Famous Films Shot In Cleveland

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Being a fanatic movie buff, yesterday night involved me searching the web for new trailers and movies to come out this year. And then it hit me...which films were shot in Cleveland? When I searched for this on Google, I was surprised with the number of films, some actually very famous and well known. Here they are:

The Fortune Cookie (1966)
This movie was the first of many pairing Jack Lemmon and Walter Matheau and the results are brilliant. The film, directed by Billy Wilder, features the now-classic repartee between Lemmon and Mattheau. Mattheau suffered a major heart attack after filming, but he won a best supporting actor Oscar for his performance. The film includes scenes filmed at St. Vincent Charity Hospital in Cleveland's Ohio City neighborhood as well as the old Cleveland Municipal Stadium.

The Deer Hunter (1978)
This classic film, starring Robert DeNiro and a young Meryl Streep, pretends to take place in the Pittsburgh area. The wedding reception scene, however, was shot at St. Theodosius Russian Orthodox Chruch on Starkweather, in Cleveland's Tremont neighborhood.

Christmas Story (1983)
This "feel good" Christmas classic about Christmas in the 1940s, starring Darren McGavin and Peter Billingsly, was shot all over Cleveland: At the former Higbee's Department Store on Public Square, on W. 11th Street, and at various locations in the Tremont neighborhood. In late 2006, the house where this movie was filmed opened as an attraction. See my article on A Christmas Story House.

Light of Day (1987)
This, somewhat forgettable, film starring Michael J. Fox and Joan Jett is still fun for Clevelanders because of its local settings and references. The movie, about a brother-sister rock and roll duo, features scenes filmed in Cleveland Heights and Cleveland's University Circle neighborhood. There's even a glimpse of Akron native, Trent Reznor, right before he burst to fame with "Nine Inch Nails."

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