Since its construction by Frank Lloyd Wright back in 1924, the Ennis-Brown house has been used as a backdrop for many cinematic features. I attribute that to its deeply textured walls that, with the right lighting, can make a scene come to life by themselves.
        Here is a list (I doubt complete) of just the films to date that have either shot on location or have made a set based on the Ennis-Brown house.
 

About this Page

        To the left are images I have collected from several sources over the last two years, both on the Net and in books. In fact One of the books, Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright: A Complete Catalog by William Allin Storrer and Henry-Russell Hitchcock, is an excellent resource. you can get your copy at Amazon.com
        Though I will not go into great detail about this house, after all that's what the official site for the house is for. But, I will share these pictures and the following text just to entice you into going to the official site.
 

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About the Ennis Brown House

        The house itself was constructed by Frank Lloyd Wright for Mabel and Charles Ennis back in 1924 and was then sold in 1968 to Mr and Mrs Augustus O. Brown. Brown, who remains on the board of trustees today, donated the house to the Trust for Preservation of Cultural Heritage, a non for profit otrganization, back in 1980. It was under their care that the house was then renamed the Ennis-Brown house.
 
        When looking at the house, with its Myan influences, it takes on the look of something ancient while remaining totally modern. Wright's practice of hiding the entrances to his houses, gives the Ennis-Brown house an even more fortress like quality. Once inside, the tall cealings, a signature of Frank Lloyd Wright, gives one the sence of being in a palace. There is always something for the eyes to grab onto. The iron works rails, the paterned tiles and the glass windows with their angles cuts and stain are just a small part of this house. The furniture, which Frank lloyd Wright would design himself for each house, is also part of the house's food for the eye.
 
        As Frank Lloyd Wright always preached, a house is living space.
 
        When I was just a boy, years before Blade Runner was made, I fell in love with the work of Frank Lloyd Wright. Much of this adoration was due to my father being a structural designer. So, by the time Blade Runner was released, my recognition of the house was immediate. And with the house being used in Blade Runner, as well as Ridley Scott's film Black Rain, an attempt by Scott at having visually texture within his films, a larger audience to Frank Lloyd Wright was born. An interesting facet of Scott's use of the house in Blade Runner is how it has now lead to what could be called an exodus to re-discover american architecture as people now travel form all over to see the Ennis-Brown house. Recently I had the pleasure to speak with Janet S Tani, Associate Curator at the Ennis-Brown museum, and she commented on how many people who come to tour the house have come because they had seen it in Blade Runner. One thing she mentioned that I couldn't help but find amusing was how many of the visitors drawn to the museum having seen the film always look for the elevator in the hallway where Deckard came to his apartment door. They are of course disappointed when they discover that there is no elevator within the Ennis-Brown house. What many do not know is that only part of the scene at Deckard's apartment was shot on location, the rest was shot on the mock-up set that, by the way, had lower and momre claustrophobic cealings than the actual house.
 
        With this ever growing interest in the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, and though I wish people were interested in Wright more for other reasons, I am still very happy to see people being drawn to his work no matter the reason.
 
Now go visit the Official Ennis-Brown Site. Oh, while you are there, you should also look into donating to the foundation to the house's restoration.