Filming Locations: Rock 'n' Roll High School (1979)
Rock 'n' Roll High School is a 1979 musical comedy film produced by Roger Corman, directed by Allan Arkush, and starring P. J. Soles, Vince Van Patten, and Clint Howard. The film featured the punk rock group The Ramones (Wikipedia).
Several sites mention that Van Nuys High School was used in this film but the movie credits (shown at the bottom) make no mention of Van Nuys but rather Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach. So its possible that maybe the interior of Van Nuys was used and the exterior only from Mira Costa. I am not sure as I never attended Van Nuys nor have been on the campus. But IMDB and Fast-Rewind both state Van Nuys as a filming location so I believe it. I captured several images but I dont know which one belongs to Van Nuys.
You can view more SFV Filming Locations here.
Van Nuys High School 6535 Cedros Ave Van Nuys CA
Cant confirm location but appears to be overlooking the SFV possibly from Mulholland Drive.
Another location I can confirm but appears to one of the main boulevards possibly Sepulveda, Lankershim, Vineland, etc.
The movie credits mentioning Mira Costa but nothing for Van Nuys.
And the movie trailer:
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Marty Mcfly
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The opening scenes were filmed at Van Nuys HS. I graduated in 1977 - Vince Van Patten graduated in 1975 - also from VNHS.
ReplyDeleteGreat article! I just wanted to offer a few details to clarify a few of the locations as I understand them.
ReplyDeleteAccording to a Wikipedia article on Mira Costa High School “In 1979, many members of the football and cheerleading squads, attired in their green and gold uniforms, were included as extras in the film Rock 'n' Roll High School.” So Mira Costa was not a filming location. Also, the film was actually shot in (November-December) 1978.
IMDb also lists El Segundo High School as a film location, but I can find nothing to back that up.
From what I can tell, all the outdoor shots you show here with strings of flags/banners overhead were shot in the quad at Van Nuys High School. The interior scenes involving the gym classes (and science classrooms) were also filmed at Van Nuys High School. On the DVD commentary track (2010 DVD release), it is mentioned that the Arcadia (“Arabians”) gymnastic team performed in the gym scenes.
(6535 Cedros Ave, Van Nuys, CA 91411)
The interior scenes involving hallway shots with the lockers and vaulted (rounded) ceilings were filmed inside Mount Carmel High School, which, according to Wikipedia, was a Catholic all-boys' high school located near downtown L.A. The school opened in 1934, closed in 1976 (two years before “Rock ‘n’ Roll High School” was filmed), and was demolished in 1983.
(7011 S Hoover St, Los Angeles, CA 90044)
According to an August 2, 2019 article in Los Angeles Magazine (lamag.com) by Jared Cowan, the scenes overlooking the SFV from Mulholland Drive were filmed at the The Barbara A. Fine Overlook at 11801 Mulholland Drive. On the DVD commentary track (2010 DVD release), Director Allan Arkush would seem to confirm this as he says it is located on Mulholland between Coldwater and Laurel Canyon. (11801 Mulholland Dr, Studio City, CA 91604)
The brief scene where Riff (P.J. Soles) and Kate (Dey Young) park Riff’s Mustang and get out in a hurry to use a phone booth (occupied by a man struggling with an engagement ring) was filmed in front of Le Rendezvous Motel at the corner of Sepulveda Boulevard and Haynes Street in Van Nuys.
(6501 Sepulveda Blvd, Van Nuys, CA 91411)
I can verify the above re: Mira Costa. I was there and filmed both days; we took a bus to Van Nuys and spent two whole days filming.
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