The Simpsons (1989-)

 

The Simpson family debuted on The Tracey Ullman Show as short films two years before their own premiere.  In December 1989, their Christmas special hit the Fox airwaves and soon America was enthralled in the weekly shenanigans of Bart Simpson and his family.  36 seasons and almost 800 episodes later, it is the longest-running animated series, American sitcom and scripted primetime series.  The Simpsons was a cultural phenomenon upon its release.  Merchandising had a cash cow man - t-shirts, books, calendars.  And I had them all.  I even drew pictures of the characters and sold them to my friends.  My interest in Fox's animated dysfunctional family waned pretty quickly for reasons I don't seem to recall.  Though it wasn't originally the inspiration, a replica of The Simpsons house was built in 1997 for a promotional contest.  Both exteriors and interiors were recreated in great detail.  Though the winner decided on a cash prize instead, the house was sold as a private residence in 2001.

Location: The Simpsons House
Address: 712 Red Bark Lane, Henderson, NV

Universal Studios Hollywood dig an amazing job recreating Springfield around The Simpsons Ride...

Location Visited: July 2024

Locations Master List

It's A Wonderful Life (1946)

 

On Christmas Eve in Bedford Falls, NY, George Bailey is feeling anything but merry.  After his Uncle Billy misplaces $8000, George fears the ramifications for their Building & Loan.  After he's rebuffed for a loan by the miserly Mr. Potter, George gets drunk and heads to the town bridge to commit suicide.  Luckily the prayers of his family and friends have reached heaven and guardian angel in training Clarence Odbody is tasked with saving George in order to get his wings.  Clarence jumps in the river as a diversion and is rescued by George.  When he wishes he was never born, Clarence points out what life would've been like without him.  Having seen enough, George begs for his life back and runs home through the town in a gleeful state.  His family and friends are thankful for his return and have collected enough for the missing money.  And up above, Clarence has earned his wings.

It's A Wonderful Life is based on a short story "The Greatest Gift" by Philip Van Doren Stern, which was purchased by RKO Pictures.  The town of Bedford Falls was constructed on the RKO movie ranch in Encino, stretching the length of three city blocks.  Upon its release, the film received mixed reviews but has gone on to become a beloved Christmas classic.  Three colorized versions have been released, starting in 1986.  Some residents of Seneca Falls, NY believe their town was the inspiration for Bedford Falls after director Frank Capra visited.  They hold an annual festival and the It's A Wonderful Life Museum opened in 2010.   Philip Van Doren Stern has stated the town was based on Califon, NJ.

Location: High School Dance Gymnasium

Address: 241 S Moreno Drive, Beverly Hills, CA

Beverly Hills High School

Location: Bailey Park Entrance

Address: Viro Road & Lamour Drive, La Canada Flintridge, CA

Location: The Martini House

Address: 4587 Viro Road, La Canada Flintridge, CA

Locations Visited: November 2024

Locations Master List

Don Henley - The Boys of Summer (1984)

 

Eagles drummer and co-lead vocalist Don Henley ventured out on a solo career after the group disbanded in 1980.  The Boys of Summer was the lead single off his second album, Building The Perfect Beast, and hit the top 5 on the Billboard Hot 100.  A demo was written by Mike Campbell of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, but after Tom Petty felt it wasn't a good fit, it was offered to Henley.  The song deals with longing for a past relationship and the passage of time.  For the video, the male character is seen at different stages of his life intercut with shots of Don Henley riding in the back of pickup truck.  It won Video of The Year at the 1985 MTV Video Music Awards along with Best Direction, Best Art Direction and Best Cinematography.  Henley went on to win a Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance for the song.

Location: Downtown Los Angeles

Address: 179 Winston Street, Los Angeles, CA

Location: Cruising Downtown Los Angeles

Address: 306 Winston Street, Los Angeles, CA

The Hotel Bixby can be seen in the background...

Location: Van Nuys Army Navy Surplus

Address: 6179 Van Nuys Boulevard, Van Nuys, CA

Location: Cruising Van Nuys

Address: 6279 Van Nuys Boulevard, Van Nuys, CA

The Country General Store can be seen on the left...

Location: Cruising Hollywood

Address: 5700 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood, CA

306 Winston Street is projected on the wall of the parking lot before the camera pulls back and continues down Hollywood Boulevard...

Locations Visited: October 2024

Locations Master List