Charley Chase - His Silent Racket (1933) - Filming Locations
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Historical Production & Location Reference
| Film: | His Silent Racket (1933) |
| Stars: | Charley Chase |
| Studio: | Hal Roach Studios |
- Bacon Pharmacy: Located at Motor Avenue and Tabor Street, this long-standing neighborhood commercial fixture stood for decades before being replaced by modern apartment building.
- The Tabor Family Farm House: Situated at 3563 Motor Avenue, this historic residence was one of the very first homes built in the area, standing for over a century until being demolished in the late 2010s.
- Motor Ave & Woodbine St: A prominent, repeating intersection throughout silent and early sound comedy, famously serving as a frequent filming location for the Our Gang shorts.
Production & Preservation Note: Filmed in the Palms neighborhood in Los Angeles, His Silent Racket provides an essential archival record of early West Los Angeles streetscapes, capturing iconic residential and commercial landmarks that have since transitioned into high-density modern apartment buildings.
The Plot
In the hilarious 1933 short His Silent Racket, comedy legend Charley Chase finds himself being conned by James Finlayson, the owner of a failing dry-cleaning shop, to purchase an ownership interest. Unfortunately, some local mobsters are trying to get Finlayson to pay protection money and this puts Chase in a high-stakes predicament: There's a bomb in his laundry delivery truck!
Meet Charley Chase
Beyond his genius as an actor, director, and writer, Chase was a cornerstone of the Golden Age of Comedy. He is widely remembered for his iconic role in Laurel and Hardy's 1933 feature film Sons of the Desert and for directing legendary Three Stooges shorts, including the 1938 classic Mutts To You.
Current members can view our entire filming locations then and now video of Mutts To You by Logging into the site and clicking here:
The Three Stooges - Mutts To You - Complete Filming Locations Then and Now Documentary Video
Exploring the Lost Landmarks of Palms, Los Angeles
His Silent Racket was filmed on location in the Palms neighborhood on the west side of Los Angeles. This area served as a massive outdoor backlot for early Hollywood. In our "then and now" look, we explore three specific landmarks that have appeared in dozens of films since the 1920s:
- Bacon Pharmacy (Motor Avenue & Tabor Street): A neighborhood staple for nearly a century, this historic building has since been replaced by a modern apartment complex.
- The Tabor Family Farm House (3563 Motor Avenue): One of the very first homes built in Palms, this beautiful farmhouse stood for over a century before recently making way for new development. It's prominently featured in the 1927 Our Gang / The Little Rascals movie Dog Heaven.
- Motor Avenue & Woodbine Street: This famous intersection is a "holy grail" for fans of Our Gang / The Little Rascals, appearing frequently throughout their 1920s and 1930s filmography, most prominently in their 1929 early-talkie movie Boxing Gloves.
More Filming Locations Here!
Browse through all of the other filming locations on the site here:
Filming Locations Then and Now - Site Listings
Member Exclusive - Full "Then and Now" Documentary Video and Photo Gallery
If you have made a small donation to the site and are a current member, you can view the ENTIRE filming locations video in the Charley Chase Filming Locations Documentary Videos section of the site by clicking here to Login and then clicking here:
Charley Chase - His Silent Racket - Filming Locations Then and Now - Complete Documentary Video
And don't miss the complete photo gallery of filming locations then and now here:
Charley Chase - His Silent Racket - Complete Filming Locations Photo Gallery