5 Iconic Movie Houses in LA
A couple of weeks ago we talked about our favorite TV houses located in Los Angeles. We loved it so much that, we decided to take a look at some of our favorite houses from movies that we all know and love. All located within Los Angeles, we get excited whenever we spy these houses while out and about.
Father of the Bride
In this remake of the original, the Father of the Bride made its way into our hearts in the early 90’s. The Banks house was, as described by patriarch George Banks (played brilliantly by Steve Martin), “warm in the winter, cool in the summer and looks spectacular with Christmas lights. It’s a great house.” Located in Pasadena, this private residence looks like it belongs somewhere in the country. It really does have a white picket fence (perfect for keeping winter geese in on a winter wedding day) and green shutters in a movie-like setting. It’s beautiful, idyllic and a must see should you find yourself in Pasadena (which is always a great place to visit).
Back to the Future
While there were many Los Angeles filming locations in this iconic film, one of our favorites has to be Doc Brown’s house. A historical landmark located in Pasadena, the “Brown Mansion” (known as the Gamble House)was designed by architectural firm Greene & Greene for the Gamble family (as in Procter & Gamble) to use as their winter residence. The house is considered one of America’s premiere Arts & Crafts masterpieces and was built in the American Craftsman style which used natural materials, attention to detail and beautiful craftsmanship. Declared a landmark in 1977, it is open regularly for tours. While you can’t take photos inside of it (and they couldn’t film inside of it for Back to the Future either), it is still a property that is not to be missed – especially if you love and appreciate good architecture.
LA Confidential
In this Oscar winning movie with an A list cast, you find yourself transported back to 1950’s Los Angeles and are introduced to a corrupt police department and three very different officers who are investigating a series of murders in their own ways. Filmed all over Los Angeles, one of our favorite locations is wealthy pimp Pierce Patchett’s house. Designed by famed architect Richard Neutra, it is considered by some to be the first steel framed house in the United States. Built for physician and naturopath Richard Lovell, it followed the principles of International Style and was included in the 1932 Museum of Modern Art exhibit that defined that style. It is now a registered Landmark in Los Angeles.
Mr. & Mrs. Smith
In this 2005 movie, you meet John & Jane Smith who you think are a totally normal suburban couple. Of course, nothing is as it seems in this blockbuster hit as the “Smith’s” are actually paid assassins who are hired to kill each other. Sparks flew on and off this set where Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt met and fell in love. The house in which they lived is a beautiful colonial style home located in Pasadena. Located down the street from the California Technical Institute of Technology (Cal Tech), this is a traditional home that is currently used as a private residence. While at the end, as only Hollywood can do, the beautiful house was blown up, thankfully the house is still standing and is beautiful as ever.
Bladerunner
While there are a ton of movie houses that we love, we couldn’t leave the iconic house from Bladerunner off the list. Located in Los Feliz, the house was built by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1924 for Charles and Mabel Ennis. Now known as the Ennis House, the design is based on ancient Mayan temples. At more than 6,000 square feet, Ennis House is the largest of Wright’s four “textile-block” houses in Southern California, so named because their patterned concrete blocks were knitted together to serve as structure and decoration, inside and out. The construction consists of over 27,000 blocks that deteriorated over time and were damaged in the 1994 Northridge Earthquake. It was sold to billionaire Ron Burkle in 2011 and is currently being restored. Besides being made famous in Blade Runner, The Ennis House has been seen in many TV and Movie Productions including Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Karate Kid III, Star Trek: The Next Generation and Mulholland Drive.
Here at LA Insider Tours, we love movies and these great houses are just another example of how Los Angeles brings our favorite movies to life. Come check out everything LA has to offer with us!