This Month's Filming Locations Quick Preview Videos
Click the image above to read about each of these filming locations then and now videos and to view a quick excerpt from each of them.
We kick off this month with a classic Our Gang / The Little Rascals movie from 1932, Free Wheeling. This comedy short features a homemade taxi powered by Dinah the mule (who gets drunk and runs away!), a very steep hill and a haystack.
Then, in recognition of Halloween coming up in a few weeks, we look at the filming locations then and now from the 1983 Michael Jackson long-form music video Thriller.
If you've made a small donation to the site, Login to the site now to view the COMPLETE filming locations then and now video documentaries and photo galleries for each of these here: Videos and Photos
Not yet a member? Make a small donation now to unlock all the content on the site.
This Month's Featured Filming Location Photos
On location this month with Our Gang / The Little Rascals in their comedy movie Free Wheeling and the Michael Jackson music video Thriller.
Click the image above to see the filming locations then and now photo comparisons for each of these filming locations.
If you've made a small donation to the site, Login to the site now to view the COMPLETE filming locations then and now video documentaries and photo galleries for each of these here: Video and Photo Listings
Not yet a member? Make a small donation now to view all the content on the site.
Filming Location Videos and Photo Galleries
Right now, there are more than 150 movie, TV series and music video filming locations video documentaries and 2,000+ then and now filming location photos here on the site and accessible to anyone who has made a small donation and is a current member of the site.
Make a very small donation and unlock all the content on the site now!
Or, if you would like to browse the site first, there's plenty to see for non-members too! Keep scrolling down the page. And be sure to check out the Free Preview Filming Location Then and Now Videos and the Featured Then and Now Filming Locations Photo Comparisons.
A complete listing of every movie, TV series episode and music video covered on the site is here: Video and Photo Listings
Special Event! Culver City Historical Society Watch Party!
Click the image above to view my "watch party" I held at the Culver City Historical Society in April, 2025.
I showed my then and now filming locations video documentary of the Our Gang / The Little Rascals movie "Fish Hooky" and one of those unintentionally funny 1960s "educational" films that we all had to endure back in elementary school.
The evening ended with some brief excerpts from my filming location video documentaries from The Twilight Zone, Charlie's Angels, CHiPs, Hunter and Starsky and Hutch.
This Month's Filming Locations Quick Preview Videos
Our Gang / The Little Rascals - Free Wheeling (1932)
The Gang are running a taxi service for the kids in the neighborhood and one of the rides gets a bit out of hand.
This movie is one of the best in the series, made during the golden age (late 1930 through 1933) of the series. The Gang's taxi is a marvel, powered by Dinah the mule and complete with it's own entertainment system (Stymie under the "hood" providing the "radio entertainment"). Stymie's pal Dickie "craves excitement" and pays for a ride.
Unfortunately, Dinah the mule gets drunk(!) and runs away. Stymie uses a rope to hook the taxi up to the back of a nearby truck. The truck takes the taxi, with Stymie, Dickie, Spanky and Jackie Lyn on a tour of the neighborhood, culminating with a wild ride down a very steep hill and ultimately into a haystack.
Filmed almost entirely outdoors and on location, this movie is a remake of their 1925 silent comedy movie One Wild Ride, which current members of the site can watch here: Our Gang / The Little Rascals - One Wild Ride - Filming Locations Then and Now
The climactic scene of the movie takes place on the Overland Avenue hill in the Palms neighborhood on the west side of Los Angeles, and that filming location is what this Quick Preview video focuses on.
If you've made a small donation to the site and are a current member, you can view the COMPLETE filming locations video in The Little Rascals Movie Locations Videos section of the site by clicking here to Login and then clicking here and scrolling down the page a bit: Our Gang / The Little Rascals - Free Wheeling - Complete Filming Locations Then and Now Documentary Video
Michael Jackson - Thriller - Preview Video 1
Michael Jackson's masterpiece of a song, and music video.
The song Thriller is the title track from Michael Jackson's 1982 album, which has the distinction of being the best-selling album of all time. The music video for this song is more a short film than a typical music video - it cost half a million dollars to make, which was unheard of at the time. But the money was well spent and over 40 years later, it isn't showing its age at all.
There was quite a bit of outdoor filming on location in and around Los Angeles and because of this, there are four Quick Preview video excerpts for Thriller, each focusing on a particular filming location.
Here's the first Quick Preview excerpt of Thriller then and now filming locations, starting in downtown Los Angeles and then heading over to the "Zombie dance" street.
If you've made a small donation to the site and are a current member, you can view the COMPLETE filming locations video in the Music Video Filming Locations Videos section of the site by clicking here to Login and then clicking here and scrolling down the page a bit: Michael Jackson - Thriller - Filming Locations Then and Now - Complete Documentary Video
Michael Jackson - Thriller - Preview Video 2
Here's the second Quick Preview excerpt of Thriller then and now filming locations, showing some of the changes to the "Zombie dance" street since the music video was filmed in 1983.
There have been many changes on the south side of the street, with the old warehouses torn down and replaced by the new Union Commerce Center building and parking lot. However, the north side of the street is exactly as it was when this site served as a filming location for this music video.
If you've made a small donation to the site and are a current member, you can view the COMPLETE filming locations video in the Music Video Filming Locations Videos section of the site by clicking here to Login and then clicking here and scrolling down the page a bit: Michael Jackson - Thriller - Filming Locations Then and Now - Complete Documentary Video
Michael Jackson - Thriller - Preview Video 3
Here's the third Quick Preview excerpt of Thriller then and now filming locations. We see that some parts of "Zombie Street" are exactly as they were when they were captured on film over 40 years ago. This being Los Angeles, the question is... how much longer will these old buildings hang on?
If you've made a small donation to the site and are a current member, you can view the COMPLETE filming locations video in the Music Video Filming Locations Videos section of the site by clicking here to Login and then clicking here and scrolling down the page a bit: Michael Jackson - Thriller - Filming Locations Then and Now - Complete Documentary Video
Michael Jackson - Thriller - Preview Video 4
Here's the fourth and final Quick Preview excerpt of Thriller then and now filming locations - the haunted house scene.
The most surprising thing about visiting this Thriller filming location is that the house is located in the historic Angelino Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles and is surrounded by beautiful homes dating back to the late 1800s. It's definitely worth making a visit to the 1300 block of Carroll Avenue not only to see the Thriller haunted house, but the other historic homes in this neighborhood too!
If you've made a small donation to the site and are a current member, you can view the COMPLETE filming locations video in the Music Video Filming Locations Videos section of the site by clicking here to Login and then clicking here and scrolling down the page a bit: Michael Jackson - Thriller - Filming Locations Then and Now - Complete Documentary Video
This Month's Featured Filming Location Then And Now Photos
Our Gang / The Little Rascals - Free Wheeling (1932)
One of the best Our Gang / The Little Rascals movies in the series, Free Wheeling is packed with action and on location filming.
In 1932, Spanky had just joined the series and he gets some good lines, but by this time, Stymie and Dickie were the stars and it's their relationship that adds greatly to this movie. Dickie plays a rich kid who "craves excitement" and Stymie is working with the other kids in the neighborhood providing a taxi service.
The Gang's taxi is a wonder to behold, one of the more memorable contraptions in the series. Dickie offers to pay for a ride in the taxi. There's a slight delay when the mule (which served as the "engine") gets drunk and runs away. Stymie finds a rope and ties the taxi to the back of a nearby truck and the truck pulls away with the taxi in tow.
The filming locations for this Our Gang / The Little Rascals movie are familiar ones, all located in the Palms neighborhood on the west side of Los Angeles and used in many other films in the series. In the climactic final scenes of the movie, the taxi has lost its brakes and is "free wheeling" down the very steep hill on Overland Avenue, ending up in a haystack at the corner of Overland Avenue and Rose Avenue, as shown in the photo above.
Aerial imagery from 1928 through 2025 shows that the vacant lot where the haystack was located has never been built upon. Today, a parking lot for a strip mall that was built in 1985 occupies that part of the lot. So, if you were to visit 3300 Overland Avenue today and stand in the parking lot right in front of the entrance to 3300 Overland Avenue #103, you would be standing at the exact spot where the haystack was located!
If you have donated to the site and are a current member, you can see all the filming locations, then and now, from this classic movie by Logging into the site and then going to The Little Rascals Filming Locations Photo Galleries here: Our Gang / The Little Rascals - Free Wheeling - Filming Locations Then and Now Photo Gallery
The complete filming locations documentary video for this movie is in The Little Rascals Filming Locations Documentary Videos section of the site. You can view the video by Logging into the site and clicking here and scrolling down the page a bit: Our Gang / The Little Rascals - Free Wheeling - Complete Filming Locations Documentary Video
Just a small donation gives you full access to the site - over 150 filming location video documentaries and over 2,000 then and now filming location photos.
Click here to donate and become a member now!
Michael Jackson - Thriller (1983)
Michael Jackson - Thriller (1983)
Michael Jackson - Thriller (1983)
Michael Jackson's groundbreaking long-form music video from 1983.
As the music starts, we get a great view of the Palace Theatre located at 630 South Broadway in downtown Los Angeles.
Built in 1910 as the Orpheum Theatre, its name was changed to the Palace Theatre in 1926. Today, the outside of the theatre is in not-so-good shape, however I have heard from several people that the owners still rent out the theatre for events and concerts, at least as of this writing in October, 2025.
The theatre was designated as a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural monument in 1989.
If you have donated to the site and are a current member, you can see all the filming location photos, then and now, from this classic music video by Logging into the site and visiting the Music Video Filming Locations Photo Galleries here: Michael Jackson - Thriller - Filming Locations Then and Now Photo Gallery
The complete filming locations documentary video for Thriller is in the Music Video Filming Locations Videos section of the site. You can view the video by Logging into the site and clicking here and scrolling down the page a bit: Michael Jackson - Thriller - Complete Filming Locations Then and Now Video
Just a small donation gives you full access to the site - over 150 filming location video documentaries and over 2,000 then and now filming location photos.
Click here to donate and become a member now!
Michael Jackson - Thriller (1983)
Michael Jackson - Thriller (1983)
Michael Jackson - Thriller (1983)
The zombies start to emerge from their hideouts!
This is the first look we get at the "zombie dance" street location, Union Pacific Avenue at South Calzona Street in the southern section of the Boyle Heights neighborhood in Los Angeles.
When Thriller was filmed here over 40 years ago, the area was full of old, dilapidated warehouses and factories, many dating back to the early 1900s. Today, those buildings are slowly being replaced by newer "light industrial" structures. One of those newer structures is visible in the background: The new Union Commerce building built in 2024.
Although buildings come and go, underground utilities usually remain untouched for decades, and the manhole from which the zombie is emerging is in the same location today as it was when Thriller was filmed.
Michael Jackson - Thriller (1983)
Michael Jackson - Thriller (1983)
Michael Jackson - Thriller (1983)
Looking east on Union Pacific Avenue towards the intersection of South Calzona Street.
Union Pacific Avenue has been widened a bit since Thriller was filmed here, but the large red brick building in the upper left portion of the photo still stands, as it has since it was built in 1941.
Michael Jackson - Thriller (1983)
Michael Jackson - Thriller (1983)
Michael Jackson - Thriller (1983)
This is the famous haunted house, located at 1345 Carroll Avenue in the historic Angelino Heights district of Los Angeles. It was constructed in 1887.
This was my first time visiting this neighborhood and this particular block is chock full of beautifully preserved homes built in the late 1800s through early 1900s. If you're visiting the Los Angeles area, make sure to add this on your list of places to see!
If you have made a small donation to the site and are a current member, you can see all the filming locations then and now photos from this music video by Logging into the site and visiting the Music Video Filming Locations Photo Galleries section of the website by clicking here: Michael Jackson - Thriller - Filming Locations Then and Now Photo Gallery
The full filming locations documentary video for Thriller is in the Music Video Filming Locations Videos section of the site. Current members can view it by Logging into the site and clicking here and scrolling down the page a bit: Michael Jackson - Thriller - Complete Filming Locations Documentary Video
To gain access to the then and now photo gallery for this Michael Jackson music video, along with the complete filming locations then and now documentary video, plus ALL of the complete film locations documentary videos and photo galleries on the site, click here to make a small donation now.
Thank you!
Special Event! Culver City Historical Society Watch Party!
On April 22, 2025 I paid a visit to Culver City, California, the Heart Of Screenland, where I was honored to present a watch party showing a few of my filming location then and now videos and photos from the 1930s, 1960s, 1970s and 1980s covering Culver City, Venice and the nearby neighborhood of Palms to a full house at the Culver City Historical Society.
We started out by watching my complete filming locations documentary of the 1933 movie "Fish Hooky" by The Little Rascals. I chose this Little Rascals movie because we get to see some amazing views of the Venice Amusement pier in addition to the (then) beautiful Ballona Creek which today is a massive concrete flood control channel.
Next up on the program was one of those "educational" films that, if you were a kid growing up in the USA in the 1950s - 1970s, you no doubt were forced to watch at school. This film, "The Strange Ones," has as its theme "Don't talk to strangers." Made on a very low budget, "The Strange Ones" was filmed entirely on the streets of Culver City and in nearby Venice. As an added bonus, the video below includes a Zoom interview I conducted with the star of the movie, "Karen." So, even if you were there that night, you'll want to watch this video for the interview "bonus" feature!
Third on the "watch list" were some excerpts from my filming location then and now videos from several TV series filmed in the neighborhoods of Culver City from the 1960s - 1980s, including The Twilight Zone, Charlie's Angels, CHiPs, Starsky and Hutch and Hunter.
To close out the evening, I took questions from the audience and hung around afterwards to chat.
Grab some popcorn and click the image below to watch the video.
Site Stats
Laurel and Hardy
Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy - The Iconic Comedy Team
This is the most comprehensive website in the world for Laurel and Hardy filming locations. There are currently 20 filming location documentary videos covering Laurel and Hardy movies here on the site. The Laurel and Hardy on location photo galleries now contain 280 then and now Laurel and Hardy film location then and now photo comparisons.
View the list of Laurel and Hardy movie location videos and photo galleries by clicking the photo above to find the answer to the question "Where were Laurel and Hardy movies filmed?"
Our Gang / The Little Rascals
The answer to the question "Where was The Little Rascals filmed?" is right here!
There are now 45 filming location then and now documentary videos and 692 then and now on location photo comparisons covering the Our Gang / The Little Rascals movies here on the site.
View the list of The Little Rascals movie location videos and photo galleries by clicking the photo above.
The Three Stooges
The Three Stooges didn't do as much on location filming as Laurel and Hardy or Our Gang / The Little Rascals, but every so often - especially in the 1930s - the Stooges would venture outside the studio to film.
At the moment there are 7 filming location documentary videos and 90 filming location then and now photo gallery photos covering the movies of The Three Stooges here.
Where were The Three Stooges movies filmed? View the list of The Three Stooges filming locations videos and photo galleries by clicking the photo above and you'll see!
TV Series
Filming locations from popular TV shows like Star Trek, The Sopranos, CHiPs, I Dream of Jeannie, The Twilight Zone, Emergency and many more are presented both as filming location then and now documentary videos and on location photo galleries.
There are currently 11 TV series filming location then and now documentary videos and 200 on location then and now photo comparisons in the TV Series section of the site.
Start by browsing through the list of TV Series filming location videos and photo galleries by clicking the photo above.
Music Videos
Music videos film on location too!
Music video filming locations from Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, Boyz II Men, Spandau Ballet and more are in the Music Videos section of the site.
There are currently 9 music video filming locations documentary videos and 130 music video then and now on location photo comparisons on the site.
See the list of Music Video filming location then and now videos and photo galleries by clicking on the photo of Madonna above.
Other Comedy Films
The oldest and newest movies covered on this site are here in the Other Comedy Films section of the site, going back to a Charlie Chaplin movie from 1915 all the way up to a Tyler Perry movie featuring Madea from 2009.
Movies from Abbott and Costello, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd and other legendary comedians are covered in this section of the site, which currently has 27 then and now filming location documentary videos and 428 on location then and now photo comparisons.
See the complete list of movies covered in the Other Comedy Films section of the site by clicking the photo above.
Funny Educational Films
Funny Educational Films
Funny Educational Films
From those days in the classroom when you were forced to watch "safety" movies...
This section of the site currently has three (unintentionally hilarious) educational movies filming location video documentaries and 108 then and now location photos.
Click the photo above to view the list of Funny Educational Films here on the site.
Charley Chase
Funny Educational Films
Funny Educational Films
Not very well known these days, but Charley Chase was a top-notch comic actor, writer and director back in the 1920s and 1930s. He even was involved in putting together The Little Rascals way back in 1922!
Charley Chase quite often filmed on location, and the site currently features 16 Charley Chase movie filming locations then and now documentary videos and 204 filming location photo comparisons.
To view the list of Charley Chase movie location videos and photo galleries, click the photo above.
Make A Small Donation And Become A Member
New and updated movie locations and TV filming locations then and now videos and photos will be added at least once per month and will only be available here.
If you've made a donation, you'll receive a membership. Members have access to all the videos, uncut and without any interruptions in addition to all the photo galleries. Members also are provided with the exact locations of the scenes shown, answering the question: Where are those movie locations?
Donations are accepted for a monthly, semi-annual or annual subscription.
$6 for a 1 month non-renewing subscription. Perfect to see if you like the website!
$30 for six months non-renewing subscription. ($5 per month / 17% discount)
$48 for one year non-renewing subscription. ($4 per month / 33% discount)
You can donate using any of the following methods:
Click the PayPal button below* OR
Scan either the PayPal or Venmo** QR code below with your phone OR
Send your donation using Zelle** to Chris@ChrisBungoStudios.com
Allow up to 3 days for us to process your order. Once your order has been processed, you will receive an email with instructions for activating your account. Be sure to check your "Spam/Junk Email Folder" if you do not receive an email within 3 days.
*If you are going to use a credit card - and don't have a PayPal or Venmo account - click the PayPal button and you will be prompted during the payment process to choose a credit card. You do NOT need to fund a PayPal account or pay out of a PayPal account.
** If you will be using Venmo or Zelle, it is CRUCIAL that you provide your email address so that we can properly set up your account here.
Having problems? Contact: Chris@ChrisBungoStudios.com
Thanks for stopping by the largest website in the world providing then and now looks at filming locations of movies, TV series and music videos from the 1910s - 2000s.
Some content is limited to our site donors. Donations are VITAL to keep the site online and fund new filming location videos. Already donated or aren't ready to donate? Just close this window and continue enjoying the site.