Being There (1979)

dir. Hal Ashby

The house where Chance (Peter Sellers) works as a gardener – Fenyes Mansion (interior only), 470 W. Walnut Street, Pasadena, California.

The garden was a studio set.

Chance leaving his late employer’s house – 937 M Street NW, Washington, DC. There’s a large tree in front of the house now, so it’s virtually impossible to get a good shot.

Chance crossing the street - M Street at 10th Street NW, Washington, DC

Chance continues wandering around the city - 7th Street at O Street NW, Washington, DC

Chance asks a woman carrying groceries to give him something to eat - the 800 block of 14th Street NW, Washington, DC. Most of the block was torn down in the mid-1980s to make way for new shiny office buildings.

The TV World store - 1400 14th Street NW, Washington, DC. The building has since been demolished, and a Caribou Coffee now stands in its place.

Chance looking at the Benito Juarez statue, Virginia Avenue at 25th Street NW, Washington, DC.

Chance walking past the National Gallery of Art, National Mall, Washington, DC.

Chance puzzles a policeman by telling him "that tree is very sick" – White House (south side), 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC.

Chance walking on the median strip toward the U.S. Capitol – N. Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC.

Chance accidentally gets hit by Mrs. Rand’s (Shirley MacLaine) car and is taken to her husband’s mansion – K Street at 17th Street NW, Washington, DC. The YWCA building whose neon sign is visible on the right, was torn down in the early 1980s.

Ben Rand’s (Melvyn Douglas) mansion – Biltmore Estate, Asheville, North Carolina.

See also...

Dave	The American President

The Sting (1973)

dir. George Roy Hill

Many thanks to Matt Hormann of Hometown Pasadena for pointing out the Pasadena locations.

Joliet, Illinois – W. Union Street between N. Fair Oaks and De Lacey Avenues, Pasadena, California

Johnny Hooker (Robert Redford) and Luther Coleman (Robert Earl Jones) swindle the mob courier – Smith Alley looking toward W. Union Street, Pasadena, California. The second picture shows Smith Alley looking toward Hugus Alley.

Doyle Lonnegan’s (Robert Shaw) casino interior – Castle Green Apartments, 99 S. Raymond Avenue, Pasadena, California

Hooker running from his nemesis, detective Snyder (Charles Durning) - W. Union Street between N. Fair Oaks and De Lacey Avenues, Pasadena, California

Henry Gondorff’s (Paul Newman) carousel – Santa Monica Pier Carousel, Santa Monica, California. The Chicago skyline was added with matte painting.

Lonnegan leaving New York – Union Station, 225 S. Canal Street, Chicago, Illinois.

Lonnegan arriving in Chicago – LaSalle Street Station, 414 S. LaSalle Street, Chicago, Illinois. The old station, also seen in Hitchcock’s North by Northwest, is no longer there, replaced by a modern building in the 1980s.

Lonnegan’s Chicago hotel interior – Castle Green Apartments, 99 S. Raymond Avenue, Pasadena, California.

Hooker’s hotel and the street – this was filmed on a studio backlot. They reused the "el" set built for another movie, Norman Jewison’s Gaily Gaily.

 

The Western Union office - 118 Winston Street, Los Angeles, California.

Agent Polk’s (Dana Elcar) headquarters – Old Koppel Plant, Long Beach Harbor, Long Beach, California.

Hooker leaving Loretta’s apartment in the morning – Hugus Alley looking toward Miller Alley, Pasadena, California

A strange gunman saves Hooker’s life - Hugus Alley looking toward Smith Alley, Pasadena, California.