Chaplin Keaton Lloyd Alley — Attraction in Los Angeles

"Let's go see where they made movies." But what is there to see? The less than inviting physical space we know today as Hollywood, is in desperate need of reclaiming past glory. John Bengtson's proposal to name one particular and otherwise nondescript alley, for the three amazing stars who, against all odds, shot scenes from three different movie masterpieces in this identical location he discovered there, is a wonderful way to reach for and restore that lost luster. I consider this kind of thing as an exercise in cognitive theory. What do we see on any street in Hollywood today? Hmmm....No comment? I imagine most would be afraid to comment. And yet, stratified beneath the layers of time, grime, and alleged progress, if we scratch and look for the ghosts of these three cinematic giants, we can find them. Indeed, we find them right there in that alley, just as we can see still see them in movie theaters, and in our homes on BluRay, performing the magic that made Hollywood a beacon for the world in the first place. To make that classic kind of feeling come alive today in Hollywood, we need to point it out, we need to declare it, we need to inform lucky passersby of the city's heritage. We also need to help film fans from all over who are visiting Hollywood on a pilgrimage seeking to connect with the classic films they love so much. We need to say, "This isn't merely a weather-beaten, pedestrian old alley." Or as Chaplin scripted for THE GREAT DICTATOR, "Look where you are!" Hall of Fame movie scenes were made right here! Do not miss this! That means something. It is one thing to experience these iconic three stars as they come alive and entertain us so well on theater screens, or any screens. It is something else to extend that experience by standing where they stood, to walk in their footsteps, to get in touch with their cinematic ghosts right there, all at once, in that humble little alley -- which is actually sacred ground, isn't it? It should be. We can help make it so. Therefore I love the idea of memorializing this otherwise completely forgettable stretch of road. It will make Hollywood denizens, and visitors alike, "think a second time" about how they perceive everything they see in this town. What else, undiscovered, does the city have to offer, and to exploit, but the dreams offered through the mythology of movies? Here is an opportunity to do that with the help of true movie giants. Let's hope the city fathers see the wisdom behind John's proposal, and grasp the concept. Tell everyone, "Here's a chance to connect with the three greatest comedy figures of the silent cinema: Chaplin-Keaton-Lloyd; right here, where you stand, in a place you would never imagine, is where they created...

[update: so disappointed that the adjoining business has installed a gate closing off the public alley and is keeping it locked 24/7, in violation of the law. This is not a private patio, it is public space. Free Chaplin Keaton Lloyd Alley!] The built environment of Hollywood has changed radically over the past decade, with huge developments springing up all around the Boulevard. What a joy it is to be able to visit a spot that is so drenched in early cinema stardust, and essentially just as it was when the industry was new. Thanks to the research of silent locations sleuth John Bengtson, we can see the layers of yesterday at Chaplin Keaton Lloyd Alley (and don't forget Lois Weber!). -Kim Cooper, Esotouric tours (we sometimes host silent film history locations tours with John Bengtson, who recognized the significance of...

Perhaps the most iconic, significant yet unknown, surviving silent film location ever. This unassuming alley, located at1640 Cahuenga Blvd was used by arguably the three most important figures of the entire silent film era; Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd.

As Hollywood continues grow and build, it is a shame that there isn't a permanent plaque celebrating the spot where Chaplin filmed his first full length feature, "The Kid (1921), where Keaton was whisked away by a trolley in "Cops (1922) and where Harold Lloyd filmed a sequence for his greatest picture, "Safety Last (1923). It's a touchstone of American Cinema, a place where giants once stood, where you can stand in their shadows and it should...