Los Angeles Plays Itself

Jul 28, 2004

2h 49m

★ 7.6

Overview

From its distinctive neighborhoods to its architectural homes, Los Angeles has been the backdrop to countless movies. In this dazzling work, Andersen takes viewers on a whirlwind tour through the metropolis' real and cinematic history, investigating the myriad stories and legends that have come to define it, and meticulously, judiciously revealing the real city that lives beneath.

Genres

Documentary

Los Angeles Plays Itself Trailers

Cast

Narrator (voice)

Encke King

Officer Frank Smith in Dragnet (archive footage)

Ben Alexander

Frank Stark in Rebel Without A Cause (archive footage)

Jim Backus

Lana Turner in L.A. Confidential (archive footage)

Brenda Bakke

Dorothy in Bush Mama (archive footage)

Barbara O. Jones

Dr. Clayton Forrester in The War of The Worlds (archive footage)

Gene Barry

Roy Morgan/Roy Martin in He Walked By Night (archive footage)

Richard Basehart

George Copeland in The Blue Dahlia (archive footage)

Hugh Beaumont

Buzz Wanchek in The Blue Dahlia (archive footage)

William Bendix

Veda Pierce in Mildred Pierce (archive footage)

Ann Blyth

Terry Lennox in The Long Goodbye (archive footage)

Jim Bouton

FBI Agent Little Johnson in Die Hard (archive footage)

Grand L. Bush

To popularize the idea of automobile travel, Ford Motor Company produced Ford Educational Weekly, a film magazine distributed free to theaters. One 1916 series featured "Visits to American Cities." In this episode, Los Angeles is featured at the very beginning of the boom created by oil, movies and aircraft. On the occasion of its centennial in 1953, Ford donated its film to the National Archives and Records Service; this copy derives from a fine grain master printed from the Archive's preservation negative. Music by Frederick Hodges.

4.5

Carlos Almaraz: Playing with Fire

May 1, 2019

Mixing archival footage with interviews, this film celebrates one of Los Angeles's most influential painters and Chicano art activists from the 1970s.

0.0

In The Mind of Warat Bureephakdee

Sep 24, 2023

A documentary about the story of what's in Warat's head with politics and the film industry through his movie “Secret Among Wings”

7.2

The Go-Go's

Mar 8, 2021

As the first all-female band to play their instruments, write their songs and have a No. 1 album, The Go-Go’s made history. Underpinned by candid testimonies, this film chronicles the meteoric rise to fame of a band born in the LA punk scene who became a pop phenomenon.

0.0

Touched by Gold: '72 Lakers

Jan 1, 2012

Many consider the 1971-72 World Champion Los Angeles Lakers one of the greatest teams in the history of the NBA. But despite a remarkable run to the title that included a record 33-game winning streak, this group was the unlikeliest of champions.

7.0

Mon Clown

Mar 14, 2008

Documentary from French TV channel Canal+ about Marion Cotillard's road to the Oscar for her performance as French singer Édith Piaf in the 2007 film 'La Vie en Rose', also featuring behind-the-scenes footage from the film.

0.0

Before Hollywood There Was Fort Lee, N. J.

Jan 1, 1964

Amazing, but true: Fort Lee, New Jersey (just across the George Washington Bridge from Manhattan), was once the epicenter of American film production. This documentary of a truly bygone era combines photographs culled from private collections, as well as restored footage from such films as Thomas A. Edison's Rescued from an Eagle's Nest and D.W. Griffith's The New York Hat, filmed at the studios in Fort Lee.

7.0

Wattstax

Feb 4, 1973

A documentary film about the Afro-American Woodstock concert held in Los Angeles seven years after the Watts riots. Director Mel Stuart mixes footage from the concert with footage of the living conditions in the current-day Watts neighborhood.

6.6

Rize

Jan 15, 2005

A documentary film that highlights two street derived dance styles, Clowning and Krumping, that came out of the low income neighborhoods of L.A.. Director David LaChapelle interviews each dance crew about how their unique dances evolved. A new and positive activity away from the drugs, guns, and gangs that ruled their neighborhood. A raw film about a growing sub-culture movements in America.

6.0

Round About Hollywood

May 22, 1931

This short travelogue depicts snippets of locations in Hollywood, California, most of them as seen from the streets. Considerable time is taken showing the kinds of architecture of private homes. There are images of various important buildings, and a depiction of the Hollywood Bowl. Finally, there is a sequence revolving around the premiere of the film “Dirigible” (1931) at the famed Chinese Theatre.

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0.0

Untitled KROQ Documentary

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The history and enduring legacy of one of the world's biggest and most influential radio stations.

0.0

Dalya's Other Country

Jun 17, 2017

In 2012 Dalya and her mother Rudayna fled Aleppo for Los Angeles as war took over. Months before, Rudayna learns a secret that destroys her marriage, leaving her single at midlife. Arriving in LA, Dalya enrolls as the only Muslim at Holy Family Catholic High School. Can mother and daughter remake themselves while holding on to their Islamic traditions?

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0.0

The L.A. Riots: 25 Years Later

Apr 23, 2017

HISTORY brings you an all-encompassing documentary event cantered around the 25th anniversary of the LA Riots, the most destructive riot in American history that left 53 people dead and caused over a billion dollars in damage.

0.0

Citizen B

Jan 17, 2025

Documentary on Ciby 2000, the French film production company founded by Francis Bouygues in 1990.

6.7

Seeing Allred

Jan 21, 2018

Gloria Allred overcame trauma and personal setbacks to become one of the nation’s most famous women’s rights attorneys. Now the feminist firebrand takes on two of the biggest adversaries of her career, Bill Cosby and Donald Trump, as sexual violence allegations grip the nation and keep her in the spotlight.

6.9

An Open Secret

Nov 14, 2014

An investigation into accusations of teenagers being sexually abused within the film industry.

8.1

One Six Right

Aug 12, 2005

An exhilarating documentary film that celebrates the unsung hero of aviation - the local airport - by tracing the life, history, and struggles of an airport icon: Southern California's Van Nuys Airport. Featuring thrilling aerial photography and a sweeping original score, the film dispels common misconceptions and opposes criticism of General Aviation airports.

0.0

The Secret Lives of Bill Bartell

Feb 20, 2025

Bill Bartell was a multifaceted individual who traversed the punk rock scene, law enforcement, rodeo riding, and country music. Known for his unique contribution to punk rock through his label Gasatanka Records and band White Flag, Bartell's life defies conventional boundaries, blending hyper-masculinity with subcultural rebellion. His story, filled with mysterious and seemingly contradictory roles, offers a compelling narrative about identity, transformation, and the unexpected paths life can take.

5.0

Shakedown

Feb 17, 2018

‘Shakedown’ was a series of parties founded by and for African American women in Los Angeles that featured go-go dancing and strip shows for the city’s lesbian underground scene. Inspired by transwoman Mahogany who, as the mother of the scene, presided over queer strip shows and balls for non-heterosexual audiences in the 1980s, butch Ronnie Ron created, produced and presented the new shows. In them, the largely female clientele from the ‘hood’ slipped dollar notes into lap dancers’ panties while celebrating lesbian sexuality to pulsating hip-hop beats.