Macy's doubles as the film's department store, Gimbel's Anyone who has been to New York would immediately recognise Macy's, but the iconic department store was renamed Gimbel's in Elf. Gimbel's is a now-defunct rival to Macy's and the store actually featured in the original Miracle On 34th Street film, back in 1947.

What building was used as Gimbels in Elf?

'Gimbels Dept Store', where Buddy redecorates the toy department overnight, is the Textile Building, 295 5th Avenue at the northeast corner of East 30th Street, embellished with CGI. Gimbels was a real department store chain – at one point the largest in the USA – until its stores closed in 1987.

What department store was used in Elf?

When the security guards at Walter's office throw Buddy out, they suggest he go back to Santaland at Gimbels. The highly festive store is heavily featured throughout the rest of "Elf," but viewers may not have realized that Gimbels was a real department store in New York City that closed in 1986.

Why didn't Elf use Macy's?

As Favreau revealed to ABC News, the Elf team asked Macy's if they could use the store for the movie, but Macy's declined. He told the publication: "Because we're using a Santa, of course, everybody thinks Macy's. "But Macy's didn't like the idea that there was a fake Santa working there.

What movies was the Gimbels store in?

Gimbels also gained publicity from the 1947 film Miracle on 34th Street, the 1967 film Fitzwilly, and was frequently mentioned as a shopping destination of Lucy Ricardo and Ethel Mertz on the hit 1950s TV series I Love Lucy. The Slinky made its debut at the northeast Philadelphia Gimbels store.

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Does Gimbels department store still exist?

After all, Gimbels closed nearly a generation ago. Though Gimbels, a former department store giant, once put up a plucky fight with Macy's, its higher-class rival down the street, the only physical remnant is a long, narrow sign painted on the side of 119 West 31st Street.

Does Gimbels Dept store still exist?

Gimbels was acquired in 1972 and its remaining stores shuttered in 1986, with the Herald Square flagship sold and later converted into what's now the Manhattan Mall.

What is Gimbels New York now?

A major selling point for Gimbels were the underground passageways that took 34th Street subway and PATH riders right to the store's entrances. Gimbels is long gone, but the building, extensively revamped, is still there—it's now the Manhattan Mall with a JC Penney as its flagship store.

Which store does Buddy work at in Elf?

Buddy the elf could have fought a fake Santa Claus inside a Macy's in the movie Elf, but didn't. Instead, Buddy winds up working at Gimbels, a once popular competitor of Macy's that closed back in the '80s.

How old was Will Ferrell when he filmed Elf?

This actually makes Buddy a fair amount younger than Will Ferrell himself, who was 35 years old at the time of Elf's filming, and 36 when the movie was released to theaters.

What replaced Gimbels in NYC?

The mall replaced the former flagship store of the Gimbels department store chain, which operated from 1910 to 1986. It opened in 1989 as a shopping center called A&S Plaza and was rebranded Manhattan Mall in 1995.

Does Gimbels still exist in New York City?

Gimbels, where Buddy (the elf the movie is about) works, used to be a real department store in NYC, but it closed in the '80s; the Textile Building was used as the exterior of Gimbels in the movie instead.

Is the coffee shop in Elf real?

However, it's worth noting that 2003, when the film was made, there wasn't a coffee shop at 20 East Hastings Street. Instead, the location was home to a long-standing seafood restaurant, The Only Sea Food.

Where were the Gimbels scenes filmed in Elf?

So they settled on Gimbels, a now defunct NY department store–the exterior was shot at 5th Avenue and E 30th St and decorated with CGI.

How much did Will Ferrell get paid for Elf?

Elf was Will Ferrell's second box office hit. He reportedly received a whopping salary of $17 million for that film alone, more on par with what his talents would dictate in the mid-2000s. He was allegedly offered $29 million to act in an Elf sequel, but couldn't get his heart into it, so he turned it down.

What city was Elf filmed in?

Filming. Principal photography began on December 9, 2002, and wrapped on March 7, 2003. Filming took place in New York City, as well as in Vancouver and at Riverview Hospital in Coquitlam, British Columbia. The film makes heavy use of forced perspective to exaggerate the size of Buddy compared to all the other elves.

What month was Elf filmed?

These scenes were filmed in early December 2002, so New York was already looking festive. There is an unforgettable scene of Ferrell's character, after arriving in the city, spotting a man with a white beard wearing a red jogging suit, and calling him Santa.

Who else auditioned for Elf?

Jim Carrey was supposed to play Buddy the Elf.

Although Jim Carrey didn't end up in this film you probably recognise him as playing The Grinch. An actor called Chris Farley was also asked to play Buddy but the writer of Elf didn't think he was a good fit. It took years before they found the perfect Buddy.

What was Buddy's real name in Elf?

William Hobbs, better known as Buddy The Elf , is the main protagonist of the 2003 film Elf.

Who bought out Gimbels?

Gimbels was acquired in 1973 by Brown & Williamson, the American subsidiary of British-American Tobacco , a diversified conglomerate. Brown & Williamson also owned Marshall Field's (purchased in 1982), Frederick & Nelson , The Crescent stores, and Kohl's (purchased in 1972).

Why did Gimbels close down?

By 1986, Batus Inc the company that had bought Gimbels couldn't find a buyer. The only value Gimbels had was it's real estate. Department stores are a brutal business to be. In an earlier era, it made sense to go to a store that sold everything.

Was Gimbels across the street from Macy's?

Gimbel relocated to Milwaukee in 1887 and rapidly expanded his operations, acquiring the Granville Haines store in Philadelphia in 1894 and opening what would ultimately become his flagship store on Herald Square across from Macy's in 1910.

Is Gimbels still in Philadelphia?

Gimbels has been out of business since the late 1980s - that's almost forty years ago. Too long, in my opinion to make a comeback, as most of Gimbels would-be customer's are too young to remember them in their heyday. So today's customers have no nostalgic memory of this old store.

What are the two department stores in Miracle on 34th Street?

The competition between the two famous department stores was popularized in “Miracle on 34th Street,” in which Macy's Kris Kringle would steer customers to Gimbels for better prices or selection.

Where was Bonwit Teller in NYC?

The Bonwit Teller's flagship uptown building at Fifth Avenue and 56th Street, originally known as Stewart & Company, was a women's clothing store in the "new luxury retailing district", designed by Whitney Warren and Charles Wetmore, and opened on October 16, 1929, with Eleanor Roosevelt in attendance.