Los Angeles Film Locations: High Tower and ‘The Long Goodbye’
Explore the cinematic legacy and architectural allure of the High Tower Apartments, featured in Altman’s 'The Long Goodbye' and embedded in Los Angeles history.
High above the bustling streets of Los Angeles, the High Tower Apartments stand as a unique intersection between architecture and cinema—etched into popular imagination by their starring role in Robert Altman’s 1973 film The Long Goodbye. This article traces the real and fictional history of the High Tower, exploring how it became an onscreen icon and a hidden architectural gem within Hollywood Heights.
Table of Contents
- Hollywood Heights: Historical and Cinematic Backdrop
- The High Tower Apartments: A Hidden Los Angeles Gem
- A Cinematic Icon: ‘The Long Goodbye’ and Beyond
- Altman, Chandler, and the Apartment’s Mythology
- Living at High Tower: Residents and Stories
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Hollywood Heights: Historical and Cinematic Backdrop
The Hollywood Heights neighborhood sits perched above the chaotic creativity of central Hollywood. Bounded by the Hollywood Bowl to the north, Franklin Avenue to the south, Highland Avenue to the east, and Outpost Estates to the west , Hollywood Heights has long attracted those drawn to the city’s creative core but craving a secluded retreat.
- Origins: Once part of the Rancho La Brea land grant, the neighborhood was developed in the early 20th century by H.J. Whitley, as the Hollywood-Ocean View Tract .
- Architectural Distinction: The neighborhood is dotted with historic homes and buildings, many designed with the flair and ambition of early Hollywood dreamers.
- Cultural Residents: Over the decades, screenwriters, actors, and musicians have called the area home, feeding its bohemian, artistic reputation.
- Cinematic History: Hollywood Heights’ atmospheric streets and unusual structures have made it a recurring star in film and television, with the High Tower Apartments among its most filmed locations.
The High Tower Apartments: A Hidden Los Angeles Gem
The High Tower Apartments complex, referred to simply as ‘High Tower,’ is an extraordinary architectural landmark nestled into the hillside at 2178 High Tower Drive and 2185 Broadview Terrace. Blending European elegance and California ingenuity, the site has become as famous for its design as its on-screen stories.
- Design and Construction: Conceived by architect Carl Kay between 1935 and 1936, and added to through the 1950s, the complex features winding walkways, bridges half-covered by bougainvillea, and mid-century residential units .
- Signature Feature: The eponymous High Tower is an Italianate bell tower housing a private elevator. Residents or guests ride this elevator six stories up through the hill, emerging atop the tower and gaining access to the apartments via pathways seemingly suspended over the city .
- Architectural Setting: The apartments are practically hidden from the street, with access starting at garages carved into the hillside, leading through a gated tunnel to the secret elevator.
- Atmosphere: The enclave feels both fortress-like and whimsical, set among lush foliage and possessing panoramic views of Los Angeles, at once private and grand.
For many, walking through High Tower’s arches and winding their way past its carefully-landscaped gardens is a time-traveling experience, evoking both Old World Europe and Golden Age Hollywood.
High Tower at a Glance
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Architect | Carl Kay |
| Construction Years | 1935–1950s |
| Location | 2178 High Tower Dr & 2185 Broadview Terrace, Los Angeles |
| Signature Element | Italianate Tower Elevator (Private key access) |
| Unique Aspects | Hidden tunnels, hillside garages, winding garden paths, panoramic city views |
| Notable Residents | Michael Connelly, David Copperfield, numerous film/TV productions |
A Cinematic Icon: ‘The Long Goodbye’ and Beyond
High Tower entered the global imagination as Philip Marlowe’s eccentric residence in Robert Altman’s The Long Goodbye (1973), a stylized reimagining of Raymond Chandler’s noir detective world.
- Onscreen Moments: Viewers are introduced to Marlowe’s life as Elliott Gould’s detective wakes in his embrace of the city’s idiosyncrasies, feeds his famously picky cat, and interacts with his uninhibited, yoga-loving neighbors .
- Role in Narrative: The architecture echoes Marlowe’s character—eccentric, out-of-step, resilient, and slightly isolated. Like Marlowe, the apartment is both shielded from, and exposed to, the weirdness of Los Angeles.
- Atmospheric Backdrop: Key confrontations—such as those involving mobster Marty Augustine (Mark Rydell) and his gang, including a young Arnold Schwarzenegger—play out under the tower’s shadow .
In The Long Goodbye, the camera lingers on the pathways, archways, and shifting city vistas. The building is as much a character as Marlowe: aloof, mysterious, and resilient.
The Apartment in Film
- Opening Scene: Marlowe’s disoriented morning routine, searching for suitable cat food.
- Neighborly Exchanges: Interactions with his free-spirited, yoga-practicing neighbors, emphasizing the generational and cultural contrasts of 1970s Los Angeles.
- Key Plot Incidents: The garages and lower steps of the High Tower complex serve as hideouts and ambush spots in the film’s darker sequences.
Other Notable Appearances
- Kenneth Branagh’s Dead Again (1991)
- The Lincoln Lawyer novels by Michael Connelly
- An episode of the TV classic Naked City (1961)
These repeated appearances underscore High Tower’s visual and narrative versatility—a timeless, otherworldly presence that cinema returns to again and again .
Altman, Chandler, and the Apartment’s Mythology
Is it a coincidence that High Tower became central to both Chandler’s written and Altman’s cinematic worlds?
- Chandler’s Inspiration: While Altman’s film used the apartments as Marlowe’s home, Chandler himself referenced a hillside residence with a “fancy elevator tower” overlooking Los Angeles in his novel The High Window—a likely homage to High Tower itself .
- Stylistic Resonance: Both Chandler’s writing and Altman’s direction cast Los Angeles as a city of hidden enclaves, shifting allegiances, and perpetual mystery. The High Tower, perched at a literal and figurative remove from the city below, perfectly embodies this sensibility.
In The Long Goodbye, the building is almost a psychological landscape for Marlowe: equal parts haven and prison, isolation and lookout, connecting the era of hardboiled fiction to the modern metropolis.
Living at High Tower: Residents and Stories
High Tower is not just a relic of film history—it remains a sought-after, living property in Los Angeles’ real estate market.
- Current Amenities: Floor-to-ceiling windows reveal spectacular city views from the circular living room. Private parking garages, in-unit laundry, and lush landscaping lend everyday luxury to residents .
- Rental Rarity: Apartments become available only occasionally, making them prized finds for those captivated by LA’s history and cinematic legacy. Recent listings have appeared with rental prices reflecting its iconic status .
- Storied Occupants: Not only film crews, but celebrities and creatives like author Michael Connelly and magician David Copperfield have called the High Tower home, drawn by its privacy and mystique .
Walking the complex, it’s possible to imagine the stories and scenes that have played out here: from noirish detective tales to everyday dramas, all animated by the building’s enigmatic presence.
High Tower in Pop Culture
- Featured prominently in The Long Goodbye (1973)
- Locations for Dead Again (1991), TV episodes, and novels
- Inspired iconic descriptions in Chandler’s The High Window
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Where exactly are the High Tower Apartments?
A: The High Tower Apartments are located at 2178 High Tower Drive and 2185 Broadview Terrace in the Hollywood Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Q: Can visitors enter or tour the High Tower building?
A: The apartments are private residences. The elevator and complex are not generally open to the public, though the exterior and nearby street views are accessible.
Q: How is the High Tower elevator used in The Long Goodbye?
A: Marlowe (Elliott Gould) travels to his apartment via the tower’s unique private elevator, a detail that adds atmosphere and reflects his character’s isolation from the rest of the city.
Q: What other movies or books feature the High Tower?
A: Apart from The Long Goodbye, High Tower was also used in the film Dead Again (1991) and inspired descriptions in Raymond Chandler’s novel The High Window. It appears in Michael Connelly’s detective fiction as well.
Q: Is it possible to rent or purchase an apartment at High Tower?
A: Units occasionally appear on the rental market, though they are rare and typically in high demand due to the building’s history and prestige, as well as views and amenities.
Conclusion
The High Tower Apartments occupy a singular place in Los Angeles’ storied landscape, merging cinematic mythology, architectural genius, and real-world intrigue. For fans of film noir, architecture buffs, and dreamers alike, High Tower remains a symbol of the city’s enduring power to reinvent itself—always perched at the edge of past and present, fact and fiction.
