7 December 2022

Frederiksborg Castle, Denmark




 
In Part 5, the final series of the Spanish Netflix series LA CASA DE PAPEL (English title: Money Heist), flashbacks show how Andrés "Berlin" de Fonollosa (Pedro Alonso) reunites with his son Rafael (Patrick Criado) in Copenhagen (see Copenhagen, Denmark) after many years. This flashback is set four years before the bank robberies at the beginning of the series.

La Casa de Papel, part 5, episode 4, 0:09:11
Warning: the text may give away details of the plot.
Berlin manages to persuade Rafael to join him and his wife Tatiana (Diana Gómez) in the theft of a precious Viking treasure. Tatiana is a pianist and will give a concert during the heist at Frederiksborg, the castle where the heavily guarded treasure is kept. Filming outside the castle took place on 6 August 2020. As far as I know, no scenes were filmed inside the castle. I have not been able to find out where the interior of the concert hall is. Frederiksborg is situated in Hillerød, 30 kilometres (19 miles) north of Copenhagen.

The castle has a turbulent history dating back to the 16th century. In 1560, Danish king Frederick II ordered a manor to be extended into a hunting lodge that he named after himself. His son and heir to the throne Christian IV had the lodge completely demolished in 1599. He built a new castle in Flemish Renaissance style between 1600 and 1620 but kept the name Frederiksborg. In the following centuries, it was inhabited by several Danish kings. During the Nordic War (1655-1660), Queen Hedwig Eleonora of Sweden used it as a hunting lodge. Two centuries later, on 16 December 1859, the castle largely burned down after King Frederick VII had asked to light the fireplace in a room with a chimney under repair.
 
Frederiksborg Castle, Hillerød, 11 July 2022
The fire that broke out could not be extinguished with the water from the lake as it was frozen. The reconstruction was partly paid by the royal family who, however, would not return. Instead, the castle was established as the Museum of National History, partly thanks to a financial contribution from J.C. Jacobsen of the Carlsberg Brewery. The museum opened in 1882 and Frederiksborg, both the castle and the gardens, still has that function today. More information can be found on the website of Frederiksborg.

Frederiksborg Castle is featured in two episodes of Part 5. In episode 3, "El espectaculo de la vida" (The spectacle of life), Tatiana arrives in a red convertible for her concert. The Neptune fountain seen partly behind her was built between 1620 and 1622 after a design by Dutch sculptor Adriaen de Vries. In 1659, the fountain was looted by the Swedish troops and now stands in the gardens of Drottningholm Castle near Stockholm. The current fountain at Frederiksborg is a copy from 1888, also funded by J.C. Jacobsen.

La Casa de Papel, part 5, episode 3, 0:12:00
Frederiksborg Castle, Hillerød, 11 July 2022
La Casa de Papel, part 5, episode 3, 0:12:01
Neptune fountain, Frederiksborg Castle, Hillerød, 11 July 2022
La Casa de Papel, part 5, episode 3, 0:12:12
Frederiksborg Castle, Hillerød, 11 July 2022

In the fourth episode, "Tu sitio en el cielo" (Your place in heaven), the castle is seen from the other side during the opening credits. After the concert, Tatiana immediately leaves the castle and drives off with the other robbers.

La Casa de Papel, part 5, episode 4, 0:06:16
Frederiksborg Castle, Hillerød, 11 July 2022
La Casa de Papel, part 5, episode 4, 0:18:17
Frederiksborg Castle, Hillerød, 11 July 2022
La Casa de Papel, part 5, episode 4, 0:18:37
Frederiksborg Castle, Hillerød, 11 July 2022

Screenshots © Netflix Worldwide Entertainment, LLC
 

13 November 2022

Copenhagen, Denmark




 
The Spanish television series LA CASA DE PAPEL (literal translation: The House of Paper) was first broadcast by Antena 3 on 2 May 2017. The title refers to the Fábrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre (Royal Mint) and the Banco de España (Bank of Spain) in Madrid, the targets of eight robbers who use the name of a metropolis as their alias. They are led by Sergio Marquina (Álvaro Morte), nicknamed The Professor, and wear red overalls with Salvador Dalí masks.

La Casa de Papel, part 1, episode 1, 0:28:06
The first season consists of 15 episodes that were acquired by Netflix and re-edited into 22 episodes. Equipped with an English title, Money Heist, and an English dubbing, the first series of 11 episodes (Part 1) was released on 20 December 2017 and the second series (Part 2) followed on 6 April 2018. The series proved an unexpected success after which Netflix ordered multiple sequels: the third series (Part 3) was released on 19 July 2019, followed by the fourth series (Part 4) on 3 April 2020. Part 5, the final series, was released in two volumes on 3 September and 3 December 2021.

The series regularly features flashbacks set outside Spain, including Denmark in three episodes of Part 5. Shooting in Copenhagen and Hillerød (see Frederiksborg Castle, Denmark) took place in the first week of August 2020.

Warning: the text may give away details of the plot. In the first episode of Part 5, "El final del camino" (The end of the road), Andrés "Berlin" de Fonollosa (Pedro Alonso) meets up with his son Rafael (Patrick Criado) after years. Berlin is one of the eight robbers. This scene is set four years before the bank robbery. Berlin and Rafael meet on the bridge over the pond in Tivoli, the amusement park in the center of Copenhagen. This part of the park is called Orienten (The Orient).

La Casa de Papel, part 5, episode 1, 0:04:54
Tivoli, Copenhagen, 28 June 2022
La Casa de Papel, part 5, episode 1, 0:04:59
Tivoli, Copenhagen, 28 June 2022
La Casa de Papel, part 5, episode 1, 0:05:15
Tivoli, Copenhagen, 28 June 2022


Berlin takes his son to Nyhavn. This canal is popular with tourists thanks to its multi-coloured houses. There are plenty of cafés and restaurants here. They go to Bådteatret, in reality not a restaurant but a theatre on a boat at Nyhavn 16. The last screenshot shows the exterior of the boat on the far right.

La Casa de Papel, part 5, episode 1, 0:05:28
Nyhavn, Copenhagen, 29 June 2022
La Casa de Papel, part 5, episode 1, 0:05:29
Nyhavn, Copenhagen, 29 June 2022
La Casa de Papel, part 5, episode 1, 0:05:42
Nyhavn, Copenhagen, 29 June 2022
La Casa de Papel, part 5, episode 1, 0:06:09
Nyhavn, Copenhagen, 29 June 2022
La Casa de Papel, part 5, episode 1, 0:27:59
Nyhavn, Copenhagen, 29 June 2022


Stock Exchange,
Copenhagen,
30 June 2022
Berlin manages to convince Rafael, an engineer specialized in cyber security, to cooperate in the theft of a valuable Viking treasure from Frederiksborg Castle in Hillerød, 30 kilometres north of Copenhagen. The art heist succeeds, thanks in part to the help of Berlin's wife Tatiana (Diana Gómez). She gives a piano concert at the castle during the robbery. Together with two other accomplices, Santiago "Bogotá" López (Hovik Keuchkerian) and Jakov "Marseille" (Luka Peros), they sail through the canals of Copenhagen with their loot in the fourth episode "Tu sitio en el cielo" (Your place in heaven). First up is the Nybrogade on the left and the Vindebrogade on the right. They pass under the Højbro (High Bridge). After this bridge the street on the left is called Ved Stranden and on the right Christiansborg Slotsplads, and the name of the bridge is Holmens Bro. The notable tower on the right is from the 17th century Stock Exchange building and represents four dragons whose tails are twisted together.

La Casa de Papel, part 5, episode 4, 0:18:40
Nybrogade and Vindebrogade, Copenhagen, 30 June 2022
La Casa de Papel, part 5, episode 4, 0:19:07
Højbro, Copenhagen, 30 June 2022
La Casa de Papel, part 5, episode 4, 0:19:46
Ved Stranden and Christiansborg Slotsplads,
Copenhagen, 30 June 2022
La Casa de Papel, part 5, episode 4, 0:20:15
Holmens Bro, Copenhagen, 30 June 2022


Screenshots © Netflix Worldwide Entertainment, LLC.
 

13 October 2022

O'ahu HI, USA




 
After 1961's Blue Hawaii and Girls! Girls! Girls! from 1962, PARADISE, HAWAIIAN STYLE was the third and final film Elvis Presley made in Hawaii. The islands O'ahu, Kaua'i and Maui were chosen as filming locations. The first day of shooting was on 25 July 1965 in Hawaii, the last day on 30 September at the Paramount Studios in Los Angeles.

Paradise, Hawaiian Style, 0:22:47
Elvis Presley plays pilot Rick Richards who returns to Hawaii after being fired. Together with his friend Danny Kohana (James Shigeta), he starts a charter business taking people by helicopter to the various islands. Between flights, he meets numerous pretty ladies and sings nine songs. Filming took place at several locations on O'ahu. The island is seen from the air several times, starting in the opening credits. The camera glides over Waikiki Beach with Diamond Head on the far right.

From the plane en route from Hawaii Island (also known as Big Island) to Kaua'i, we had a nice view of the 150,000 year old volcanic cone.

Paradise, Hawaiian Style, 0:01:57
Diamond Head, O'ahu, 19 June 2017

Rick lands at the Polynesian Cultural Center to pick up some people. This open-air museum showcases the culture of six Polynesian regions: Hawaii, Tahiti, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Aotearoa (New Zealand).
The centre was opened on 12 October 1963 by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This Mormon church had regularly sent missionaries to these areas over the years. Tickets were a whopping US $ 130 per person for an entire day. Fortunately, a cheaper ticket was available but you only had access for two hours. As proof, the car key had to be handed in at the ticket office.
I did not expect there to be any landmarks after more than 50 years but I hoped to see the palm tree bent over the water forming a natural bridge. The tree is featured prominently in the film and therefore also known as the "Elvis tree". However, the tree was nowhere to be found. When I asked the staff they had no idea. We did however take a boat trip on, just like Elvis does in the movie.

Paradise, Hawaiian Style, 0:27:01
Polynesian Cultural Center, Laie, 12 June 2017
Paradise, Hawaiian Style, 0:30:15
Polynesian Cultural Center, Laie, 12 June 2017


Together with Jan (Donna Butterworth), Danny's young daughter, and Lani (Marianna Hill), Rick goes snorkelling. The helicopter lands in Kuola Regional Park which is located by the sea, near the Kuola Ranch. The island in the background is officially called Mokoliʻi but is better known as Chinaman's Hat because of its shape.

Paradise, Hawaiian Style, 0:57:15
Kuola Regional Park, O'ahu, 11 June 2017
Paradise, Hawaiian Style, 1:02:10
Kuola Regional Park, O'ahu, 11 June 2017
Paradise, Hawaiian Style, 1:02:15
Mokoliʻi, O'ahu, 11 June 2017
Paradise, Hawaiian Style, 1:02:27
View from the Kuola Ranch, O'ahu, 11 June 2017


When Danny and Jan's helicopter is missing, Rick goes looking for them with secretary Judy (Suzanna Leigh). The film clearly shows them flying over the Na Pali coast on the island of Kaua'i. They see Danny’s helicopter which, however, is stranded in Hanauma Bay on the island of O'ahu. This location can also be seen in Blue Hawaii.

Paradise, Hawaiian Style, 1:08:47
Hanauma Bay, O'ahu, 11 June 2017

Almost eight years after filming on Hawaii was completed, Elvis Presley returned to O'ahu for a concert, Elvis - Aloha from Hawaii. It was the first concert to be broadcast live around the world via satellite. During the opening footage, which shows Elvis arriving by helicopter at Waikiki Beach, the title song from Paradise, Hawaiian Style can be heard. The concert took place on 14 January 1973 at the Honolulu International Center, now the Neal S. Blaisdell Center, on Ward Ave in Honolulu. The full concert can be watched on YouTube.

Elvis - Aloha from Hawaii, 0:05:35 
Neal S. Blaisdell Center, Honolulu, 13 June 2017

In 2007, a bronze statue of Elvis Presley was unveiled at the entrance of the Neal S. Blaisdell Center to mark the 30th anniversary of his death. The statue was commissioned by television channel TV Land and designed by Ivan Schwartz. It shows Elvis accompanying himself on guitar during the first song performed at the concert, “See See Rider”. Fans regularly adorn the statue with a lei, the traditional Hawaiian garland, which Elvis also wears during the concert.

Elvis - Aloha from Hawaii, 0:08:13
Neal S. Blaisdell Center, Honolulu, 13 June 2017
Elvis - Aloha from Hawaii, 0:14:44
Neal S. Blaisdell Center, Honolulu, 13 June 2017

Screenshots © Paramount Pictures