Written by new-contact on Dec 1, 2011. Posted in On Location

Acclaimed silent feature The Artist films on location at historic LA theatres

Acclaimed silent feature The Artist, a homage to early Hollywood, has become one of the latest films to shoot in Los Angeles’ historic Broadway theatre district. The district has been used recently by The Dark Knight Rises and Clint Eastwood’s biopic J Edgar.

Architectural styles in the Broadway district range from French baroque through to Spanish Gothic and Art Deco, and as they don’t show theatrical releases on their initial runs, they’re often available for location filming at a production’s convenience. They can double for different types of buildings and are often used as European locations too.

Hillsman Wright, is Co-Founder of the Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation and spoke to the LA Times: “Their use as film locations is one of the main reasons they are still here and intact. They are very powerful buildings that were designed to take you away from the troubled world, particularly during the Depression era. They were built to inspire and they still have that quality.”

It’s pretty hard to find period-correct theatres that can give you the look from that time. Luckily for us, these theatres are in good condition and have maintained their architectural integrity.

Richard Middleton, Executive Producer on The Artist

Richard Middleton was Executive Producer on The Artist and also spoke to the outlet: “It’s pretty hard to find period-correct theatres that can give you the look from that time. Luckily for us, these theatres are in good condition and have maintained their architectural integrity.”

The Artist filmed at The Los Angeles Theatre and the Orpheum. Management at the Orpheum recently spent USD4 million refurbishing the theatre to sustain its period look and most of the venue’s business comes from location filming hires. A production team can sometimes pay USD10,000 to secure the theatre for a day of shooting.

(Image courtesy of the Orpheum Theatre, Los Angeles)