Filming Locations

[Daniel Avery]

As we saw last year, wildfires can hit Malibu and reshape the neighborhoods against their wishes.

Like you say, there is a frequent demolish/build-new cycle there, since money is obviously no object and all they really care about is the view. I would be very surprised if that home still exists in the form we recognize.

 

[micmic]

I believe that’s the beach house
http://www.adamsonhouse.org/visit.php

 

[TJP]

As I did over on the "Dallas" forum last year (http://www.tellytalk.net/threads/locations.6998/page-45), I'm going to list "Knots Landing" filming locations I can identify while re-watching the show.

In # 1.02, the Knots Landing Office Building at 29:49 into the episode is actually the former Granada Hills Community Hospital, which was located at 10445 Balboa Boulevard, Granada Hills, CA 91344 (not far from Crystalaire Place, i.e. the cul-de-sac). The building sustained severe damage in the 1994 Northridge Earthquake and was demolished. A school sits in its place now.

The funny thing about the scene is that, although the set dressers covered the hospital's name above the entrance with a prop sign ("Knots Landing Office Building"), they forgot to cover the sign to the emergency entrance. It is clearly visible in the drive-by just before Val comes to a halt in front of the main entrance (at 29:45).

By the way, the time stamps I'm referencing in my notes on the first to seasons are from the episodes on the U.S. DVD release (NTSC). If you have PAL discs in Europe or Australia, note they are accelerated by 4 %, so you will have to look for the scene at a slightly earlier time.

 

[TJP]

Not really a filming location, but an interesting set:

In # 1.03, David Crane's apartment was "borrowed" from "Dallas". It is apparently the redressed interior set that served as Cliff Barnes' early apartment.
Both shows filmed at what used to be MGM Studios (later Lorimar Studios, now Sony Pictures Studios) in Culver City, CA.

 

[TJP]

Approx. 6 minutes into # 1.04, Laura drops Val off at what is nowadays the Jewish Educational Trade School (building not visible, we can see just the stairs) on Rinaldi Street in Granada Hills (screen capture 1).
When Laura drives off, we first see the sign of St. Andrew & St. Charles Episcopal Church (located at 166512 Rinaldi Street; screen grab 2).
Then, Laura makes a U-turn and later turns into Hayvenhurst Avenue (screen capture 3).


The police headquarters at approx. 27:36 into this episode, are portrayed by the rear entrance (facing Culver Boulevard) of the Irving Thalberg Building at MGM Studios (later Lorimar Studios, nowadays Sony Pictures Studios) in Culver City, CA.
During the MGM era, the Art Déco / Streamline Moderne style Thalberg Building had been the studio's executive building and main administration of the studio lot before MGM moved its headquarters to the newly built MGM Plaza (nowadays One Culver) across from the Madison Gate.

 

[TJP]

# 1.06:

Does anyone know where the interiors of Knots Landing Motors were filmed? This does not to be the same locations as the exteriors (which was 5311 Crenshaw Boulevard, an old Ford dealership before that structure was rebuilt). We can see street number 8960 in this scene -- not sure if it's a prop though.

 

[TJP]

# 1.06:

The street where Karen talks to Gary is just around the corner from the cul-de-sac.
The house on the left in the screen capture is 12410 McLennan Avenue, Granada Hills, CA.

 

[TJP]

Approximately at 38 minutes into # 1.07, the police headquarters are portrayed by by the rear entrance (facing Culver Boulevard) of the Irving Thalberg Building at MGM Studios (later Lorimar Studios, nowadays Sony Pictures Studios) in Culver City, CA again -- just like in # 1.04.

 

[TJP]

# 1.09:

Oceancrest Elementary School (Ginger's school at appprox. 16:08) is actually Stoner Avenue School at 11735 Braddock Drive, Culver City, CA 90230.

 

[TJP]

# 1.11:

Richard looking at the Aston Martin V8 Volante is near the cul-de-sac on McLennan Avenue in Granada Hills, CA. The house in the background on the screen grab is street number 12400.

 

[TJP]

# 1.12:

The Half Moon Motel (seen at 19:52) was located at 3958 Sepulveda Blvd, Culver City, CA 90230. It's now a different motel, the basic structure is still the same though:


Micky's Bar (seen at 22:42) -- nowadays an Italian restaurant, slightly remodeled -- is at 6001 Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232:


These locations are near the studio, as usual for minor locations.

 

[TJP]

# 1.13:

At approx. 08:27 into the episode, the street near the bar is Culver Boulevard. The building behind Gary is the Culver Hotel at 9400 Culver Boulevard in Culver City, CA. The neighborhood has been redeveloped since, and many buildings around were replaced:


At approx. 30:23 into the episode, the scene with Ginger, Kenny and the children at the zoo was filmed at the old Los Angeles Zoo:

 

[Retired Account 1]

Approximately at 38 minutes into # 1.07, the police headquarters are portrayed by by the rear entrance (facing Culver Boulevard) of the Irving Thalberg Building at MGM Studios (later Lorimar Studios, nowadays Sony Pictures Studios) in Culver City, CA again -- just like in # 1.04.

thanks a lot for finding the filming locations, I'm fascinated with Knots landing filming location and didn't know some of them you mentioned, hope to read more soon !!! you did a great job!! you made my day ! I don't know about the Knots Landing motor location, in the early episodes they probably didn't film at the Ford dealership but later they did, I have some pictures of the empty office ,it's clearly there they filmed Gary 's office or Abby's office upstairs

 

[micmic]

Amazing! How did you find all these locations ?

 

[TJP]

My team and I at falconcrest.org have identified 1,000+ locations from "Falcon Crest", and it's been my hobby to track down locations. The movie industry has a tendency towards reusing many of the popular filming locations, so some of them look really familiar from various productions after a certain time. I also know many parts of L.A. quite well, particularly in the neighborhood of Lorimar Studios (now Sony Pictures Studios) in Culver City, CBS Studio Center in Studio City and Warner Bros. in Burbank. When I saw the few houses in the scenes with Karen and Gary as well as Richard, I immediately knew from my previous visits to the cul-de-sac that they are in one of the streets around -- Google Street View was helpful to identify the correct street and house numbers.

I wished I could identify all missing "Knots" locations, but I'm trying to do my best to gradually cover all the locations I can identify. Of course, shooting schedules and call sheets would help, but our archives of Lorimar's production documents are limited to "Falcon Crest" only for the obvious reasons. In case anyone has a "Knots" collection of production papers, it would be fun to get in touch.

It may take a while, but whenever I have time to revisit "Knots Landing" episodes, I'll be happy to continue posting.

 

[TJP]

# 2.01:

The house where Pam Messinger lives (37:04) is 241 Marine Street in Santa Monica, CA (at the corner of Marine and 3rd Street):


The courtroom (46:50) is one of the former courtrooms inside the old El Monte Courthouse at 11333 Valley Boulevard in El Monte, CA 91731.
That building was used in a lot of Lorimar shows, including as Braddock County Courthouse in the early "Dallas" seasons as well as on "Falcon Crest" in the two final episodes of season 1.
At the time of filming, it was already deserted because the new courthouse was built across the street. The building was converted into the El Monte Police Department and houses nowadays their Administration and Detectives Bureau. It's still standing, but has been remodeled since.

 

[TJP]

# 2.02:

Abby and Val at the beach (30:38) was filmed on Venice Beach (not far from the location of Pam Messinger's house in # 2.01):


The district attorney's office and the courthouse (45:26) are in the former El Monte Courthouse (now El Monte Police Department; see previous episode) again:


Unfortunately, I am unable to identify the police department (brick building) at 28:54 in this episode.

Neither do I know the place near where Pam made her first move towards Sid in # 2.01 (the place with the "world's largest pastrami sandwich" and "Ma-Li Coiffure" next door), which Sid, Karen and Stan Lesser revisited in # 2.20 at approx. 33:32. I assume it's near Pam's house and the beach scene, but I'm not sure. It's difficult to see if the street number on the building actually reads 2508 or 2503, maybe 1308 or 1303.

 

[TJP]

# 2.03:

This scene (44:47) was filmed on Bonsall Avenue on the grounds of the older part of the VA Hospital in Los Angeles. The stairs and building on the left in the background are at the corner of Bonsall and and Patton Avenue. The building farther in the background (on the right) is on Bonsall. The camera is facing east in this screen grab.

 

[TJP]

# 2.04:

The boat scenes at the marina (Richard's business meeting; 12:54) were filmed at the boat slips near Burton W. Chace Park,
Mindanao Way, Marina Del Rey, CA:

 

[TJP]

# 2.06:

Diana and the girls roller skating (approx. 01:35) was filmed at Venice Beach Skatepark:

I think the later beach scene with Diana and the girls at approx. 24 minutes into the episode was filmed nearby.

In the scene at the eatery, you can see the real name of the business on the sign in the background (05:29): The Marathon Meatless Messhall. Location:
1701 Ocean Front Walk, Venice, CA 90291:


Diana and the girls in the car (09:24): This is not far from the cul-de-sac. It's Balboa Boulevard in Granada Hills. You can see the extravagant architecture of the Knollwood United Methodist Church in the background (left) at street number 12121: