North by Northwest | Anotherdayinparadise2's Blog

When I first saw Jake’s theme for the Sunday Post challenge, I thought “Oh dear I don’t think I have anything to contribute this week.” I then put on my thinking cap and started to think of all the places I’ve visited which are linked to various movies. Apart from “The Devil’s Tower” and “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” which I blogged about yesterday for the Daily Post challenge, “Close,” I came up with seven more photos of places I’ve visited which have connections to famous movies.

The majestic ‘Millenium Biltmore Hotel’ in Los Angeles where we stayed in 2006, was the place where young actress, Elizabeth Short was last seen before her disappearance in 1947.

The 2006 movie, “The Black Dahlia” was based on the novel by James Ellroy, about the mystery of her disappearance and her unsolved murder.

This hotel was also used in the 1984 film, “Ghostbusters”

and is reputed to have quite a few ghosts of its own.

Alfred Hitchcock’s movie, “North by Northwest” has Cary Grant swept up in a game of cat and mouse that takes him across the US, and eventually to the top of Mt. Rushmore for that classic chase scene across the presidents’ faces.

Here is a pic of the crew gathered at the bottom of Mt Rushmore before filming started.

Word was leaked that there would be a fight scene and a couple of deaths on the monument, which resulted in government officials barring them from filming it there, so the crew flew back to Hollywood, where Mt. Rushmore had to be recreated at MGM.

Another interesting place we visited is Tombstone in Arizona. The OK Corral here, is where the most famous gunfight in the history of the American Old West was fought in 1881. Can you see me bravely standing amongst all those cowboys with their guns? 😉

The 1957 movie, “Gunfight at the OK Corral” starring Kirk Douglas and Burt Lancaster is loosely based on this true story.

I’m sure that many of you remember “Rick’s Cafe” in the 1942 movie Casablanca.

This restaurant, bar and cafe was designed to recreate the bar made famous by Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. Set in an old courtyard-style mansion built against the walls of the Old Medina of Casablanca, the restaurant/ piano bar is filled with architectural and decorative details reminiscent of the film, and of course one of the most requested tunes for the pianist, is that wonderful song from the film, “As time goes by.”

In 2006, we were privileged to visit the beautiful Phi Phi Island in Maya Bay, where the movie “The Beach” starring Leonardo DiCaprio, was filmed. We spent an idyllic few hours on that sunny day, relaxing on the soft white sand and splashing around in the surf.

Last but not least, is this park in Savannah, outside which Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks) sat on a bench, telling his life’s tale to people waiting at a small town bus stop.

We just managed to snap this photo as our coach sailed past. Our guide said that the bench was just under the ‘one way’ sign, and is now inside the wall, in the park, probably where those people are sitting.