Rebel Without a Cause: Film Locations

Rebel Without a Cause (C) Warner Bros.

With the upcoming United States of America Independence Day celebration coming up I thought I would do a Rebel related post. The Americans rebelled against Britain and James Dean rebelled, well, just because, in the film Rebel Without a Cause. Ok, bad comparison, but I thought I would work it in somehow. Here in today's post are some of the locations from the film Rebel Without a Cause.

James Dean outside house at 7529 Franklin Ave, Hollywood

The opening shot of the film is of James Dean laying in the middle of the street outside a house. That home is located at 7529 Franklin Avenue in Hollywood. The location is near the main stretch of Hollywood Boulevard where many tourist attractions are located and would be very easy to visit if you have a vehicle. Below is a picture of how the home appears today.

7529 Franklin Avenue, Hollywood, California

James Dean being dragged into Police Station.

Above is a screenshot of James Dean being dragged into the Police Station. The exterior of the police station was actually a facade located at the Warner Bros. Studios backlot. Below is a photo I took showing the same facade as it appears today. This facade is located on the Midwestern Street and can be seen if you take the Warner Bros. Studio tour.

Police Station facade located at Warner Bros. backlot.

Here is another photo of the same facade. If you look closely you can see that they are dressing this building as "Eastwick High School" for the upcoming TV series Eastwick.

Another view of the Police Station facade at Warner Bros.

Dawson High is really Santa Monica High School

The above screenshot from Rebel Without a Cause is of James Dean's new high school, Dawson High. The school is really Santa Monica High School in Santa Monica, California. Although the exteriors of Dawson High School were filmed at Santa Monica High School, I've been told that some of the interiors were filmed inside John Marshall High School, located in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Santa Monica High School, California

Dawson High, really Santa Monica High School


Santa Monica High School


Griffith Observatory as seen in Rebel Without a Cause

Many of the scenes filmed in Rebel Without a Cause were shot at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles. The Observatory even has a statue of Dean on the grounds because of the extensive use of the Observatory in the film. Above is how the Griffith Observatory appears in Rebel Without a Cause and below is a picture of how the location appears today.

Griffith Observatory, Los Angeles, California



Inside the Griffith Observatory entrance as seen in the film.



Inside Griffith Observatory 2009


Griffith Observatory, Rebel Without a Cause fight scene




Griffith Observatory fight scene location 2009

Getty Mansion, 641 N. Irving Boulevard

Near the end of the film, James Dean, Sal Mineo, and Natalie Wood's characters go up to an abandoned mansion. This home is the Getty Mansion and is the same home featured in the film Sunset Boulevard. Above is a screenshot of Dean, Mineo, and Wood in the same pool that was used in the opening scene of Sunset Boulevard where William Holden's character is found dead. Below is a screenshot of the same pool as seen in Sunset Boulevard.

Getty Mansion as seen in Sunset Boulevard

641 N. Irving Boulevard, Los Angeles, California

The mansion was torn down shortly after the filming of Rebel Without a Cause. Above is photo of the location as it appears today.

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