Thursday, June 18, 2015

The Rockford Files - Episode: The Prisoner of Rosemont Hall (1978) Filmed on location at USC - The University of Southern California, Los Angeles



ABOVE THREE IMAGES: Top two images are screen shots from this episode that shows the frat house Jim Rockford is visiting - the bottom of the three images is a screen shot that shows Jim Rockford at the door of the frat house with a white colored sorority house behind him.

The frat house is located on what was once called "Greek Row" at USC on west 28th Street. The frat house address is 833 West 28th Street, Los Angeles, CA.
The white colored sorority house seen over Jim Rockford's shoulder is located at directly across the street.

 
ABOVE TWO IMAGES: These images reflect how the frat & sorority houses look in 2015.

ABOVE PHOTO: Buck Young who passed away in 2000 played the owner of the Sand Castle Restaurant, Jake Sand. His birth name was John Otto Young.

ABOVE PHOTO: Frat Pledge Miller Claussen was played by Ric Carrott - Doubt any of today's frat houses have a manually operated telephone switchboard.

ABOVE PHOTO: University Police Chief Max Kilmore was played by the late great Kenneth Tobey, Kenneth Tobey was born Jesse Kenneth Tobey and passed away 2002 at age 85.
#1: Actor Bill Thornbury played Paul Lowe Douglas who ends up getting killed. Born in 1952, Bill is still acting today.
If you can identify actors #2, #3 or #4, please leave it in the comment section. Thanks
 
UPDATE: Jeff Mozilla identified #4 as Barney McFadden played Bert Hannan
Hannan passed away at age 59 in 2006 from a stroke.
 
 ABOVE PHOTO: Kathy Hilton, mother of Paris Hilton, Nicky Hilton, Conrad Hilton, and Barron Hilton, played a young college student who was raped. Photo left side: Then - Photo right side: 2015
 
ABOVE PHOTO: Far Left: Frances Lee McCain (Born 1944) played Leslie Callahan - Right Side: Joyce Easton played Valerie Douglas - the mother of the killed college student. Valerie was born in 1930 and still is with us today in 2015.
 
ABOVE IMAGE: Left: Cuban born Daniel Ades played Machmoud. Ades passed away at age 59 in 1992. Right: Maurice Sherbanee played Khadaffi. Sherbanee was born in 1930 and still is acting in 2015.
 

ABOVE TWO IMAGES: Top of the two images - USC building used as "Rosemont Hall" Bottom of the two images - USC old "School of Social Work" building
 
ABOVE IMAGE: USC Campus - La Mariposa Apartments
Need help with this one. Not sure if the name of the apartments is just a filming prop or actually once existed. Anybody know where this building is located?
 
ABOVE IMAGE: Anybody know this actor?
UPDATE: Jeff Mozilla identified this actor as Barney McFadden played Bert Hannan
Hannan passed away at age 59 in 2006 from a stroke.
 

ABOVE TWO IMAGES: The above unaccredited actress attempts to place a phony rape charge on Jim Rockford.

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

The Rockford Files - Episode: Just by Accident (1975) Actress Susan Keller - Actor Sal Acquisto - the late great Fritzi Burr - funny man Gordon Jump - Michael Fox - Actress Beatrice Colen - Actor Oliver Clark - the beautiful actress E.J. (Edra Jean) Peaker - the late actor Fred Sadoff - Actor David Spielberg - Steven Keats - Joey Aresco - Neva Patterson - RACE TRACK LOCATION: Ascot Park (Speedway) in Gardena, California

WE HAVE AN ANSWER THAT APPEARS TO BE RIGHT
A blog viewer asked this question regarding this episode:
A large building was under construction in this episode. Does anyone know what building this would be? Under construction around 1974-1975 
 ABOVE IMAGE: Still image from The Rockford Files - Episode: Just by Accident (1975) showing the building under construction that is in question.
ANSWER: The exterior shots of the building under construction was the BUNKER HILL TOWER APARTMENTS located at: 234 S Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA
 
The second filming location used was a building under construction at
 
Universal Studios. This would be the filming that James Garner appeared in on the top floor of a building under construction.
 
Thank you to the viewer who sent us this information.  
 
 ABOVE IMAGE: I was able to capture this image during the building scene. The still scene image partially shows the SHERATON UNIVERSAL Building directly behind the large building being built.

The SHERATON UNIVERSAL is located at: 333 Universal Hollywood Dr, Universal City, CA
ABOVE IMAGE: The SHERATON UNIVERSAL (1970's) located at: 333 Universal Hollywood Dr, Universal City, CA
So this narrows down the location of the building under construction being located very closed to the Sheraton Universal Building.
If any viewers have a possible answer to question... please let us know either in the comment section or
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Above Photo: Pioneer Used Cars Lot in North Hollywood, California

Above Photo: Hall of Records  227 north Broadway 
Los Angeles, CA

Above Photo: The Standard Gas Station that was once located at the corner of Lankershim Blvd and Riverside Drive - across the street from Mayberry Ford
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Below Photos: Some great actors and actresses appeared in this episode of The Rockford Files

 Above Photo: The late actress Neva Patterson

 Above Photo: the late actor Steven Keats and the very much alive actor Joey Aresco.
 
 Above Photo: Actor David Spielberg
 
 Above Photo: the late actor Fred Sadoff
 
 Above Photo: E.J. (Edra Jean) Peaker
 
 Above Photo: Great character actor Oliver Clark
 
 Above Photo: the late great character actress Beatrice Colen


Above Photo: Actor Michael Fox - He is the reason why Michael J. Fox added the "J" to his name. 
 
 Above Photo: Late great character actor Gordon Jump of WKRP fame.
 
 Above Photo: A regular on The Rockford Files, Fritzi Burr
 
 Above Photo: His only acting credits are for his two appearances on The Rockford Files, Sal Acquisto
 
Above Photo: The beautiful Susan Keller 






CORRECTED LOCATION THANKS TO THE FOLLOWING COMMENT LEFT BY A VIEWER:
RACE TRACK LOCATION: That is NOT Riverside International Raceway. Anyone who believes it is has never attended a race there or knows anything about automobile racing in Southern California. The location is the famous and now defunct Ascot Park (Speedway) in Gardena, California.

Ascot was a short oval track that hosted a variety of races including "Figure 8" and Demolition Derbys. In the episode, you can clearly see the figure 8 portion of the track inside the oval.

Riverside was a long road course that never hosted figure 8 or demolition derbys.

An advertisement for radio station KIEV is clearly seen at the track. KIEV is a Los Angeles AM station (why would you advertise in Riverside County, CA).

Yes, I attended several races at both locations.


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Hello, I commented on the website regarding Bunker Hill Towers Apartments in the "Just by Accident" episode page. According to the county assessor's website, it was built in 1968. So, they must have used old video footage when putting together the scene for this episode, and combined it with the scenes from the building near the Sheraton Universal. This was the first of two apartment towers to be built (222 S. Figueroa and 234 S. Figueroa).
I attached 2 photos I took this morning.
Eric Hudak
 

 

Monday, June 15, 2015

The Rockford Files - Episode: The Fourth Man - American Coin Shop 12164 Ventura Blvd, Studio City, CA - Vallie Allie, Nathan's Hotdogs, Studio City Camera Exchange

ABOVE PHOTO: The Vallie Allie & Nathan's Hot Dogs both of which were on the 12100 Block of Ventura Blvd. in Studio City, CA
 
Below Photo:
Above Photo: Studio City Camera Exchange 12174 Ventura Blvd, North Hollywood, CA
 
 
BELOW PHOTO:
ABOVE PHOTO: Harry's Camera Shop 11851 Ventura Blvd, Studio City in the 1970's
 
 
ABOVE PHOTO: Bing's Chinese Food on Ventura Blvd in North Hollywood / Studio City
 
 
ABOVE PHOTO: Actual interior view of American Coin Co. on Ventura Blvd in North Hollywood / Studio City
 
ABOVE PHOTO: Valley Arts Guitar Center 12162 Ventura Blvd. North Hollywood / Studio City
 
From this Rockford Files episode we saw a number of businesses from North Hollywood / Studio City, CA.
 
Bings Chinese Restaurant
Nathan's Hot Dogs
The Vallie Alley
Studio City Camera Exchange
Harry's Camera Shop
Valley Arts Guitar Center
American Coin Shop
 
All were located on the 11800-12100 block of Ventura Blvd in North Hollywood / Studio City
 
ABOVE IMAGE: A young Sharon Gless played Flight Attendant Lori Jenivan
 

ABOVE TWO IMAGES: James Garner's real brother Jack Garner played the U.S. Mailman
 
ABOVE IMAGE: Rare Coin Broker / Numismatist & Mafia Hit Man Timson Farrell was played by John McMartin who is 85 year of age and still acting. His female sales assistant was played by the most beautiful Dianne Harper - she was born in 1944.
 
ABOVE IMAGE: The female airport counter woman (far right) was played by another beautiful actress named Candace Howerton who was born in 1944.
 
ABOVE IMAGE: Mafia Body Guard and Hit Man Richard Stehler was played Michael Bell, who will be turning 78 in July of 2015.
 



 


ABOVE THREE IMAGES: The outdoor café used in this scene was the Los Angeles Zoo. A scene previous to this one showed the two mafia hit man meeting at the same zoo.
You can tell it is 1976, the year of the American Bi-Centennial, everything that year was red, white and blue and usually had some kind of American flag design on it such as the paper cups in this scene.
 
ABOVE IMAGE: Jim Rockford is at the library looking at past newspapers on microfilm. I doubt most kids today have any idea what this was.... But it was a very useful tool in its day - before the internet.


ABOVE THREE IMAGES: Some vintage 1970's images of LAX Airport.
 


ABOVE FOUR IMAGES: Shows Jim Rockford and Angel Martin driving up to a house that Jim is going to rent from Angel.
The house is located at 4422 Sylmar Ave, Los Angeles
 
ABOVE IMAGE: 4422 Sylmar Ave, Los Angeles as it looks like in 2015