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535 North Victory Blvd. · Burbank, CA |
Now, let's really get down to business. The movie opens with a tracking shot through what we soon discover to be Doc Brown's home. This is a great sequence to watch again after you've seen the movie once or twice; there are some clever details planted here. In fact, one of those details explains why Doc now lives in this somewhat meager abode; a newspaper clipping recounts the destruction by fire of the Brown family estate.
Now, I'm somewhat embarrassed to say that it took my composing this tour and my visiting the real house to realize the relationship between that newspaper article and Doc's present-day residence. But, after talking to a few people, it turns out I'm not the only one who missed the connection. You see, after Doc's house burned down, probably the result of an experiment gone awry, he was forced to move into his own garage. A watchful eye will catch the address on the outside of the garage as Marty leaves for school and also the address on the house when he tracks down Doc later in 1955. The garage reads 1646. Doc's original house is at 1640 — what would now be three doors down.
With this in mind, watch Marty's reaction in 1955 when he arrives at Doc's house and discovers that Doc has been living in what used to be his car park. That's the great thing about this movie — so many interesting details to discover.
Anyway, not only did Doc lose his family mansion, but he was also forced to sell the surrounding land to developers. That's why he now lives behind a Burger King. Of course, the 1985 version of the garage is just a facade erected in a parking lot and made to look like the garage next to Doc's mansion, but that Burger King is real and still operates in the same location. Stop by some time and grab a bite to eat. And tell 'em Doc sent you. Because I'm sure they haven't heard it before...
Next: Hill Valley High School
