Fitzroy, fascinating inner city Melbourne, tourist-free. An easy walk from the CBD.

Most tourist buses stop at Captain Cook's Cottage. Dull. The Chinese tourists have to endure this. But Melbourne gets interesting on the northern side of Fitzroy Gardens.

After the stately homes and medical offices of East Melbourne, you come to the wide thoroughfare of Victoria Parade. Cross this and you are in Fitzroy, one of Melbourne's first suburbs.

A fascinating blend of inner city slums, hipster heaven and stylish inner city living.  On Brunswick and Gertrude Streets, there is an enormous range of bars, restaurants and trendy fashion shopping. Because of its well preserved Victorian architecture, film and television productions often use this area (see photo below). All this is an easy 1 hour walk (round trip) from the edge of the CBD.

 Fitzroy Gardens, northern edge, near Albert Street, CBD in background

Graceful Victoria Parade with central tramway (think New Orleans' Charles Street)

Trendy Gertrude Street

Looking up Brunswick Street toward St Patrick's Cathedral and CBD

Beautifully renovated home in Gore Street

Fitzroy "Town Hall", Napier Street, on this particular day,  the set of a TV production - Network Ten's "Offspring"

Unusual Hollywood work choices.

You do what you do to make a buck in Hollywood, I suppose. Like everywhere else. Here's some contrasting job choices from directors and film composers:

• Ted Kotcheff directed the disturbing "Wake In Fright".... but also "Weekend at Bernie's".
• Another Canadian, Bob Clark, made the timeless "A Christmas Story" .... but also "Porky's".
• John Huston made classics in the 40's and 50's .... but also the abysmal "Annie" and "Casino Royale" (early scenes).
• Multi-talented Elaine May directed "A New Leaf" .... but also 80's turkey "Ishtar".
• Hitchcock's amazing films span over 50 years .... but there's "Under Capricorn" (1949) and the two 60's spy duds "Torn Curtain" followed by "Topaz".
• Charles Fox wrote the score for "Barbarella" (okay, it's a guilty pleasure) ... but also "The Love Boat" theme.
• Steven Spielberg's go-to composer John Williams started his film career as "Johnny Williams" writing incidental music for the first season of "Gilligan's Island".
• John Barry, early Bond musical scores, won an Oscars for "Born Free","Out of Africa"... also wrote a shampoo commercial for British television.