Venice Beach, Building 26 on Westminster Avenue

California · United States · Road

Charlie Chaplin filmed on Westminster Avenue in 1915, and during the shoot for By the Sea his stunt double walked off the set and was never found.

Several of the large buildings near the Venice Beach boardwalk in Los Angeles were once owned by Charlie Chaplin. In their first life they served as bath houses and lodgings for wealthy visitors. Today they hold apartments, mostly occupied by the artists and musicians who moved into Venice, and they stand around the building known simply as Number 26 on Westminster Avenue.

Chaplin's connection to the street is documented in print and visible in his own films: much of his early work was shot in and around these properties. The incident behind the haunting dates from 1915, during production of By the Sea. His stunt double, a long standing friend, disappeared from the set. Filming stopped for three days while a search was organised across the area. Nothing was found, and the case was never resolved.

The reports that circulate among residents stay close to Number 26 and the corridors of the older buildings around it. They are the reports of people who live there rather than of investigators, and they have been passed along the street for decades.

FAQ

Where is Venice Beach, Building 26 on Westminster Avenue located?

Venice Beach, Building 26 on Westminster Avenue is in California, United States.

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Accounts are drawn from local folklore and visitor reports.

Image: Frank Karlitschek / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons