With a few key locations,The Merry Gentlemencreatesa cozy and familiar setting perfect for lovers of a small-town Christmas. Marking Netflix’s third 2024 Christmas rom-com release after Christina Milian’sMeet Me Next Christmasand Lacey Chabert’sHot Frosty,TheMerry Gentlemenstars a nostalgic cast. Led byTomorrowland’s Britt Robertson andOne Tree Hill’s Chad Michael Murray, and with supporting talents that include everyone’s favorite Aunt Zelda actress Beth Broderick,Wizards of Waverly Placemom Maria Canals-Barrera, andGrease 2’s Maxwell Caulfield, the jolly movie benefits from its stars’ pasts in some of the best pop culture classics.
The Merry Gentlemenis about returning to a simple yet meaningful place whose traditions and community continue to bring purpose to one’s life. The2024 Christmas moviefeatures the signature places of the fictional town of Sycamore Creek, such as the local diner, venue, and main street. InThe Merry Gentlemen’sending,Ashley has fulfilled a mission to save The Rhythm Room, a place she holds dear to her heart as the setting of happy childhood memories. Despite all its hometown feels, most ofThe Merry Gentlemenwas filmed in a popular backlot in Santa Clarita, California.
Golden Oak Ranch
Various Locations
A popular backlot in Santa Clarita, California, Walt Disney’s Golden Oak Ranch has served as a filming location for projects likeWandaVision,Buffy the Vampire Slayer,Westworld, andNo Strings Attached. Featuring a Residential Street, Business District, and Natural and Rural Sets, the ranch has lent its characteristic scenery to movies and TV shows for over 70 years. Christmas movie director, Peter Sullivan, uses some ofGolden Oak Ranch’s best spots to bring the town of Sycamore Creek to life.
After spending a long time living in New York as a Broadway dancer, Ashley (Britt Robertson) comes home wishing to revisit places from her childhood and spend Christmas with her family. However, she’s surprised to realize her parents’ bar, The Rhythm Room, once the hottest spot in town, is now on the verge of being closed down. In an effort to collect the money to pay the venue’s lease, Ashley recruits and trains some local men to put on a Magic-Myke-type holiday show.
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The former Broadway star starts to fall in love not only with the town’s contractor, Luke (Chad Michael Murray), but also with the town’s familiar businesses and surroundings. Golden Oak Ranchprovides the major locations inThe Merry Gentlemen. The backlot’s Block J was used for Little Spoon Cafe, a beloved town diner owned by Ashley’s sister, and the Business District and Storefronts were decorated and sprayed with faux snow to create the main street — the location of The Rhythm Room, and where Ashley and Luke walk together in several scenes.
Golden Oak Ranch — Block G
New York Theater
Built to represent various decades and both city and small-town streets, the Golden Oak Ranch even provided the New York theater where Ashley performs at the beginning of the film.The Merry Gentlemenproduction teamtransformed Block G’s art deco movie theater into a Broadway venueduring Christmastime. Introducing the character as an experienced dancer for The Jingle Bells, the movie’s opening sequence showcases a busy city life of bright lights and shiny streets that later come to contrast with the tranquil and warm town of Sycamore Creek.
Golden Oak Ranch — Rural Sets
Luke’s Carpentry Workshop
Taking advantage of Golden Oak Ranch’s rural sets, Peter Sullivan made Ragwing Barn Luke’s carpentry workshop. The rustic place also offersthe perfect romantic setting for Ashley and Luke’s first kiss. As Ashley uses the excuse to deliver Luke’s Little Spoon Cafe to see him, she is happily surprised to see him in his element. The pair continue their flirty banter, elevated byRobertson and Murray’s undeniable chemistry inThe Merry Gentlemen. When Luke confesses he has been inspired to work on something special, the until-then-unspoken romantic tension finds an outlet in a dance.
The cozy barn becomesa special setting where more than furniture is being built. Benefiting from David Feldstein’s The Magic of the Season as part ofThe Merry GentlemenChristmas soundtrack, the scene sees Ashley and Luke letting themselves be swayed by their feelings. Marking a promising step in their relationship, the barn sequence is meant to give the characters a taste of the everyday life they could have together: simple and rural, but every bit inspiring and world-rocking.
Ephrata, Pennsylvania
Sycamore Creek
For the establishing shots of Sycamore Creek,The Merry Gentlemenused third-party footage ofEphrata, a town in Pennsylvania(viaThe Cinemaholic). Displaying a quintessential American town covered in snow and decorated for the holidays, Ephrata makes a convincingHallmark Christmas town. Notably, the Ephrata National Bank can be recognized in the picture, giving away the real location of the clip. However, this doesn’t take away fromThe Merry Gentlemen’s charming and homey narrative. Peter Sullivan’s chosen locations, albeit very distant from an authentic borough,successfully shape the small town of Sycamore Creek, giving life to a palpable return home tale.
Sources:The Cinemaholic,Golden Oak Ranch
The Merry Gentlemen
The Merry Gentlemen follows a Broadway dancer as she endeavors to rescue her parents' ailing small-town nightclub. By organizing a Christmas-themed revue, she encounters a captivating dancer, leading to unexpected connections amidst the holiday festivities.
