Double Indemnity at the Chateau Marmont

In my ritual of watching classic movies while eating dinner, I put “Double Indemnity” into the player. I’m one of those geeks that will watch the movie and listen to the commentary...and then obsess over the extra features on the disc. Longtime readers know I also obsess over figuring out where these vintage movies were shot. While most were shot on a soundstage, they still used actual building exteriors and outdoor locations for establishing shots. “Double Indemnity” used this home in the Hollywood Hills for the exterior shots of femme fatale Phyllis Dietrichson’s (Barbara Stanwyck) residence:

How that same home looks today:

From the moment she appears at the top of the stairs clad in a towel…

Insurance salesman Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray) is a goner.

And let's just get this over with…yes, I know Stanwyck’s wig is awful. That was a conscious decision on Billy Wilder’s part to make her look cheap. How about that curl on top?!?

It is amazing how much was conveyed at a time when censorship was at its peak. Although there was no nudity, you knew that from this shot of the two on the couch…

which then cuts back to Neff doing his narration…

and then cuts back to the two on the couch again...there was more than just hugging that went on during that cut. They have not only changed positions on the couch, but Neff is dreamily smoking the “after” cigarette and Phyllis is reapplying her lipstick. Wow.

Finally, to the point of this post. During one of the documentaries, it was mentioned that Wilder had the interior of Neff’s apartment modeled after a Chateau Marmont interior (recreated on soundstages 8 and 9 on the Paramount lot). Wilder had roomed with Peter Lorre at the Chateau Marmont in the 1930’s and it remained a favorite haunt of his. His quote about the hotel is often repeated in histories about the fabled landmark:

“I would rather sleep in a bathroom than in another hotel.”

Apparently during the 1935 holiday season the hotel was booked; he persuaded the staff to put him up in the vestibule outside the lobby ladies’ room.

“It was a small room, but it had six toilets.” 

I immediately watched the film again, fast forwarding to the scenes that occurred in Neff’s apartment. Sure enough, the layout looked familiar. Set design by Bertram Granger:

The room that seemed the closest at the actual hotel was room 25; other than the position of the entry door, it is very similar as far as the size of the living room, location of the windows, and where the dining room/kitchen are situated. Neff’s bedroom is never seen in the movie.

The view from a Chateau kitchen into the dining room:

How it looked in the movie:

Neff in the kitchen:

I would even go so far as to venture that whoever owner André Balazs hired to redecorate the guest rooms when he first bought the hotel looked closely at “Double Indemnity” for inspiration. Compare the furnishings, pillow, and lamps in this shot with the previous ones showing Neff and Phyllis making out on the couch:

Just one more reason that I like (and will miss) the Chateau Marmont hotel.

See more Chateau Marmont photos at my main website.

Shirley Palooza Four Pt. 3: Paramount Pictures

The best days start with bacon, so Melissa (aka “The Colonel”) and I shared a huge plate of the Chateau Marmont’s bacon. It is the best EVER.

Paramount was the only major movie studio left that I hadn’t done a tour of, and Melissa rectified that by arranging a VIP Tour for those interested. The Melrose Gate, named after Melrose Avenue where it is located. Duh!





The waiting area for the tour had a number of interesting pieces of Paramount history including an outfit for Anjelica Huston by Theoni V. Aldridge from “Addams Family Values” (1993):



A prosthetic Brad Pitt head from “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (2008):



The first Best Picture Oscar for “Wings,” 1927/1928:



And then our guide arrived and we were on our way to the iconic Bronson Gate:



A souvenir shot of our group was snapped for us:



Every studio HAS to have an elegant theater, and Paramount is no exception:



One of the movies that premiered here was “Forrest Gump” with Tom Hanks. The photo gallery in the lobby included a portrait of Hanks from the film:



Outside the theater you can see the Bench that he sat on:



In the 1950 Billy Wilder classic “Sunset Boulevard,” Gloria Swanson’s character, Norma Desmond, comes roaring up to the Bronson Gate in her Isotta-Fraschini:



then greets director Cecil B. DeMille who is filming on Soundstage 18:



Still there today!



In the same movie, Nancy Olson and Bill Holden begin their characters’ love affair in the writing offices of Paramount:



Yup…still there!



One of the real insider treats of the tour was getting to visit the Sign Department:



Signs are appropriately aged here:



…and fake cereal boxes are created:



For me though, nothing compares to the backlot. I LOVE seeing these buildings that have served so many purposes in film after film. Welcome to New York, via Hollywood!



A few vintage cars were being towed around the lot for an upcoming shoot:



Looks realistic on the outside:



…but is completely empty on the inside. Just like so many people in La La Land!



No real bricks were harmed here!



A break for lunch included this delicious buffet. I couldn’t believe how tasty it was, as my expectations from other studio tours was very low!



And then it was onto wardrobe! Dinah Manoff’s Pink Ladies jacket from “Grease” (1978) designed by Albert Wolsky:



Are you ready to audition for the Rydell High cheerleading squad? Here’s one of the original outfits:



This one blew me away. The iconic outfit worn by Barbara Stanwyck in 1944’s “Double Indemnity”:





A pair of sandals worn by Anne Baxter in “The Ten Commandments.” I can just hear her saying “Moses, Moses…”



And then onto one of the many vaults where the film itself is actually stored.



This is not just any Movieola machine:



It’s the one used for “I Love Lucy.” See the Desilu etched on there?



Melissa had an emotional moment when we reached the soundstage where “Little House on the Prairie” was filmed.



Can you guess what was famous scene was filmed on this parking lot with the painted blue sky background?



If you guessed the parting of the Red Sea from “The Ten Commandments” you would be correct! The huge area also doubles as a filming area, and can be filled up with water.



The prop warehouse had a few interesting pieces on display.



The 1962 Cadillac de Ville used in “Dream Girls” (2008):



A clock from “Benjamin Button”:



Good thing I had been going to the gym.



After the tour, we trekked across the street from Paramount to Hollywood Forever Cemetery to pay our respects to Judy.



Appropriately, there was a rainbow on the floor in front of her crypt.



What a memorable day! Still more to come!

See more Paramount Pictures photos at my main website.