Where Was Planes Trains And Automobiles Filmed? John Hughes’ Hysterical Comedy Flick!!

Have you been looking for hysterical films made by John Hughes? Then, you can conclude your search here, as you’ve come to the right place. Today, I’m going to introduce you to the comedy film, Planes, Trains & Automobiles which was directed by John Hughes. Furthermore, I’ll also let you in on where was Planes Trains and Automobiles filmed.

The American comedy-drama movie, Planes, Trains & Automobiles released in 1987 was one of the most popular films of the year. Apart from directing this amazing film, John also pitched in as a screenwriter and worked on the screenplay. As per reports Hughes, later funded this project by himself, and came in as an executive producer.

The basic premise of Planes, Trains & Automobiles revolves around the characters of two American salesmen, who travel from Chicago to New York. The story gets interesting when the duo faces numerous challenges along the way, which almost jeopardizes their plans for Thanksgiving.

Planes, Trains & Automobiles was an overall commercial success. This highly-entertaining film, grossed over $49.5 million at the box office, against a nominal shooting budget. The critics and audiences enjoyed the surreal performances of Steve Martin and John Candy in the lead roles. Yet Planes, Trains & Automobiles did not go on to win any major awards, despite earning a number of nominations.

So, are you ready to explore where was Planes Trains and Automobiles filmed? Then, I’d suggest you read this piece till the end.

Where Was Planes Trains And Automobiles Filmed? Let’s Know This Comedy Flick Closely!

John Hughes wanted to film Planes, Trains & Automobiles on location from the beginning of the project. Thus, after the director selected the suitable cast members and finished working on the script, he began looking for ideal filming locations.

John specifically asked the production members to scout for potential shooting locations around the lively city of Chicago. Whereas the filming locations in New York were all scouted by John himself.

After a week or so, when the production members submitted the list of potential shooting locations to John, he reviewed them and thought of checking out the locations in person. Finally, after going over the final list, the director asked the filming crew to commence shooting.

The principal photography began in the first week of March 1987 and continued till the third week of May, of the same year. The production members started filming in Chicago, and then eventually moved to New York.

During the course of the shooting, no major incidents took place on set, which hindered the shooting schedule. The production members successfully managed to complete the shooting within the estimated timeline.

So, are you excited to finally know where was Planes Trains and Automobiles filmed? Then sit tight, because I’m about to discuss the exact filming locations of this movie, in detail.

Chicago, Illinois | USA

The opening sequence of the movie, where we see the character of Neal Page, the advertising executive leaving the conference hall, was actually filmed in Chicago. The production members used a vacant commercial space and turned it around to look like a multi-million dollar advertising firm. 

A considerable amount of time and money was spent on making the structure of Neal’s advertising office. Other pivotal sequences of the movie were captured inside El Rancho Motel. The production members took special shooting permission from the owners of this motel, which is located at 36355 N. US Hwy 41, Gurnee.

The sequences of the film, depicting the family home of Neal, were captured inside a medium-sized house located at 230 Oxford Road, Illinois. The production members then moved to the next shooting location and filmed the remaining sequences of the movie.

New York | USA

After the majority of the shooting was completed in and around various locations in Illinois, the filming crew finally arrived in the city of New York. The sequence where we see the lead actors taking pickup turns in the film, was then captured around Dayton Park in New York.

Then finally, the production members moved to the lower Manhattan area and captured the ending sequence of the movie, where we see the lead characters reaching their destinations, at last.

Now, let me give you an overview of Planes, Trains & Automobiles. Meanwhile, you can check out 50 First Dates, Book Of Love, and Madara vs Hashirama as well.

Plot Of Planes, Trains & Automobiles | What’s It About

The story of Planes, Trains & Automobiles revolves around the characters of Neal and John, two different salesmen, who travel from Chicago to New York. At the beginning of the film, Neal gets a call from one of his family members, who extended an invitation for him to join a thanksgiving party.

But, when the lead actor prepares for his journey and is about to leave his home, he realizes that the reservation he made wasn’t confirmed. Naturally, upon reaching the airport, he learns about the discrepancies with his air ticket and eventually decides to travel by a super-fast train. Watch Planes, Trains & Automobiles to find out what happens when the lead actor runs into John, who becomes a super-entertaining travel companion.

Final Words

Ok friends, I hope you liked the read and finally know where was Planes Trains and Automobiles filmed. If you’d like us to cover any other title, do let us know in the comments section below. Now, If you’re interested in reading similar entertaining pieces, then you can certainly check out other amazing articles on Viebly.