Sunday, August 19, 2012

The Long Goodbye (1973)

dir. Robert Altman

Philip Marlowe’s (Elliott Gould) apartment house – The High Tower Apartments, 2178 High Tower Drive, Los Angeles, California

Marlowe goes to an all-night supermarket to buy cat food – Thriftimart (now closed), 6140 Lankershim Boulevard, Los Angeles, California. Since then it has been replaced by a different supermarket.

Marlowe is thrown in jail - Lincoln Heights Jail; 401 N. Avenue 19, Los Angeles, California

The entrance to Malibu Colony – Malibu Road at Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, California

Marlowe goes to see Eileen Wade (Nina Van Pallandt) who hires him to find her husband Roger (Sterling Hayden) – 23844 Malibu Road, Malibu, California

Marlowe finds Roger Wade at 'Burbank Care Center' – Las Encinas Hospital, 2900 East Del Mar Boulevard, Pasadena, California

The Wades beachfront house - 23844 Malibu Road, Malibu, California

Marlowe comes to Mexico to find out what really happened to his friend Terry Lennox – Tepoztlán, Morelos, Mexico; still searching for the exact location

A funeral procession – Convento Dominico de la Natividad, Tepoztlán, Morelos, Mexico

Marlowe sees Eileen’s car – 10880 Wilshire Boulevard (on the Westwood Boulevard side), Los Angeles, California

Eileen’s car is coming out of a parking garage - 10880 Wilshire Boulevard (on the Westwood Boulevard side), Los Angeles, California

Eileen’s car at the intersection of Westwood Boulevard and Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California

Marlowe chases Eileen’s car - Westwood Boulevard at Lindbrook Drive, Los Angeles, California

Westwood Boulevard at Kinross Avenue, Los Angeles, California

Marlowe is hit by a car while running across the street - Kinross Avenue at Broxton Avenue, Los Angeles, California

Marlowe offers two Mexican officials "a James Madison" in exchange for the truth about Terry Lennox - Municipio de Tepoztlán, Calle Envila, Tepoztlán, Morelos, Mexico

Avenida 5 de Mayo at Calle Envila, Tepoztlán, Morelos, Mexico

Marlowe is on his way to see Lennox - Chiconcuac de Juárez, Mexico; still searching for the exact location

Lennox’s hideout - Chiconcuac de Juárez, Mexico; still searching for the exact location

See also...


Chinatown

L.A. Confidential

16 comments:

  1. Tepoztlan is in the Mexican state of Morelos, not "Morales". Tepoztlan is not far from Cuernavaca.

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  2. why did Altman use obscure Mexican locales?

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    Replies
    1. They aren't that obscure. There are several popular tourist destinations in that area.

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  3. Thanks for this. Do you know the locations of Marty Augustine's apartment or the hospital Marlowe goes to?

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    1. If I remember correctly, it's not shown from the outside.

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  4. Neither of them, nor the restaurant where Marlowe picks up his messages, show exteriors. I am mapping locations---interiors and exteriors---as part of a larger academic project on the spatial culture of cities in movies. If you come across anything on these locations, I hope you will post it. Meanwhile, I appreciate this page a lot. It is the only source for this film, which appears to be seeing a little revived interest: http://www.bam.org/film/2014/sunshine-noir
    http://www.popmatters.com/review/193267-the-long-goodbye-thieves-like-us/
    http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/06/movies/robert-altmans-the-long-goodbye-is-popular-again.html?_r=0

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  5. How do you know that the grocery story is that location?

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  6. This is a FANTASTIC entry. I've always wondered where some of these scenes take place. And thanks for adding the current snapshots for comparison.

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  7. What bar (if it was a bar, not a set) did Gould visit in THE LONG GOODBYE? If it no longer exists, where was it? Thanks.

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  8. I dont remember how but I located the entrance to the Malibu Colony on my own about a year ago. It just popped up again today while watching a Dante Young training ride through Malibu. He passes right by it.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Y16i4jhKOg&ab_channel=SAFABrian

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  9. Im going out on a limb and saying that the location of the grocery store is wrong. It's listed as 1234 N La Brea and there was a Jons Grocery there years ago (still visible on google maps). However when he is walking up to the entrance you can see 6140 above the front door (the 6 is faded). I believe this was 6140 Lankershim, North Hollywood. There is a newer grocery store there now and no gas station anymore but when he is parking, the buildings quickly visible on his left (2 apartments with windows) appear to be the same buildings currently standing (the windows and a light match exactly to one of them). Also immediately when the scene starts you can see a neon sign across the street as he is pulling in. There is a newer hotel there now but Lankershim had a lot of old hotels back then, and I suspect there was one in the spot of the current hotel.

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    1. Thank you for this information. I'll investigate that. I need to rewatch that episode.

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    2. It's confirmed. There was indeed a Thriftimart store at this address. And it was the only one at 6140. Thanks again for your help.

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