Where Was Being There Filmed? A Tale Of A Wise Gardener!

The 1979 Peter Sellers starrer satire drama film, Being There is one of a kind. The movie is one of those exceptional satires that is fused with subtle drama. Peter Sellers was an absolute maestro and one of the most important and influential actors of his time. He had worked with some eminent directors like Stanley Kubrick and many more.

The 1979 classic satire drama is all about deconstructing the class system back in the day in America. However, in this article, we’ll discuss the film and tell you precisely Where Was Being There Filmed? 

Now, to answer the main question about the movie, Being There’s filming location, we have to say that it was filmed in the United States of America, particularly in Asheville, North Carolina, and Pasadena, California. These are the primary locations where the satire drama was shot.

Plot Of Being There (1979) | An Impressive Satire-Drama!

The story of Being There revolves around the character of Chance, played by none other than Peter Sellers, a gardener by profession who resides with his extremely rich and affluent employer at the Washington DC Townhouse.

As far as he can remember, he has lived in this residence his entire life. Interestingly he did not get a formal education, his only source of learning and getting information was through television.

Nevertheless, things take a different turn when his employer all of a sudden dies and he gets thrown out of the house. Homeless Chance, wanders the street with no clue where to find a roof above his head. Soon, he bumps into a renowned businessman, Ben Rand played by Melvyn Douglas, who takes him as a fellow upper-class gentleman. 

Eventually, Chance becomes a part of the high society where he gains a lot of attention as he shares his untouched wisdom. 

Where Was Being There Filmed?

Let’s dig deeper and find out in detail about the filming locations of the Academy nominated and critically acclaimed movie, Being There.

Asheville | North Carolina, United States of America

The movie features a number of big houses or in other terms mansions. One of the mansions in the movie where Chance visits as a guest after bumping into a renowned businessman on the street, is the Baltimore House on the Baltimore Estate, in Asheville. It is located in the western part of the state of North Carolina.

The luxurious Baltimore House was built in the 1890s in French Renaissance style and offers 255 rooms. The mansion was designed by Richard Morris Hunt, who also designed the supporting base on which the Statue of Liberty stands.

The mansion is currently open to the public and showcases Vanderbilt’s collection of paintings. It also displays paintings by greats like Renoir. The grounds of the property were landscaped by Fredrick Law Olmsted who also worked on New York City’s Central Park. This mansion was also featured in Ridley Scott’s crime thriller movie Hannibal.

The city of Asheville is known for its lively arts scene and historic architecture of various kinds, including the famous dome-topped Basilica of Saint Lawrence. If you happen to be an art enthusiast then Asheville is the place to be because the Downtown Art District is filled with numerous art galleries and museums. And in the River Arts District, you can find old factory buildings turned into artists’ studios.

Apart from art galleries and museums, you can visit the Asheville Community Theater which was founded in 1946 and produced the first ever not-so-professional production of the Appalachian drama, Dark of the Moon.

The Ashville Film Festival was quite famous and completed its sixth year. The multi-media film festival known as the Twin Rivers Media Festival is held annually in downtown Asheville. In May 2013 the festival held its 20th yearly event.

Live music is another important aspect of Asheville. The city is filled with musicians. Seasonal music festivals keep on happening throughout the year. Numerous nightclubs and pubs offer live music for visitors as well as locals.

Now, few other movies, like Jennifer Lawrence’s Hunger Games, Forrest Gump which stars Tom Hanks, The World Made Straight, Masterminds, and the Oscar-nominated movie Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri were also filmed in Asheville.

Pasadena | California, United States of America

Pasadena is the second filming location of Being There after Ashville. The DC Townhouse in the movie where Peter Sellers character Chance used to reside with his rich employer, is in reality the Fenyes Mansion which is situated in 47 West Walnut Street, Pasadena, north of Los Angeles in the state of California. 

This mansion too is open to the public and is currently the headquarters of the Pasadena Historical Society. Another location where filming took place was the Craven Estate at 430 Madeline Avenue which is situated on the western side of Orange Grove. The estate belongs to the Red Cross Organization. It is not open to the public as it is the headquarters of the organization.

The Craven estate was featured in Tony Scott’s action thriller movie, Enemy of the State, which stars Will Smith and in Steven Soderbergh’s crime drama movie Traffic. Other movies and TV shows that were filmed in Pasadena are Mad Men, Parks And Recreation, Quentin Tarantino’s cult classic Pulp Fiction, Inception and US 2.

Final Word

If you’re fond of unique architecture and huge mansions, then you have two new places to visit. If you’re ever in California or North Carolina, make sure you visit these mansions in Asheville and Pasadena. And also enjoy other places like museums, art galleries and nightclubs to have a good time. 

Now, speaking of the classic satire drama, Being There, if you haven’t watched the movie, watch it as soon as possible. Currently, the movie is streaming on HBO MAX, Amazon Prime Video, Vudu and Apple TV. 
Also, if you want to explore more such fascinating filming locations, then do check out where was Twister and 22 Jump Street filmed.