On Location - Charles Evans Hughes Junior High School (The Karate Kid)

Let's Talk - Cobra Kai
Episode 156: On Location - Charles Evans Hughes Junior High School (The Karate Kid)
 
Jason Connell and Sal Rodriguez visit and discuss Charles Evans Hughes Junior High School in Woodland Hills, CA, which was an actual filming location in The Karate Kid.
 
Recorded: 09-22-23
Studio: Just Curious Media
https://www.JustCuriousMedia.com/

Listen:
https://LetsTalkCobraKai.buzzsprout.com/

Watch:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNfekAT0gN4to-6j2iKhGQw/

Follow:
https://www.facebook.com/LetsTalkCobraKai/
https://www.instagram.com/LetsTalkCobraKai/
https://twitter.com/TalkCobraKai/

Hosts:
https://www.instagram.com/MrJasonConnell/
https://www.instagram.com/SalvadorLosAngeles/

Support:
https://www.patreon.com/LetsTalkCobraKai/

#justcuriousmedia #letstalkcobrakai #mrjasonconnell #salvadorlosangeles #cobrakai #thekaratekid #daniellarusso #johnnylawrence #mrmiyagi #senseikreese #ralphmacchio #williamzabka #patmorita #martinkove #allvalleykaratechampionships #martialarts

Transcript

Jason Connell: 9:45:58

Whoa, just curious. Welcome to Just curious media. This is let's talk Cobra Kai. I'm Jason Connell.

Sal Rodriguez: 9:46:08

And I'm Sal Rodriguez. All right, Sal.

Jason Connell: 9:46:11

You sound like you're out of studio again, buddy.

Sal Rodriguez: 9:46:15

Is it that obvious? That's

Jason Connell: 9:46:16

obvious right out of the gate? Well, I'm a podcaster. And I did a lot of post production work. So where are yourselves share with our fans, listeners, viewers where exactly you're at right now?

Sal Rodriguez: 9:46:27

Well, first of all, I have to get over my own shame that I haven't been here before. This isn't. I mean, I've been to a lot of places now at this point, not only as a resident of the San Fernando Valley, but as the co host of Let's Talk Cobra Kai. I've been to a number of places have not been here yet. Jason. I'm sitting in Woodland Hills. I am at the intersection of Burbank Boulevard and Capistrano Avenue 5607 Capistrano avenue to be exact.

Jason Connell: 9:46:53

I thought it was 5597

Sal Rodriguez: 9:46:55

I'm looking right at it right now. 5607 got it Capistrano.

Jason Connell: 9:47:00

Nice,

Sal Rodriguez: 9:47:00

it's still called this because it says it out there. But it is not a functioning school, but I am at Charles Evans Hughes, Jr. High School.

Jason Connell: 9:47:09

Oh my gosh, I know that school. Well, I have walked around that school several times with Nikko because that school that you're at was in the Karate Kid. Oops. Sure was it was home of the Cobra Kai's and Daniel, Sian and Ali and Freddie Fernandez and anybody else who was part of that production. I don't know if Darryl Vidal went to school there. He probably went to some other school because he was just a karate expert, but a beautiful school. And it was always locked up. When I would go It was summertime. So are the gates up because I could never walk through the courtyard. But so right in the front are scenes from The Karate Kid and also the plaques there. So please speak to what you see. Well,

Sal Rodriguez: 9:47:56

you can come right up to the school. You can see the front you can see the plaque. You can see the courtyard. You can stand right there. Have a nice view. I took a video out there. And there is actually a some offices I they have an open door. I walk right in I had a very pleasant chat with some employees that are in their LA Unified school district employees. And I let them know I was like, you know, I said, I'm representing a podcast here. And I said to the lady, I said, you know, the Karate Kid was shot here. And she says, Yes, I know. So I'm wondering if this is like just all in a day's work for them. Were some looky loos come by talking about the Karate Kid. I mean, she seemed very familiar with that fact.

Jason Connell: 9:48:35

Yeah, who are they another podcast? Some more podcasters. It

Sal Rodriguez: 9:48:39

can get back to. That's

Jason Connell: 9:48:41

great. Did I know you it that sound Rodriguez from let's talk Cobra Kai. They were actually Patreon they they told Ah, yes, yes, yes. It's so cool. Because this

Sal Rodriguez: 9:48:52

has been through a lot because this was at one time a functioning junior high school. Yeah. Then it became an adult school. So then I guess you had adult students here. So now though, at this moment in time, it just seems to be admin offices. There are no students here. So it's a nice, cool, quiet place to work because you're working at a school with no students. Yeah,

Jason Connell: 9:49:12

that's great. Well, I've seen this a lot in the east coast on the East Coast, that schools are being cut back on and turning into the offices and some they're going to repurpose completely, which is also happening. It's unfortunate, but I'm glad the building is still there. And you're able to visit it because I was really impressed by it. You have the plaque there, though scenes like I talked about. I've actually walked around the school several times as well, because I was walking my dog. Yeah. And that's where all those like outdoor scenes were happening like when Daniel is playing soccer and gets in a fight in alleys cheerleading. So it's a big field really cool. Well speaking to the plaque on the last episode, let's talk Cobra Kai are on a recent episode of Let's Talk Cobra Kai, we actually talked about the plaque and I actually referenced the school and we've done this on and off for many episodes. But it is to be clear Charles Evans Hughes Jr. High School. I think in that last episode, I just said Charles Evans Jr. High school because I pulled it off line real quick Livia Hughes off. And then it turned into the Charles us Adult Learning Center. And again, on that episode, I think I said us learning center just to be abbreviated, but it was all about Charles Evans, us. So before we came on, you're like, Hey, we should look that guy up. And I was like, Who is that guy?

Sal Rodriguez: 9:50:28

Who is Charles? Well,

Jason Connell: 9:50:30

here's a quick little thing. I've pulled one sentence. Charles Evans Hughes, Sr. was an American statesman, politician, academic and jurist, who served as the 11th, Chief Justice of the United States from 1930 to 1941. So I guess, a historic figure, and they named schools after such. I mean, I went to Thomas Edison High School. So Thomas Edison is a famous name as well. So that's who Charles Evans Hughes was. So now we know we've the myth is there, but we have another person we looked up because there is that plaque out front and I've written it down. Do you happen to have it again? Because you actually read the plaque. Last episode. Do you have that? Well, unfortunately,

Sal Rodriguez: 9:51:12

I was, even though it's only steps away or sitting, I'm sitting in my vehicle at this time. Yeah. Whereas the plaque is a few feet away, I cannot see the plaque

Jason Connell: 9:51:21

from the same you can't squint and see it better. No, I'm at I'm at an odd angle. That's okay. And since you have better audio in the car, stand the Karcher mobile studio. I'll just read it very quickly, because they show it in the movie. And they hold on it in the movie. So you actually have time to read it in the movie, because recently on the episode of The Karate Kid, audio description, that's how I even remembered about the plaque because the audio description read the entire plaque. And here it goes. It's not that long. It's not like it's paragraphs long. Jason,

Sal Rodriguez: 9:51:52

I've been obsessed with this plaque since you can't stop thinking about it. Because I started thinking like, to the filmmakers to Adamson to Cayman, was this plaque quite significant to them? Huge that they not only had it in the movie, but you know, had the camera rest on it for a moment. I think it

Jason Connell: 9:52:09

just kind of ties in nicely with what I'm about to share, because there's a couple of themes on the plaque. And I think they said, Hey, this is serendipitous. Let's let's do this. Let's show this. It says this building dedicated to truth, liberty, toleration, by the native sons of the Golden West, Andrew M. stomatal. Grant president, April 18 1969. I think there's a lot of things there with truth, liberty, toleration, the Golden West in which Daniel now resides in in the movie, it deals with these themes of truth and liberty, and toleration. So I think they just thought, This is great. Let's just insert this, let's do a long hold on it. Not just a quick pan. So I love it. And this is the school that you're at, and I visited before and it's the school from the Karate Kid. But you asked me again, different person, who's Andrew M stomatal. And again, I was like, I have no clue. So we've looked him up. Here's what I've got on him. Andrew M. stomatal. For many years, president of the San Fernando Valley Fair. Whoa, Sal, I know you have a connection with the fair, you had high hopes for the fair, they get bigger and bigger and bigger. And we've talked about it back when there was the fair on the Cobra Kai episode. And you talked about it then. So that's who he was. He was also a teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District. So there's some history there. Maybe there's footage of this plaque being honored and put on the school. Who knows, but there is some history there for the Karate Kid enthusiast.

Sal Rodriguez: 9:53:47

Wow, that is so very cool. Listen, I want our listeners to know Jason Connell will have me think of things I might not have thought of a ponder areas of the Karate Kid Cobra Kai franchise, I might not have considered really I've been obsessed with this plaque ever since he really put it in front of me. And yeah, it's quite significant. It's quite cool to see I would encourage anyone in the area or if just as you know, if you're one of those people that likes to visit locations, you got to get out here this is it's very cool. Well, you know, because I was I've been in front of Ali's house. I've been in front of the South Seas and then I go summer Oh, I've been in front of the mural Cobra Kai dojo, Cobra Kai dojo. I live right near right now. I have not been out here is a pleasant Street. This is a nice quiet environment. A woman just came by with her baby stroller. Really cool place upstairs. I wouldn't mind working here myself as one of these admin people in this building. And imagine working at a former location of the Karate Kid. I would just be bouncing into work every day.

Jason Connell: 9:54:47

That is so cool. You should ask them or just see if you can record there sometimes.

Sal Rodriguez: 9:54:52

What if I could podcast from the office? Yeah,

Jason Connell: 9:54:54

exactly. I have long thought if it ever became available, getting unit 20 At the South Seas, not the seven C's apartments, but I could probably get apartment 2070s apartments wherever the hell that is but the Celsius apartments securing number 20 And that's our LA studio. We move the LA studio to Daniel and Lucy hills, old apartment. That's

Sal Rodriguez: 9:55:19

so cool. But if that doesn't work, we can hopefully get into a vacant classroom if there's no students here, there's gonna be some vacant classrooms surely we can choose what number 20 classroom here I know that was us junior high.

Jason Connell: 9:55:30

If we secured their old apartment, we could just do a 24 hour webcam and people could just watch what's going on but I like I like it. So you're at the school. I think it's amazing. You did a video in front which is awesome because that will be the video episode for YouTube. And if you get a chance sell it if you can't walk it drive around the school you'll see the yard I mean I'm pretty sure it's still a big yard you know ground whatever it is they were still grass there a couple of years ago before I moved. Yeah. But yeah, it's just you're kind of in awe. They also, by the way wasn't just the backdrop for that movie. Okay, our favorite. Yeah, it also was used in another movie. I love it not to the same degree as the Karate Kid, which is a masterpiece. But summer school shots are Carmen Kirstie Alley movie really fun comedy in the 80s. And A Nightmare on Elm Street. Part Two Freddy's Revenge.

Sal Rodriguez: 9:56:27

Oh, nice. Wait a second they had so they had classroom scenes in that movie.

Jason Connell: 9:56:32

I don't remember that one. I've only seen the sequel. Once when it first came out. Yeah. When I looked up the school popped this particular movie along I think they do on the go, you

Sal Rodriguez: 9:56:44

know, you know what? You're right. I mean, it's a Nightmare on Elm Street. You got the students? Surely there was plenty of classroom scenes in every movie, I'm sure.

Jason Connell: 9:56:52

Yeah, I quickly looked this up. And in the movie Nightmare on Elm Street, part two, they portrayed as Springwood High School. So yeah, but why didn't they do other Nightmare on Elm streets? I don't know. But that one in particular was where you're at right now. Jason,

Sal Rodriguez: 9:57:08

I want to revisit for a moment because before you and I got onto this call you and I threw the idea around that in the Karate Kid. The high school is officially unnamed. We don't know the name of Daniels High School in the Karate Kid. Is that correct? I'd

Jason Connell: 9:57:25

have to look and see I haven't done that deep dive but continue to train of thought while I'm like Okay,

Sal Rodriguez: 9:57:31

so the idea was I was thinking then, okay, so let's say it's a made up school meant to be sort of in the center, because remember if Daniel lived and receita he went there. Ali lived in Encino. She went there. Yep. So you have sort of a middle school. Okay. So in this area, growing up in this area you had around here high schools, you had received a high. Yep, you had Birmingham, you had Taft in town. So let's stick with those three, because those are in the vicinity. So the idea wasn't the Karate Kid that the school was meant to replicate one of those schools. It was meant to replicate receipt of Birmingham or Taft, and I'm gonna think that it was probably meant to be. I'm gonna say Taft. I'm gonna guess if there's any purists if there's any purists out there that think that they have a better answer than that. But I think that the Karate Kid was meant to replicate Taft high school based on its location.

Jason Connell: 9:58:23

I think you're probably right. I used to live by Taft High School and it's big, sprawling, much bigger than where you're at right now for Charles Evans used because it is smaller. It's a junior high school. But I think the access was easier for them. You're there now it's easy to get in and out. Taft is off of a big street Ventura. Right? A lot more going on. And it probably has a bigger student body which was it's just a bigger thing and they didn't need that much school. So I think you're right about that. Also, might as well throw this in there. Hilarious to think that we know where Daniel lives in the Karate Kid. He lives in receipt it to South Seas apartments. He runs away during the Halloween dance. It's like a quick run. He loses the shower outfit, runs across the field. He's at the apartment and Mr. Miyagi jumps over the fence and saves him. Yes, that would have put the school in receita I don't think that Ali's parents and Johnny's parents want their rich kids going to receita or a high school there they would more likely send them to private school if there was no public school and Encino are nearby Woodland Hills is kind of far. Or they would go to Beverly Hills. So it's funny. We never even talked about that demographic before. Because I just listened to the Karate Kid recently again and just listening makes me realize like Wow, Mr. Mills is really hell bent on not having anything to do with someone from receita you're not going to kid from receita again.

Sal Rodriguez: 9:59:56

That's a Tom Petty. No,

Jason Connell: 9:59:58

do not do not tell that to Tom Petty. So you know anyway, I think it's funny. We've never explored that. If we ever get some from the production on the show. We could say what Where were you? What was the model was it Taft, which is kind of more it's more Woodland Hills and Woodland Hills has super nice. There's a hillside to Woodland Hills, because it's in the name. I used to live there. And you could drive up some hills and they overlook the entire valley. But yeah, maybe that was where they were cheating. But it doesn't say online. I did. Look. There was no reference to like Nightmare on Elm Street. It says it was you know, the Springwood school so it doesn't divulge that. Yeah. Well, I

Sal Rodriguez: 10:00:36

guess. I hope I don't reach my grave not knowing but that's what I speculated. Just speculate. All right. I think yeah. What you say makes a lot of sense as far as the school would have been in receipt a but yet, yeah, Ali would not be going there. And Johnny would not be going there. No. Yeah, it wouldn't make any sense. So yeah, that's I think the only logical answer Yeah,

Jason Connell: 10:00:57

and They needed that scene they needed Daniel to be able to run home very quickly got on his bike. I mean, otherwise, that just goes on forever. He's catching a cab, he finally gets to his yard. The Cobra, you know, you had to do it, I get it. But we're in the business of re examining things and you know forensic ly dissecting things. But anyway, I'm super happy that you finally made it to Charles Evans, US junior high school, because I was telling you about it when I still live in LA, like Sal, you gotta get by. It's just so beautiful. To pleasant neighborhood. You know, in fact, when I'm by location like that, and putting the credit kit aside for a second, it just would have been a cool school to go to as a junior high school or like, you know, like, at a neighborhood school like, Oh, I'm gonna, yeah, walk over to school. It's accessible to one level. It's not daunting. Yeah. And I hope it stands the test of time and becomes just a permanent fixture for these offices for jobs for you to eventually work and thrive in your career. Whatever you want to do. So I love it.

Sal Rodriguez: 10:02:02

You certainly could go in a politician, Jason. Yeah.

Jason Connell: 10:02:06

And we got to keep Charles Evans Hughes, high school, alive and well in the community. It's a fixture in our community as far as for the working families. Yeah, we'll go to farmers markets here on Saturdays. Let's shoot more movies in Woodland Hills. Let's get Cobra Kai there. Right. Let's do a Kobrick high sequence there.

Sal Rodriguez: 10:02:25

That would be nice to have any sequences of Atlanta believe. Don't get me started.

Jason Connell: 10:02:31

I know, man. I know. Well, anything else out because we've had a lot of fun. You're on location. You're probably getting warm in your car and your studio. But anything else you want to leave us with? No, I

Sal Rodriguez: 10:02:41

just want to say Jason, thanks for offering this up to me. I mean, you know it because of you. I'm out here. Thank you. This is really great. I'm very happy to be here. It is a very pleasant environment. And please, anybody listening, get out here. Have a look. Take some pictures. Hell go in there and say hello. They're very friendly in their house and tell them let's talk Cobra Kai sent you. Yes.

Jason Connell: 10:03:01

All right. So go ahead and take it away. Chris style.

Sal Rodriguez: 10:03:05

No Mercy.