Los Angeles Plays Itself
76.73 %|Jul 28, 2004|Documentary
From its distinctive neighborhoods to its architectural homes, Los Angeles has been the backdrop to countless movies. In this dazzling work, Andersen takes viewers on a whirlwind tour through the metropolis' real and cinematic history, investigating the myriad stories and legends that have come to define it, and meticulously, judiciously revealing the real city that lives beneath.
Featured Crew
Thom Andersen
Writer
Thom Andersen
Director
Thom Andersen
Producer
Deborah Stratman
Director of Photography
Adam R. Levine
Editorial Services
Peter Bo Rappmund
Editorial Services
Peter Bo Rappmund
Editor
Cast
Encke King
Narrator (voice)
Ben Alexander
Officer Frank Smith in Dragnet (archive footage)
Jim Backus
Frank Stark in Rebel Without A Cause (archive footage)
Brenda Bakke
Lana Turner in L.A. Confidential (archive footage)
Barbara O. Jones
Dorothy in Bush Mama (archive footage)
Gene Barry
Dr. Clayton Forrester in The War of The Worlds (archive footage)
Richard Basehart
Roy Morgan/Roy Martin in He Walked By Night (archive footage)
Hugh Beaumont
George Copeland in The Blue Dahlia (archive footage)
William Bendix
Buzz Wanchek in The Blue Dahlia (archive footage)
Ann Blyth
Veda Pierce in Mildred Pierce (archive footage)
Jim Bouton
Terry Lennox in The Long Goodbye (archive footage)
Grand L. Bush
FBI Agent Little Johnson in Die Hard (archive footage)
James Cagney
Tom Powers in The Public Enemy (archive footage)
Lon Chaney Jr.
Charles Benton in The Indestructible Man (archive footage)
John Considine
Matthew Crawford in Timestalkers (archive footage)
Bill Cosby
Al Hickey in Hickey & Boggs (archive footage)
Robert Culp
Frank Boggs in Hickey & Boggs (archive footage)
Howard Duff
Dave Pomeroy in Panic in the City (archive footage)
Deanna Durbin
Penny in Three Smart Girls (archive footage)
Mark Frechette
Mark in Zabriskie Point (archive footage)
John Garfield
Nick Blake in Nobody Lives Forever (archive footage)
Ben Gazzara
Jackie Treehorn in The Big Lebowski (archive footage)
Bruce Glover
Duffy in Chinatown (archive footage)
Marjoe Gortner
Joby in Earthquake (archive footage)
James Griffith
Jesse Quinn in Dragnet (archive footage)
Daria Halprin
Daria in Zabriskie Point (archive footage)
Oliver Hardy
Ollie (archive footage)
Jean Harlow
Gwen Allen in The Public Enemy (archive footage)
Bob Hope
Adam J. Niles in Bachelor in Paradise (archive footage)
Lauren Hutton
Georgia Crawford in Timestalkers (archive footage)
Henry Jaglom
Dean in Venice/Venice (archive footage)
David Janssen
Steve in Two-Minute Warning (archive footage)
Peter Jason
Duty Sergeant in Escape From L.A. (archive footage)
Roy Jenson
Mulvihill in Chinatown (archive footage)
Jack Klugman
Sandman in Two-Minute Warning (archive footage)
Alan Ladd
Philip Raven in This Gun For Hire (archive footage)
Stan Laurel
Stan (archive footage)
Al Leong
Uli in Die Hard (archive footage)
Jerry Lewis
Jerome Littlefield in The Disorderly Orderly (archive footage)
Gary Lockwood
George Matthews in Model Shop (archive footage)
Perry Lopez
Escobar in Chinatown (archive footage)
Lyle Lovett
Detective DeLongpre in The Player (archive footage)
Fred MacMurray
Walter Neff in Double Indemnity (archive footage)
Guy Madison
Cliff Harper in Till the End of Time (archive footage)
Joe Mantell
Walsh in Chinatown (archive footage)
Matt McCoy
Brett Chase in L.A. Confidential (archive footage)
Ralph Meeker
Mike Hammer in Kiss Me Deadly (archive footage)
Sal Mineo
John 'Plato' Crawford in Rebel Without A Cause (archive footage)
Harry Morgan
Officer Bill Gannon in Dragnet (archive footage)
Robert Morley
Sir Ambrose Abercrombie in The Loved Ones (archive footage)
Robert Morse
Dennis Barlow in The Loved Ones (archive footage)
Tom Neal
Al Roberts in Detour (archive footage)
Lloyd Nolan
Dr. Vance in Earthquake (archive footage)
Edmond O'Brien
Frank Bigelow in D.O.A (archive footage)
Carroll O'Connor
Lt. Christy French in Marlowe (archive footage)
Belinda Palmer
Katherine in Chinatown (archive footage)
Jürgen Prochnow
Michael Kogan in The Replacement Killers (archive footage)
Tony Roberts
Rob in Annie Hall (archive footage)
Cliff Robertson
President in Escape From L.A. (archive footage)
Mitchell Ryan
The Priest in Two-Minute Warning (archive footage)
Ann Savage
Vera in Detour (archive footage)
Zachary Scott
Monte Beragon in Mildred Pierce (archive footage)
Paolo Seganti
Johnny Stompanato in L.A. Confidential (archive footage)
James Stacy
Joe Brodnek in Flareup (archive footage)
Madeleine Stowe
Karen Carr in Unlawful Entry (archive footage)
David Strathairn
Pierce Patchett in L.A. Confidential (archive footage)
Gloria Swanson
Norma Desmond in Sunset Blvd (archive footage)
William Talman
Dave Purvis in Armoured Car Robbery (archive footage)
Larenz Tate
Frankie Lymon in Why Do Fools Fall In Love (archive footage)
George Tobias
Al Doyle in Nobody Lives Forever (archive footage)
Lana Turner
Cora Smith in The Postman Always Rings Twice (archive footage)
Diane Venora
Justine in Heat (archive footage)
John Vernon
Mal Reese in Point Blank (archive footage)
Craig Wasson
Jake Scully in Body Double (archive footage)
Keenen Ivory Wayans
Det. Jim Campbell in The Glimmer Man (archive footage)
Jack Webb
Sergeant Joe Friday in Dragnet (archive footage)
Raquel Welch
Michele in Flareup (archive footage)
James Whitmore
Lou Hopke in Shadow in The Sky (archive footage)
Cornel Wilde
Griff Marat in Shockproof (archive footage)
Mykelti Williamson
Det. Oliver Franklin in First Power (archive footage)
Jonathan Winters
Wilbur Glenworthy in The Loved Ones (archive footage)
Natalie Wood
Judy in Rebel Without A Cause (archive footage)
Jenny Wright
Diz in Out of Bounds (archive footage)
Burt Young
Curly in Chinatown (archive footage)
Darrell Zwerling
Hollis Mulwray in Chinatown (archive footage)
Kurt Russell
Snake Plissken in Escape From L.A. (archive footage)