As some of you know, one of the other things I do is serve as a researcher on John Bengston’s series of books that reveal the shooting locations for the great silent movie comedians. Having contributed to John’s Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin books I am now working on a book on Harold Lloyd and have found that a nice little scene from Lloyd’s 1924 film Girl Shy was shot on what is now the access road which runs from the corner of Ventura and Windsor to the JPL parking lot.
In the movie Lloyd’s typical persona, the “glasses character” races from his rural home to the city to try to prevent his sweetheart from marrying a bigamist [a familiar silent movie trope]. He goes from one form of conveyance to another, trains, cars, wagons, streetcars, etc. In the subject scene Lloyd driving on a one lane road finds his way blocked by a beat-up Model T coming in the other direction. He trades cars but as he cranks the Ford to start it, it falls down into a canyon and is smashed. He then races after another car, jumps in the back and continues his odyssey.
Below find the “then and now” comparison shots.
More pictures after the jump.
One of the most dramatic transformations is the barren west bank of the Arroyo Seco into the campus of JPL
The shot below is just to the right of the corner of Ventura and Windsor looking west. Foothill Blvd. [and the 210] is seen in both views. The 1920 arch bridge over Flint Wash, just west of Devil’s Gate Dam can faintly be seen above Harold’s head.
Harold chases the car down Windsor.
Local trail guy Paul Ayers shares some great “then and now” classic pictures with us:
More pictures after the jump.