Chaplin-Keaton-Lloyd Alley

This Wednesday we'd like to bring to your attention a very important current project, based on (what else) silent film! Many thanks to our associate John Bengston from SilentLocations.com for bringing this special place to our attention! As usual, we do not claim ownership of the images used. Please visit Silent Locations for in-depth information and a dazzling array of photos!

It seems that while all of Los Angeles was "up for grabs" in terms of filming in the dawn of Hollywood, one lone, humble alley became a shooting location for the Big 3 of silent comedy: Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd! Indeed, all of them used this little alley for scenes in some of their best-remembered films - and it's still being used for filming today! Our fabulous girl boss Lois Weber beat all the boys to the yard and used the alley before them, for her film "Where Are My Children?" in 1916. Several other female film pioneers also filmed here early on! Maybe we should just name it "The Fabulous Female Filmmaker Alley" and be done with it.

ABOVE: A scene in the alley from "Where Are My Children?" (1916)

The alley is located at 1640 Cahuenga Blvd in Hollywood, CA (if you're in driving distance, give it a drive-by!), and although the surrounding areas have changed in the last century, it's still quite recognizable...