A Streetcar Named El Monte
Ed Fuentes
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — An impressive collection of antique cars, one greyhound bus, and a Pacific Electric Red Car with "El Monte" as the destination were being used for filming around City Hall today. According to the wife of one of the owners of the Model T's, sitting nearby to watch the action, some of the antique cars came out as far as San Bernardino on trailers and that these old beauties are often called upon for filming.
Actors were huddled at City Hall's North entrance, and scenes were set for a rainy day as sprinklers drenched the the north lawn while extras were toting umbrellas––which explains the use of the shaded side of City Hall.
There are a number of giveaways that say a film has a large budget. In this case signs included the number of well dressed extras and the extremely large lenses being carried by the paparazzi -- evidently in pursuit of what must be an A-list actor.
For most Downtowners, the Red Car is the real celebrity.
Rico A on November 12, 2007, at 05:34PM – #1
I used to take the El Monte Trolley to school every day as a kid. It had (has?) a limited route, but it's pretty charming.
Rico A on November 12, 2007, at 05:36PM – #2
And now that I'm looking at the photo up close, that's an original Red Car and not the "Red Car Revival" trolley-on-rubber-wheels from the El Monte that I grew up in...
militant angeleno on November 12, 2007, at 09:20PM – #3
So, will the Red Car tracks be rendered via CGI in post-production?
Kim Cooper on November 12, 2007, at 11:05PM – #4
Possibly shooting for "The Changeling," the Clint Eastwood film inspired by the Gordon Northcott chicken ranch murders.
Ed Fuentes on November 13, 2007, at 12:15AM – #5
Kim, if so, that may mean Angelina Jolie was the center of attention for the other photographers
erict on November 13, 2007, at 07:27AM – #6
So when are the red cars coming back to downtown? There is a study, but the website is down (again) - although APTA has a section on it.
http://www.heritagetrolley.org/planLosAngeles.htm
http://www.redcar-la.com/cmp/home.html
Scott Mercer on November 13, 2007, at 08:55AM – #7
In case anyone is curious, unless that is a replica built after the fact, that is a Birney Safety Car, built around 1920. If you'd like to see one in person, head out to the Orange Empire Railway Museum in Perris. Most likely this car would not have been used to go from downtown to El Monte, that line was a little long for that. The Birney safety cars were used mainly on shorter "in town" routes like the Echo Park line and the routes in downtown Redlands. Because the cars were smaller and couldn't take as many passengers.
Perhaps that's where this one came from. I'm not aware of any prop houses that own a Red Car to rent out.
skidrowdude on November 13, 2007, at 12:10PM – #8
Yeah, I just missed Angelina and Clint while walking my dog... the downtown movie map site didn't post The Changelings on the map, maybe due to the multiple addresses listed? So I was caught off guard. Definitely high-budget stuff.
Movie map (search for word "Changelings" and you'll find it) http://downtown-filming-maps.eecue.com/
Changelings on IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0824747/
white boy (Eric)
Metro Local on November 13, 2007, at 09:35PM – #9
I don't think the Downtown Filming Map has been perfected but I do think it is a pro bono solution done by an active community member.
It certainly beats the filming map the City and/or FilmLA put out.
skidrowdude on November 14, 2007, at 09:43AM – #10
No disrespect to the "Downtown Filming Map"- it is a great resource and as I am a software developer I understand bugs very well, and software is never really "done".
At first I thought "Damn! Angelina and Clint have so much pull that they can make sure the movie isn't mentioned". But then I searched page and Changelings was there, just with multiple addresses that probably screwed up the Google maps mash-up.