THX 1138 film locations
Film locations: California
THX 1138: the dystopian world of THX 1138: Marin County Civic Center, San Rafael, California
George Lucas’ first feature film, before he went on to American Graffiti and the phenomenally successful Star Wars, is a self-consciously film-student art movie.
Set in a clinically dystopian future, the film utilised a number of real Californian locations. The claustrophobic underground environment is the (uncompleted) tunnel system of the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit system (BART).
Other locations include the Lawrence Hall of Science, 1 Centennial Drive, in the hills above the main University of California campus at Berkeley.
The clinical world of the future used Frank Lloyd Wright’s magnificent 1950s extravaganza, the Marin County Civic Center, Civic Center Drive, San Rafael, north of San Francisco. The same setting was used as the ‘Gattaca Corporation’ in Andrew Niccol’s underrated 1997 sci-fi Gattaca with Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman and Jude Law.
All material Copyright ©2008 The Worldwide Guide To Movie Locations
Designed by Intelligent Designing
THX 1138, 1970
Director
Cast
- Robert Duvall
- Donald Pleasence
- Maggie McOmie
visit the film locations
San Rafael: Visiting San Rafael
Marin County Civic Center, 3501 Civic Center Drive, San Rafael, across the Golden Gate Bridge about 15 miles north of San Francisco (tel: 415.499.7009)
Marin County Civic Center Tours
Trivia
Marin County Civic Center becomes the headquarters of the sinister ‘Gattaca Corporation’ in the 1997 sci-fi Gattaca.