Introduction
I'm devoting all of this month to the Los Angeles filming locations from two classic movies from the 80s:
Each of these movies filmed extensively on location around Los Angeles. Of the two, Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo makes the most use of real-world filming locations, and that's the movie we'll start with on this month's filming locations then and now tour around Los Angeles.
Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo (1984) - Filming Location - Part 1 (1984)
How Boyle Heights' Historic Guirado Street Became a Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo Filming Location
One of the most memorable scenes in the cult-classic movie Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo features a massive, old-fashioned Hollywood dance number with a cast of over 100 people. Many of these performers were local residents of the Boyle Heights neighborhood in Los Angeles, hired specifically as extras. The scene featuress acrobatic street dancing with lighthearted moments, such as elderly local residents joining in the celebration from a neighborhood street corner.
This part of the scene was filmed on the 2700 block of Guirado Street in Boyle Heights. Developed in the 1920s, this historic Los Angeles block retains its original architecture, with every single 1920s home featured in the 1984 movie still standing today, as shown in the featured filming location then and now photo above.
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Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo (1984) - Filming Locations - Part 1
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Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo (1984) - Filming Locations Then and Now - Complete Documentary Video
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Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo (1984) - Filming Locations Then and Now Photo Gallery
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Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo (1984) - Filming Location - Part 2 (1984)
Explore Hollenbeck Park: A Historic Boyle Heights Filming Location
The second half of this dance sequence shifts to a historic Boyle Heights landmark: Hollenbeck Park.
Hollenbeck Park has a rich cinematic history dating back to the silent era, appearing in films as early as the 1920s. The most famous movie filmed at Hollenbeck Park is the classic Laurel and Hardy comedy short Men O'War, which filmed on location here in 1929.
Watch my Laurel and Hardy Men O'War filming locations quick preview video.
Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo wasn't the first movie musical to use Hollenbeck Park. That honor belongs to the 1957 Warner Brothers classic The Pajama Game, featuring the elaborate Once A Year Day song and dance number starring Doris Day and John Raitt. I will be exploring this historic musical sequence's Hollenbeck Park filming location in a then and now documentary video and photo gallery next year.
The featured filming location photo above highlights Hollenbeck Park's classic Art Deco-style bandshell. Built in 1931, it replaced the original gazebo-style bandshell that dated back to the park's official opening in 1892.
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Take a look at the Quick Preview Video of this filming location here:
Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo (1984) - Filming Locations - Part 2
See More of the Filming Locations Here
Current members can watch the complete filming location documentary video by Logging in to the site and clicking here:
Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo (1984) - Filming Locations Then and Now - Complete Documentary Video
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Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo (1984) - Filming Locations Then and Now Photo Gallery
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Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo (1984) - Filming Location - Part 3 (1984)
Visiting the Historic Lorena Street Bridge: A Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo Filming Location
Our filming locations tour of Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo next takes us to the landmark Lorena Street Bridge in Boyle Heights, located just about a mile east of Hollenbeck Park.
Officially designated as Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument Number 265, this impressive piece of local infrastructure is approaching its centennial. Construction on the Art Deco-style Lorena Street Bridge began in 1928 and was completed in 1929.
The filming location then-and-now photo above offers a clear view of the bridge's grand supporting arches and historical architecture as they appear both today and back when the movie was shot.
In Case You Missed It
Take a look at the Quick Preview Video of this filming location here:
Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo (1984) - Filming Locations - Part 3
See More of the Filming Locations Here
Current members can watch the complete filming location documentary video by Logging in to the site and clicking here:
Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo (1984) - Filming Locations Then and Now - Complete Documentary Video
Take a look at the complete photo gallery of filming locations then and now by Logging in to the site and clicking here:
Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo (1984) - Filming Locations Then and Now Photo Gallery
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Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo (1984) - Filming Location - Part 4 (1984)
A Boyle Heights Landmark As Filming Location
The plot of the Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo revolves around the neighborhood Community Center, which is being threatened by developers. The goal is to raise enough money to purchase the center and secure its future.
The real-life Casa del Mexicano community center at 2900 Calle Pedro Infante in Boyle Heights was the filming location chosen and it appears prominently in the final scene of Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo.
In the filming location then and now photo above, this 1914 building has been painted in bright colors specifically for the filming of the movie, and today remains structurally the same as when it was captured on film in 1984.
In Case You Missed It
Take a look at the Quick Preview Video of this filming location here:
Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo (1984) - Filming Locations - Part 4
See More of the Filming Locations Here
Current members can watch the complete filming location documentary video by Logging in to the site and clicking here:
Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo (1984) - Filming Locations Then and Now - Complete Documentary Video
View the complete photo gallery of filming locations then and now by Logging in to the site and clicking here:
Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo (1984) - Filming Locations Then and Now Photo Gallery
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Breakin' (1984) - Turbo's Broom Dance Scene - Filming Location
Exploring East Hollywood: The 1920s Breakin' Filming Location at Melrose and Heliotrope
Visiting this classic Breakin' filming location today feels like stepping back in time twice: first to 1984 when the scene was shot, and further back to the early 20th century when these historic neighborhood buildings were constructed:
- 700 N. Heliotrope Drive: The building where the character Turbo stands, dating back to 1923.
- 4300 Melrose Avenue: The prominent two-story building located directly across Melrose Avenue, built in 1925.
- 4318 Melrose Avenue: The historic single-story building situated just to the right of 4300 Melrose Avenue, built in 1908.
As seen in the filming location then and now photo above, looking southeast from North Heliotrope Drive across Melrose Avenue, every single one of these historic structures featured in the 1984 release of Breakin' remains standing today. That's Michael Chambers paying homage to Fred Astaire dancing with the broom.
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Breakin' - Turbo's Broom Dance Scene (1984) - Filming Location
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Breakin' (1984) - Turbo's Broom Dance Scene - Filming Locations Then and Now Photo Gallery
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In case you missed it: My September 2026 featured filming locations then and now photos blog entry.
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