Backdrop

Los Angeles Plays Itself

From its distinctive neighborhoods to its architectural homes, Los Angeles has been the backdrop to countless movies. In this dazzling work, Andersen takes viewers on a whirlwind tour through the metropolis' real and cinematic history, investigating the myriad stories and legends that have come to define it, and meticulously, judiciously revealing the real city that lives beneath.

2004 |2h 49m |  Documentary

Videos

Cast

cast

Ben Alexander

Officer Frank Smith in Dragnet (archive footage)

cast

Jim Backus

Frank Stark in Rebel Without A Cause (archive footage)

cast

Brenda Bakke

Lana Turner in L.A. Confidential (archive footage)

cast

Gene Barry

Dr. Clayton Forrester in The War of The Worlds (archive footage)

cast

Richard Basehart

Roy Morgan/Roy Martin in He Walked By Night (archive footage)

cast

Hugh Beaumont

George Copeland in The Blue Dahlia (archive footage)

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William Bendix

Buzz Wanchek in The Blue Dahlia (archive footage)

cast

Ann Blyth

Veda Pierce in Mildred Pierce (archive footage)

cast

Jim Bouton

Terry Lennox in The Long Goodbye (archive footage)

cast

Grand L. Bush

FBI Agent Little Johnson in Die Hard (archive footage)

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James Cagney

Tom Powers in The Public Enemy (archive footage)

cast

Lon Chaney Jr.

Charles Benton in The Indestructible Man (archive footage)

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John Considine

Matthew Crawford in Timestalkers (archive footage)

cast

Bill Cosby

Al Hickey in Hickey & Boggs (archive footage)

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Robert Culp

Frank Boggs in Hickey & Boggs (archive footage)

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Howard Duff

Dave Pomeroy in Panic in the City (archive footage)

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Deanna Durbin

Penny in Three Smart Girls (archive footage)

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Mark Frechette

Mark in Zabriskie Point (archive footage)

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John Garfield

Nick Blake in Nobody Lives Forever (archive footage)

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Ben Gazzara

Jackie Treehorn in The Big Lebowski (archive footage)

cast

Bruce Glover

Duffy in Chinatown (archive footage)

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Marjoe Gortner

Joby in Earthquake (archive footage)

cast

James Griffith

Jesse Quinn in Dragnet (archive footage)

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Daria Halprin

Daria in Zabriskie Point (archive footage)

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Oliver Hardy

Ollie (archive footage)

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Jean Harlow

Gwen Allen in The Public Enemy (archive footage)

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Bob Hope

Adam J. Niles in Bachelor in Paradise (archive footage)

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Lauren Hutton

Georgia Crawford in Timestalkers (archive footage)

cast

David Janssen

Steve in Two-Minute Warning (archive footage)

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Peter Jason

Duty Sergeant in Escape From L.A. (archive footage)

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Roy Jenson

Mulvihill in Chinatown (archive footage)

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Jack Klugman

Sandman in Two-Minute Warning (archive footage)

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Alan Ladd

Philip Raven in This Gun For Hire (archive footage)

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Stan Laurel

Stan (archive footage)

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Al Leong

Uli in Die Hard (archive footage)

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Jerry Lewis

Jerome Littlefield in The Disorderly Orderly (archive footage)

cast

Gary Lockwood

George Matthews in Model Shop (archive footage)

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Perry Lopez

Escobar in Chinatown (archive footage)

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Lyle Lovett

Detective DeLongpre in The Player (archive footage)

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Fred MacMurray

Walter Neff in Double Indemnity (archive footage)

cast

Guy Madison

Cliff Harper in Till the End of Time (archive footage)

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Joe Mantell

Walsh in Chinatown (archive footage)

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Matt McCoy

Brett Chase in L.A. Confidential (archive footage)

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Ralph Meeker

Mike Hammer in Kiss Me Deadly (archive footage)

cast

Sal Mineo

John 'Plato' Crawford in Rebel Without A Cause (archive footage)

cast

Harry Morgan

Officer Bill Gannon in Dragnet (archive footage)

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Robert Morley

Sir Ambrose Abercrombie in The Loved Ones (archive footage)

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Robert Morse

Dennis Barlow in The Loved Ones (archive footage)

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Tom Neal

Al Roberts in Detour (archive footage)

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Lloyd Nolan

Dr. Vance in Earthquake (archive footage)

cast

Edmond O'Brien

Frank Bigelow in D.O.A (archive footage)

cast

Carroll O'Connor

Lt. Christy French in Marlowe (archive footage)

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Jürgen Prochnow

Michael Kogan in The Replacement Killers (archive footage)

cast

Tony Roberts

Rob in Annie Hall (archive footage)

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Cliff Robertson

President in Escape From L.A. (archive footage)

cast

Mitchell Ryan

The Priest in Two-Minute Warning (archive footage)

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Ann Savage

Vera in Detour (archive footage)

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Zachary Scott

Monte Beragon in Mildred Pierce (archive footage)

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Paolo Seganti

Johnny Stompanato in L.A. Confidential (archive footage)

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James Stacy

Joe Brodnek in Flareup (archive footage)

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Madeleine Stowe

Karen Carr in Unlawful Entry (archive footage)

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David Strathairn

Pierce Patchett in L.A. Confidential (archive footage)

cast

Gloria Swanson

Norma Desmond in Sunset Blvd (archive footage)

cast

William Talman

Dave Purvis in Armoured Car Robbery (archive footage)

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Larenz Tate

Frankie Lymon in Why Do Fools Fall In Love (archive footage)

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George Tobias

Al Doyle in Nobody Lives Forever (archive footage)

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Lana Turner

Cora Smith in The Postman Always Rings Twice (archive footage)

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Diane Venora

Justine in Heat (archive footage)

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John Vernon

Mal Reese in Point Blank (archive footage)

cast

Craig Wasson

Jake Scully in Body Double (archive footage)

cast

Keenen Ivory Wayans

Det. Jim Campbell in The Glimmer Man (archive footage)

cast

Jack Webb

Sergeant Joe Friday in Dragnet (archive footage)

cast

Raquel Welch

Michele in Flareup (archive footage)

cast

James Whitmore

Lou Hopke in Shadow in The Sky (archive footage)

cast

Cornel Wilde

Griff Marat in Shockproof (archive footage)

cast

Mykelti Williamson

Det. Oliver Franklin in First Power (archive footage)

cast

Jonathan Winters

Wilbur Glenworthy in The Loved Ones (archive footage)

cast

Natalie Wood

Judy in Rebel Without A Cause (archive footage)

cast

Jenny Wright

Diz in Out of Bounds (archive footage)

cast

Burt Young

Curly in Chinatown (archive footage)

cast

Darrell Zwerling

Hollis Mulwray in Chinatown (archive footage)

cast

Kurt Russell

Snake Plissken in Escape From L.A. (archive footage)

More Details

Status

Released

Language

English

Budget

-

Revenue

-