MovieChat Forums > The King of Marvin Gardens (1972) Discussion > Hotel room real or a film set?

Hotel room real or a film set?

posted 14 years ago by mboone-1
4 replies | jump to latest

I've been rewatching this film just to see the old Atlantic City locations. Here's my question: Is the interior of their hotel room real or a soundstage set?

In the scene where Ellen Burstyn is soaking her feet, the view out the window looks convincing enough not to be blue-screen or rear projection. However, the layout and detail of this room does not correspond to the floor plan of the Marlborough-Blenheim or any other hotel I can find. (Notice the roof gable outside the window.)

The scene where Ellen Burstyn goes to another hotel to take a shower looks like it was shot in a real hotel room. Just look at the size of that air conditioner!

Library of Congress has many photos of these wonderful old hotels.

Blenheim Hotel
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/NJ0002/

Marlborough Hotel
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/NJ0004/

Dennis Hotel
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/NJ0003/

Shelburne Hotel
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/NJ1064/

[–] mboone-1 14 years ago

I watched those key scenes again and discovered that even though the characters walk in and out of the Marlborough-Blenhiem Hotel they are actually staying in the Hotel Shelburne!

First, the crest in the elevator matches the crest on the front of the building. (http://lcweb2.loc.gov/pnp/habshaer/nj/nj1000/nj1064/photos/106532pv.jpg) Second, the roof line of the Shelburne matches the view out the window of their hotel room. (http://lcweb2.loc.gov/pnp/habshaer/nj/nj1200/nj1218/photos/107122pv.jpg --Hotel on the left, corner suite, 10th or 11th floor) Unfortunately, LoC does not have any floor plans for the Hotel Shelburne.

Also, the scene where Bruce Dern runs through the lobby and up the stairs to rescue Ellen Burstyn in the shower was shot in the Dennis Hotel, although it's called the St. James in the film. These are the stairs he runs up (http://lcweb2.loc.gov/pnp/habshaer/nj/nj0000/nj0003/photos/106933pv.jpg). I assume that the hotel room was also shot in the Dennis. Other scenes were shot in the lobbies of the Marlborough and Blenhiem, the dining room of the Blenhiem, and the corridor that leads from the boardwalk to the front door of the Blenhiem (http://lcweb2.loc.gov/pnp/habshaer/nj/nj0000/nj0002/sheet/00003r.tif).

The Hotel Dennis is the only one of these grand hotels that still exist. It's now part of Bally's.

[–] Everyonesfavoritedirector 12 years ago

On the Criterion release's interview with Rafelson, he states that the hotel room was indeed real, and that it was shot on the 10th floor (despite Kovacs' disapproval), in order to see birds out the window.

[–] Stirchley 12 years ago

Is the interior of their hotel room real or a soundstage set?

I would have thought the hotel room was a set, save for the seagulls flying outside the window. Especially when Ellen shot Bruce, the seagulls rose up in a fright and flew away.

[–] Prismark10 9 years ago

I would had also thought that it was a set. They had to fit the cameras, electrics and camera crew in and its likely to be crowded.

Its that man again!!