The classic cult flick The Big Lebowski celebrates the 20th anniversary of its 1998 release today, and the early-1990s Los Angeles period piece has probably never been more popular. The tale of The Dude, a conscientious objector, unrepentant slacker, and bowling obsessive who gets caught up in a complex high-society kidnapping, the movie shows off the highs and lows of Los Angeles real estate, from the one-bedroom Venice bungalow inhabited by the protagonist to the stunning Lautner-designed mansion owned by "known pornographer" Jackie Treehorn—the still-amazing Sheats-Goldstein House. Check out all the highlights—but watch out for spoilers—on the map below.
We meet The Dude at Ralph's, a grocery store. There's one not far from his home in Venice, but the one used for filming was actually in Pasadena, 40 minutes away.
The film's lovable slacker protagonist Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski shacks up in one of these Venice bungalows, where his rug was so unceremoniously micturated upon. The one-bedroom unit is one of six in the compound, which sold in 2012 for $1.59M.
A neon-illuminated bowling alley of the highest order, the Hollywood Star Lanes appears many times in the movie, but sadly no longer exists. It was demolished in 2002 to make room for an elementary school.
The exterior of the mansion ostensibly owned by the wheelchair-bound Big Lebowski was filmed at outside this contemporary manse near UCLA. The scene where Bunny propositions The Dude takes place on the second-floor patio, overlooking the pool. Fitting, considering the Playboy Mansion is right across the street.
The grand interiors of the Lebowski mansion were filmed at the famous Greystone Mansion. The impressive stone manor is owned by the city of Beverly Hills and used for plenty of film shoots, including the bowling alley from There Will Be Blood.
Walter's place of business, the storefront is viewed only once, in the lead-up to the botched handoff. Today, the unit is occupied by the contemporary art gallery Redling Fine Art.
The site of the botched ransom exchange/commando roll, "the wooden bridge" spans the Santa Clara River north of Simi Valley. Not actually wooden, it had boards added by the crew.
Despite the film's longwinded renaming, the Crane Jackson's Fountain Street Theater—where The Dude's landlord performed his "cycle"—is actually the Palace Theater, just downstairs from Maude's loft.
Said to be "on Camrose, near the In-and-Out Burger," the home of obstinant dunce Larry Sellers is actually located on Stearns Drive. Yes, this is where Walter goes ballistic on a shiny red Corvette.
Miles from the house where the interiors were shot, the site of Jackie Treehorn's beach party is actually at Malibu's Point Dume. This beach was also where the famous Statue of Liberty scene was filmed for Planet of the Apes.
Tailed by a Brother Seamus, The Dude drops a joint in his lap and slams his junker into a dumpster on this dead-end section of La Mirada Avenue. Plenty has changed in 20 years, with many of the street's little bungalows receiving makeovers.
In the world of the film, the mansion belonging to "known pornographer" Jackie Treehorn was located on the beaches of Malibu, but the scenes were actually shot at the famous Sheats-Goldstein House, designed by SoCal modernist master John Lautner.
Walter's buddies may have "died facedown in the muck" so that people could enjoy this family restaurant, but that hasn't kept it from closing in 2000. Johnie's Coffee Shop, a Googie masterpiece, was declared a historic landmark in 2013 and served as a campaign hub for presidential candidate Bernie Sanders in 2016.
The diner where the nihilists—one of them toeless—sit down to a couple servings of lingonberry pancakes, Dinah's Family Restaurant claims to have served some 20 million pancakes since opening in 1959.
We meet The Dude at Ralph's, a grocery store. There's one not far from his home in Venice, but the one used for filming was actually in Pasadena, 40 minutes away.
The film's lovable slacker protagonist Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski shacks up in one of these Venice bungalows, where his rug was so unceremoniously micturated upon. The one-bedroom unit is one of six in the compound, which sold in 2012 for $1.59M.
A neon-illuminated bowling alley of the highest order, the Hollywood Star Lanes appears many times in the movie, but sadly no longer exists. It was demolished in 2002 to make room for an elementary school.
The exterior of the mansion ostensibly owned by the wheelchair-bound Big Lebowski was filmed at outside this contemporary manse near UCLA. The scene where Bunny propositions The Dude takes place on the second-floor patio, overlooking the pool. Fitting, considering the Playboy Mansion is right across the street.
The grand interiors of the Lebowski mansion were filmed at the famous Greystone Mansion. The impressive stone manor is owned by the city of Beverly Hills and used for plenty of film shoots, including the bowling alley from There Will Be Blood.
Walter's place of business, the storefront is viewed only once, in the lead-up to the botched handoff. Today, the unit is occupied by the contemporary art gallery Redling Fine Art.
The site of the botched ransom exchange/commando roll, "the wooden bridge" spans the Santa Clara River north of Simi Valley. Not actually wooden, it had boards added by the crew.
Despite the film's longwinded renaming, the Crane Jackson's Fountain Street Theater—where The Dude's landlord performed his "cycle"—is actually the Palace Theater, just downstairs from Maude's loft.
Said to be "on Camrose, near the In-and-Out Burger," the home of obstinant dunce Larry Sellers is actually located on Stearns Drive. Yes, this is where Walter goes ballistic on a shiny red Corvette.
Miles from the house where the interiors were shot, the site of Jackie Treehorn's beach party is actually at Malibu's Point Dume. This beach was also where the famous Statue of Liberty scene was filmed for Planet of the Apes.
Tailed by a Brother Seamus, The Dude drops a joint in his lap and slams his junker into a dumpster on this dead-end section of La Mirada Avenue. Plenty has changed in 20 years, with many of the street's little bungalows receiving makeovers.
In the world of the film, the mansion belonging to "known pornographer" Jackie Treehorn was located on the beaches of Malibu, but the scenes were actually shot at the famous Sheats-Goldstein House, designed by SoCal modernist master John Lautner.
Walter's buddies may have "died facedown in the muck" so that people could enjoy this family restaurant, but that hasn't kept it from closing in 2000. Johnie's Coffee Shop, a Googie masterpiece, was declared a historic landmark in 2013 and served as a campaign hub for presidential candidate Bernie Sanders in 2016.
The diner where the nihilists—one of them toeless—sit down to a couple servings of lingonberry pancakes, Dinah's Family Restaurant claims to have served some 20 million pancakes since opening in 1959.
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