| You know, hunting down the Back to the Future locations for the first time is always a thrill, and for you seekers who are about to visit this doozie for the first time, we salute you! Nestled right in the center of old Downtown Hollywood, the enchantment under the sea dance was filmed in the gymnasium of the Hollywood United Methodist Church on Franklin & Highland.
"What!?" you may be saying, "but I thought the dance was filmed at Whittier High School!?" Well, you're right and wrong. The exterior scenes were all filmed at Whittier, but all of the interior shots were here for a myriad of reasons. One of the biggest reasons, according to producer/screenwriter Bob Gale, is that they were able to film here on weekdays. You see, while filming at Whittier Union High School they were restricted to night shoots, or shoots on days off, such as weekends and holidays.
Weekends were at a premium for the BTTF crew, especially during the day, as Michael J Fox was busy with Family Ties during the regular work-week, so to save time, they filmed it just a few miles away from the center of production, Universal Studios.
Fans will also be suprised to learn that the same stage which served for Marty McFly's killer version of "Johnny B Goode" was also the setting for the famous talent show scene in the movie "That Thing You Do!" - This is where they first sped up the tempo that rocked them into stardom. Many other movies and television shows have used the Church's expansive grounds, including Jarhead, Domino,Anger Management, Big Mama’s House, Super Mario Bros, and many of the scenes from Sister Act.
BTTF fans will instantly recognize the setup once they overcome the initial shock at seeing it without all the sparkly decorations. Picture a giant Posiedon statue in the back, it will help you get your bearings!
Filming was conducted here for the entire dance sequence in BTTF part I, and most of the shots from BTTF part II. Some of them, however, most notably the scene where Marty climbs the scaffolding to drop sandbags on Biff's cronies, were shot on a soundstage, using the blue screen method. Unfortunately, there's no rigging to climb on!
Come on down and visit, but make sure you pop in to the Church's office and let them know what you're doing. These are really friendly church-goers, and they're usually more than willing to accept visitors, especially if you're willing to be nice and stay awhile and chat. Visit their official website (linked above) for more information.
Another interesting tidbit: Amazingly enough, the HUMC was chartered the same year as Whittier Union High, in 1909. The Hollywood Church, however, wouldn't open it's doors until March, 1930. It took only three years to build, and instantly became one of the most famous Church buildings in Los Angeles. Today it is a registered historic landmark. I strongly suggest taking a good look around this amazing piece of architecture if you have the time!
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