When you think of famous holiday movie settings depicting Christmas in LA, your mind likely drifts to Nakatomi Plaza. Pop culture has celebrated Die Hard as LA’s unofficial Christmas movie in recent years. And we’ll take it because we recognize that sunshine, temperate weather and palm trees aren’t very Christmas-y traditionally. Here, we have different hallmarks. Capitol Records crowns its building with its conical Christmas tree of lights. The Pantages Theater erects a series of light-strewn trees on its marquis. Pershing Square opens up its ice skating rink. But our film industry can fake a Christmas that would convince any Chicagoan or Midwesterner. In fact, they do it all the time. Here are six classic Christmas scenes that were filmed right here in Los Angeles.
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)
Few satires of Christmastime in America connected with audiences quite like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Naturally, the snowy suburbs of Chicago served as the setting for this John Hughes-penned story. Who can forget the comically glorious moment when Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) finally manages to get his ambitious Christmas lights displays to illuminate, setting the frigid night aglow with blinding light?
Believe it or not, this classic Chicago winter is actually a synthesized Christmas in LA courtesy of Warner Bros. Their private ranch in Burbank is host to a number of iconic Christmas moments from the silver screen. Crew refer to their suburban set as Blondie Street… and the Griswold home just marks the set’s first appearance on our list. Unfortunately, there is no public access to the ranch, so you’ll just have to trust us!
A datedly raunchy scene toward the beginning of the movie in which Griswold is flirting with an attractive sales clerk was also filmed in LA. Since then, Southwestern Law School purchased the building which was a legitimate department store at the time of filming. Known as the Bullocks Wilshire Building, its art deco architecture, popularly used in historic buildings around the city, is a clue to its true whereabouts.
Bad Santa (2003)
The bleak comedy Bad Santa was set a little closer to home at the Saguaro Square Mall in Phoenix, Arizona. Yet nearly the entirety of the movie was filmed in California. But we’re talking specifically about recreating Christmas in LA settings, so let’s focus on one scene that established the rock bottom tone of the film.
At the very beginning of Bad Santa, we see shopping mall Santa Willie (Billy Bob Thornton) belly up to the bar and tuning out the surrounding spirit with the aid of a drink. Upon downing it, he stumbles into a snow-dusted alleyway where it comes back up with a vengeance.
O’Hara’s Pub in Venice served as the bar where Willie desperately decimates his drink. And the alleyway sequence was filmed in downtown LA just behind 1060 S. Broadway. What makes the vision even more memorable is that it serves as the title card for the movie. It’s not the most glamorous holiday scene on our list, but if you’ve seen Bad Santa, you’ll clearly recall it.
Gremlins (1984)
Set in the fictional town of Kingston Hills, Pennsylvania, Gremlins explores the hazards of giving pets as gifts to irresponsible people. It’s also one of the grimmest holiday movies out there, thanks to Phoebe Cates’ monologue about her father. Tip: if your kids believe in Santa, skip this one for a year or two.
But Kingston Hills is just another example of Warner Bros. pulling the wool (or faux snow) over our eyes with a staged Christmas in LA. The home of Billy Peltzer (Zach Galligan) and his family is not too far from the Griswolds’ on the aforementioned Blondie Street. Likewise, this is also where the down-on-their-luck Futtermans are nearly bulldozed to death by the psychotic titular critters.
However, another iconic Gremlins scene was filmed across town on a patch of the Warner Bros. backlot known as Midwest Street. There stands the home where the gremlins terrorize the elderly Mrs. Deagle on her electric stairlift. Unlike Blondie Street, Midwest Street is accessible through a Warner Bros. studio tour.
Silent Night, Deadly Night 2 (1987)
If you think Gremlins and Bad Santa are too rough for holiday viewing, you may need therapy after the truly abysmal Silent Night, Deadly Night 2. A sequel to a straight-up holiday slasher, this film takes copious amounts of footage from the first movie and splices it with outlandish acting. It may not be quality, but it’s certainly memorable.
The first movie was filmed in Utah, while the sequel was shot in Sierra Madre with little attempt to hide it. One scene in particular was so over-the-top in its marrying of absurd acting and violence that it entered the memesphere. The Christmas-obsessed killer stands outside a home on Sierra Madre’s Santa Anita Court announcing “It’s garbage day!” before brutally slaughtering an unsuspecting victim taking out his trash.
It’s definitely not a feel-good holiday moment, but it makes our list for its place in internet culture. It’s also possibly our list’s most accurate representation of Christmas in LA for its lack of fake snow alone.
Batman Returns (1992)
We’ve seen Hollywood recreate Christmas in the Midwest, but what about Christmas in a different cinematic universe? It actually happened in 1992 with Tim Burton’s even gothier sequel to his take on Batman. Batman Returns examined Christmas in Gotham City as Batman (Michael Keaton) takes on double the trouble.
But “Gotham City” really existed, yet again, on a Warner Bros. lot. As Batman divides his attention between the raw fish-feasting Penguin (Danny Devito) and BDSM Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer) in the snowy streets of Gotham, we’re really seeing another fake Christmas in LA. Burbank to be even more specific!
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
Even considering the inherent wrongness of Silent Night, Deadly Night 2, Jim Carrey’s turn as the Grinch may be the most unsettling appearance on this list. Ron Howard’s take on a Christmas classic arguably illustrated some things are better left in the second dimension. But to others, it’s a certified classic.
Howard had the unenviable task of creating the absurdly shaped city (and citizens) of Whoville. Crew set to work building the village from scratch on the Universal Studios backlot behind the Psycho house.
While the sets have long since been demolished, those familiar with Christmas in LA will recognize Universal Studios still honors the film with its annual Grinchmas celebration.
