in Manhattan Beach, we were unable to locate the house using the internet.  So, two weeks ago, Mike and I set about to stalk Manhattan Beach’s Tree Section in person.  Our plan was to literally drive up and down each street in the neighborhood until we found Dorothy’s house.  But, thanks to a very lucky twist of fate, it never actually came to that.

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The Tree Section of Manhattan Beach is thus named not because of an abundance of trees as one might guess, but because the vast majority of streets in the area are named after different types of trees, such as Palm, Walnut, Oak, and Elm.  It is said that the Tree Section is one of the most sought after areas to live in Manhattan Beach due to its rural neighborhood feel which has been maintained thanks to extremely narrow streets, lack of sidewalks, tiny houses built in the ’40s and ’50s, and proximity to the beach.  Oddly enough, though, when Mike and I arrived in Manhattan Beach, we could not find the Tree Section anywhere.   After driving around in what seemed like circles for quite some time, we pulled over to ask a random woman to point us in the right direction.  The woman immediately asked us, “Well, is there a particular street you are looking for?”  We both pretty much started laughing and told her we had NO idea what street we were looking for.   Thinking we were probably crazy, she then said “Well, what is it you are trying to find?”   Figuring she would have absolutely NO IDEA what were talking about, we told her we were looking for the Jerry Maguire  house.  Well, lo and behold, she started laughing and said “Oh my God, one of my good friends from high school lived across the street from that house during the filming.  I know exactly where it is!”   Honestly, what are the odds????  The stalking gods must have been watching out for us that day, because of all the people in Manhattan Beach to ask for directions, we find the one who knows exactly where the JM  house is!  Our new best friend then gave us detailed directions to the house and Mike and I were on our way!  YAY!

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Before arriving at the house, Mike was worried that it may have been remodeled, as sadly that is fairly commonplace with the older Tree Section homes.  So, we were both absolutely FLOORED when we pulled up and saw that the house looked EXACTLY- and I do mean EXACTLY – the same today as it did over thirteen years ago when the movie was filmed.  It is absolutely incredible to me that virtually no part of the house has been changed in the almost decade and a half since filming took place.  The paint color, the landscaping, even the house number plaque all the look exactly the same.  HOORAY!  

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The only difference that I noticed was the tree in front, which used to have a second limb that crossed in front of the house.  That limb has since been removed.

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The Jerry Maguire  house shows up numerous times throughout the movie, most notably in the scene when Jerry takes Dorothy out on their first date.

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 And I believe the real backyard of the home was also used for the filming of several scenes, including both Jerry and Dorothy’s wedding ceremony and their subsequent break-up. 

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And from what we could see of the inside of the house from the street, it definitely looks as if the home’s real life interior was also used in the film, most notably for the many “Divorced Women’s Group” meetings.  A little bit of movie trivia for you – Winnie Holzman, the creator of fave show My So-Called Life, was one of the members of that “Divorced Women’s Group” (pictured above).

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Which is extremely ironic to me, because in Jerry Maguire, Dorothy and Jerry have what I’ve always referred to as “their My So-Called Life  moment” in the middle of the street out in front of Dorothy’s house.  LOVE IT! 

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I highly recommend stalking the Jerry Maguire  house for any fans of the movie, as, thanks to the aweome fact that its appearance has not been changed in recent years, it is one of the most recognizable movie locations I’ve ever been to!  On a very sad side note, though, I drove by the 90210  house the other day and almost had a heart attack when I saw that it had been painted an entirely different color!  It’s almost unrecognizable now!  UGH!  Such a tragedy!!!!!  🙁   That stuff should not be allowed to happen!!!!!

Until next time, Happy Stalking! 🙂

Stalk It: The Jerry Maguire  house is located at 527 23rd Street in the “Tree Section” of Manhattan Beach.

Paco’s Tacos Cantina From Jerry Maguire

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Last Friday, Mike, from MovieShotsLA, and I spent an entire twelve hours stalking together!!!  Yes, you read that right – an ENTIRE TWELVE HOURS!!!  I’m not exaggerating!!  The two of us literally drove from one end of L.A. to the other – we covered Pasadena, Redondo Beach, Eagle Rock, El Segundo, and even Santa Monica – and back again!  It was FABULOUS!  🙂  One of the places at the top of our day’s stalking list was a little restaurant called Paco’s Tacos Cantina, which was featured in the 1996 movie Jerry Maguire.  

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Mike discovered this location back in the ’90s.  At the time he worked just a few blocks away from Paco’s and used to frequent the restaurant regularly for lunch.  One day he noticed a poster of Jerry Maguire  hanging on the wall (pictured above) and asked the owner about it.  Well, it turns out that a pretty major scene from the movie had actually been filmed at the Cantina.  So, of course, I made Mike take me there for lunch so I could stalk the place!  🙂

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In the movie, Paco’s Tacos Cantina is the restaurant where Jerry Maguire, aka Tom Cruise, takes Dorothy Boyd, aka Renee Zellwegger, on their very first date.  It is before that date that Jerry says one of my very favorite movie lines ever – well, besides “You had me at hello”, of course!   🙂  When Dorothy walks out in her LBD (that’s Little Black Dress for all of you guys out there), Jerry says, “Wow!  That’s more than a dress.  That’s an Audrey Hepburn movie!”  LOL  Love it!   Please excuse the above photographs as I wasn’t able to take them from the exact same angles from which the scene was filmed.

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And, of course, Mike and I just had to sit next to the fish tank like Jerry and Dorothy did in the scene.  🙂

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I HIGHLY recommend stalking Paco’s Tacos!   As I’ve mentioned before, I am a VERY picky eater, but I have to say that I absolutely loved Paco’s!  The tacos were to die for – with all white meat chicken, no less!!!!  And the chips and homemade tortillas were pretty amazing, too!    While there, Mike and I got to meet Paco himself, who really could not have been nicer!  He was even sweet enough to pose for a couple of pictures with us.  🙂  Paco told us that his Cantina was also featured numerous times in the ’70s television series CHiPs.

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Until next time, Happy Stalking!  🙂

Stalk It:  Paco’s Tacos Cantina, aka the Jerry Maguire  restaurant, is located at 4141 South Centinela Avenue in Los Angeles.  You can visit their website here.