Time For A Photo Shoot!
It’s the most photographed street in Beverly Hills, and is used for photo shoots all day and night – like this time when I captured two of them simultaneously in my rear view mirror!
Welcome To Bedford Drive!
Beverly Hills has many things to photograph: fancy shops on Rodeo Drive, a cool public park – and Bedford Drive!
This iconic street from Santa Monica Boulevard to Sunset Boulevard is lined with palm trees of all shapes and sizes, and hundreds of people do impromptu photo shoots with the trees as a backdrop. They’ve also been featured in a lot of fashion ads as well.
As you can see, they tower over you as you stand below them.
I tried to get “artsy” once to get a panorama of myself on the street:
Well, there was THAT.
And I have done several “rear view mirror shots” as well, because they just seem to stretch on and on…
Here’s a much better idea – I set my iPhone up strategically – and safely – so you could see what a drive up Bedford Drive reveals:
The street runs north/south through Beverly Hills: the famous palm tree-lined part begins at Santa Monica Boulevard. Before you drive, take a moment to walk a block east and get a picture first with the Beverly Hills sign – then, back in the car to cruise north up Bedford Drive, past palm trees all around you:
Based on the time of day, the sun gives you a wide variety of shots, with and without shadows and refections, and sometimes you can even get a shot without people in the middle of the street doing their photo shoots:
This part of Bedford Drive is just 4 very long blocks. Let’s take it for a drive:
Then, you hit Sunset Boulevard, with the iconic Beverly Hills Hotel just to your right:
And as the sun sets, these trees just take on a whole new brilliance:
This iconic street has a lot of interesting history – like the story of this house:
It’s the site of a Hollywood scandal: the home where Lana Turner’s daughter fatally stabbed her famous Mom’s mobster boyfriend!
As wikipedia reports:
“On the evening of April 4, 1958, 14-year-old Cheryl Crane stabbed 32-year-old Johnny Stompanato, the boyfriend of her mother, actress Lana Turner, at Turner’s rented home in Beverly Hills, California. Stompanato, an ex-Marine and affiliate of the Cohen crime family, had been in a year-long relationship with Turner which had been rocky and marked with physical abuse.
Crane and Turner alleged that the former had stabbed Stompanato in the stomach when Turner was ushering him out of her bedroom during a violent argument. Crane had heard the fighting and took a knife from the kitchen, planning to defend her mother. After Crane turned herself in to police in the early morning hours of April 5, she was interred in a juvenile hall. A coroner’s inquest was held on April 11, during which the homicide was deemed justifiable, and Crane was exonerated of any wrongdoing.”
Here’s a video driving up to it two days ago:
Forgive my botching of the storytelling a bit, but the legend has always been that the Actress herself stabbed her boyfriend, and her daughter confessed to it to defend her. Crane has always denied that, but it remains a Hollywood legend.
You can read all about the Johnny Stompanato scandal by clicking on my story here:
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Let me know if you’ve done a photo shoot on Bedford Drive!
Categories: Exotic Travel, Hollywood, Memoirs, nature, Pop Culture, Real Estate, Talent/Celebrities, Travel, Travel Adventures, Travel Memoir
johnrieber 
I was glued to your videos, John. What a treat! Let’s see, Lana’s daughter would be 76 now. I hope she escaped the Hollywood drama, married and is now a grandparent. Lana was one of my favorites. “Imitation of Life” is #1!
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Yes, what a classic film! Thanks for reading and commenting!
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It was a classic! My pleasure, John.
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Great photos and video John! I’d love to visit someday.
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It’s a very unique street and there is ALWAYS some sort of professional or amateur photo shoot going on – ALWAYS!
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I love the pictures and had not heard the story – real life always stranger than the movies-!
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Thanks for commenting – yes, that is certainly true here in Hollywood!
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Your pictures of these trees are very interesting, John. They are beautiful and its nice to see the different lighting at different times of the day. Lana Turner’s house is not as glamorous as I would have expected for such a “story like” tale.
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Thanks for not giving up on capturing these iconic views. I remember reading about the Lana Turner over the years, and find it fascinating
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It’s so funny: EVERY time I drive up the street there are multiple photo shoots going on – some professional, most just for fun, but always! Thanks for commenting!
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It is certainly something I know from films and TV shows, John. But I am left with a question. If every house has a driveway, (I noticed they all did) why do so many people park on the street? 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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Pete, those are cars of tourists and workers!
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Ah! 🙂
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No but I’d like to visit one day
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It’s also unique like all Beverly Hills streets: older houses with a certain look, then new houses all with a certain look! None go together!
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