Sunset Boulevard (1950)

dir. Billy Wilder

It’s hard to add something to what has already been said about this classic film, but I’ve managed to find a few more surviving locations that haven’t been mentioned before.

Norma Desmond’s (Gloria Swanson) mansion – the northwest corner of Wilshire and Irving Boulevards, Los Angeles, California. It belonged to the wife of J.P. Getty and had stood empty for several years before Billy Wilder chose it for filming of Sunset Boulevard. As everyone knows by now, it didn't have a swimming pool required by the screenplay so it was installed for the purposes of filming. The pool and the mansion were later used in another classic film, Nicholas Ray’s Rebel Without a Cause. A couple of years after Ray’s film was released, the mansion was torn down. Today, a nondescript office parking lot stands on the site.

Joe Gillis’ (William Holden) apartment building – Alto Nido, 1851 N. Ivar Avenue, Los Angeles, California

The place where Gillis stashed his car – the parking lot on Vine Street, next to The Palace, Los Angeles, California. The camera is looking toward Ivar Avenue.

Gillis drives onto Vine Street toward Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles, California.

Paramount Studios - 5451 Marathon Street, Los Angeles, California. This is the Bronson Avenue gate. You can no longer get close to the famous gate (unless you have a business at the studio or book a tour), it can only be admired from a distance.

Schwab’s Pharmacy – 8024 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, California. It was Hollywood’s most famous drugstore, a popular hangout for writers, actors, etc., many of those living in the neighboring Chateau Marmont or Garden of Allah. The store had to close in 1983, and was torn down a few years later.

Gillis sees the repo men and makes a sharp U-turn at the junction of Sunset Boulevard and Bel Air Road, Los Angeles, California.

The Desmond mansion’s driveway – 10060 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, California. It was the Janss mansion at the time but it has since been demolished. Though the driveway was in the section of Sunset Boulevard where the Desmond mansion was supposed to be located, it's a good six miles away from the J.P. Getty mansion actually used in the film.

Norma Desmond buys Gillis new clothes – the 3900 block of Wilshire Boulevard; Perino’s, then located at 3927 Wilshire Boulevard, is seen across the street.

See also...

Double Indemnity

The Day of the Locust

Hero (1992)

dir. Stephen Frears

Though the movie is set in Chicago, it was filmed mostly in Los Angeles.

Bernie Laplante (Dustin Hoffman) in court - City Hall, 200 N. Spring Street, Los Angeles, California.

The diner where Bernie’s son finds a wallet – Still searching for this location

Gale Gayley (Geena Davis) reports from a suicide scene – 225 W. Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois

Bernie goes to see his probation officer – 610 S. Main Street, Los Angeles, California. The building underwent extensive renovation in 2001-2005 and the entrance doesn't look the same.

The plane crash - Old Center Street Bridge, Piru, California

Bernie's apartment building - 1162 W. Grand Avenue, Chicago, Illinois. The entrance has been renovated.

John Bubber (Andy Garcia) and Gale dine in a restaurant with reporters waiting at the door - Cicada Restaurant, James Oviatt Building, 617 S. Olive Street, Los Angeles, California. It’s a popular filming location that also appeared in Pretty Woman, Final Analysis, and Indecent Proposal.

John’s hotel lobby - Millennium Biltmore Hotel, 506 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, California

'Cook County Hospital' – Hall of Justice, 210 W. Temple Street, Los Angeles, California. It doesn't really look like Chicago's Cook County Hospital.

Bernie talking to John who wants to jump off the ledge - Drake Hotel, 140 E. Walton Place, Chicago, Illinois

Bernie and his son at the zoo - Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens, 5333 Zoo Drive, Los Angeles, California

A Few Good Men (1992)

dir. Rob Reiner

U.S. Naval Base Guantanamo Bay - Crystal Cove State Park, 8471 N. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, California.

Judge Advocate General's Corps – St. Elizabeth's Hospital, 1100 Alabama Ave SE, Washington, DC. It was a federally run psychiatric hospital which later fell into disrepair although the east campus is still operational. The Department of Homeland Security has relocated its headquarters to the abandoned federally owned western campus of St. Elizabeth’s where A Few Good Men was filmed.

Lieutenant Junior Grade Danny Kaffee (Tom Cruise) plays baseball – 17th St SW and Independence Ave SW, Washington, DC. The ball field is no longer there. Many thanks to Tahoekid for the correction.

Danny and Sam Weinberg (Kevin Pollak) go to see Lieutenant Commander JoAnne Galloway (Demi Moore) – U.S. Department of Commerce (west side), 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC

U.S. naval base barracks Windward – Fort McArthur, San Pedro, California

The Marine Corps War Memorial aka the Iwo Jima Memorial, Arlington, Virginia

Danny buys magazines and chats with the seller – Idle Time Books, 2410 18th Street NW, Washington, DC. The store has since then moved to 2467 18th Street NW but the alley where the newsstand was located in the film is still recognizable.

Sam's apartment building - 2415 20th Street NW, Washington, DC

U.S. Naval Base airfield - Naval Air Station Point Mugu, Oxnard, California

Colonel Jessep's (Jack Nicholson) house – it was filmed in the house of an Admiral of the Coast Guard in San Pedro, California.

Danny's apartment – 3017 Dent Place NW, Washington, DC

Tidal Basin path and the Jefferson Memorial, Washington, DC

Danny pondering his moral dilemma – the Watergate Steps and the Arlington Memorial Bridge, Washington, DC

Lieutenant Colonel Markinson’s (J.T. Walsh)'s hideout – Downtown Motel (now Motel 6), 1345 4th Street NE, Washington, DC

See also...

The American President

Minority Report