When it comes to Los Angeles filming locations, Glendale is no stranger to the spotlight.
The City of Angels is the entertainment capital of the world, and Glendale has served as the setting for numerous films, television series, and commercials over the years. The Jewel City’s close proximity to major studios and array of architectural styles has made it an ideal location for productions looking to capture a wide variety of settings.
You can see the full list further down, but for now let’s take a look at a few of the popular movies that have graced Glendale’s streets:
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
Jazz-flute. Scotch. A glass case of emotion. Will Ferrell’s Ron Burgundy and his intrepid news team took 2004 by storm in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. A fair amount of the film takes place in their news station, and that entire set was built inside Glendale’s very own Seeley’s Furniture Warehouse.
Located at 1800 S. Brand Boulevard, the empty warehouse’s interior served as the setting for all of the news team’s zany antics and accounted for all of the production’s indoor shots of the Channel 4 Newsroom.
In 2012, Seeley’s Furniture Warehouse was renovated and converted to creative office space.
Superbad
Starring Jonah Hill and Michael Cera, Director Judd Apatow’s R-rated teenage coming-of-age story Superbad used Glendale as the setting for two of its standout comedic sequences.
First, 7 Days Food Store at 1700 Victory Boulevard served as the fateful setting for Fogel’s (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) busting out his fake McLovin Hawaiian driver’s license and accidentally getting involved in a robbery.
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The second location is Jon’s International Marketplace, situated at 1717 West Glenoaks Boulevard. It served as the exterior for the fictional “Good Shopper” marketplace where Jonah Hill’s character Seth attempts (unsuccessfully) to procure alcohol for Jewels’ big party.
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Pee-Wee's Big Adventure
Paul Reubens’ iconic character Pee-wee Aloysius Herman’s first foray onto the big screen marked the directorial debut of Tim Burton and the beginning of his career-long partnership with composer Danny Elfman. The film had audiences rolling in the aisles, and used Glendale’s historic Grand Central Air Terminal as a stand-in for a Texas bus station where Pee-Wee bids adieu to Simone as she heads to Paris to fulfill her dream.
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The property had fallen into a state of disrepair and was purchased by The Walt Disney Company in 1997. The Glendale Historic Preservation Commission voted unanimously in 2013 to approve their proposed restoration plan for the site. Today, the Glendale Grand Central Airport terminal is part of the neighboring Disney Grand Central Creative Campus, and serves as the headquarters for their illustrious Walt Disney Imagineering division.
Ultimately, countless films have been shot in Glendale, and it’s impossible to list them all here. However, here’s a brief list of some of the more recent ones:
All the Way
Low Riders
Message From the King
Marilyn
Moneyball
We Are Your Friends
Promoted
Ambivalence
Maybe Someday
Mother May I Sleep With Danger
Dollywood Christmas
Jersey Boys
Trigger
Straight Outta Compton
Looking For a Car
A Dog Named Suki
Nightcrawler
White Crows
The Social Network
Pulp Fiction
Memento
Old School
To view a comprehensive list on IMDB, click here.
Looking for filming locations in Los Angeles and interested in filming in Glendale? Find out more about our unique locations and the permit process by visiting our Film Office.
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