Embedded Files
California: May 16-31, 2015
As part of a fantastic holiday with my wife Jaine driving up the Pacific Coast Highway (California Route 1), I got to meet an amazing Salem’s Lot VIP and visited as many of the filming locations as possible.
With stops of never less than two nights in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Monterey, Sausalito, Ferndale, and a final night in San Francisco, it was a once-in-a-lifetime chance for us to visit the West Coast of the USA, and for me to undertake some well overdue location photography.
The SL-related stops were Los Angeles and Ferndale – everything else was purely holiday, and we both thoroughly enjoyed the time away. Although we drove over a thousand miles, it never felt like anything other than the great escape we had both planned.
Here’s a run-down of the SL-location-hunting that was done:
Los Angeles: May 16, 2015
In the morning we visited the following locations as part of the Warner Bros. Studios VIP Studio Tour. (Please note that their website has been updated since we went and it now has four tour options.)
Of course, there was nothing SL-related left inside either of the two Sound Stages used back in 1979, and no internal photography is allowed anyway, but it was amazing to experience where most of the interiors and special effects were shot.
The non-SL-related highlight for me was visiting the set of The Big Bang Theory. Sheldon Cooper, I know where you live!
Sound Stage 9
02: THE MARSTEN HOUSE Locations 02.02, 02.03, 02.04, 02.05, 02.06
14: HARMONY HILL CEMETERY Location 14.05
23: THE PETRIE HOUSE Location 23.03
Sound Stage 12
08: BARLOW & STRAKER FINE ANTIQUES Location 08.01
09: CROCKETT REALTY Location 09.01
10: EVA MILLER’S BOARDINGHOUSE Locations 10.01, 10.02, 10.03
17: BEN AND SUSAN Location 17.01
20: THE PORTLAND ROAD Location 20.02
22: CUSTOM HOUSE WHARF Location 22.01
23: THE PETRIE HOUSE Locations 23.01, 23.02
25: THE GLICK HOUSE Location 25.03
26: THE HOSPITAL Locations 26.01, 26.02, 26.03, 26.05
28: THE POLICE STATION Location 28.01
31: THE BURKE HOUSE Location 31.01
32: THE JAIL CELL Location 32.01
34: THE FUNERAL HOME Location 34.01
35: MAIN STREET INTO FRANCIS STREET Location 35.02
39: THE CHURCH Location 39.01
San Fernando Valley Mission, Mission Hills, CA
In the afternoon we visited and photographed the following location:
01: XIMICO, GUATEMALA Location 01.02
Columbia College Hollywood: May 18, 2015
I went to meet SL Producer Richard Kobritz and was privileged enough to be given complete access to the two leather-bound volumes of his SL production notes. I also enjoyed a Q&A session with him afterwards (more like an interrogation - sorry Richard). A very well spent day out.
Please note that Richard has retired since our meeting and no longer works here
Please see MEETING... RICHARD KOBRITZ for details.
Ferndale: May 28-29, 2015
I visited and photographed the following locations:
02: THE MARSTEN HOUSE Location 02.01
03: CROWLEY AVENUE Location 03.01
04: 362-420 BERDING STREET Location 04.02
05: OCEAN AVENUE INTO FRANCIS STREET Location 05.01
06: 330 OCEAN AVENUE Location 06.01
07: MAIN STREET INTO OCEAN AVENUE Location 07.01
08: BARLOW & STRAKER FINE ANTIQUES Locations 08.02, 08.03
09: CROCKETT REALTY Locations 09.02, 09.03
10: EVA MILLER’S BOARDINGHOUSE Locations 10.02, 10.03
12: EUGENE STREET INTO FRANCIS STREET Location 12.01
13: 230 FRANCIS STREET Location 13.01
14: HARMONY HILL CEMETARY Location 14.03
16: THE NORTON HOUSE Location 16.02
19: THE SCHOOL Location 19.02
26: THE HOSPITAL Location 26.06
29: THE HANGOUT Location 29.01
30: 541-315 BERDING STREET Location 30.01
31: THE BURKE HOUSE Location 31.06
35: MAIN STREET INTO FRANCIS STREET Location 35.01
36:BROWN STREET INTO BERDING STREET Location 36.01
37: THE GILLESPIE HOUSE Location 37.01
38: BERDING STREET INTO OCEAN AVENUE Location 38.01
39: THE CHURCH Location 39.02
The Ferndale Enterprise Interview
Whilst walking the streets of Ferndale I bumped into Caroline Titus, the editor (until 2021) of The Ferndale Enterprise.
The 146-year-old newspaper was based in the same building used for filming the exterior of Barlow & Straker Fine Antiques. Her Air BnB accommodation is located there now, so you can vacation there - if you dare!
She hails from the UK originally, and, having both been in touch via email over several years, she immediately suggested an interview about my SL obsession. Along with our better halves we met that evening at the bar of the Victorian Inn.
Go here to see what (gory) details she found out!
©2015 Ian S. Bolton
Image 005
Notes: 'The Marsten House' as the location looked during our visit (from an angle not seen in the film).
All in all, we had a great time. Thank you California!
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