Disney seems to love using Arcadia for filming scenes in some of its biggest movies.
Colin Farrell in a scene from Saving Mr. Banks shot at the Santa Anita Depot at the L.A. County Arboretum.
The critically-acclaimed “Saving Mr. Banks” comes out on Blu-ray and DVD March 18 and local Arcada residents will notice a familiar landmark in it. The Santa Anita Depot that sits prominently along Baldwin Avenue on the property of the L.A. County Arboretum appears in one of the flashback scenes starring Colin Farrell as he escorts his young daughter — who would later be known as P.L. Travers, the author of “Mary Poppins” — to a train station in Australia.
The timing of the movie’s release on Tuesday is interesting since the Arcadia Historical Society’s member program just two days later on March 20 features Santa Anita Depot docent Dale Carter providing an illustrated overview of the Santa Fe Railroad depot that served Elias Baldwin’s ranch and Sierra Madre from 1890 to 1940. And the new issue of Dreams magazine features the Depot on the page devoted to Arcadia.
Meanwhile, many residents may recall that Disney monopolized the parking lot of Santa Anita Park race track in the summer of 2012 for the production of special effects and stunt shots for the studio’s version of “The Lone Ranger,” starring Johnny Depp. The recent Blu-ray and DVD release of the film features a thank you to The City of Arcadia in the closing credits.