11 Iconic CA Film Locations: A Movie Buff's California Road Trip

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We start in Los Angeles, where countless feature films have been shot on location, and this time-honored classic immediately sprang to the mind of our film editor.

“L.A. Confidential” (1997)

Russel Crowe, Kim Basinger, Guy Pearce; directed by Curtis Hanson

Curtis Hanson’s neo-noir classic “L.A. Confidential,” a 1990s blockbuster, paints a sordid picture of Old Hollywood at the intersection of glamour, greed, murder, and corruption prevalent throughout 1950s Los Angeles. Many scenes in the movie were filmed around historic districts of the city, including Angelino Heights, Lincoln Heights and Koreatown.

“Rebel Without A Cause” (1955)

James Dean, Natalie Wood; directed by Nicholas Ray

It’s the film that made James Dean an icon and a genre out of coming-of-age teen angst. It’s “Rebel Without A Cause.”

The movie explores the moral decay of American teens in the 1950s. Dean plays troubled teen Jim Stark opposite Natalie Wood. The film is also Dennis Hopper’s film debut, and it features scenes shot around Los Angeles, most famously at the Griffith Observatory. Again and Again, the trouble young lovers return to the Observatory, which is where tragedy inevitably finds them. The movie was released a month after Dean died.

“Patton” (1970)

George C. Scott, Karl Malden; directed by Franklin J. Schaffner

Written by Francis Ford Coppola, the scene takes place before the backdrop of a giant American flag and was meant to portray a speech by General George S. Patton to his Third Army.

The WW II-era theater is still in use today, and the likes of Clark Gable and Bob Hope have also graced its stage for audiences, including presidents George Bush, Bill Clinton, Richard Nixon, and Ronald Reagan.

In recent years, however, the theater has garnered a touch of notoriety. It was the scene of a grisly murder in 2010 when community theater actor Daniel Patrick Wozniak shot and dismembered a neighbor to kick off a double murder spree. It’s also widely believed to be haunted by a sailor and a red-headed nurse, who have drawn paranormal experts to investigate.

“Dirty Harry” (1971)

Clint Eastwood, Andrew Robinson; directed by Don Siegel

Don Siegel’s neo-noir action thriller film, “Dirty Harry,” stars Clint Eastwood as San Francisco Police District (SFPD) Inspector “Dirty” Harry Callahan, a fearless cop who blurs the lines between justice and aggression in his pursuit of a psychopathic killer. From the famous crooked Lombard Street of San Francisco to the stunning natural surroundings of Mill Valley, the 1971 classic was filmed entirely in the San Francisco Bay Area with the iconic Golden Gate Bridge serving as a pivotal point in the movie’s finale.

“Sideways” (2004)

Paul Giamatti, Virginia Madsen, Thomas Haden Church; directed by Alexander Payne

Alexander Payne’s dramedy follows a couple of male buddies (Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church) as they take a week-long road trip to Santa Barbara wine country. Crowd-pleasing as it is, “Sideways,” set in the Santa Ynez Valley, is famous for making Pinot Noir an favorite among red wine lovers, eclipsing the likes of Merlot (“Absolutely No Merlot!”). In the wine world, this was a marked affair, and in the movie world, the movie earned critical acclaim and commercial success, ultimately winning Best Adapted Screenplay at the 77th Academy Awards and Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy at the 62nd Golden Globe Awards.

“The Birds” (1963)

Rod Taylor, Tippi Hedren; directed by Alfred Hitchcock

Partly inspired by true events, Alfred Hitchcock’s horror-thriller “The Birds” centers on the occurrences of mysterious, violent bird attacks around Bodega Bay. The movie brims with special-effects wonderment, filmed with over 25,000 live birds on location in the eastern side of Bodega Harbor. For Tippi Hedren’s magnificent performance of a traumatized woman, the actress won the Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year at the 21st Golden Globe Awards.

“East Of Eden” (1955)

James Dean, Julie Harris; directed by Elia Kazan

Elia Kazan’s period drama, shot on location in Mendocino, California, stars Dean as a rebellious young man vying for his father’s affection against his favored dutiful brother. Essentially, “East Of Eden” is a retelling of the Cain and Abel story. While Mendocino has grown since the 50s, its location remains familiar as a backdrop; from farmland to coastal areas, this is an ideal spot for filmmaking that remains pristine.

“Seems Like Old Times” (1980)

Goldie Hawn, Chevy Chase; directed by Jay Sandrich

The comedy directed by Jay Sandrich stars Chevy Chase as a writer wrongfully accused of a bank robbery. In the process, he decides to seek the help of his ex-wife (Goldie Hawn), a public defender married to the incoming Attorney General of California. “Seems Like Old Times” was filmed in locations all over California, including Los Angeles, Santa Monica Canyon, Brentwood, Big Sur, Salinas, and Carmel.

“Foul Play” (1978)

Goldie Hawn, Chevy Chase; directed by Colin Higgins

The neo-noir romantic-comedy thriller directed by Colin Higgins stars Goldie Hawn as librarian Gloria Mundy, a recent divorcée who flirts with disaster when she crosses paths with a handsome, mysterious stranger (Chevy Chase) and lands in a vast conspiracy. Follow Hawn as she cruises the 101; “Foul Play” was shot in and around San Francisco.

“Top Gun” (1986) and “Top Gun: Maverick” (2022)

Tom Cruise, Miles Teller; directed by Tony Scott and Joseph Kosinski

Heading south to San Diego, let’s talk about “Top Gun,” the highest-grossing film of 1986, and its sequel, “Maverick,” the flick that brought movie-goers back to the theater in droves following the pandemic.

The “Top Gun” movie that solidified Tom Cruise’s superstardom easily conjures up the glorious San Diego area. With an entrancing backdrop of the Pacific Ocean, stunning landscapes, sandy beaches, and an endless blue horizon, the region is absolutely breathtaking.

Remember the most iconic musical moment in the original film? It is the scene where Maverick (Cruise) serenades everyone with “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’,” while Goose (Anthony Edwards) dabbles in the piano performing Jerry Lee Lewis’ “Great Balls Of Fire.” That sequence was filmed on location at the renowned Kansas City Barbeque in the city’s marina district. Thirty-six years later, “Maverick” also includes a tavern sequence, only this time around, it was filmed at the Naval Air Station North Island instead.

“La La Land” (2017)

Emma Stone, Ryan Gosling; directed by Damien Chazelle

After finishing our trek across California’s famed movie locations, we head back up the Golden State (5) Freeway to the heart of Los Angeles, the primary setting of one of this century’s most beloved films.

Who can ever forget “La La Land? It is Damien Chazelle’s Oscar-winning ode to Old Hollywood musicals, starring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling as two artists in a whirlwind romance. Filmed in more than 40 locations in Los Angeles, the movie also serves as the writer-director’s cinematic love letter to the City of Stars, featuring some of the city’s most popular romantic spots, including The Lighthouse Café, Griffith Observatory, Hermosa Beach Pier and Cathy’s Corner at Mt. Hollywood Drive, where Mia (Stone) and Sebastian (Gosling) perform the song-and-dance number “A Lovely Night.”

Chances are, we’ll make a sequel, California Film Locations Road Trip II! Be sure to let us know which ones we missed by emailing [email protected].

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