CREDITS E.T. THE EXTRATERRESTRIAL, 1982 dir: Steven Spielberg Henry Thomas Dee Wallace Drew Barrymore

In its day, the biggest-grossing movie ever, Steven Spielbergís tearjerking fantasy was filmed largely on the soundstages at Culver Studios (previously Pathe, Pathe-de Mille and RKO-Pathe Studios), 9336 Washington Boulevard in Culver City, where many other movie greats, including the original King Kong and Gone With the Wind, were shot.

Interiors, apart from the high school, were filmed here, but so were some exteriors too, including the rear of the house and the backyard where Elliot (Henry Thomas) leaves a trail of M&Ms to tempt the alien.

The redwood forest scenes are in the Redwood National Park at Crescent City, Route 101 in far northern California near the Oregon border.

Youíll find Elliotís frog-infested school in LA; itís the Culver City High School, Elenda Street at Franklin Avenue. The principal was played by Harrison Ford, whose role ended up on the cutting room floor, though I suppose true fans might be able to recognise the back of his head and shoulder, which are supposedly still in the finished film.

The neighbourhood chosen for the movie was Northridge – the epicentre of 1994ís disastrous quake – northwest LA in the San Fernando Valley.

The flying bicycles: White Oak Avenue, Granada Hills

The Halloween and chase scenes filmed in the Porter Ranch district of the Valley, and the flying bicycle chase on White Oak Boulevard between Tribune and San Fernando Mission Roads, but Elliotís house is about fifteen miles to the east.

Spielberg wanted a more dramatic backdrop and headed off to the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. The actual house is 7121 Dos Rios Drive, Tujunga, a suburb north of Burbank.

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