Iannucci - On location: a film and TV lovers travel guide

Lisa Iannucci is a professional writer, founder of The Virgin Traveler, and host of her Reel Travels podcast (blogtalkradio.com/reeltravels). She is a regular contributor to TravelPulse.com and has written travel articles for the Los Angeles Times, Content That Works, the Poughkeepsie Journal, and other publications as well. She contributes film/TV articles to ReelLife-WithJane.com and FF2Media.com and has interviewed hundreds of celebrities. She has coauthored 17 books on a wide variety of topics, including biographies of Will Smith and Ellen DeGeneres. She lives with her family and five televisions in Poughkeepsie, New York.

An imprint of Rowman & Littlefield

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Copyright 2018 Lisa Iannucci

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote passages in a review.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information available

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available

ISBN 978-1-4930-3085-9 (paperback)

ISBN 978-1-4930-3086-6 (e-book)

The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information SciencesPermanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992

Printed in the United States of America

When a writer writes a book, they really dont do it alone, even if their name is the only one on the cover. For me, I couldnt have written my book without my family, who understands why I work long hours to accomplish what I love to do. So, to my childrenNicole Brinkley, Travis Brinkley, and Samantha Brinkley (Sami bugged me all the time to put something about iZombie in this book, so there you go!)you are my love, my heart, and my motivation. Thank you for, once again, being by my side throughout this long process. I love you. To my honey, Ej Garr, thank you for making me laugh, showing me how to destress, and, most importantly, loving me. To my mom, Patricia Quaglieri, thank you for helping out againcooking my fave foods on nights I was working on deadline and always pushing me to do better. You all mean everything to me. Last, but not least, thank you to my editor at Rowman & Littlefield, Rick Rinehart, who has been there for me every step of the way. You are amazingthank you.

To my readers, Ive written 17 books and almost all of them were with a coauthor. This particular book was my own idea and my labor of love. It combines my passionsfilm, television, and traveland Im extremely proud of whats here. I hope you enjoy it too.

Lisa Iannucci

FILM AND TELEVISION, for the most part, are meant to be an escape. Movies are written by storytellers who want to share an adventure with you. Writers on television shows often build worlds and storylines that draw you in day after day or week after week. As fans of the movies and television, we want to become even closer to our favorites. We want to see where they were filmed and visit the hometowns of our favorite actors and actresses. We also want to spend our hard-earned money on collecting memorabilia.

In addition, just like there are sports and music fans who follow around their favorite sports teams and bands, there are also film and TV buffs who obsessively travel every year to share in the love of their favorite shows and movies. Just think about how many people have visited Philadelphia to run up the same steps that Rocky Balboa did in Rocky.

In Jamestown, New York, the home of the legendary comedian Lucille Ball, The Lucy Comedy Fest attracts thousands of fans every year who tour the home and town where Lucy was born just to feel closer to the redhead. They also enter look-alike contests, enjoy comedy shows, and even stomp a grape or two all in the name of being an I Love Lucy fan.

Throughout the United States, there are museums devoted to the careers of some of our favorite legendary actors, such as Andy Griffith, John Wayne, and Ava Gardner, as well as re-creations of movie scenes such as The Land of Oz. There are also conventions where you can meet others who love films and television as much as you do.

We have become so emotionally connected to our favorite characters that we hope that we too could become one of them. We have come to love our movies and television shows so much that cosplay, where we dress up like them, has become a fast-growing industry. It has even spawned its own conventions and television shows, such as Syfys Cosplay Melee.

I remember, as a little girl, wanting to stand where Gene Kelly stood when he danced the famous umbrella scene in Singin in the Rain. When Disney World in Orlando created a ride that took us behind the scenes of many famous movies, I couldnt wait to get there. Id do anything to get closer. I was also a huge fan of Lucille Ball and Abbott & Costello. I wanted to know more about their lives. I read books on them and watched television documentaries, but I always wanted to go to Jamestown (Lucys hometown) and see Cianci Street in Lou Costellos hometown of Paterson, New Jersey. (Ive done both now.)

Kelly Thompson loves movies so much that when she travels she does what she can to see where her favorite films were made. For example, when she visited Sonoma County, California, she made sure to visit The Schoolhouse on Bodega Lane, the site for Alfred Hitchcocks famous horror movie, The Birds. She also visited the California settings for scenes in Hitchcocks North by Northwest, as well as the New York City apartment building seen in Ghostbusters.

Im fascinated with how filmmakers tell a story and seeing the places they used in real life, she told me. I always pay attention when Im watching and want to see how the place translated to film.

Author Sandra Hume has traveled throughout the United States, visiting locations related to her favorite books and television show, Little House on the Prairie.

Lindsey Rickert loved movies, specifically drive-in theaters, so much that she spent two months in her car and drove more than 12,000 miles around the United States looking for these disappearing American landmarks. Her book, Drive-In America, documents her travels, the changes in the industry and the future of drive-in movie theaters. I think film fans will love this nostalgic look back. For more information visit lindseyrickert.com.

In New York City, you can find Seinfeld Tours by the real Kenny Kramer or take a tour of The Sopranos locations. For the more retro viewer, there are 3-hour Gilligans Island tours in Hawaii and a campground in Arizona, just outside of the Grand Canyon that honors The Flintstones (dont forget to slide down the back of the life-size dinosaur when the quitting time bell rings!).

Whats your favorite television show? Your favorite movie? Where do you want to go? In this book, all you have to do is flip to that state and see what you can tour and enjoy. Check out the table of contents and see whats available to you. Keep in mind that one movie, say