Film locations for The Aviator

Mystery Mesa, a remote area south of Vasquez Canyon Road between Sierra Highway and Bouqet Canyon Road at Santa Clarita northwest of LA, was peppered with bi-planes to become the desert set of Hellís Angels. The same location has been seen in The Scorpion King, Hidalgo, Spider-Man, and hosted battle scenes for Steven Spielbergís War of the Worlds.

At San Bernardino, east of LA, a hangar of San Bernardino International Airport, 294 South Leland Norton Way was emblazoned with the ëHughesí name on one side, and rival TWA on the other for airport scenes. The Lockheed Constellation was borrowed from the Airline History Museum, Hangar 9, 201 NW Lou Holland Drive, Kansas City (tel: 816.421.3401; www.airlinehistorymuseum.com).

A little east of the Ambassador Hotel site on Wilshire Boulevard is the location which doubled as the 'Beverly Hills' nightclub, outside which an irate Faith Domergue rams Hughes' car. It's not a nightclub at all, but the rear of the old Bullock's department store. This is a venerable old filming location. The same entrance, which was intended for those swanky customers arriving by car, became Connecticut's 'Sea Breeze Hotel' in the 1937 supernatural comedy Topper, with Cary Grant and Constance Bennett. The store is long closed, but the magnificent deco building has been restored to become the Southwestern Law School, 3050 Wilshire Boulevard, midtown LA

Hughes meets Katharine Hepburn (Cate Blanchett) when he comes ashore by the jetty at 72nd Place in Long Beach. Woodland Hills Golf Course, 21150 Dumetz Road, Woodland Hills (tel: 818.347.1476) stands in for the ëWilshire Country Clubí, where Hughes and Hepburn play a round or two. Note that this is an exclusive club.

The wrap party for Hellís Angels, and the celebration as Hughes announces his plans to build the biggest seaplane ever, were both filmed in the exquisite deco lounges of the Queen Mary in Long Beach.

Authentic LA locations include Pantages Theater, 6233 Hollywood Boulevard (previously seen in Species, Batman Forever, Ed Wood and The Bodyguard), where Hughes attends a premiere with Hepburn; Hughesí headquarters, where Hellís Angels and The Outlaw were edited, at 7000 Romaine Street in West Hollywood; and Hughesí seven-bedroom house at 211 Muirfield Road, Hancock Park, alongside his favourite Wilshire Country Club golf course. The interiors of both HQ and home were recreated in the studio.

(The Aviator location, Sowden House, Los Feliz)

The Aviator location: house of 'Ava Gardner' in the movie: the Sowden Housem Franklin Avenue, Los Feliz

The house of Ava Gardner (Kate Beckinsale) is Frank Lloyd Wrightís astonishing 1926 Sowden House 5121 Franklin Avenue, between Western and Normandie Avenues, Los Feliz, east of Hollywood. Please note that this is a private residence and do not disturb the occupants.

To see another Frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece on screen, check out the original The House on Haunted Hill.