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City Hall on Location
The Los Angeles City Hall has probably starred in more movies and
television series than most Hollywood actors. It was the tallest building
in the city for years, so it was a natural when a skyscraper was needed!
Recent list of City Hall appearences in TV and movies.
Films:
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Los Angeles City Hall was used in films
almost from its dedication in 1928 when Lon Chaney and director
Jack Conway brought their film crews to the Civic Center to shoot
While the City Sleeps. The final touches were made to the new City
Hall and the "talkies" were introduced.
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City Hall appeared in many early movies
including, among others, Straight from the Shoulder (1936), Mildred
Pierce (1945), Get Outta Town (1959) and D.O.A. (1963).
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Other appearances include Protocol,
It Seems Like Old Times, Dragnet, 48 Hours, Another 48 Hours, and
a number of Disney films.
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City Hall's most illustrious appearance
in films has to be the War of the Worlds (1953). It was directed
by George Pal and starred Gene Barry, Ann Robinson and Lewis Martin.
It was loosely based on H.G. Wells' novel -- with action transferred
from Victorian London to modern Southern California. An 8-inch model
of City Hall was created which was then blown up with explosives.
The film won the Oscar for "Special Effects" that year.
TV Series, Movies and Mini-Series:
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For ten seasons City Hall was Police
Headquarters for "Dragnet".
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It was also The Daily Planet in the
"Superman" series.
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"Kojak" and "Cagney
and Lacey" used Los Angeles City Hall to represent parts of
New York City.
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It has also been seen in "The
Rockford Files," "Matlock," "Hill Street Blues,"
"LA Law" and "Equal Justice."
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It was the Vatican in the TV mini-series
The Thornbirds.
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It played the U.S. Capitol in The Jimmy
Hoffa Story.
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It portrayed the Texas office of an
aspiring Lyndon Johnson in LBJ: The Early Years
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It appeared in MADD and Blood Feud
This information was obtained from a Project Restore
Newsletter article authored by Steven Phillips.
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