Griffin Club Los Angeles is a private members’ club in the Cheviot Hills neighbourhood of Los Angeles. Located at 3084 Motor Avenue, between the old studio areas of West Los Angeles and Culver City, the club has roots going back to the 1920s and has operated under several names, including Beverly Hills Country Club. Its combination of tennis courts, pool areas, clubhouse spaces and quiet residential surroundings gives it the look of an exclusive Los Angeles social and sports club, while still being close to the city’s film and television industry.
The club appears in the dark comedy thriller series Based on a True Story (2023), where it is used as the private club attended by several of the characters. The setting fits the series’ world of affluent Los Angeles couples, true-crime obsession and social performance, giving the story a polished but slightly artificial environment where status and appearances matter.
In Based on a True Story (2023), Griffin Club Los Angeles is used as the club where Nathan Bartlett works as a tennis coach. The location’s tennis courts and country-club atmosphere are central to Nathan’s social position in the series, placing him close to wealth and privilege without fully belonging to it. This contrast becomes important to the show’s tone, where ordinary frustration, ambition and suburban anxiety collide with the characters’ increasingly chaotic true-crime scheme.
The location also has at one earlier screen credit. In the “Cannon” episode “Missing at FL307” (1975), Griffin Club is listed as a filming location, specifically for a tennis-court scene.
Based on a True Story
Based on a True Story was filmed in Los Angeles, California, where the story is also set. Several recognisable Southern California locations appear in the show.
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).
Beverly Hills City Hall
Beverly Hills City Hall in Beverly Hills was used in the "Beverly Hills Cop" films, where it appears as part of the Beverly Hills Police Department.
The Viper Room
The Viper Room appears in Valley Girl (1983), The Doors (1991), Be Cool (2005), Daisy Jones & the Six (2023), and Walking the Edge (1985).
Pann’s Restaurant
Pann’s Restaurant has appeared in several films and television productions, like xXx, Bewitched, Next and the TV series Based on a True Story.
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 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.
Family Arcade LA
In Dexter: Original Sin, Family Arcade LA appears in episode 9, Blood Drive. Dexter lures Captain Spencer to the arcade, transforming it into a kill room.
The MacArthur
The MacArthur has been used in a large number of films, with its lobby, ballrooms, rooms, exterior and restrooms appearing in films across several decades.
Tavern on Main
In 8 Million Ways to Die, Tavern on Main is used as The Keg Bar. The exterior of the bar is shown on Main Street, with Scudder’s apartment located behind it.
Leave a Reply