Los Feliz Is Home To The Most Famous Movie High School In America

It's not hard to see why high schools have been a consistent part of film history when you really think about it. There are so many opportunities for rich storytelling around the high school experience. From coming-of-age tales and high school melodramas to teen comedies and everything in between, high school has always provided filmmakers with an endless source of engaging stories.

As such, the best High School movies don't necessarily need the most visually engaging school as a backdrop. The emotional journeys that emerge from the high school experience are more than enough for a good film. But it doesn't hurt to have a memorable backdrop for your high school movie, and Los Angeles has what might just be the most famous school in the entire world.

John Marshall High School has appeared in a staggering number of productions, from movies and TV shows to music videos. Even if you have never heard of the school, chances are you've seen it multiple times, as it is basically the movie industry's go-to location for high school shoots.

As you might expect, Los Angeles is home to several schools that have been immortalized on-screen. '90s kids will surely know Torrance High School almost as well as their own alma mater thanks to it hosting several touchstones of the decade. The school served as a filming location for "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Beverly Hills, 90210," and "She's All That." But even Torrance High can't compete with the filmography of John Marshall High School.

Located in Los Angeles' Los Feliz neighborhood, John Marshall High has been used as a location for so many classic movies that it's basically become as much a set as it is a teaching institution. Opened in January 1931, the school is named for the Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1801 to 1835, and has remained largely unchanged since it was first built. The 6.6-magnitude Sylmar earthquake in 1971 led to some buildings on the property becoming condemned and the cafeteria being torn down. But members of the Los Feliz community actually campaigned to save the main building, which features a five-story tower and was closed for refurbishing in 1975 before reopening in 1981.

Throughout that history, John Marshall High has hosted some of the most beloved films ever produced by Hollywood. It is said to have provided interiors for James Dean's seminal coming-of-age drama "Rebel Without A Cause" back in the mid-'50s (though that remains unconfirmed). What isn't in doubt, however, is that the decades following the '50s saw the school become a star in its own right.

John Marshall High School gained notoriety for hosting the NBC series "Mr. Novak," which ran from 1963 to 1965. But the '70s were when the school began building its legendary reputation. Of all the big productions to film at John Marshall during the decade, "Grease" is arguably the biggest. The 1978 musical was mostly shot at Venice High School, which in the film became Rydell High. But John Marshall's field was used for the school carnival scene, which ended with John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John flying away in a hot rod.

Throughout the '80s, John Marshall continued to attract big productions. Van Halen used the school for their "Hot for Teacher" music video in 1984, the same year the exterior was used in Tom Hanks' comedy "Bachelor Party." 1984 was actually quite a big year for John Marshall, as its exterior was also used as the exterior of Springwood High School, which was attended by Heather Langenkamp's Nancy and her friends in "A Nightmare on Elm Street." The '80s also saw John Marshall used in "Pretty in Pink" and the Sarah Jessica Parker and Helen Hunt-starring comedy "Girls Just Want to Have Fun."

In the early '90s, John Marshall was used for the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" movie, which, despite its reputation, is good, actually. That decade also saw the school appear in "Space Jam," "Grosse Pointe Blank," "Can't Hardly Wait," and even a Pharcyde music video. All of which is to say nothing of the various TV shows that have been shot at the school, which include "The Wonder Years," "Boy Meets World," "iCarly," and the "Big Bang Theory" spinoff "Young Sheldon." Interestingly enough, John Marshall counts Leonardo DiCaprio among its former students. The actor attended for just one semester back in 1991 before he landed the role of Luke Brower and became a recurring cast member on ABC's "Growing Pains." Guess which school was used for establishing shots?