About Los Angeles Plays Itself
- Released on July 28, 2004
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.
Full Cast of Los Angeles Plays Itself
Encke King plays Narrator (voice)
Ben Alexander plays Officer Frank Smith in Dragnet (archive footage)
Jim Backus plays Frank Stark in Rebel Without A Cause (archive footage)
Brenda Bakke plays Lana Turner in L.A. Confidential (archive footage)
Barbara O. Jones plays Dorothy in Bush Mama (archive footage)
Gene Barry plays Dr. Clayton Forrester in The War of The Worlds (archive footage)
Richard Basehart plays Roy Morgan/Roy Martin in He Walked By Night (archive footage)
Hugh Beaumont plays George Copeland in The Blue Dahlia (archive footage)
William Bendix plays Buzz Wanchek in The Blue Dahlia (archive footage)
Ann Blyth plays Veda Pierce in Mildred Pierce (archive footage)
Jim Bouton plays Terry Lennox in The Long Goodbye (archive footage)
Grand L. Bush plays FBI Agent Little Johnson in Die Hard (archive footage)
James Cagney plays Tom Powers in The Public Enemy (archive footage)
Lon Chaney Jr. plays Charles Benton in The Indestructible Man (archive footage)
John Considine plays Matthew Crawford in Timestalkers (archive footage)
Bill Cosby plays Al Hickey in Hickey & Boggs (archive footage)
Robert Culp plays Frank Boggs in Hickey & Boggs (archive footage)
Howard Duff plays Dave Pomeroy in Panic in the City (archive footage)
Deanna Durbin plays Penny in Three Smart Girls (archive footage)
Mark Frechette plays Mark in Zabriskie Point (archive footage)
John Garfield plays Nick Blake in Nobody Lives Forever (archive footage)
Ben Gazzara plays Jackie Treehorn in The Big Lebowski (archive footage)
Bruce Glover plays Duffy in Chinatown (archive footage)
Marjoe Gortner plays Joby in Earthquake (archive footage)
James Griffith plays Jesse Quinn in Dragnet (archive footage)
Daria Halprin plays Daria in Zabriskie Point (archive footage)
Oliver Hardy plays Ollie (archive footage)
Jean Harlow plays Gwen Allen in The Public Enemy (archive footage)
Bob Hope plays Adam J. Niles in Bachelor in Paradise (archive footage)
Lauren Hutton plays Georgia Crawford in Timestalkers (archive footage)
Henry Jaglom plays Dean in Venice/Venice (archive footage)
David Janssen plays Steve in Two-Minute Warning (archive footage)
Peter Jason plays Duty Sergeant in Escape From L.A. (archive footage)
Roy Jenson plays Mulvihill in Chinatown (archive footage)
Jack Klugman plays Sandman in Two-Minute Warning (archive footage)
Alan Ladd plays Philip Raven in This Gun For Hire (archive footage)
Stan Laurel plays Stan (archive footage)
Al Leong plays Uli in Die Hard (archive footage)
Jerry Lewis plays Jerome Littlefield in The Disorderly Orderly (archive footage)
Gary Lockwood plays George Matthews in Model Shop (archive footage)
Perry Lopez plays Escobar in Chinatown (archive footage)
Lyle Lovett plays Detective DeLongpre in The Player (archive footage)
Fred MacMurray plays Walter Neff in Double Indemnity (archive footage)
Guy Madison plays Cliff Harper in Till the End of Time (archive footage)
Joe Mantell plays Walsh in Chinatown (archive footage)
Matt McCoy plays Brett Chase in L.A. Confidential (archive footage)
Ralph Meeker plays Mike Hammer in Kiss Me Deadly (archive footage)
Sal Mineo plays John 'Plato' Crawford in Rebel Without A Cause (archive footage)
Harry Morgan plays Officer Bill Gannon in Dragnet (archive footage)
Robert Morley plays Sir Ambrose Abercrombie in The Loved Ones (archive footage)
Robert Morse plays Dennis Barlow in The Loved Ones (archive footage)
Tom Neal plays Al Roberts in Detour (archive footage)
Lloyd Nolan plays Dr. Vance in Earthquake (archive footage)
Edmond O'Brien plays Frank Bigelow in D.O.A (archive footage)
Carroll O'Connor plays Lt. Christy French in Marlowe (archive footage)
Belinda Palmer plays Katherine in Chinatown (archive footage)
Jürgen Prochnow plays Michael Kogan in The Replacement Killers (archive footage)
Tony Roberts plays Rob in Annie Hall (archive footage)
Cliff Robertson plays President in Escape From L.A. (archive footage)
Mitchell Ryan plays The Priest in Two-Minute Warning (archive footage)
Ann Savage plays Vera in Detour (archive footage)
Zachary Scott plays Monte Beragon in Mildred Pierce (archive footage)
Paolo Seganti plays Johnny Stompanato in L.A. Confidential (archive footage)
James Stacy plays Joe Brodnek in Flareup (archive footage)
Madeleine Stowe plays Karen Carr in Unlawful Entry (archive footage)
David Strathairn plays Pierce Patchett in L.A. Confidential (archive footage)
Gloria Swanson plays Norma Desmond in Sunset Blvd (archive footage)
William Talman plays Dave Purvis in Armoured Car Robbery (archive footage)
Larenz Tate plays Frankie Lymon in Why Do Fools Fall In Love (archive footage)
George Tobias plays Al Doyle in Nobody Lives Forever (archive footage)
Lana Turner plays Cora Smith in The Postman Always Rings Twice (archive footage)
Diane Venora plays Justine in Heat (archive footage)
John Vernon plays Mal Reese in Point Blank (archive footage)
Craig Wasson plays Jake Scully in Body Double (archive footage)
Keenen Ivory Wayans plays Det. Jim Campbell in The Glimmer Man (archive footage)
Jack Webb plays Sergeant Joe Friday in Dragnet (archive footage)
Raquel Welch plays Michele in Flareup (archive footage)
James Whitmore plays Lou Hopke in Shadow in The Sky (archive footage)
Cornel Wilde plays Griff Marat in Shockproof (archive footage)
Mykelti Williamson plays Det. Oliver Franklin in First Power (archive footage)
Jonathan Winters plays Wilbur Glenworthy in The Loved Ones (archive footage)
Natalie Wood plays Judy in Rebel Without A Cause (archive footage)
Jenny Wright plays Diz in Out of Bounds (archive footage)
Burt Young plays Curly in Chinatown (archive footage)
Darrell Zwerling plays Hollis Mulwray in Chinatown (archive footage)
Kurt Russell plays Snake Plissken in Escape From L.A. (archive footage)
Crew of Los Angeles Plays Itself
Writing
Camera
Editing
Directing
Production
- Encke King
- Ben Alexander
- Jim Backus
- Brenda Bakke
- Barbara O. Jones
- Gene Barry
- Richard Basehart
- Hugh Beaumont
- William Bendix
- Ann Blyth
- Jim Bouton
- Grand L. Bush
- James Cagney
- Lon Chaney Jr.
- John Considine
- Bill Cosby
- Robert Culp
- Howard Duff
- Deanna Durbin
- Mark Frechette
- John Garfield
- Ben Gazzara
- Bruce Glover
- Marjoe Gortner
- James Griffith
- Daria Halprin
- Oliver Hardy
- Jean Harlow
- Bob Hope
- Lauren Hutton
- Henry Jaglom
- David Janssen
- Peter Jason
- Roy Jenson
- Jack Klugman
- Alan Ladd
- Stan Laurel
- Al Leong
- Jerry Lewis
- Gary Lockwood
- Perry Lopez
- Lyle Lovett
- Fred MacMurray
- Guy Madison
- Joe Mantell
- Matt McCoy
- Ralph Meeker
- Sal Mineo
- Harry Morgan
- Robert Morley
- Robert Morse
- Tom Neal
- Lloyd Nolan
- Edmond O'Brien
- Carroll O'Connor
- Belinda Palmer
- Jürgen Prochnow
- Tony Roberts
- Cliff Robertson
- Mitchell Ryan
- Ann Savage
- Zachary Scott
- Paolo Seganti
- James Stacy
- Madeleine Stowe
- David Strathairn
- Gloria Swanson
- William Talman
- Larenz Tate
- George Tobias
- Lana Turner
- Diane Venora
- John Vernon
- Craig Wasson
- Keenen Ivory Wayans
- Jack Webb
- Raquel Welch
- James Whitmore
- Cornel Wilde
- Mykelti Williamson
- Jonathan Winters
- Natalie Wood
- Jenny Wright
- Burt Young
- Darrell Zwerling
- Kurt Russell