Tuesday, 21 August 2012

Filming Locations: The Golden Child (1986)


This hilarious 80's action-comedy starring one of all time great comedians, Eddie Murphy, was filmed mostly on location in Los Angeles and Nepal. Two of the more notable scenes were actually filmed in the San Fernando Valley. The first scene to be filmed in the SFV was actually mentioned in the movie which happened to be Pacoima. 
  • Time - Phrase
  • 00:25:33 - Yeah? - Are you looking for Cheryl Mosely
  • 00:25:36 - Yeah. - I know the bastards who grabbed her.
  • 00:25:41 - Who was she with? - Have you ever been in Pacoima
  • 00:25:44 - Yeah. Who was she with? - Behind the freeway there's a house.
  • 00:25:47 - It's a pad for some bikers called the Yellow Dragons.
I am not sure where the home was actually filmed in Pacoima but one scene I recognized is when Eddie Murphy drives around Pacoima and they show the corner of what I believe is San Fernando Road and Paxton with the 118 Freeway in the background. This is next to the Costco complex which was not around at the time of filming this movie but was instead the Price-Pfister Foundry plant. There also appears to be other street scenes filmed in Pacoima but I cannot recognize them. 

The next two pictures look like bikers driving around Pacoima but I am not entirely sure nor the location.


The next two pictures look like the corner of San Fernando Road and Paxton with the 118 freeway in the background near the old Price-Pfister Foundry.  


Image courtesy Google Earth: This image is from May 31, 1994 and shows the old Price-Pfister Foundry plant in the upper right corner.

Image courtesy Google Maps: The old Price-Pfister site today with  Lowes parking lot in the upper right corner and Costco yet to be built. 
The next three pictures look like the backyard of a home in Pacoima but I am not entirely sure. This scene is funny as Eddie Murphy jumps over a wall holding a gun while a family is enjoying an outdoor BBQ.



The second SFV scene is the Nike missile site up in the Encino Hills. This is where Eddie Murphy runs away from Sardo Numspa who transforms into this flying monster and ends up chasing Eddie on the dirt path (Mulholland Drive) that leads to the missile site and eventually inside the site almost practically destroying it.

The corner of Mulholland Drive and Encino Hills Drive with the SFV in the background.

The Nike Missile Site known as LA-96. I believe some of it was altered for the movie as it clearly looks different today. I dont even know if this site was open to the public in the mid 80's.




Image courtesy Bing Maps: Nike Missile Site in Encino.
Image courtesy Bing Maps: Nike Missile Site on the left hand corner with  Mulholland Drive shown in the middle that was also used in the film where Eddie Murphy drives to the site.

And here is the trailer....


You can view more SFV filming locations here