| Address |
| 716 Meridian Ave, South Pasadena, CA 91030, USA |
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| Information |
The Elrod House
This house located in South Pasadena, California and the connecting alley directly behind it made an appearance in the 1981 horror sequel, Halloween II. In the film, the house is re-located from the sunny confines of California to the Midwest to represent the fictional city of Haddonfield, Illinois.
Halloween II (1981)
Following the breakout success of John Carpenter's 1978 film, Halloween, and subsequent rise of similar films in the slasher genre, production went forward on a sequel that picked up the action directly following the events depicted in the first film. Rick Rosenthal took over directorial duties, while the director of the first film, John Carpenter, contributed by again writing the script with co-writer Debra Hill. In Halloween II, an escaped mental patient by the name of Michael Myers continues to stalk and hunt the character of Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) - now revealed to be his younger sister. The story moves to the setting of Haddonfield Memorial Hospital where Laurie is taken to recover from the injuries she sustained in the first film.
For the film, this house doubles as the home of an elderly couple with the last name of Elrod. It appears in a scene immediately after Halloween II's opening credits. The alley directly behind (Meridian Lane) the home is featured first as Myers is trying to find cover and hide from the police. After seeing Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasence) talking to a police officer at the end of the lane, he ducks into the house. In the kitchen, he takes a knife that was being used to make sandwiches as Mrs. Elrod (Lucille Benson) is distracted by the breaking news of the murders on the television (which interrupts a showing of the 1968 George Romero classic Night of the Living Dead). He then ducks back into the alley before dispatching a nearby neighbor.
Unlike many other locations associated with the first two Halloween movies, both the exterior and interior of this particular house were used in the filming. The action actually takes place at the back of the house and connecting alley, while the front of the house is never shown. However, according to Horror's Hallowed Grounds (see Related Sites below), the street in front of the house reportedly did appear in the later scene of Halloween II when Loomis misidentifies a trick-or-treater as Michael Myers, which results in the unfortunate fiery death of the teenager.
Another interesting side-note concerns the subsequent scene of the Elrod's neighbor, Alice (Anne Bruner). Before her death at the hands of Myers, she is seen talking on the phone and the voice on the other end tells her to turn on the radio, where she hears of the three murders depicted in the first film (although the bodies were actually discovered much later in Halloween II). After Alice asks the person on the other line where it happened, the voice tells her, "Down on Orange Grove." Orange Grove Avenue is actually the real name of the California street where the murders were staged in the first film (see Halloween (1978): The Wallace House). Despite the fact that Alice replies, "That's right down the street," Orange Grove is actually located near West Hollywood, which is several miles from South Pasadena and this particular location. In Halloween, both cities were blended together to represent Haddonfield, Illinois. Halloween II would also utilize both, as well as a few other locations throughout the greater Los Angeles area.
The House Today
The house still exists in South Pasadena and is actually located only a couple blocks away from the iconic Myers House seen in the first two Halloween films (see Halloween (1978): The Myers House). While there is no parking allowed in the alley (Meridian Lane), it is open to foot traffic. The back of the house that was featured in the film is viewable from the alley, but visitors should be mindful to not impede the passing of the local residents on the block that use the lane. As always, be respectful of the homeowner's right to privacy and do not trespass on private property. |
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| Related Sites |
HalloweenMovies.com
The official Web site of the popular Halloween series, including information on all of the sequels, as well as the recent Rob Zombie remake. |
Horror's Hallowed Grounds
Official Web site for Sean Clark's "Horror's Hallowed Grounds" - A comprehensive collection of actual locations that appeared in various notable horror films. |
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| Similar Destinations |
| Halloween (1978): The Myers House |
| Halloween (1978): The Doyle House |
| Halloween (1978): The Wallace House |
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| See Also on TheCabinet.com |
| There are no other pages on this site associated with this location. |
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| Available from Amazon.com |
Halloween II |
Halloween II |
Halloween II |
Halloween II: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack |
The Essential John Carpenter Film Music Collection: Halloween |
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