Filming Locations

[TJP]

Yes. It wasn't until the latter part of the Eighties that I even knew Dynasty and Dallas had episode titles. I've long been curious to know why Knots - the Dallas spinoff- showed their titles while Dallas itself didn't. Especially when Dallas started out so episodic.

For me, these were a fun part of a new episode. I enjoyed some of the wittier ones and found some very enticing, wondering how it would fit the episode I was about to watch.

It's usually at the producers' or even the post-production crew's discretion if episode titles are inserted on screen. Lorimar shows usually did, "Dallas" was actually a strange exception in that respect.

 

[TJP]

# 8.03:

This scene was filmed (with a prop bench) in front of the Memorial Branch Library at 4625 West Olympic Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90019. The camera was placed on the sidewalk across Olympic, so they really zoomed in heavily, which makes they library entrance seem so close while, in fact, it isn't.

Michael's school is portrayed by Los Angeles High School at 4650 West Olympic Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90019:

I'm pretty sure the mansion where Gary held his campaign speech is somewhere around these two aforementioned filming sites. It looks pretty much like a Hancock Park or Fremont Place residence, but I can't place it.

 

[TJP]

# 8.04:

Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, 1855 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401. Not sure if the interior scene was shot there also.

 

[TJP]

# 8.05:

I'm not too familiar with Disney's Golden Oak Ranch, but I think this is where they filmed the farm house and barn where Karen tries to hide before Greg catches Phil and tells him to leave. Is anyone familiar with Golden Oak Ranch?

Peter Hollister's apartment is still the same interior set. Miraculously, the establishing shots no longer show Abby's former Apolune office, but the condo complex at 1220 Manning Avenue, Los Angeles, which had been used for other purposes:

 

[Daniel Avery]

I'm pretty sure the mansion where Gary held his campaign speech is somewhere around these two aforementioned filming sites. It looks pretty much like a Hancock Park or Fremont Place residence, but I can't place it.

It actually looks a lot like the home they used in flashbacks as the Winston residence (the pitch of the roof, the dark brick).

 

[TJP]

It actually looks a lot like the home they used in flashbacks as the Winston residence (the pitch of the roof, the dark brick).

I actually thought of that, too, because the architectural style is somewhat reminiscent of Tudor just like the Winston home, but it doesn't add up. If you look at Google Maps and tilt down, the only possible part of the house that could be a match is the two gable roofs on the back of the house (yellow arrow). Unfortunately, there's no way of seeing those in more detail. However, in that area behind the house, there's no lawn, and it seems quite small; also, the footpath seems to be tiled with natural stoneware, which is unusual for that property, which in other places uses asphalt or cement with adobe brick bordering. If you look at the shot filmed from across (behind Gary), we see other buildings beyond the lot that don't match the neighboring estates and wouldn't be visible from the 606 South Plymouth property because that one has a long pool house in that place. The half-timbered structure we see on the right of the screen grab seems not wide enough (it would have to be also across from Gary) and also seems to tall for the actual pool house, I think.
I was also thinking the location might be the Memorial Branch Library, but that doesn't add up either.
I think it's a different place somewhere in Hancock Park or in the gated community at Fremont Place.

 

[TJP]

# 8.06:

Best remembered from the season 5 cliffhanger: The Miramar Hotel (nowadays Fairmont Miramar Hotel) at 101 Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica, CA 90401 is where Paige is staying:

 

[TJP]

# 8.07:

This is another extremely difficult episode as far as locations are concerned.

Jean Hackney's store looks different in the establishing shot with a distinct sidewalk clock in front, but it doesn't ring a bell with me. Probably stock footage.

The store where Michael and Paige are shopping for clothes is established by old stock footage that is from the 1970's (if not 1960's). There's a Wetherby Kayser Shoes store visible in the establishing shot, and when the camera is panning, we also see something that reads "T... (illegible) Hallmark", but I'm not sure if that's even from L.A.

The only thing I can identify is the establishing shot for the hotel towards the end of the episode, which is the Millennium Biltmore in downtown L.A., but the interiors are from elsewhere.

 

[TJP]

# 8.08:

I found Phil's motel (which was also visible in the previous episode): It's nowadays the Upward Bound House at 12841 Washington Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90066 (screen grab 2). It was remodeled / updated, but is still recognizable. The corner where we see Mack's car and the patrol cars turn into is West Washington Boulevard at Beethoven Street. The fence of the car rental at the corner is still there (although painted white now; screen grab 1):

 

[Daniel Avery]

The setting/building from post #428 is also used repeatedly in the sitcom The Golden Girls. It seemed that every time the girls went to a fundraiser or some kind of party, they'd use that stock footage as an establishing shot.

 

[TJP]

The setting/building from post #428 is also used repeatedly in the sitcom The Golden Girls. It seemed that every time the girls went to a fundraiser or some kind of party, they'd use that stock footage as an establishing shot.

Sorry, I can't find the post you are referring to. Could you please quote it and re-post the picture? Thanks a lot.

 

[TJP]

# 8.08:

I forgot to mention that the daylight establishing shot first used in this episode gives away that Sylvia Lean's apartment is located at 11755 National Boulevard, Los Angeles. We only saw nightly close-ups before, which were a bit difficult to identify the structure. It's the same place where Linda Martin lived!

# 8.09:

At the Hyatt Regency Westlake again:

The Chronicle in Santa Monica again (2640 Main Street):

 

[Daniel Avery]

Sorry, I can't find the post you are referring to. Could you please quote it and re-post the picture? Thanks a lot.

Yikes, I meant post 248 (not 428)--it's the nighttime shot of the Biltmore in Downtown LA.

 

[TJP]

# 8.10:

Val at Ramilor Studios: This is actually A Street on the lot of Lorimar Studios (previously MGM, now Sony) in Culver City, CA. The camera is facing northeast. The sound stages on the right are 3 (farthest in the distance with barrel roof; with adjacent stage 4 to the right, out of the picture), 5 (also with barrel roof; with adjacent stage 6 to the right, also out of the camera angle), 21 (in center) and 23 (right, in foreground). The building Val enters was Wardrobe, I think, on the northern end of the lot.

 

[TJP]

# 8.11:

Does anyone know why this episode has no real main title, but just opening credits superimposed over the first few scenes?

Many of the scenes with Peter driving in the episode opener are from Griffith Park:

Here, you can see Mount Lee with the Hollywood sign in the background. I don't exactly know that spot, but it's either on Western Canyon Road or Mount Hollywood Drive.

This is on Mount Hollywood Drive, just after where the 3-Mile Trail meets Mount Hollywood Drive (3-Mile Trail would fork off farther left, out of the camera angle). Geocoordinates are approximately 34°07'53.9"N 118°18'03.1"W.

The gas station does not exist in Griffith Park. The pumps are props that were placed on the asphalt near the Granite Outcrop on Mount Hollywood Drive. The location is approximately 34°07'52.0"N 118°18'07.7"W. The phone booth nearby is a prop also.

This is the same bend as before (approximately 34°07'53.9"N 118°18'03.1"W), just seen from the other direction in an aerial (or rather from a crane for filming).

The hospital where Jill is taken is some ridiculous stock footage from the Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital at 1300 North Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 90027. If you look closely, you can read the prop lettering "San Francisco Memorial Hospital" on the building, which is hilarious since it doesn't match the "Knots" setting. This is footage licensed from "Trapper John, M.D.", which used this hospital a lot for filming exterior shots and had created that fictitious hospital name. The whole sequence with the helicopter is from that show.

 

[TJP]

# 8.11 — continued:

This is the first time we see the living room set of Greg's ranch — apparently preparing for the change of the filming location.
Does anyone know why they changed it? I liked the new location much better because of its beautiful architecture. The stonework is great. I'll write more about the location once the first exterior shot is used in an episode. Are we supposed to believe it's still the same ranch? Or are we supposed to think there are various buildings on the ranch property, and Greg and Laura moved to the main house, or what?

Ben and Jean: Palisades Park in Santa Monica — note that this is the area with the distinct fencing:

The Sovereign Apartments, 205 Washington Avenue, Santa Monica, CA 90403:

Does this look familiar to anyone? I think it's in Santa Monica, too, but can't place it exactly.

 

[Daniel Avery]

This is the first time we see the living room set of Greg's ranch — apparently preparing for the change of the filming location.
Does anyone know why they changed it? I liked the new location much better because of its beautiful architecture.

It was said that they went to David Jacobs's home to do the improv-style Noises Everywhere scenes in that two-parter (200 and 201) that mostly occurred at Greg's ranch. I'm not sure if that is true (it's been decades, and frankly I was so upset over Laura's death that they could have filmed that stuff at the Addams family mansion and I would not have noticed). If true, then I guess the "second" Sumner ranch is in fact David Jacobs's house (or at least the exteriors).

 

[TJP]

Daniel Avery —
Yes, that's true, it was David Jacobs's home at the time, but it's a long way to go from here until Laura's death, so the decision to use his home must have been made a few weeks prior to # 8.11 already because they tried to recreate the patio on the sound stage, matching the architectural style of David Jacobs' ranch.

 

[TJP]

# 8.12:

This is already the new filming location for Greg's ranch. I think the ranch house is in the background in the second screen grab.
The new location for Greg's ranch was series creator David Jacobs' private home at that time. It was called The Chateau Ranch. There were basically just the main house and the stables there. Jacobs sold the property in the 1990's. In the 2000's, it became Hummingbird Nest Ranch (2910 Kuehner Drive, Simi Valley, CA 93063), and lots of bigger buildings were built on the ranch site. It's nowadays an event venue. Although it was awkward that Lorimar changed the location, I liked the new one much better. So photogenic!

Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round:

 

[Retired Account 1]

# 8.12:

This is already the new filming location for Greg's ranch. I think the ranch house is in the background in the second screen grab.
The new location for Greg's ranch was series creator David Jacobs' private home at that time. It was called The Chateau Ranch. There were basically just the main house and the stables there. Jacobs sold the property in the 1990's. In the 2000's, it became Hummingbird Nest Ranch (2910 Kuehner Drive, Simi Valley, CA 93063), and lots of bigger buildings were built on the ranch site. It's nowadays an event venue. Although it was awkward that Lorimar changed the location, I liked the new one much better. So photogenic!


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