Highway Dragnet (1954) - Film Locations

Last week the blog Paradise Leased provided an update on the status of Apple Valley, California's famous Hilltop House, a once gorgeous modern home that unfortunately has been left to deteriorate over the years. Today, this house built for one of Apple Valley's co-founders, Newton T. Bass, is just a skeleton of the structure it used to be, but the house is now for sale and hopefully some buyer can return the home to its original beauty. You can read and see photos of the home on the Paradised Leased blog here.

The update on the Hilltop House reminded me of the film Highway Dragnet (1954), which was partly filmed in Apple Valley, at another area landmark, the Apple Valley Inn located in the valley just below the Hilltop House. Highway Dragnet stars Richard Conte, Joan Bennett and Wanda Hendrix. It tells the story of a Korean War vet, played by Conte, who is wrongly accused of killing a woman he was seen with earlier inside a Las Vegas bar. Conte must go on the lam until he can clear his name. He gets out of town by hitching a ride with a female photographer (Bennett) and her model (Hendrix). Although the story has a few holes in the plot, it is still entertaining to watch, particularly for all the excellent location filming.

The film starts with scenes in Las Vegas, including a shot of the Golden Nugget and Binion's Horseshoe casinos on Fremont street.

Looking down Fremont Street in Las Vegas.

Fremont Street today. Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

One major change to Fremont Street since the time Highway Dragnet was made is the addition of the Fremont Street Experience, a canopy that produces a colored light show above several blocks of the street.

The Horseshoe casino as seen in Highway Dragnet.

Binion's Gambling Hall formerly The Horseshoe.

After the Vegas scenes, the film shows Conte hitching a ride with Bennett and Hendrix in the desert. The threesome eventually pull over and get a room at the Apple Valley Inn.  The Apple Valley Inn was a hotel developed by Newton T. Bass to help attract land buyers to housing development he created out in the middle of the California desert. During the 1940s and until the 1960s, it was a popular place for many Hollywood celebrities, including Bob Hope, Tony Curtis, Marilyn Monroe, John Wayne, Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck.

Police set up a barricade in front of the Apple Valley Inn.

The entrance of the Apple Valley Inn as it appears now.

Highway 18 leading up to the Apple Valley Inn driveway.

Looking down Highway 18 from the Apple Valley Inn driveway.

Conte in front of the Apple Valley Inn.

The Apple Valley Inn. Photo from mysewsweetstudio.blogspot.com

Historic postcard view of the Apple Valley Inn.

Conte, Bennett and Hendrix inside a room at Apple Valley Inn.

An agent stands in front of the Apple Valley Inn pool.

Hendrix sits on the pool's diving board.

Bennett stands by the Apple Valley Inn pool.

The Macdonald Carey family visits the pool at Apple Valley Inn. Photo from Paradise Leased.

When it's revealed that Conte, who police believe to be the killer is hiding out at the Apple Valley Inn, he races out of the place, driving a car right through a police barricade.

Conte drives through a police barricade at Apple Valley Inn.

Exiting the driveway at Apple Valley Inn.

The final scenes take place at the Salton Sea. According to the site Lost Resorts, the Salton Sea was once known as the Riviera of the West or "Palm Springs by the Sea." It is the largest lake in California and used to be a major destination in the 1950s and 1960s for tourist and celebrities. The sea was created by accident. In 1900, developers created a series of canals and dikes to divert water from the Colorado River to turn the arid desert into farming land. In 1905 heavy rains caused the Colorado River to rise, a dike was then broken and the Imperial Valley filled with water, becoming the Salton Sea.

The Salton Sea as seen in Highway Dragnet.

A present day view of the Salton Sea. Photo from Lost Resorts.

Documentary video of the Salton Sea.

Above is a short video clip showing scenes of the Salton Sea and the people that live in the area. Today the area is almost a flooded ghost town. Water levels would continue to rise, flooding buisnesses that surrounded the lake. Salt and fertilizers from run-off accumulated and killed off most of the fish. Now what was a bustling resort area is filled with dead fish, decaying boats and buildings drowning in water.

For more on the Apple Valley Inn read this wonderful post from Paradise Leased.

Highway Dragnet is available for streaming on Netflix and can also be seen on YouTube here.

Pushover (1954) - Film Locations

Pushover (1954)

In the 1954 film, Pushover, Fred MacMurray plays detective Paul Sheridan, a single, middle-age detective who falls in love with a bank robber's girlfriend, played by an irresistible blonde, Kim Novak in her first major starring role. When Novak learns that MacMurray is a detective, she uses her allure to convince him to kill her mobster boyfriend so the two can run away together with the robber's loot. MacMurray is a "pushover." He goes through with the plan but in the process of killing the mobster, MacMurray accidentally kills a cop. The suspense builds as MacMurray must deceive his fellow detectives and keep them off his tracks.

Pushover has often been compared to the earlier MacMurray film, Double Indmenity (1944), directed by Billy Wilder. Instead of an insurance salesman who falls for the wife of one of his clients, MacMurray is a detective who falls for the girlfriend of one of the crooks he is supposed to capture. Only in Pushover, Novak plays the femme fatale role that Barbara Stanwyck played in Double Indemnity. Although there may be many similarities between the two films, Pushover is an enjoyable noir thriller that is a classic in its own right.

Ben's Cocktails, Magnolia Blvd, Burbank, Ca

The film opens with MacMurray first meeting Novak in a movie theater parking lot. That movie theatre was the Magnolia Theatre located at 4403 West Magnolia Blvd in Burbank, California.  In the opening scene we get a glimpse of a bar called "Ben's Cocktails" (see screenshot above) which was located next to the theater. I'm not sure if Ben's was a real bar or not, but the building has since been demolished as you can see in the photograph below. The old Magnolia Theater building is still standing and can be seen on the right side of the photograph. The Magnolia Theater closed in 1977, but then operated as a recording studio. The building currently appears to be available for lease.

The Magnolia Theater is on the right.

The parking lot next to the theatre where MacMurray meets Novak.

The former Magnolia Theatre building.

4403 W. Magnolia Blvd, Burbank, Ca

The Magnolia Theater marquee as seen in Pushover.

Patrons leave the Magnolia Theater in the film Pushover.

The police department that is seen in the film is the Burbank City Hall building located at 275 East Olive Avenue. Construction on this beautiful art deco building was completed in 1943 and was funded by the Federal Works Agency, Works Project Administration (WPA) . The outside of the building features bas relief sculptures, many art deco details and a gorgeous fountain. The inside features large murals by the painter Hugo Ballin, who also painted murals in the Griffith Observatory.

The Police Department in Pushover.

Burbank City Hall

Fountain in front of Burbank City Hall.

Flying fishes on the fountain outside Burbank City Hall

275 E. Olive Ave, Burbank City Hall

A relief sculpture on the side of Burbank City Hall

If you haven't seen Pushover, the film is available on home video.

Double Indemnity: Film Locations

Double Indemnity (1944)

If you look at any lists of best film noirs you are likely to find that many people place Double Indemnity (1944) at the top. It's easy to see why. Billy Wilder's classic is dark, steamy and thrilling from beginning to end. Fred MacMurray, cast against type, gives a perfect performance as the insurance salesman who turns into a scheming killer. And not to be outdone, Barbara Stanwyck is one of the most seductive femme fatales to appear on screen. For me, an added point of interest is that so many of the scenes were shot on location around Los Angeles. Here are some of those dark and gritty locations as seen in the film and how they appear today.

In the opening scene we see MacMurray racing through downtown Los Angeles on the way to his office building. In the first shot MacMurray drives down Fifth Street, passing the Biltmore Hotel and then crossing Olive Street. In the comparison below, you will notice that the Biltmore Hotel is still standing on the left side of the image. On the right side of the image all of the buildings have been replaced by modern glass buildings.

MacMurray races down 5th Street near Olive St.

5th Street at Olive Street. Biltmore Hotel on left.

In the next shot we see MacMurray's car whiz down Olive Street coming towards Fifth Street. One of the buildings we see is the Philharmonic Auditorium built in 1906. In 1938 the facade of the building was remodeled and given a more streamlined look. The building has since been demolished.

MacMurray drives down Olive St. towards 5th St.

The Philharmonic Auditorium building is in the background.

Olive at 5th Street in 1984. The Philharmonic Auditorium is still standing.

Photo from USC Digital Archive, (c)2004, California Historical Society

Contemporary view of Olive at 5th Streets. The Philharmonic Auditorium is now demolished. In the background is the Subway Terminal Building.

Dietrichson House, 6301 Quebec Drive, Hollywood Hills

Above is a scene of Fred MacMurray leaving the Dietrichson house where Barbara Stanwyck's character lives. Below is the same house today.

Dietrichson House - 6301 Quebec Drive, Hollywood Hills


Dietrichson House

Dietrichson House

Getting to the Dietrichson house can be a little tricky. To get to this home located near the top of the Hollywood Hills you must drive up a series of very narrow and winding streets. Some are one way only because the streets are so narrow. Once you get to the top you will have a beautiful view. Below is a screenshot of the view from the Hollywood Hills and a picture of the view today.

View from Hollywood Hills

View from Hollywood Hills

Fred MacMurray's Apartment, 1825 N. Kingsley Drive

Fred MacMurray's Apartment, 1825 N. Kingsley Drive, Hollywood

Fred MacMurray's Apartment

Newman Drug Store

Above is a screenshot of the Newman Drug Store. The building is still standing but the Newman Drug Store is long gone. When I rewatched this film I recognized the drug store from the book, The Story of Hollywood, which shows many Hollywood buildings as they used to be, as well as many buildings that no longer exist. This building is located at the Southwest corner of Hollywood Blvd and Western Avenue.

Hollywood Blvd and Western Ave.

Hollywood Blvd and Western Ave

One of the main points of action in the film takes place at the Glendale Station located at 400 W. Cerritos Ave, Glendale, CA. Below is the shot of the station in the film and how it appears today. It's here where MacMurray's and Stanwyck's characters dump the body of Mr. Dietrichson.

Glendale Station, 400 W. Cerritos Ave, Glendale, CA

Glendale Station, 400 W. Cerritos Ave, Glendale, CA

August 7, 2013 - CORRECTION! - The Train Station is NOT the Glendale Station but the Burbank Station (now demolished). Click here to see another image of the Burbank Station before it was destroyed.

To see more vintage views of the Glendale Station visit John Bengtson's post on the silent film Wings and the noir Act of Violence.

Visit this post at I AM NOT A STALKER for more on the Glendale Station.

Thanks John for the clarification!

During the movie, Lola Dietrichson (Jean Heather) and MacMurray visit the famous Hollywood Bowl located at 2301 North Highland Avenue. Like in so many other movies, Heather and MacMurray don't go through the entrance, but instead climb up the back hill and watch from the top.

Heather and MacMurray at the Hollywood Bowl

The Hollywood Bowl as it appears today.

If you're looking to track down these locations yourself I recommend starting in downtown Los Angeles early in the morning before traffic gets too bad and then working back towards Hollywood.