Los Angeles Plays Itself

From its distinctive neighborhoods to its architectural homes, Los Angeles has been the backdrop to countless movies. In this dazzling work, Andersen takes viewers on a whirlwind tour through the metropolis' real and cinematic history, investigating the myriad stories and legends that have come to define it, and meticulously, judiciously revealing the real city that lives beneath.

Documentary

Encke King

(Narrator (voice))

Ben Alexander

(Officer Frank Smith in Dragnet (archive footage))

Jim Backus

(Frank Stark in Rebel Without A Cause (archive footage))

Brenda Bakke

(Lana Turner in L.A. Confidential (archive footage))

Barbara O. Jones

(Dorothy in Bush Mama (archive footage))

Gene Barry

(Dr. Clayton Forrester in The War of The Worlds (archive footage))

Richard Basehart

(Roy Morgan/Roy Martin in He Walked By Night (archive footage))

Hugh Beaumont

(George Copeland in The Blue Dahlia (archive footage))

William Bendix

(Buzz Wanchek in The Blue Dahlia (archive footage))

Ann Blyth

(Veda Pierce in Mildred Pierce (archive footage))

Jim Bouton

(Terry Lennox in The Long Goodbye (archive footage))

Grand L. Bush

(FBI Agent Little Johnson in Die Hard (archive footage))

James Cagney

(Tom Powers in The Public Enemy (archive footage))

Lon Chaney Jr.

(Charles Benton in The Indestructible Man (archive footage))

John Considine

(Matthew Crawford in Timestalkers (archive footage))

Bill Cosby

(Al Hickey in Hickey & Boggs (archive footage))

Robert Culp

(Frank Boggs in Hickey & Boggs (archive footage))

Howard Duff

(Dave Pomeroy in Panic in the City (archive footage))

Deanna Durbin

(Penny in Three Smart Girls (archive footage))

Mark Frechette

(Mark in Zabriskie Point (archive footage))

John Garfield

(Nick Blake in Nobody Lives Forever (archive footage))

Ben Gazzara

(Jackie Treehorn in The Big Lebowski (archive footage))

Bruce Glover

(Duffy in Chinatown (archive footage))

Marjoe Gortner

(Joby in Earthquake (archive footage))

James Griffith

(Jesse Quinn in Dragnet (archive footage))

Daria Halprin

(Daria in Zabriskie Point (archive footage))

Oliver Hardy

(Ollie (archive footage))

Jean Harlow

(Gwen Allen in The Public Enemy (archive footage))

Bob Hope

(Adam J. Niles in Bachelor in Paradise (archive footage))

Lauren Hutton

(Georgia Crawford in Timestalkers (archive footage))

Henry Jaglom

(Dean in Venice/Venice (archive footage))

David Janssen

(Steve in Two-Minute Warning (archive footage))

Peter Jason

(Duty Sergeant in Escape From L.A. (archive footage))

Roy Jenson

(Mulvihill in Chinatown (archive footage))

Jack Klugman

(Sandman in Two-Minute Warning (archive footage))

Alan Ladd

(Philip Raven in This Gun For Hire (archive footage))

Stan Laurel

(Stan (archive footage))

Al Leong

(Uli in Die Hard (archive footage))

Jerry Lewis

(Jerome Littlefield in The Disorderly Orderly (archive footage))

Gary Lockwood

(George Matthews in Model Shop (archive footage))

Perry Lopez

(Escobar in Chinatown (archive footage))

Lyle Lovett

(Detective DeLongpre in The Player (archive footage))

Fred MacMurray

(Walter Neff in Double Indemnity (archive footage))

Guy Madison

(Cliff Harper in Till the End of Time (archive footage))

Joe Mantell

(Walsh in Chinatown (archive footage))

Matt McCoy

(Brett Chase in L.A. Confidential (archive footage))

Ralph Meeker

(Mike Hammer in Kiss Me Deadly (archive footage))

Sal Mineo

(John 'Plato' Crawford in Rebel Without A Cause (archive footage))

Harry Morgan

(Officer Bill Gannon in Dragnet (archive footage))

Robert Morley

(Sir Ambrose Abercrombie in The Loved Ones (archive footage))

Robert Morse

(Dennis Barlow in The Loved Ones (archive footage))

Tom Neal

(Al Roberts in Detour (archive footage))

Lloyd Nolan

(Dr. Vance in Earthquake (archive footage))

Edmond O'Brien

(Frank Bigelow in D.O.A (archive footage))

Carroll O'Connor

(Lt. Christy French in Marlowe (archive footage))

Belinda Palmer

(Katherine in Chinatown (archive footage))

Jürgen Prochnow

(Michael Kogan in The Replacement Killers (archive footage))

Tony Roberts

(Rob in Annie Hall (archive footage))

Cliff Robertson

(President in Escape From L.A. (archive footage))

Mitchell Ryan

(The Priest in Two-Minute Warning (archive footage))

Ann Savage

(Vera in Detour (archive footage))

Zachary Scott

(Monte Beragon in Mildred Pierce (archive footage))

Paolo Seganti

(Johnny Stompanato in L.A. Confidential (archive footage))

James Stacy

(Joe Brodnek in Flareup (archive footage))

Madeleine Stowe

(Karen Carr in Unlawful Entry (archive footage))

David Strathairn

(Pierce Patchett in L.A. Confidential (archive footage))

Gloria Swanson

(Norma Desmond in Sunset Blvd (archive footage))

William Talman

(Dave Purvis in Armoured Car Robbery (archive footage))

Larenz Tate

(Frankie Lymon in Why Do Fools Fall In Love (archive footage))

George Tobias

(Al Doyle in Nobody Lives Forever (archive footage))

Lana Turner

(Cora Smith in The Postman Always Rings Twice (archive footage))

Diane Venora

(Justine in Heat (archive footage))

John Vernon

(Mal Reese in Point Blank (archive footage))

Craig Wasson

(Jake Scully in Body Double (archive footage))

Keenen Ivory Wayans

(Det. Jim Campbell in The Glimmer Man (archive footage))

Jack Webb

(Sergeant Joe Friday in Dragnet (archive footage))

Raquel Welch

(Michele in Flareup (archive footage))

James Whitmore

(Lou Hopke in Shadow in The Sky (archive footage))

Cornel Wilde

(Griff Marat in Shockproof (archive footage))

Mykelti Williamson

(Det. Oliver Franklin in First Power (archive footage))

Jonathan Winters

(Wilbur Glenworthy in The Loved Ones (archive footage))

Natalie Wood

(Judy in Rebel Without A Cause (archive footage))

Jenny Wright

(Diz in Out of Bounds (archive footage))

Burt Young

(Curly in Chinatown (archive footage))

Darrell Zwerling

(Hollis Mulwray in Chinatown (archive footage))

Kurt Russell

(Snake Plissken in Escape From L.A. (archive footage))