Circus Liquor is a liquor store at 5600 Vineland Avenue in North Hollywood, on the corner of Vineland Avenue and Burbank Boulevard. Opened in 1959, it is one of the San Fernando Valley’s best-known examples of roadside commercial design, largely because of the giant clown sign in the parking lot, which made the site instantly recognisable on screen.
Circus Liquor appears in Clueless (1995), Blue Thunder (1983), and Alpha Dog (2006). It has also turned up in other productions, but these are among the clearest documented examples tied directly to the North Hollywood location.
In Clueless (1995), Circus Liquor is used in the scene where Elton leaves Cher stranded after she rejects him in the car. She is then confronted by a mugger outside the store, making the clown sign and liquor-store setting part of one of the film’s most famous Los Angeles moments.
In Blue Thunder (1983), Circus Liquor appears in the opening robbery scene. The store is used directly as a real-world location rather than just a passing background landmark.
In Alpha Dog (2006), Circus Liquor appears in the scene where Johnny Truelove drops a duffle bag of drugs into the boot of his car. Here the location is used as part of the film’s everyday Los Angeles street setting rather than as a major destination in itself.
7 Days Liquor Store
In Superbad (2007), 7 Days Liquor Store is used for the scene in which Fogell, using his fake McLovin ID, goes into the liquor store to buy alcohol.
O’Neill House
The O’Neill House is best known as a filming location in two feature films: Breathless (1983) and 8 Million Ways to Die (1986).
The Shelley
The Shelley appears in Seinfeld (1989–1998). In the series, it serves as the exterior of Jerry’s apartment, even though the character’s address is in Manhattan.
Santa Monica Pier
Santa Monica Pier appears in numerous productions, including The Sting, Forrest Gump, Ruthless People, Cellular, Iron Man, Her, Modern Family, and Seinfeld.
The Donut Hole
The Donut Hole has appeared in Moving Violations (1985), Dragnet (1987), and Calendar Girl (1993).
Otomi Ceremonial Center
The Otomi Ceremonial Center served as the filming location for Franz Sanchez’s drug factory/laboratory in the 1989 James Bond film Licence to Kill.
Old Joliet Prison
Old Joliet Prison appears in The Blues Brothers (1980), Prison Break (2005–2006), Let’s Go to Prison (2006), Derailed (2005), and Empire (2015–2020).
Buckhead Diner
Buckhead Diner appears in DTF St. Louis (2026), and the building has also been used for other Atlanta-shot productions.
The Exorcist House
The Exorcist House refers to the private residence in Georgetown, Washington, D.C., which was used for exterior filming of the 1973 horror movie The Exorcist.
Leave a Reply