In celebration of its 20th Anniversary as a leading authority in classic film, Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is inviting fans to take the ultimate ride through movie history with the "TCM Movie Locations Tour." The network is partnering with Starline Tours, the leader in Hollywood sightseeing tours, to produce the “TCM Movie Locations Tour." The oldest tour organization in Los Angeles, Starline tours is synonymous with celebrity homes and lifestyles, having pioneered the original tours of movie stars’ homes in 1935. The free, three-hour bus tour will be open for a limited time March 14 – April 14, overlapping with the 2014 TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood.
The "TCM Movie Locations Tour" tour will take place on a brand-new, state-of-the-art bus with stadium-style seating and a 65"-inch HDTV. The bus also features skylight windows and retractable side windows to allow better viewing of the Los Angeles cityscape and movie locations. This marks TCM's second sightseeing bus tour. Last August, the network launched the "TCM Classic Film Tour" in New York, which continues to delight fans with its three-hour tour of some of New York's greatest filming locations.
"After enjoying such tremendous success with our 'TCM Classic Film Tour' in New York, we decided to bring some of that magic to Los Angeles for a limited time to celebrate TCM's 20th anniversary," said Dennis Adamovich, senior vice president of digital, affiliate, lifestyle and enterprise commerce, TCM, TBS and TNT. "The 'TCM Movie Locations Tour' is a great chance to celebrate classic film in the very heart of the movie business, Los Angeles. It's also another way for us to thank to TCM's community of fans for their passion and devotion."
The "TCM Movie Locations Tour" is a fun and engaging excursion that brings movie history alive by pairing modern and classic film clips with visits to the locations where they were filmed. The tour will begin at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX® in Hollywood and carry passengers throughout Hollywood, downtown Los Angeles and surrounding areas, a route that tells the history of the region through the story of the movies.
The "TCM Movie Locations Tour" will feature such sites as Echo Park (Chinatown), the 2nd Street Tunnel (Blade Runner, The Terminator), Bryson Apartments (Double Indemnity, The Grifters) and the Gilmore Gas Station (L.A. Story), to name a few. It will also include the Roosevelt Hotel, home of the very first Academy Awards and host hotel for the TCM Classic Film Festival, and Hollywood High School, which turned out such stars as Lana Turner and Judy Garland. In addition, the tour will make stops at two exciting and historic filming locations: the Bradbury Building (Blade Runner, The Artist) and Union Station (The Way We Were, Silver Streak).
A veteran Hollywood Starline tour guide will provide the kind of expert commentary and behind-the-scenes insights that TCM is known for, with numerous film clips and photos to help visitors envision historic downtown, the original locations of the first movie studios and other film sites of interest. Multiple video segments featuring TCM host Ben Mankiewicz, whose family has a long and illustrious connection to the movie industry, provide additional insights and a true insider's view.
Fans can book reservations for the "TCM Movie Locations Tour" online through TCM's 20th Anniversary website: www.tcm.com/20.
The following is a complete schedule of dates and times for the "TCM Movie Locations Tour":
Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays – March 14-April 6: One tour daily at 10 a.m.
Wednesday, April 9-Friday, April 11: Two tours daily at 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
(NOTE: The April 9 tour will begin at 1:30 p.m. only)
Saturday, April 12-Monday, April 14: One tour daily at 9:30 a.m.
