Los Angeles Plays Itself

Los Angeles Plays Itself (2004)

Documentary

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.

star 7.6 7.8 86 96%
  • Release Date: 2004-07-28
  • Runtime: 2h 49min
  • Director: Thom Andersen

Where to Watch Los Angeles Plays Itself Online

You can now watch Los Angeles Plays Itself online on the following streaming services in the United States.

    • Trailer

    Cast

    • 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)

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