Toes Beach Bridge…this connects Playa Del Rey to Marina Del Rey
Ooops!
Larry Hovis from Hogan’s Heroes fame became a photographer in this role, Venice Pier is behind the actors. This “citation” is for not having her bathing suit on as cops arrived. A year later, in 1974, Venice would become a nude beach. The only one of i’s kind. A freak show of sorts, I remember well-I was 14.
This area is jurisdiction of Pacific Division, LAPD. Our Cops are Tops!
Three camera rig that captures our stars for interior car scenes, is mounted on the hood. The things you don’t see on television.
A mega condo complex, and a park precede that apartment unit pictured above/below.
The only thing that changed in todays shot from 1973… is the rent!
1973 “Person of Interest” in Dune Buggy, where Culver Blvd. meets the Beach in Playa Del Rey
The oldest place left at Playa with a front row view of the Pacific Ocean.
Street today with a three story added home now completing the corner.
A Jeep today is parked where the Dune Buggy stop was made in 1973.
Wouldn’t you know it, more trouble on this side of the street! …We don’t even have to move Basecamp.
1973/2023
Suspect on rooftop…
Tanners Coffee, across street today.
“to protect and to serve” all this background still stands..
The white apartment behind The Shack Restaurant is the rooftop Officers Reed and Malloy are searching. The white “box” on the roof is the stairway up to this roof.
The suspect sat on Reed’s sandwich in the back seat of the squad car. A very fun beach episode.
Two-Locations at play;
We begin not anywhere near Universal Studios, this episode is titled Venice Division. Actually, Pacific Division is who responds to calls in this jurisdiction. This is one episode that’s not in need of a backlot. TV Shows, both crew and actors, love when writers put them out west along the Pacific Ocean. Who doesn’t like a day at the beach?
Starsky and Hutch would make a habit of filming in Venice Beach beginning in that series.
This happens to be the closest beach to my house and I love being down here. The planes at LAX are not only visible, they come complete with audio as the reverse thrust of engines permeates over this landscape. “CHiPs” would often film around here being close to MGM and these streets were often scouted for car stunts, as there is enough space for flipping or rolling cars on. “Baywatch” also made the leisurely drive through the wetlands from their stages at Culver Studios.
But in 1973, this was the police show to watch. It’s hard to believe but this series started in 1968. It is considered a spinoff of Jack Webb’s Dragnet. Reed and Malloy characters appeared in episodes of the parent program. 174 episodes are in the can and stored in a film vault at Universal.
“Internal Affairs” is the episode where Reed and Malloy testify in court in a case involving Police Brutality being worked by Friday and Gannon. A year later, they would have their own series. Crossovers occur because Emergency, Adam-12, and Dragnet are all Mark 7 Productions on the Universal Lot. Jack Webb was the man behind all three series.
Kent McCord played a police officer 4 times prior to Adam -12. The production of Adam -12 was to accurately depict all aspects of police procedures. Jack Webb insisted the Police Cruiser itself be considered a character. The studio purchased the cars from a local dealership and the studio prop department outfitted them to LAPD cruiser specs.
Driving scenes were filmed on public streets, but the most ambitious calls and pursuits often ended up on the Universal Backlot. A platform was developed that held three cameras and was mounted at the head of the cruiser. The center camera captured the two stars in one shot. The left and right camera captured each star respectively.
Reflections on the window became the next problem, so the glass was removed. This made the actors hair blow and created unwanted audio intrusions. Property then devised an overhang and reinstalled the glass windshield along with additional black boxes on each side side of the patrol car. This allowed for a controlled filming environment.
The script supervisor laid down on the back floor-feeding the officers lines. The director and the sound guy sat in the rear of the station wagon that is towing this police rig. This is the sequence of events needed for car interior shots-Director and sound in station wagon, remote cameras on hood, and stars appear to be driving and talking on radio. More complicated than it looks on television.
The early years of this series were mostly on the Universal Backlot. Season three started more location work off lot. In 1973, several episodes involving several different Police Divisions are depicted.
Today, well today’s a beach day episode, Venice Division style. So put on a bathing suit-otherwise a beach patrol may “cite you,” and enjoy another sunny afternoon in the summertime.
Written and Lived by…Donnie Norden
Phantom of the Backlots 