The Thing On The Town | MCU Location Scout

The Thing crossing a street at nighttime.

I’m the one who’s a freak.

Ben Grimm, now a rocky monster called The Thing, takes off from his friends, embarrassed at his freakish appearance. He wanders the streets of the town, scaring two young girls before finding his way to the Jeweler’s hideout.

Thinking like a low-budget production, I had to ask, “Where would I go to shoot this scene of a man in a monster suit?” The answer was Hollywood. It made the most sense, and it has the same nighttime vibe that New York City would provide. And what better Hollywood location than Hollywood and Vine? The lights behind The Thing appear to be those of the Frolic Room and Pantages Theater, looking east along Hollywood Boulevard.

Additionally, the poster behind the women whom The Thing scares is advertising, not a movie, but a play called Jake’s Women with Alan Alda. Checking to see where this play might have been playing in the Los Angeles area in early 1993 (during the time of production) turned up one theater: the Doolittle Theater (now the Montalban Theater) at 1615 Vine Street, just a block south of the famous intersection above.

  • The Thing crossing a street at nighttime.
  • The Thing crossing a street at nighttime.
  • A woman startled by the Thing outside a theater.
  • The Thing on a sidewalk at night.

MAP

(The Fantastic Four, 1994)