That Was Filmed Where? Famous Scenes from Burbank
On your trip to Southern California, you’ll be amazed by how many places and names you’ll recognize from movies and television. And as the Media Capital of the World, Burbank is no exception. The city abounds in iconic scenes and locations, from the Warner Bros. Studios lot, to The Walt Disney Company, to numerous shops, restaurants, and neighborhoods.
Here are just a few to get you started:
1. LaLa Land
Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) and Mia (Emma Stone) are drawn together by their common desire to do what they love. But as success mounts, they are faced with decisions that begin to fray their romance. While La La Land was filmed throughout Los Angeles, Burbank makes its appearance twice!
Mia is drawn into a restaurant by the sounds of Sebastian playing the piano. The smokey restaurant setting is none other than the Smoke House Restaurant. The same restaurant was also featured in the 2012 movie Argo.
While Mia is not auditioning, she is working at the coffee shop on the studio lot of Warner Bros Studio where Sebastian surprises her at work and they take a stroll through the back lot.
2. Office
The name of this TV show speaks for itself as it is set mainly in the office of the Dunder Mifflin paper company in Scranton, PA. Hilarious antics ensue, led by the HR nightmare of a boss, Michael Scott (Steve Carell).
This walk-up Burbank chili dog stop appeared in the season 7 episode of The Office titled “The Search.” Carell’s character ends up stranded in “downtown Scranton” without his phone or his wallet and decides to explore the area. He ends up at Larry’s Chili Dog where, to no avail, he tries to use his watch as collateral to buy a hot dog.
3. Parks and Recreation
From the creators of The Office, this sitcom follows Amy Poehler’s character Leslie Knope and the rest of the Parks and Recreation Department city employees of Pawnee, Indiana as they pursue absurd projects to make their city a better place. Several Burbank locations make an appearance throughout its 7 seasons.
Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center
Rashida Jones’ character Ann Perkins is a nurse at Pawnee Saint Joseph Hospital which is actually Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank. Due to its proximity to The Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros. Studios, this hospital has seen its fair share of celebrities and camera crews.
In the season 4 episode “Bowling for Votes,” Leslie’s campaign holds a bowling night at Burbank’s Pickwick Bowl in Pickwick Gardens.
Parks and Recreation at Pickwick Bowl
4. Heat
This Al Pacino and Robert De Niro movie about bank robbers feeling the “Heat” from police has scenes filmed in one of the most well-recognized icons in Burbank.
An historical landmark that is exceptionally well-preserved, Bob’s Big Boy is a frequent celebrity hangout. The restaurant appears in two different scenes in Heat: One, where Donald Breeden (Dennis Haysbert), fresh out of prison, gets hired on as a janitor/cook, and the other where De Niro, Tom Sizemore, and Val Kilmer’s characters convince Donald to be the driver for their upcoming heist. There is even a plaque on the wall detailing this scene over that booth. While you’re there, check out the booth where The Beatles dined during their 1965 U.S. tour!
Heat in Bob’s Original Big Boy
As you can see, Burbank is rich in Hollywood film history, and is packed with great locales featured in many famous movies and TV shows. For more details on other locations, please visit the Filmed in Burbank page on www.visitburbank.com.