Brewster McCloud Film Locations

[Willsatx]

I have been gone for while and glad to be back, I wanted to know in what parts of Houston was the movie filmed. Of course the Astrodome and Astroworld, but wondering where else it was filmed.

[TJones]

This should help you out.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brewster_McCloud

[JLWM8609]

Hmm... I need to find a copy of this movie, or at least the chase scene. I think my house may be in the background!

[apower]

This coming weekend at the MFA

http://www.mfah.org/main.asp?target=films&...=1&par3=772

[JLWM8609]

Looks like I will have to go and check this out. Thanks!

[terrbo]

Hmm... I need to find a copy of this movie, or at least the chase scene. I think my house may be in the background!

I have a copy on vhs

[FilioScotia]

I have been gone for while and glad to be back, I wanted to know in what parts of Houston was the movie filmed. Of course the Astrodome and Astroworld, but wondering where else it was filmed.

It had short scenes all over town, but mostly in and around the Dome and the Hermann Park Zoo. In the chase scene, the cars go airborne going over the railroad crossing on South Rice at Westpark. I worked in the Galleria area at that time, and I remember they closed South Rice all day so they could shoot that scene.

"But officer! I work right over there! I'm gonna be late."

"Sorry kid. Fugitaboutit."

That conversation really did happen. Oh yes! If you look quick, you'll see Sally Kellerman skinny dipping in the Mecom Fountain. I think they shot that one just after the crack of dawn one weekend morning when there was NO traffic anywhere in sight.

[JLWM8609]

Pretty interesting from a historical standpoint is that the Holly Hall overpass over 288 used in the chase scene was built by 1969 or 1970 though the freeway didn't open at that location until 1981. That's a longer period of time for a structure to be built for a freeway not yet built than the "bridge to nowhere" stub that was built over the I-45 mainlanes downtown in 1962 as the ramp from I-10W to I-45S, but wasn't completed and opened until 1972.

[Vertigo58]

this topic sounds real old, I mean the title. I just recall John Wayne in there somewhere. but this seems over 38 years ago?

just a tad of a note, wouldnt this topic go under: "Other topics" to disuss films, movies tv etc?

Peace! No rocks!

[gonzo1976]

this topic sounds real old, I mean the title. I just recall John Wayne in there somewhere. but this seems over 38 years ago?

I think you're referring to "Rooster Cogburn."

[Vertigo58]

I think you're referring to "Rooster Cogburn."

Your absolutely right!

I was also getting this title confused with McCloud (southern detective in big city NY) with Dennis whats his name. Poor guy now passed away.

All were close to the same era. Rooster was like 1969 as I think "Duke" got the Oscar for it.

I can never recall ever seeing Brewster Mccloud though. The wiki explanation CJones provided, makes it sound like it was a real flop at the box office. A young recluse trying to fly? sounds like a real "Razzy award contender".

[FilioScotia]

A young recluse trying to fly? sounds like a real "Razzy award contender"

Oh it was a stinker. I had several friends who were hired to work on the production crew and they were there for all the filming. They told me that as the movie went along, they watched the dailies every night at midnight in the old Delman Theater on Main at Wheeler. They had to wait till after the last movie of the night, and the owners let Altman use it for free. Altman's film was a fable of a young social outcast who lashes out, and it looked really good while it was being made. They were all expecting it to be as good as MASH, maybe even better.

Unfortunately, when the filming was done, and all the film was in the cans, Altman had to pack up and leave for Canada to start filming McCabe and Mrs Miller. All the unedited film was shipped to Hollywood, where studio boss Robert Evans took charge of the editing and cut it to pieces.

For openers Evans didn't like Altman, and worse, he hated the whole Brewster McCloud project. Evans didn't understand what Altman wanted the movie to say, and didn't care, so he edited everything good out of the movie and released it. It was a huge flop, and Altman never spoke to Evans again.

It wasn't a flop in Houston though. They held the world premier in the Astrodome. Try to visualize the Dome, with a huge movie screen about 100 feet high and several hundred feet wide, hanging over the outfield bleacher seats stretching from left field to right field, pretty much covering up the old scoreboard. The projector was on a platform somewhere out around 2nd base. VIP's and invited guests sat in folding chairs arranged in rows across the outfield and infield. We groundlings had to sit in the stands. (an interesting reversal there)

It drew a pretty big crowd. I'd guess somewhere around 20 thousand people, and the whole event was the tackiest thing you ever saw. I can't remember if Robert Altman was there or not, but a handful of his cast members showed up, mostly some no-name supporting actors.

But not to worry, because every 2nd and 3rd rate politician, showbiz wannabe and hanger-on within 500 miles of Houston showed up in limos, tuxes and minks, for the obligatory "this is a great day for Houston" and "oh I'm so proud to be here" interviews with the gushing local TV reporters and gossip writers. There was Houston, in all its "local-yokel" glory, and it - was - awful.

My wife and I had seats up in the upper level somewhere above first base, and, you know how you can't take your eyes off something that's just spectacularly and unrelentingly embarrassing to watch? That's how it was. Not the movie mind you. It was bad enough, but the whole god-awful premier scene was a local nightmare I will never forget.

[gonzo1976]

My wife and I had seats up in the upper level somewhere above first base, and, you know how you can't take your eyes off something that's just spectacularly and unrelentingly embarrassing to watch? That's how it was. Not the movie mind you. It was bad enough, but the whole god-awful premier scene was a local nightmare I will never forget.

The event sounds like fun to me. It's the idea of watching a movie like "Brewster McCloud" with 20,000 other people on a huge screen inside the Astrodome that horrifies me.

[Vertigo58]

Great behind the scenes info!

See we never would have known had you not supplied the real story! Hilarious too.

I had made an earlier comment about how past Houston movies get chopped up in the editing dept. There was a big piece of "Evening Star" that was cut out. Just makes you think of all the $ that was wasted.

PS, The name suddenly came to me. It was Dennis Weaver that played McCloud on TV.

[FilioScotia]

The event sounds like fun to me. It's the idea of watching a movie like "Brewster McCloud" with 20,000 other people on a huge screen inside the Astrodome that horrifies me.

Believe it or not, watching a movie in the Astrodome worked better than you might think. The screen was big enough, and the sound system was good enough to make us feel like we were in a huge theater.

We were able to forget we were in (at that time) the most cavernous indoor space on the planet Earth.

Hey!! There's an idea. Turn the Dome into an indoor drive-in theater. I'd go. Somebody get the County Judge on the phone.

[dbigtex56]

So far as locations: I believe the house occupied by the rich old miser (Stacy Keach, practically unrecognizable under a ton of makeup) was the Lucia House on Bute Street.

[JLWM8609]

I went to the screening tonight. It was one weird film, but it was worth it to see what Houston looked like in 1970. Was that the Jack Yates marching band at the beginning? Also caught a glimpse of my front yard during the chase scene, that's primarily why I went to see it.

[JLWM8609]

More locations I noticed in the film during the driving scenes not mentioned here:

Knight Rd. just north of the Loop

Knight Rd. and Fannin

Fannin and OST

Fannin and Holcombe

S. Main and Holcombe?

Main between Mecom Fountain and N. MacGregor (virtually unchanged stretch of road nearly 40 years later!)

Main at Alabama?

Main and Commerce

Main Street Viaduct

Ardmore and S. MacGregor

Old Columbia Tap RR bridge over Brays Bayou

N. MacGregor west of Almeda Rd.

Spur 527 (Then known as US 59)

South Loop mainlanes and feeder roads

Scott St. between Holmes and South Loop

Memorial Dr. between Houston Ave. and Shepherd

Sawyer flyover ramp onto Memorial

I'm probably missing some others. As bad and weird as the plot was, I'm thinking about seeing it again tommorow so I can see more old Houston and that car chase again.

[TJones]

...

[H-Town Man]

The student film society at the University of Chicago once did a showing of this movie. I went and watched, and everyone was just blown away by the oddness of it. These are people who watch independent films every night, mind you. Everyone walking out of the theater had stunned, confused looks on their faces.

[foxmulder]

More locations I noticed in the film during the driving scenes not mentioned here:

Knight Rd. just north of the Loop

Knight Rd. and Fannin

Fannin and OST

Fannin and Holcombe

S. Main and Holcombe?

Main between Mecom Fountain and N. MacGregor (virtually unchanged stretch of road nearly 40 years later!)

Main at Alabama?

Main and Commerce

Main Street Viaduct

Ardmore and S. MacGregor

Old Columbia Tap RR bridge over Brays Bayou

N. MacGregor west of Almeda Rd.

Spur 527 (Then known as US 59)

South Loop mainlanes and feeder roads

Scott St. between Holmes and South Loop

Memorial Dr. between Houston Ave. and Shepherd

Sawyer flyover ramp onto Memorial

I'm probably missing some others. As bad and weird as the plot was, I'm thinking about seeing it again tommorow so I can see more old Houston and that car chase again.

In one chase seen it looks like astroworld in the tram circle.

[mkultra25]

We went to the final screening last night. It's been quite a while since I've seen BREWSTER - I have the widescreen laserdisc, but nothing beats a new film print on a big screen. As everyone else has commented, it was quite a trip to see the bygone Houston of 35+ years ago. And I'd completely forgotten about the late Dean Goss' role as the Astrodome cop (surely a few folks here remember "Dean Goss' Dinner Theater").

I'd love to see a film series consisting of films in which Houston locations play a prominent role; off the top of my head, besides BREWSTER, there's THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER, LAST NIGHT AT THE ALAMO, URBAN COWBOY, and TERMS OF ENDEARMENT.

Capping off a night starting with such an offbeat film, my wife insisted we stop at the Fiesta on San Jacinto on our way back home through downtown so she could run in and grab some milk. While I was waiting for her in the parking lot, some disheveled dude opened the passenger-side door and got in my car! I went into full aggressive mode instantly and bellowed at him, "Get the (expletive deleted) out of my car, NOW!" He jumped out, apologizing profusely, before I realized that he was just really drunk and thought he was getting in the car parked next to mine. Felt kind of bad about my reaction, but for a second or two I thought I was dealing with a panhandler who wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer, or, worse yet, a carjacker.

[FilioScotia]

I'd completely forgotten about the late Dean Goss' role as the Astrodome cop (surely a few folks here remember "Dean Goss' Dinner Theater").

I'd love to see a film series consisting of films in which Houston locations play a prominent role; off the top of my head, besides BREWSTER, there's THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER, LAST NIGHT AT THE ALAMO, URBAN COWBOY, and TERMS OF ENDEARMENT.

That's a great story. Sounds like something I would have done. I mean I would be the drunk who gets into the wrong car. I think I did that once upon a time.

Anyway, You're thinking of The THIEF Who Came to Dinner, with Ryan O'Neal and Jacqueline Bisset. It was filmed in Houston in 1973, just three years after BMcCloud.

A little over 20 years ago, when I lived in a small town in east Texas -- Lufkin -- I was active with a community theater group that was based at the local community college. It was there that I met a young college student named Dean Goss Jr. He looked just like his dad, had his dad's dry sense of humor and personality, and he appeared to be following in dad's footsteps.

He was only a freshman and he was already an agent for almost a dozen students in the drama department. He had signed contracts. I don't know if any of his clients ever succeeded, but I thought it was funny that junior was trying so hard to be just like dad. I have no idea how he turned out or what he's doing now.

[gonzo1976]

I'd love to see a film series consisting of films in which Houston locations play a prominent role; off the top of my head, besides BREWSTER, there's THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER, LAST NIGHT AT THE ALAMO, URBAN COWBOY, and TERMS OF ENDEARMENT.

To do that, you'd also have to include such clunkers as "Robocop 2," "Night Game," "I Come in Peace," and "The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training."

Actually, I like that last one.

[mkultra25]

Anyway, You're thinking of The THIEF Who Came to Dinner, with Ryan O'Neal and Jacqueline Bisset. It was filmed in Houston in 1973, just three years after BMcCloud.

Oops. You're quite right, Bette Davis and Monty Woolley don't have much to do with THE THIEF WHO CAME TO DINNER. THIEF should be of particular interest to HAIFers because of the many interior location shots of River Oaks mansions - interior decoration has evolved a bit since 1973, to say the least. Unfortunately, it's pretty hard to see - its only home video release was years ago on a VHS tape that's long out of print, but copies can probably still be found on Amazon or eBay with a little bit of digging.

A little over 20 years ago, when I lived in a small town in east Texas -- Lufkin -- I was active with a community theater group that was based at the local community college. It was there that I met a young college student named Dean Goss Jr. He looked just like his dad, had his dad's dry sense of humor and personality, and he appeared to be following in dad's footsteps.

"Small town"? Sure, by Houston standards, but up in East Texas Lufkin's a teeming metropolis. My aunt and several cousins live there.

All kidding aside, that's a fascinating story - I've never heard much about Dean Goss Jr., and likewise wonder what he's doing now.

[JLWM8609]

Anyway, You're thinking of The THIEF Who Came to Dinner, with Ryan O'Neal and Jacqueline Bisset. It was filmed in Houston in 1973, just three years after BMcCloud.

Last time I saw that movie, it aired late one night on ABC13, it was nearly 10 years ago. Wasn't there a race scene filmed on S. Braeswood in this movie?

[mkultra25]

To do that, you'd also have to include such clunkers as "Robocop 2," "Night Game," "I Come in Peace," and "The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training."

Actually, I like that last one.

I'd forgotten about those, but you could have a mini-series of films set in the Dome with BREWSTER, NIGHT GAME, and BREAKING TRAINING, plus the progenitor of all the killer bee flicks, THE SWARM.

[AJB857]

I was 12 years old when I saw the movie and will never forget the Sally Kellerman scene in the Mecom fountain. I remember it every time I drive by there

[theoriginalkj]

Looks like I will have to go and check this out. Thanks!

I would love a copy of this movie! Can anybody provide me with a copy transferred to DVD with one of those VHS->DVD transfer machines? I am dying to see this movie!

Kevin

[EatSleepMOD]

To do that, you'd also have to include such clunkers as "Robocop 2," "Night Game," "I Come in Peace," and "The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training."

Actually, I like that last one.

Cool post...must check out this movie.

Don't forget about "Reality Bites"