With its intricate, carved-wood paneling and diamond-shaped glass panes, location scout Lori Balton thought the smoking room of the historic Andrew McNally House was just glorious.
The distinctive look of the Altadena mansion, built in 1887 for the co-founder of maps and atlas firm Rand McNally Publishing, made it a favorite for filming. The Queen Anne-style home appeared in the HBO series “Entourage,” among other productions.
But the McNally House, along with other notable filming locations around Southern California, was destroyed in the recent fires.
“There was so much texture,” said Balton, who is based in Venice. “You did not feel like you were in L.A. Such a great location to have. It just breaks my heart.”
As the region grapples with the sheer number of homes and buildings destroyed, livelihoods disrupted and lives lost, its signature industry will face yet another setback in the loss of go-to filming spots, particularly in the Altadena area and Pacific Palisades.
The destruction adds to the list of hardships Hollywood faces, which now includes the loss of workers’ homes, from below-the-line crew members to actors and executives, and pauses in production that can strain personal finances.
“There is no question that the fires’ impact extends to the business of film production and the livelihoods it sustains,” nonprofit FilmLA spokesperson Philip Sokoloski wrote in an email. “We believe the immediate and long-term impacts to the local entertainment economy from the fires will prove significant, but these are also unknowable at this time.”
Over the years, Sherman Oaks-based location manager Ed Lippman had scouted many homes in the Palisades and Altadena areas for potential filming locations. As he watched the local news reports last week, he saw crews driving down Altadena’s E. Mendocino Street, where he had worked with many homeowners who allowed shoots on their property.
“I wasn’t even thinking about film or location sets at that point,” Lippman said. “I was thinking about the people, the magnitude of people I had personal interactions with … suddenly, their houses were gone. It was kind of overwhelming.”
Location scouts, managers and set decorators are now putting together a database with addresses and photos of homes in the fire zones that they’ve scouted over the years to help homeowners who need documentation for insurance claims. If a house was ever used in a film or TV production, or even was just scouted, someone could still have photos that may help with those claims, Balton said.
Balton has already added 50 homes to the list from her own records.
“The film industry supports them any and every way we can,” she said. “We can’t film on location without their homes and their communities.”
Palisade fire: memorable film landmarks gone
With its coastal views and sprawling mansions, Pacific Palisades has been a frequent spot for filming.
“You could get a lot of really nice, East Coast looks,” Lippman said. “You could shoot L.A. for other parts of the country, easily.”
The Palisades fire has now burned more than 23,000 acres and numerous homes, structures and landmarks.
One of those destroyed was Will Rogers State Historic Park, which was made up of a ranch house, barn and other buildings that once belonged to the vaudeville and film actor. The property was the filming location for “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home,” where it doubled as San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. It was also featured in the 1981 movie “Cutter’s Way” starring Jeff Bridges, 1999’s “The Story of Us” with Bruce Willis and Michelle Pfeiffer and Lindsay Lohan’s debut feature film, “The Parent Trap,” from 1998.
About two miles away, Palisades Charter High School suffered heavy damage from the fire, though it was not lost in the blaze. School officials have said about 40% of the campus was burned, and the school is now looking for temporary facilities to resume classes.
The high school has been featured in productions including the Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis remake of “Freaky Friday,” 2001’s “Crazy/Beautiful” with Kirsten Dunst and the Anne Hathaway-led crime drama “Havoc” from 2005. The school’s volleyball courts and track also briefly appeared in 1976’s horror film “Carrie.”
The historic Topanga Ranch Motel, which was built in 1929 and designed in a distinctive bungalow style, was also destroyed. The location was a popular spot for film and TV shots.
Eaton fire: homes with character up in flames
Long favored by location scouts and managers for its film-friendly community and the distinctive looks of its older homes, Altadena has doubled as East Coast locales, international destinations and even places closer to home.
The Eaton fire has burned more than 14,000 acres and numerous structures in both Altadena and Pasadena, including entire neighborhoods.
“Each house had been there so long that it had its own personality,” Balton said. “We look for locations that are really adding another character to a movie.”
She sighed.
“It’s gone, it’s all gone,” Balton said.
Zorthian Ranch, an artists colony in the foothills of Altadena, also burned. The sprawling ranch with its eclectic art pieces, wandering llamas and sculptures, was featured in a music video for Capital Cities’ “Safe and Sound,” as well as other film and TV productions.
About a mile away, Charles S. Farnsworth Park, too, was destroyed in the fire. Boasting an airy outdoor amphitheater surrounded by trees and a view of the L.A. skyline, the park was used to film Apple TV+’s series “Shrinking” starring Harrison Ford and Jason Segel, and the 2001 film “American Pie 2.”
“There are no words, really,” Balton said of the destruction. “Hope we go on. You can rebuild homes but boy, how long it takes to rebuild a community.”
