Roberta Aguirre
The 2002 biographical drama crime film Catch Me If You Can, directed by Steven Spielberg, was filmed in 147 locations, including the TWA Building at JFK Airport, the TWA Flight Center, and the former main terminal of Ontario International Airport. The film is based on the true story of Frank Abagnale Jr., a con artist and bank robber who became the youngest man to make the FBI's Most Wanted list.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Airport Name | Ontario International Airport |
| Airport Location | Ontario |
| Airport Terminal | TWA Terminal |
| Airport Scenes | Miami International Airport |
| Airport Building | TWA Building |
| Airport Year | 1962 |
| Airport Vibe | 60s Airport |
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What You'll Learn
Scenes were filmed at the TWA Building at JFK Airport
Scenes for the 2002 film "Catch Me If You Can", directed by Steven Spielberg, were filmed at the TWA Building at JFK Airport. The film is based on the true story of Frank Abagnale Jr., a con artist and the youngest man to make the FBI's Most Wanted list, and stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Abagnale and Tom Hanks as FBI agent Carl Hanratty.
The TWA Building, designed by Eero Saarinen, was chosen for its sleek and iconic 1960s airport aesthetic. At the time of filming, the building was conveniently empty. The production team considered several other airport locations before settling on the TWA Building, including various Inland Empire airports. The Ontario International Airport, adjacent to the remote north parking lot, was also used for filming, with the cast and crew spending hours on set for carefully choreographed crowd scenes.
The TWA Building features in several key moments in the film. In one scene, Frank Abagnale Jr. reports for duty as a Pan-Am co-pilot, walking through the TWA terminal in his pilot's uniform. This scene was also shot at the end of the film, after Hanratty has caught Frank and enlisted him to work for the FBI. The TWA terminal was chosen for its visual appeal and its status as a masterpiece of the Jet Age.
In addition to the TWA Building, other notable filming locations for "Catch Me If You Can" include the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood, the Ambassador Hotel, Brooklyn Borough Hall, and Alcatraz Prison. The film was shot in a total of 147 different locations.
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The 1962 airport was empty during filming
The 1962 airport scenes in 'Catch Me If You Can' were filmed in the TWA Building at JFK Airport, which stood conveniently empty during filming. The building, designed by Eero Saarinen, was a masterpiece of the Jet Age. The film crew were able to take advantage of the empty space to create the perfect 60s airport vibe. The scenes were carefully choreographed, with hundreds of extras and period costumes.
The TWA terminal was chosen for its aesthetic appeal, and the fact that it was declared a landmark ensured its preservation. The Worldport Terminal, on the other hand, did not meet the qualifications and has since been torn down. The film also featured scenes shot at the former main terminal of Ontario International Airport, adjacent to the remote north parking lot. This location was chosen after scouting several Inland Empire airports.
Ontario International Airport served as the setting for the ''Miami International Airport' scenes, where Abagnale evades the FBI by escorting a chorus line of flight attendants. The airport provided security, electrical, and maintenance staff for the production. Filming did not disrupt normal airport operations, and the airport profited little from the elaborate transformation. The cast and crew spent hours waiting for multiple takes of carefully choreographed crowd scenes.
The film's director, Steven Spielberg, was drawn to the TWA Terminal for its aesthetic value and its significance in the Jet Age. The terminal was used for scenes at the beginning and end of the film, with Leonardo DiCaprio's character, Frank, wearing a pilot's uniform and preparing to fly to an unknown destination. The use of different airline terminals by pilots was not uncommon, as it allowed impostors like Frank to avoid detection by catching rides with various airlines.
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Ontario International Airport was disguised for filming
Ontario International Airport was one of the 147 filming locations for Steven Spielberg's 2002 biographical drama crime film "Catch Me If You Can". The airport underwent an elaborate transformation for the film, which is set between 1964 and 1966. The former main terminal was carefully disguised, with the exterior featuring American and Florida flags, a row of early 1960s-era Checker cabs, and 15 white semi-tractor trailers and heavy truck-based cranes with double banks of Bebee lights.
The interior of the airport was also transformed, with crowd scenes featuring 225 extras in period costume. The filming took place adjacent to the remote north parking lot, and the airport provided security, electrical, and maintenance staff. The filming did not disrupt normal airport operations, according to the locations manager for DreamWorks SKG, Mike Fantasia.
Ontario International Airport was chosen for its 1960s airport vibe, with the carefully choreographed chaos of the film's scenes requiring only minimal changes to the airport's infrastructure. The airport's old terminal building, which houses the airport administration offices, added to the authenticity of the film's setting.
The scenes filmed at Ontario International Airport include the MIA terminal scene where Leonardo DiCaprio's character, Frank Abagnale Jr., walks with a Pan Am stewardess wannabe. This scene is a classic example of futuristic 60s design, with a round underground passage featuring a "Ticketing and Baggage Claim" sign.
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The airport scenes were carefully choreographed
The airport scenes in 'Catch Me If You Can' were carefully choreographed, with the cast and crew spending hours preparing for just four or five takes of the carefully choreographed chaos. The scenes were filmed at the Ontario International Airport, which was chosen for its convenient empty terminal building and 60s vibe. The airport spent months preparing for the shoot, with production expenditures easily translating into hundreds of thousands of dollars per day. The airport scenes were also filmed at the TWA Building at JFK Airport, which was chosen for its beautiful, Jet Age design. The scenes were carefully crafted to show the main character, Frank, reporting for duty as a Pan-Am co-pilot, an impostor avoiding detection by catching rides with various airlines. The scenes were shot from multiple angles, with lighting and camera equipment set up just beyond the camera's view. The cast and crew spent four days shooting at Ontario Airport, with six days of preparation and three days of cleanup.
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The cast and crew spent hours at Ontario Airport
The cast and crew of 'Catch Me If You Can' spent hours filming at Ontario International Airport, located adjacent to the remote north parking lot. The airport was used for scenes depicting the 'Miami International Airport', where the character of Abagnale evades the FBI by escorting a chorus line of flight attendants.
The Ontario Airport was chosen after the crew scouted several Inland Empire airports. The airport's former main terminal was carefully disguised for the filming, with production staff urging for ease of access to areas adjacent to the old terminal building, despite airport security restrictions. The high-profile nature of the film was expected to boost Ontario's reputation in the film community.
The filming process at Ontario Airport involved multiple takes of carefully choreographed chaos, with interior crowd scenes requiring only 225 extras. The shoot also included early 1960s-era Checker cabs and period costumes. The airport provided essential support, including security, electrical, and maintenance staff, ensuring that normal airport operations were not disrupted.
The Ontario Airport scenes featured the involvement of both Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks, who played the lead roles in the film. The airport sequences were directed by Steven Spielberg, who captured the carefully choreographed scenes with a Panavision camera. The filming at Ontario Airport contributed to the overall success of 'Catch Me If You Can', which earned $352.1 million worldwide and received two Academy Award nominations.
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Frequently asked questions
Catch Me If You Can was filmed in several airports, including Ontario International Airport, JFK International Airport, and Orly Airport.
The scenes where Abagnale evades the FBI by escorting a chorus line of flight attendants were filmed at Ontario International Airport.
The 1962 TWA Building at JFK Airport was used to film the 60s airport scenes. The end scene, where Detective Hanratty has caught Frank and enlisted him to work for the FBI, was also filmed at the TWA Terminal.
In the book, Orly Airport is where Frank catches a ride via TWA at the beginning of the story.
