Laurel and Hardy - The Music Box (1932) - Filming Locations
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Historical Production & Location Reference
| Film Title: | The Music Box (1932) |
| Comedy Team: | Stan Laurel & Oliver Hardy |
| Studio Origin: | Hal Roach Studios (Culver City) |
- The Music Box Steps: Located at 923-935 Vendome Street in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles, this massive concrete public stairway serves as the central focal point for the duo's grueling attempt to haul a piano uphill.
- The Base Crossroads: The lower approach where the transfer wagon sits before the ascent filmed precisely at the intersection of Del Monte Drive and Vendome Street.
- The Top-of-the-Hill Estate: While the house at the top of the stairs was a temporary set constructed on a studio backlot, the real-world summit offers a sweeping look at the early residential typography of the area.
Historical Context Note: As a crowning achievement that earned the inaugural Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Subject (Comedy), this film immortalized a simple piece of municipal infrastructure. Today, the steps are officially recognized by the City of Los Angeles as an interpretive cultural monument, complete with a commemorative plaque embedded directly into the lower concrete tier to honor Laurel and Hardy's late-1931 production schedule.
The Plot
Laurel and Hardy are hired to deliver a piano to a house that sits at the top of a very high hill.
NOTE: This Laurel and Hardy movie won the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Subject - Comedy of 1932.
The Filming Location
Besides a scene at the beginning of the movie and interiors of the house towards the end of the film, the rest of The Music Box was filmed on location.
The stairs up the hill connecting North Vendome Street with Descanso Drive have existed since 1922, having appeared in several films BEFORE Laurel and Hardy filmed The Music Box here, including:
- Ice Cold Cocos (1926) starring Billy Bevan and Andy Clyde
- Isn't Life Terrible? (1925) starring Charley Chase
In addition to the famous Music Box Steps, the houses at the bottom of the hill that were seen in the movie are still standing:
- 3025 Del Monte Drive, built in 1923
- 935 North Vendome Street, built in 1929
If you're in Los Angeles and have time to visit just one filming location, this is the one!
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