River Road Tunnel (1955)

This weekend I made a trip to the Griffith Park Observatory, high up in the hills of Los Angeles. Little did I know that the road to the observatory would also lead to a planking adventure. The River Road Tunnel is where Marty steals the sports almanac back from Biff during a hoverboard-car chase in Back to the Future Part II. In reality, the tunnel is part of the road that leads to the observatory. There wasn't a close place to park near the entrance to the tunnel, but a friendly security guard let us pull off to the side of the road while I jumped out and took a photo. It is not a very long tunnel. In the movie a wide-angle lens and unevenly placed interior lights make the tunnel seem longer using perspective tricks. You might also recognize this tunnel as the entrance to Toontown in Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

Back to the Future Part II screenshot.

Back to the Future Part II screenshot.

Principal Strickland's House (1985)

Principal Strickland's house was featured very briefly in Back to the Future Part II in the alternate 1985. The house is located in Whittier, California just down the street from Whittier High School. I was a little nervous about this plank because this is where Marty had a shotgun pointed at his head while standing on the porch. Fortunately the neighborhood seems to more be more friendly in real 2011. The front of the house is a little different than it appeared in the movie. You can see the stairs are now on the side of the porch instead of in the front. Thanks to the homeowner's neighbor who helped me with the photo. 

Back to the Future Part II screenshot.

Twin Pines Mall (1985)

This was one of the locations I was most excited to plank. And why not? Twin Pines Mall was where the DeLorean time machine was revealed for the first time in Back to the Future. The mall is actually named Puente Hills Mall, located in City of Industry. JC Penny was the store  most visible in the movie, but that part of the mall is now a 24 Hour Fitness. Otherwise, the exterior of the building still looks very much the same. I planked on a guard rail next to the street where Marty road his skateboard to meet Doc. As I planked, I was able to enjoy the odors of happy-hour appetizers from the T.G.I. Friday's next to me.

Back to the Future screenshot.

Planking in the Old West? (1885)

We all know that planking and Back to the Future have a natural connection, and I may now have proof that BTTF filmmakers included planks in the actual movies. Look at the following screenshots from Back to the Future Part III of Doc Brown and Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen. Although planking seems to be a recent phenomenon in today's society, it turns out people may have been planking in Hill Valley more than 125 years ago. It can't be confirmed, but it looks an awful lot like these two men were planking in 1885.  You be the judge.

Doc Brown planking?

Buford Tannen planking in manure?

Doc's Mansion (1955)

Doc Brown's mansion is an amazing house. Because of it's awesomeness, I wanted to include the entire structure in my planking photo. This proved to be difficult. I planked on the edge of a concrete platform across the yard from where I had my camera set on a 10-second timer. I'm fast, and it's a good thing because there wasn't much time to set the camera, run to the position, and balance myself before the photo was taken. I'll admit, it took several attempts, and some falling. The house is known as the Gamble House. It is a National Historic Landmark and is now a museum cared for by the City of Pasadena and the University of Southern California. It is open for tours throughout the week. I did my planking early in the morning before any visitors arrived...however some museum staff members were lucky enough to see my historic plank in person.

Back to the Future screenshot.

Doc's Garage (1955 & 1985)

This is the garage that was part of Doc's estate in 1955 and was his primary residence in 1985, where a reproduction of it was built behind a Burger King restaurant. It is here where Doc slammed the door in Marty's face after they first met in Back to the Future, and where he used a chalkboard to explain the alternate timeline in Back to the Future Part II. There wasn't a great place to plank, so I just got down on the ground and did it on the brick driveway that leads up to the building. It is located on the same property as the mansion that served as Doc's house in 1955, which is known as "The Gamble House." The house is a museum and the garage is a bookstore. It is beautiful planking property and is a National Historic Landmark on the National Register of Historic Places.

Back to the Future screenshot.

Doc's Residence (1985)

In Back to the Future Doc lived in the garage that, in 1955, was part of his family estate. Having sold all of the land around the garage to finance his inventions, by 1985 it was located behind a Burger King restaurant. A replica of the 1955 garage was built in the Burger King parking lot for the film. The Burger King, located at 535 North Victory Boulevard in Burbank, is still there today (with a newer logo), and another building sits behind it where Doc's residence was located. I decided to "have it my way" and plank on a ledge I found across the street from the BK. I did find the actual garage used in the film, too, and I will plank that next.

Back to the Future screenshot.

Back to the Future screenshot.

George McFly's House (1955)

This is the house where George McFly lived in Back to the Future. It's a cool looking home, and I decided I wanted to plank on the front porch. The house looked inviting, so I knocked on the front door and a young woman answered--she saw my camera and knew why I was there before I said a word. She was very friendly and told me people stop frequently because many houses on the street have been used as movie sets, including a couple of others in Back to the Future, Teen Wolf, and Old School. She offered to help take my photo. I thanked her, but told her I could do it myself. I didn't tell her about the planking, and didn't take the photo until she was out of sight, for fear she might not be familiar with this art form and ask me to leave. 

Back to the Future screenshot. 

Band Audition Stage (1985)

This is the stage used for Marty's band audition in Back to the Future. It is located in the McCambridge Park Recreation Center in Burbank and is open to the public. It has been painted since the film--you can see there is no longer a mural on the wall in the background. And while Huey Lewis was not there to tell me I'm "just too darn loud," you can see a worker in the distance wondering what in the world I'm doing lying on the stage. I did most of the planking by myself using my camera timer.

Back to the Future screenshot.

McFly's Residence (1985)

This is my first plank ever...and it is in front of the home that served as the McFly family's residence. The house was used in all three Back to the Future films. It is located in the San Fernando Valley, and with the exception of a basketball hoop, looks nearly exactly as it did in the films 25 years ago.

Back to the Future Part III screenshot.