Laurel and Hardy - Liberty (1929) - Filming Locations
Watch the Quick Preview Video below, and scroll down for information about the filming locations.
Historical Production & Location Reference
| Film Title: |
Liberty (1929) |
| Comedy Team: |
Stan Laurel & Oliver Hardy |
| Studio Origin: |
Hal Roach Studios (Culver City) |
Featured Historical Landmarks:
- Main Street, Culver City: Serving as the opening backdrop immediately following their prison escape, the boys try to elude a policeman next to the historic Adams Hotel on this iconic stretch of roadway.
- 939 South Broadway Rooftop: Located in downtown Los Angeles, the rooftop of this building served as the staging ground for the phony "skyscraper under construction" set where the climax of the short film was executed.
- 1023 South Broadway Building: Built in 1925, this nearby commercial structure is prominently visible in the background of the high-altitude girders sequence.
Architectural Note: This short provides an invaluable comparative record of early Southern California. While the high-wire skyscraper antics appear terrifyingly real, the clever utilization of a false construction set atop the existing 939 South Broadway roof perfectly blended the burgeoning Los Angeles skyline with Hal Roach's signature physical comedy layout.
Laurel and Hardy have just escaped from prison, and find themselves on the streets of downtown Culver City, California next to the Adams Hotel
(see Hunter - Scrap Metal Quick Preview Video #4 for a look at the Adams Hotel nearly 60 years later). A cop on the beat spots Laurel and Hardy, immediately becomes suspicious and follows them down Culver City's Main Street and ultimately to a skyscraper under construction.
Downtown Los Angeles Skyline In 1929
The final scene takes place high above the streets of downtown Los Angeles and as you'll see in this Quick Preview then and now video of the filming locations, several of the buildings seen in the movie in 1929 are still here today. Where exactly did Laurel and Hardy film those skyscraper scenes in
Liberty? They were filmed on the roof of 939 South Broadway on a phony "skyscraper under construction" set. The nearby building that we see in this sequence is 1023 South Broadway (built in 1925) in downtown Los Angeles.
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