Dead Again Filming Locations
Franklin Hills and Hollywood, CA
Although my original destination was the apartment of Emma Thompson's character Amanda Sharp in the 1991 film Dead Again, I actually ended up stumbling across another location from the film. After getting myself lost, I realized I was quite mysteriously, and entirely by accident, driving across the Franklin Avenue Bridge. You see, this bridge also made an appearance in the film. It's where Kenneth Branagh chases a con man on foot and gets his ass kicked.
Complete with Gothic-style turrets and towers, the arch bridge was built in 1926 across a ravine cutting through Franklin Hills. In 1974, it was declared a Historic Cultural Monument and in 1997, was retrofitted for earthquake protection.
The bridge's significance in the film becomes apparent when you realize that it's commonly recognized as the "Shakespeare Bridge" — Branagh, of course, being an ardent Shakespeare enthusiast. If you watch closely, you can spot quite a few references of that nature in Dead Again, including the number on Roman Strauss's prison uniform: 25101415, the date of Henry V's Battle of Agincourt.
After photographing my surprise bonus location, I got my bearings and proceeded to seek out the apartment of Amanda Sharp once again. It stands at the north end of the aptly named Hightower Drive in Hollywood, which is difficult enough to find that I've scanned a portion of a map to help you find it.
The five-story, Italian tower is actually an elevator which carries residents up to the houses and apartments perched on the hillside. This location was planned as Amanda's apartment from the time the script was written, as it so perfectly illustrated her isolation from possible rescue.
And in case you're interested, the exquisite mansion which served as Roman Strauss's home just happens to be the Bat Mansion from the 1960s series Batman. As I've read, however, it isn't visible from the street.
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