# Where's That "Grease" Scene Filmed? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 24, 2015, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-that-grease-scene-filmed/715905 "2015-03-24T22:57:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-that-grease-scene-filmed/715905/1 "2015-03-24T22:57:43Z")
a. That drag race in Grease filmed in a huge drainage culvert…where the heck is that filmed? b. Over the years, I noticed some other shows with scenes filmed here. (You can’t miss it.) Does anyone know what shows have a scene filmed there? c. Is this some popular teen hang-out in CA? ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-that-grease-scene-filmed/715905/2 "2015-03-24T23:01:53Z")
It’s the L.A. River. Definitely not a place you want to hang out. Not exactly the best part of town. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-that-grease-scene-filmed/715905/3 "2015-03-24T23:03:47Z")
[![](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_River#/media/File:MTA_los_angeles_river.jpg) ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_River#/media/File:MTA_los_angeles_river.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-that-grease-scene-filmed/715905/4 "2015-03-24T23:04:38Z")
> **[Los Angeles River](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_River)** > > The Los Angeles River (Spanish: Río de Los Ángeles), historically known as Paayme Paxaayt (West River) by the Tongva and the Porciúncula River (Río Porciúncula) by the Spanish, is a major river in Los Angeles County, California. Its headwaters are in the Simi Hills and Santa Susana Mountains, and it flows nearly 51 miles (82 km) from Canoga Park through the San Fernando Valley, Downtown Los Angeles, and the Gateway Cities to its mouth in Long Beach, where it flows into San Pedro Bay. While the ... Btw, most of the Rydell High scenes were shot at Venice High School, my alma mater. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-that-grease-scene-filmed/715905/5 "2015-03-24T23:04:50Z")
Yep. Ninja’d. The Wikipedia article has a Filming Location section, with a picture from _Grease_. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-that-grease-scene-filmed/715905/6 "2015-03-24T23:34:21Z")
All these California dopers, and a PA boy points out that it’s the LA River. > **[File:Los Angeles River channelized.jpg](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Los_Angeles_River_channelized.jpg)** 😉 ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-that-grease-scene-filmed/715905/7 "2015-03-25T00:10:39Z")
Has anyone mentioned that it’s the LA River? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-that-grease-scene-filmed/715905/8 "2015-03-25T00:34:39Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > Has anyone mentioned that it’s the LA River? Around here we call it “_Rio_ Los Angeles.” 😛 ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-that-grease-scene-filmed/715905/9 "2015-03-25T16:09:56Z")
Guessed the answer just by the thread title. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-that-grease-scene-filmed/715905/10 "2015-03-25T18:25:59Z")
It’s also where the final climactic battle against the giant ants took place in _Them!_ ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-that-grease-scene-filmed/715905/11 "2015-03-25T18:46:33Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > Has anyone mentioned that it’s the LA River? It’s the concrete channel where the LA river would flow if there was such a thing as the LA River. It is mostly just an artificial drainage ditch for storm water run-off. That whole race scene in “Grease” happens on the dry river **bottom** of this river. A river that is a dry concrete basin for most of the year is not a river, at least to me. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-that-grease-scene-filmed/715905/12 "2015-03-25T18:53:17Z")
> [@Dallas\_Jones](#): > > It’s the concrete channel where the LA river would flow if there was such a thing as the LA River. It is mostly just an artificial drainage ditch for storm water run-off. > > That whole race scene in “Grease” happens on the dry river **bottom** of this river. > > A river that is a dry concrete basin for most of the year is not a river, at least to me. That’s nice but the name for that mostly dry concrete basin is and has been for decades “The LA River”. I’m sorry that you don’t like the name. It that’s what it’s called. You can work on changing it if you want. When you’re done with that you can move on to Greenland. ---
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-that-grease-scene-filmed/715905/13 "2015-03-25T18:55:35Z")
> [@Dallas\_Jones](#): > > A river that is a dry concrete basin for most of the year is not a river, at least to me. It’s a perennial river, it’s just the fake floodplain that’s dry. Like most rivers ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-that-grease-scene-filmed/715905/14 "2015-03-25T19:00:57Z")
Many movies have been filmed there. The truck/motorcycle/minibike chase scene in Terminator 2 is a well-known example. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-that-grease-scene-filmed/715905/15 "2015-03-25T19:27:03Z")
Also the closing credits of _Buckaroo Banzai_: [The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension - End Credits - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xe3dRw7ovhY) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-that-grease-scene-filmed/715905/16 "2015-03-25T20:09:03Z")
> [@sitchensis](#): > > It’s a perennial river, it’s just the fake floodplain that’s dry. Like most rivers Exactly. There’s always water in the middle channel. The dry flats on the sides are there to contain floods. Catastrophic floods in the 1930’s were why the river was channelized in the first place. There’s [a major project](http://www.lariver.org/index.htm) underway to revert as much of the river as possible to a more a natural appearance while still providing flood control. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-that-grease-scene-filmed/715905/17 "2015-03-25T20:21:59Z")
> [@The\_Hamster\_King](#): > > Exactly. There’s always water in the middle channel. The dry flats on the sides are there to contain floods. Catastrophic floods in the 1930’s were why the river was channelized in the first place. > > There’s [a major project](http://www.lariver.org/index.htm) underway to revert as much of the river as possible to a more a natural appearance while still providing flood control. That is fine. If you want to believe that your little concrete sewer ditch is a river, please continue to delude yourself. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-that-grease-scene-filmed/715905/18 "2015-03-25T20:33:37Z")
Somebody told me it was the LA River. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![aa6vh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@aa6vh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aa6vh)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-that-grease-scene-filmed/715905/19 "2015-03-25T21:23:10Z")
You can probably create a whole thread on movie scenes that were filmed in the LA river. There was a helicopter chase scene between a militarized police copter and two regular police copters (the movie “Blue Thunder”). A space shuttle landed there once. (“The Core”) Any others? ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-that-grease-scene-filmed/715905/20 "2015-03-25T21:39:44Z")
> [@Dallas\_Jones](#): > > That is fine. If you want to believe that your little concrete sewer ditch is a river, please continue to delude yourself. Yes. People often take kayaking trips down sewer ditches. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-that-grease-scene-filmed/715905.md?page=2)