This is a list of films and television programs shot in Palm Springs, California. It covers filming locations in Palm Springs and other nearby resort communities of the Coachella Valley. These communities, which include Palm Springs, Bermuda Dunes, Cathedral City, Coachella, Desert Hot Springs, Indian Wells, Indio, La Quinta, Mecca, Thermal, Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage, and the Salton Sea, are in Riverside County, southern California. Included are individual episodes of TV series and radio programs.
Films
1910s In his 1919 book California Desert Trails, travel writer J. Smeaton Chase mentions that motion-picture people were in the Indian Canyons sometime before 1918. With illustrations from Chase's photographs. Available at: Internet Archive: California Coast Trails and
Salomé – 1918 film (here for Table of Contents) The Heir to the Hoorah – 1916 film (starring Thomas Meighan, directed by William C. deMille), quoting deMille in (Rouben Mamoulian Collection (Library of Congress) First edition) The Lone Star Ranger – 1919 film (starring William Farnum and Louise Lovely) The Lone Star Rush – 1915 film (starring Robert Frazer)
1920s
Desert Gold – 1926 film The Covered Wagon – 1922 film The Leopard Woman – 1920 film The Orphan – 1920 film The Sheik – 1921 film
1930s
Her Jungle Love – 1938 film Lost Horizon (a.k.a. Lost Horizon of Shangri-La) – 1937 film Palm Springs (a.k.a. Palm Springs Affair) – 1936 film and Screen Snapshots – 1924–1958 short films Series 15, No. 7 (1936) Series 16, No. 6 (1937) Series 17, No. 5 (1938) Springtime in the Rockies – 1937 film Sunkist Stars at Palm Springs – 1936 film The Painted Stallion – 1937 film ♦ Download (Downloadable PDF file) They Made Me a Criminal – 1939 film Under Two Flags – 1936 film (also in La Quinta) Whoopee! – 1930 film
1940s
A Night in Casablanca – 1946 film Girl Crazy (a.k.a. When the Girls Meet the Boys) – 1943 film Hedda Hopper's Hollywood – 1941–1942 short subjectsThe 9 minute segments were combined and released on VHS in 1989. See: Hedda Hopper's Hollywood. Los Angeles, CA: Republic Pictures Home Video. . Also see: Hedda Hopper's Hollywood (1959/1960). Rexall TV Special. . In the Navy – 1941 film Objective, Burma! – 1945 film Rio Rita – 1942 film Sahara – 1943 film Song of the Open Road – 1944 film The Threat – 1949 film The Time, the Place and the Girl – 1946 film To the Shores of Tripoli – 1942 film Two Guys from Texas – 1948 film Wake Island – 1942 film
1950s
711 Ocean Drive – 1950 film Highway Dragnet – 1954 film Omar Khayyam – 1957 film Raw Edge – 1956 film Star Studded Ride – 1954 short filmStar Studded Ride (1954). Universal Pictures. Summary (from Library of Congress data): "A group of desert riders from Palm Springs, Calif., on their weekly ride watch Ben Hogan demonstrate some golf shots at the Tamarish [sic] Country Club, see Gussie Moran and Dave Gillam play a set of tennis at Charles Farrell's Racket Club, and observe Pat McCormack and Stubby Kreuger [sic] in a diving exhibition at the El Mirador Hotel. Credits: Producer, Thomas Mead; director, William C. Menzies; script, Allan Kitchel, Jr.; narrator, Tex Antoine; music, Jack Shaindlin; editor, Ed Bartsch." Ten Tall Men – 1951 film The Beast with a Million Eyes – 1955 film The Damned Don't Cry! – 1950 film The Desert Rats – 1953 film The Monster That Challenged the World – 1957 film The Silver Chalice – 1954 film The Veils of Bagdad – 1953 film
1960s
Blood of Dracula's Castle – 1969 film Common Law Cabin – 1967 film Eegah (a.k.a. Eegah! The Name Written in Blood) – 1962 film Palm Springs Weekend – 1963 film; ; and released on DVD (2009), Burbank, CA: Warner Home Video, . The film served to glamorize the city as a spring break destination: see New York Times review and Gianoulis, Tina (2000). "Spring Break." St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture. Gale. Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here – 1969 film The Professionals – 1966 film The Rare Breed – 1966 film The Satan Bug – 1965 film The Wild Angels – 1966 film The Wrecking Crew – 1969 film
1970s
3 Women – 1977 film Damnation Alley – 1977 film Diamonds Are Forever – 1971 filmFeatured the Elrod home, designed by John Lautner. Design: Diamonds are Forever , HGTV Gone with the Pope – 1976 film, released in 2010 Hanging by a Thread – 1979 film Institute for Revenge – 1979 TV movie Kotch – 1971 film and The Doll Squad – 1974 film
1980s
American Gigolo – 1980 film Fraternity Vacation – 1985 film Heaven – 1987 film Less than Zero – 1987 film Lethal Weapon 2 – 1989 film Pee-wee's Big Adventure – 1985 comedy (at the Cabazon Dinosaurs near CabazonFamous Movie Locations: Wheel Inn Restaurant from 'Pee-wee's Big Adventure' (Cabazon, California) , by Kim Potts, Aug 10, 2010, Moviefone. Retrieved 2011-08-21.) Rain Man – 1988 film Rockin' the Night Away – a 1988 music DVDWith Jan Berry and Dean Torrence, Chaz Bono, Sonny Bono, Dion DiMucci, Dion and the Belmonts, Donovan, Donovan Leitch, The Grass Roots, The Mamas & The Papas, Peter Noone and Mackenzie Phillips ; Screenplay – 1984 film Tough Guys – 1986 film
1990s
Bugsy – 1991 film City of Industry – 1997 film Joshua Tree (a.k.a. Army of One) – 1993 film Pacific Heights – 1990 film Road Kill – 1999 film Six-String Samurai – 1998 film Still Kicking: The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies – 1997 short documentary filmStill Kicking: The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies (1997). Santa Monica, CA: Little Apple Productions. VHS. (39 minutes). Terminal Velocity – 1994 film The Moment After – 1999 film The Opposite of Sex – 1998 film U Turn (a.k.a. U Turn – ici commence l'enfer) – 1997 film
2000s
Alpha Dog – 2007 filmInland Empire Film Commission: IEFC Film Credits (the IEFC is a Regional Film Office Partner with the California Film Commission (CA Regional Film Offices )) American High School – 2009 direct-to-DVD Andrew and Jeremy Get Married – 2004 documentary film Auto Focus – 2002 film Bone Dry – 2007 film Bounce – 2000 film Circuit – 2001 film Dog Tags – 2008 film Dream Slashers – 2007 direct-to-DVD Home – 2009 film (documentary by Yann Arthus-Bertrand) Into the Wild – 2007 film Laughing Matters: The Men – 2008 DVD with Bruce Vilanch and Alec Mapa Love Life – 2006 film Mission: Impossible III – 2006 film Ocean's Eleven – 2001 film Overnight – 2003 film Phat Girlz – 2006 film Poster Boy – 2004 film Searchers 2.0 – 2007 film Soarin' Over California – 2001 film (part of a visitor attraction at Disneyland) The Eyes of Tammy Faye – 2000 documentary The Hoax – 2006 film The Princess and the Marine – 2001 film (also filmed in Indio) The Scorpion King – 2002 film Torque – 2004 film Trucker – 2007 film Visual Acoustics: The Modernism of Julius Shulman – 2009 film Wannabe – 2005 film
2010s
Behind the Candelabra – 2013 HBO film about Liberace Douchebag – 2010 film Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work – 2010 documentary Desert Utopia: Mid-Century Architecture in Palm Springs – 2010/2011 documentary; Montana Amazon – 2011 film Senior Moment – 2017 film (in production) Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie – 2012 film
2020s
Night Train – 2021 film. Don't Worry Darling – 2022 film.
Television
A Lez in Wonderland – 2006 TV documentary American Dream Builders – 2014 NBC TV series Average Joe – 2004 TV series Beverly's Full House – 2011– Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) TV series Biker Build-Off – 2002–2007 TV series Bob Hope Television Specials – TV specials Bob Hope Special: The Bob Hope Special from Palm Springs (February 13, 1978) The Bob Hope Show (January 21, 1989) Bob Hope's Yellow Ribbon Party (April 6, 1991) Bob Hope Christmas Special: Hopes for the Holidays (1994) Boy Meets Boy – 2003 TV series Christy Lane's Line Dancing – 1992 VHS taped at Zelda'sChristy Lane, Brad Pressman; Palm Springs, CA: Brentwood Home Video. VHS. Columbo – 1968–2003 TV series Season 1, Episode 6, "Short Fuse" (1971) Cops – 1989– TV series Season 19, Episode 6, "Drug Arrests #2 Special Edition" (2006) Season 19, Episode 24, "Coast to Coast #15" (2007) Downey – 1994 television talk show Gene Simmons Family Jewels – 2006– TV series Hart to Hart – 1979–1984 TV series (episode in La Quinta) Hello Paradise – 2004–2011 TV series 81 episodes total (which include non-Palm Springs and desert episodes) Hidden Palms – 2006 pilot for the 2007 TV series I Love Lucy – 1951–1957 TV series (various episodes) I Spy – 1965–1968 TV series Kate Clinton: The Queen of Comedy – 1996 VHS taped at The Girl Bar during the Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend, included Maggie CassellaLea DeLaria; Mariah Hanson; Robin Gans; Sandy Sachs; Aarin Burch; (1996). The Club Skirts Girl Bar queens of comedy: in Palm Springs, California during the Dinah Shore Golf Classic week. Tallahassee, FL: Northern Arts/Naiad Press. VHS. Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List – 2005–2010 TV series Lea DeLaria: The Queen of Comedy – 1997 VHS taped at The Girl Bar during the 7th Club Skirts Dinah Shore WeekendKate Clinton; Mariah Hanson; Robin Gans; Sandy Sachs; Aarin Burch; (1997). The Girl Bar [and] Club Skirts queens of comedy: in Palm Springs, California during the 7th annual Dinah Shore Golf Classic week. Tallahassee, FL: Northern Arts/Naiad Press. VHS. Louis Theroux's Weird Weekends – 1998–2000 TV series Season 1, Episode 2, "UFO" (1998) Mannix – 1967–1975 TV series Season 1, Episode 1, "The Name is Mannix" (1967) Martha – 2010– TV series (a.k.a. The Martha Stewart Show) "The Palm Springs Show" (May 27, 2010)Martha: "The Palm Springs Show" McMillan & Wife – 1971–1977 TV series Season 1, Episode 5, "The Face of Murder" (1972) Miss California USA – 1989 TV show (for the 1990 Miss California Title) Mission: Impossible – 1966–1973 TV series Season 6, Episode 3, "The Tram" (1971) Mrs. America Pageant – 2005 TV show (for the 2006 Mrs. America Title) Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica – 2003–2005 TV series Off Limits – 2011– TV series Season 2, Episode 7, "Digging for Sea Salt; Demolishing a Bridge; Atop a Tramway" (2012) P.S. I Luv U – 1991–1992 TV series Rescue 911 – 1989–1996 TV series Season 2, Episode 24, "5-Year-Old Dad Save" (1991, Palm Desert) Season 6, Episode 18, "Chance Encounter" (1995) Since You've Been Gone – 1998 television film Slow Burn – 1986 television film Sonny Bono: Pop Songs & Politics – 1998 ABC News documentary Southland – 2009– TV series Season 2, Episode 4, "The Runner" (2010) Tammy Faye: Death Defying – 2004 documentaryFoxNews.com: "Evangelist Tammy Faye Messner Dies of Cancer at 65" July 22, 2007. And The Bold and the Beautiful – 1987– TV series The Dating Game – 1965–1999 TV series The F.B.I. – 1965–1974 TV series The Frank Sinatra Timex Show – 1957–1960 TV series Season 2, Episode 2, "You're invited to spend the afternoon at the Frank Sinatra Show" (1959)Video recording of the 1959 ABC Television program, released as a DVD in 2004 by Quantum Leap. Taped in Palm Springs. Credits include: Bill Colleran (producer & director); Johnny Bradford (writer); Frank Sinatra; Ella Fitzgerald; Peter Lawford; Juliet Prowse; Hermione Gingold; Red Norvo; Nelson Riddle and his orchestra; Sammy Cahn; Jimmy Van Heusen; and The Hi-Lo's. Hobart Productions. The Merv Griffin Show – 1963–1986 TV series (a 1960s special episode) Throwdown! with Bobby Flay – 2006–2009 TV series True Life – 1998– TV series Wheeler Dealers – 2003– TV series WWE Legends' House – 2012 TV series
Radio The Amos 'n' Andy and The Jack Benny Program radio shows were frequently broadcast from Palm Springs; also, Eddie Cantor, Al Jolson, and Bob Hope broadcast from the city.
Coachella Valley 2 Fast 2 Furious – 2003 film (Desert Hot Springs) After Dark, My Sweet – 1990 film (Mecca, California) and Ebert, Roger "After Dark, My Sweet" . The Chicago Sun-Times film review, March 13, 2005. Accessed: August 28, 2012. and America's Tribute to Bob Hope – 1988 documentary (Palm Desert)