| Address |
| 4270 Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood, CA 91602, USA (North Hollywood, California)
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| Information |
California Charlie's Used Car Lot
Though recent renovations may have modernized this North Hollywood car dealership's appearance, it still bears a resemblance to its big-screen appearance in the 1960 Alfred Hitchcock classic, Psycho. At the time of the production, the lot was known as Harry Maher's Used Car Lot, but in later years it was home to Royal Pontiac Tempest, Ruehman Pontiac, Ruehman BMW, Century BMW, and finally MINI of Universal City. Most sources continue to maintain that the lot is home to Century BMW, when in reality the dealership relocated down the block several years ago.
Psycho (1960)
The car lot made its appearance in the film when the character of Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) stops here to exchange her car for one with California plates. At this point in the film, Crane is on the run after stealing money from her employer in Arizona and fleeing to California. After encountering a police officer on the road, she wants to swap vehicles and license plates to try and throw authorities off her track. It is here that she buys the '57 Ford that later serves as her final resting place at the bottom of the swamp, courtesy of one Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins). Though the dealership is located North Hollywood, California, it is meant to represent a dealership in the city of Bakersfield in central California in Psycho.
The dealership is an interesting footnote in the production of Psycho. Though there was establishing shots of the city of Phoenix, Arizona, as well as second-unit filming of I-99 in California (which was later added to Marion's "drive" through rear projection), the car lot was the only "on location" shoot for the production for actress Janet Leigh. The only possible exception to this was some filming done on Gorman Post Road, north of Los Angeles, where Crane was pulled over by a police officer prior to this scene. Due to budget constraints, Hitchcock filmed the majority of the film in the backlot of nearby Universal Studios, which at the time was the Revue Studios lot where his television series, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, was shot. These set pieces there included the likes of the infamous Psycho House and Bates Motel (see Universal Hollywood: Psycho House and Bates Motel), as well as the swamp (actually Falls Lake), which can still be seen on the Universal Studio Tour.
As an example of the meticulous nature of Alfred Hitchcock, he reportedly sent his assistant director, Hilton Green, to photograph car salesmen in central California to know exactly what they might be wearing. Similarly, he sent screenwriter Joseph Stefano to observe salesmen at nearby dealerships to study how they handled themselves and talked during a sale. All of this was brought together for the character of California Charlie (John Anderson) in Psycho, who famously uttered the lines, "Well, this is the first time the customer ever high-pressured the salesman."
At the time of Psycho's production, the Ford Motor Company was the sponsor of Hitchcock's television series, Alfred Hitchcock Presents. As such, the car lot was cleared of its former inventory and restocked with various different models of Ford. The location shoot at the dealership was completed in one day. While there is a bathroom at the dealership, it was deemed too small to fit a film crew and that segment was shot at the studio. Surprisingly, when it came time for Gus Van Sant's shot-for-shot remake of Psycho in 1998, the filmmakers reportedly opted to film the scene at a dealership on Van Nuys Boulevard.
The Dealership Today
As noted, the dealership at 4270 Lankershim Boulevard at Whipple Street has recently undergone some renovations that have altered its appearance. However, it is still somewhat recognizable as the famous California Charlie's car lot from Hitchcock's Psycho. In the real world, it continues to be the home of the dealership MINI of Universal City that serves customers from the greater-Los Angeles area. Curious fans that plan a visit should remember that it is an active business and should show respect for the company and their patrons. |
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| Related Sites |
Psycho
The screenplay to Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho. |
Psycho
The official site of the remake Psycho. |
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| Similar Destinations |
| Universal Hollywood: Psycho House and Bates Motel |
| Spahn Ranch |
| Marblehead, Massachusetts |
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| See Also on TheCabinet.com |
| There are no other pages on this site associated with this location. |
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| Available from Amazon.com |
The Worldwide Guide to Movie Locations (NEW updated edition) |
Psycho (Special Edition) (Universal Legacy Series) |
Psycho (Collector's Edition) |
Psycho |
Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho |
Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho: A Casebook (Casebooks in Criticism) |
Psycho: Behind the Scenes of the Classic Thriller |
PSYCHO SHOWER CURTAIN |
Bloody Shower Curtain |
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