Season 5, Episode 5

The Treasure of C. Errol Madre starts with some great urban location shooting. The scene is so great it got recycled again in another episode later on!

The scenes were all shot around the same few blocks in downtown Los Angeles. The armored car passes The Broadway on Broadway, the flagship location of a chain of department stores in the Western US, acquired by Macy's in the 1990s.

 

In 2009 the sign on the building on the right of the screen was still quite visible.

 

15 years later it is all but gone.

 

As Max and Larrabee drive, we can see the reflection of some signs in the window. House of Nine was a chain of clothing stores headquartered at 818 South Broadway in L.A.

 

Here is the building today. The sign on 834 Broadway looks like it is also visible in the reflection on the windshield.

 

Next we speed down 5th Street, past L.A. icons One Wilshire and the Biltmore Hotel.

 

Here they are today.

 

A Gray Line Sightseeing Tours bus passes our heroes.

 

The camera pans down 5th to the San Carlos.

 

The view is less interesting today.

 

The next time we see the car it is on 6th Street passing Broadway. Drug King, with it's Coca-Cola privilege sign, is on the left. This was a chain of drug stores, most notably one on the corner of Hollywood & Vine. (You've never heard of Hollywood & Vine?) The Swelldom building on the right is yet another flagship location of a now-defunct department store. Note also the sign for Western Federal Bank directly above the car.

 

Here is the same spot today. Drug King and Swelldom are long gone, and the Western Federal sign has been repurposed to say Western Jewelry.

 

The next time we see the truck it is turning off of Broadway onto Fifth, with a JJ Newberry store and a Grants store nearby. This van is in front of the armored car in just about every scene - I imagine this was camera crew taking exterior shots of the car.

 

Here's the spot today.

 

We follow the truck around the corner, heading back to the Biltmore.

 

Today. Too bad the Newberry signage isn't visible, though a more recent ghost sign is.

 

The next cut takes us back to Sixth, approaching Drug King and Swelldom, as well as Hartwells and Mullen & Bluett.

 

The area is a lot less vibrant today.

 

Finally we get to the bank, the historic Farmers and Merchants Bank at 401 S. Main Street and 4th Street. 

 

Here is the same spot today, with the Hotel Barclay visible in the background in both shots.

 

Instead of a Brinks truck, it's a "Briggs" truck.

 

I looked up Alan Menswear in a 1968 LA phone book and was pleasantly surprised to see that it was 402 E. Main Street - the corner in real life was the real corner the bank was on! So 4th and Taylor was actually 4th and Broadway. I love the 7-Up signage and the sign that Things go Better with Coke.

 

402 E. Main Street still stands today, but the corner has a whole lot less charm now.

 

It's worth getting a closeup of the "policeman", with the Gala Market(?) sign, complete with giant clown.

 

You can actually see a 4th Street sign by the ice cream man, subtly adding to the veracity of the 4th and Taylor bit.

 

Here's that corner today.

 

Finally, the colorful taco stand, replaced by the dull gray building seen in the above photos.

 

The Mexico scenes are worth noting. They were filmed at the famous Bronson Caves just outside of LA.

 

Here's an image, found on Facebook, with appearances of the same cave in Batman, Invasion of the Body Snatchers The Searchers, and Robot Monster. It has appeared in many other productions.

 

Here's a current photo of the caves, a legacy of early 20th century rock mining.