Amy's America

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You can’t go to Hollywood and not take a studio tour. While they’re not cheap, they’re definitely worth it, especially if you love movies (or TV shows) as much as me. I’m afraid I didn’t take notes at the Warner Brother’s studio tour, so let’s play a little game. See if you can spot the following TV/film locations in the slideshow (and no, I didn’t put it in order):

• Where the famous Spiderman kiss took place.
• The coffee house from Friends, and Central Park.
• Where the guy bought the Gremlin in the movie (what else?) Gremlins.
• Where many scenes from Annie was filmed.
• Where $#*! My Dad Says is filmed.
• Where ER was filmed (including some outside Chicago spots.
• Where some of the scenes in Rent took place.
• Where Ellen’s TV show is filmed.
• Where the Goonies pirate ship scene was filmed (this is a trick- it was actually inside one of the stages on the lot, I just really wanted to mention it ’cause Nick and I both love the movie).
• These are easy – spot: the Batmobile, the General Lee, the Gran Torino car

Some are obviously easier than others, since they say the words in the pictures, while for others you have to be a real movie buff! At least you get the feel for how much they can do on one studio lot. It goes on forever and they can make it into what ever they want it to be for way cheaper than going to the real locations, and with much more control over the environment. Every big studio has its own department for everything from props and costumes to special effects and even a fire department!

We did get to go on a working set – where Two and a Half Men is filmed – but we weren’t allowed to take any pictures in there. Its’ amazing how they do it all in front of a live audience. I think what amazed me most was how many things were started by Desi Arnaz (of Desi and Lucy) and are still working for studios today, from filming in front of a live audience, to the room setup. If you ever come to LA, check online ahead of time at www.tvtickets.com and you may be able to get free tickets to see a show being filmed. It’s definitely on my list for next time, when I’ll plan more ahead…

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This entry is for all of you (like me) who love Hollywood, from its early days of silent pictures right up to now.  Jen and I set off for a movie star home tour, which starts – conveniently – at the historic Grauman’s Chinese Theatre.  While waiting for the tour to start I took a few pictures of the stars on the Walk of Fame (although not many as it spans 3.2 miles), and instead mainly focused on the hand and footprints of stars from the 1930s to today, as it’s so much more personal than a star that someone paid $25,000 for. I was disappointed Vivienne Leigh didn’t do one, but I did find Cary Grant, Judy Garland, Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe and folks like George Clooney, Will Smith and Tom Hanks.

We then boarded an open-topped bus to go see where folks live (and lived) and houses that have been featured in films. I really wanted to tag each picture, but am not sure how to do it, so will do my best to tell you what we saw, and you can match it to the photos in the slide show. If you’re REALLY into movies, you could even test yourself and see if you can guess which house is which. Here’s what we saw, for the most part in order:

• The Kodak Theatre, where the Academy Awards are held.
• The place Elizabeth Taylor married one of her many husbands.
• LC’s house from The Hills.
• The street where Nightmare on Elm Street was filmed (you’ll recognize the trees).
• The house from Father of the Bride (looks so much smaller in person).
• The house from the first Halloween.
• The house on the hill is the one featured in Iron Man.
• The Hyde Lounge and the Chateau are famous places on the Sunset Strip.
• The Standard Hotel is owned by Leonardo DiCaprio and Cameron Diaz (and many things have filmed there including Sex in the City).
• For Desperate Housewives fans, the Saddle Ranch is where Terri Hatcher rode the mechanical bull.
• Ketchup is Ashton Kutcher’s new restaurant.
• The hotel where you see the rooftop garden and pool is where many things are filmed – and it was the home of Dylan McKay in the old 90210.
• Whisky a GoGo is the only club in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (which Seth and I visited at the beginning of this trip).
• The famous Roxy nightclub.
• The Rainbow is where Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio had their first date.
• After the Beverly Hills sign, the first house is Larry King’s.
• The next one, big and white, is Simon Cowell’s. He bought the lot, tore down the house that was on it and built this one.
• Across the street, the next photo, is where Marilyn Monroe lived.
• The tall building features condos of the stars: Elton John, Sidney Portier, Joan Collins, and Edward – I mean Robert Pattinson.
• I knew Greystone Manor right away: the home of Batman! It’s been featured in other movies, too, such as Rush Hour, and is actually owned by the city. You can visit, have a picnic and explore the grounds during opening hours.  (Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes wanted to buy it but the city wouldn’t sell.) 
• The next gate with the pinkish house was where the Osbornes lived during their reality show years, and is now home to Christina Aguilera. There were tons of paparazzi parked outside – poor girl. I wouldn’t want to live like that.
• Speaking of Tom and Katie: they live on Calle Vista – you can just see the top of their house, past the sign, through the trees. (Tour buses aren’t allowed up there.)
• Frank Sinatra lived behind the next gates.
• And the home after that could be yours! Anyone have $35 million?
• The house with the vines is Dr. Phil’s. Clearly therapy pays.
• The tudor-style home is Janet Jackson’s.
• The next two pictures are of the same house – Guess jeans’ Georges Marciano. It’s hard to see but he has a statue of Abe Lincoln in the first picture and one of Thomas Jefferson in the second.
• Afraid I can’t read my handwriting to tell you who lives in the next house (maybe Jen remembers?), but the one after that, behind the Tower St. sign, is the home of the Beckham’s.
• 1014 is the former home of Sonny and Cher.
• The cool Halloween one after that is where Spencer Tracy lived.
• 1019 was Rosemary Clooney’s house, where her nephew George lived with her for a while he tried to break into the business. (Think it worked…)
• The next home is that of Peter Falk (Columbo),
• and then John Crawford’s (Mommy Dearest),
• and Lucille Ball’s home is the one with the green car.
• Some may recognize the next house and its famous gate in the following picture from the news last year: it’s the house Michael Jackson died in, and the gates which the cameras filmed the ambulance pulling out of, that they played over and over again on TV.
• On a bit of a happier note, the next few pictures of the home with the cool statues out front was owned by Howard Hughes until he gave it as a wedding present to Judy Garland and Vincent Minnelli. The heir to the Max Factor fortune lives there now.
• Diane Keaton lives in the next white house.
• Behind the gates of the next house is where Angelina Jolie and Billy Bob Thornton lived.
• The next home was that of Lana Turner’s.
• Then the former home of Gene Kelly.
• From there we ventured to Rodeo Drive and soaked in the rays of money that fill the street, from the cars to the stores (including Prada – the shop that doesn’t even have a name on the building because it doesn’t need to). You might recognize the hotel Pretty Woman was filmed at.
• We traveled down Melrose where Entourage fans can see the cafe that’s been featured on the show.
• While waiting at a light a man introduced us to his dog, Sasha, and explained that she’s going to be a Victoria’s Secret angel for Halloween, complete with wings. Too cute!
• As we moved on we saw the Flinstone’s taking pictures of the back of LA Ink, Kat Von D’s famous tattoo parlor.
• And we passed Kermit and Charlie Chaplin hanging out at Jim Henson Productions.
• The next home is Bob Barker’s and there’s a live pheasant hanging out on his roof – see if you can spot it.
• We were then in the Hollywood Hills. Laurence Fishburne’s house was next, featuring an angry lio on the walkway.
• And the home with the gargoyles was owned by the original Dracula – Bela Lugosi.
• After that we saw a couple of hedges behind which we were assured live Charlize Theron and Orlando Bloom. Privacy and security are the main concerns of today’s young stars.
• After the Hollywood sign pictures you’ll see the last home, which is owned by Ron Howard (and used to be Wilt Chamberlains love shack). Richie Cunningham doesn’t live there, though, he uses it as a production studio.
• A ride down Mullholland Drive, past the Hollywood Bowl, concluded our star-studded tour, as we arrived back in the heart of Hollywood…

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