Considering its name, you might assume that Beverly Hills High School was the school used as the location for "West Beverly High" in the hit Fox TV show "Beverly Hills, 90210." Guess again. The exterior shots for that popular TV series were actually filmed at Torrance High School, almost twenty miles away. And ironically, since Beverly Hills High is situated in the city's southern section, the school's actual zip code isn't even 90210 - it's 90212.

But this is the real Beverly Hills High, boasting celebrity alumni as David Schwimmer (Ross on "Friends"), Jonathan Silverman ("The Single Guy"), Alicia Silverstone ("Clueless"), Richard Dreyfuss ("Close Encounters of the Third Kind"), Gina Gershon ("Bound"), Marlo Thomas ("That Girl"), Richard Chamberlain ("Dr. Kildare"), Rob Reiner ("All in the Family"), Betty White ("The Golden Girls"), Tori Spelling ("90210"), Carrie Fisher ("Star Wars"), singer/actor Shaun Cassidy, ("The Hardy Boys Mysteries"), Albert Brooks ("Mother"), Rhonda Fleming ("A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court"), Joel Grey ("Cabaret"), Lorraine Newman ("Saturday Night Live"), Julie Kavner ("Rhoda"), Joely Fisher ("Ellen"), Kelli Williams ("The Practice"), Antonio Sabato Jr. ("General Hospital"), singer Lenny Kravitz and conductor Andre Previn.

Nicolas Cage ("Con Air") went here, even though his parents weren't rich - he hated the school, and dropped out in the 11th grade (after passing the GED exam). Gina Gershon reports that she was surprised to find that the school offered surfing as a credit course...

On the negative side, the infamous Menendez brothers, Lyle and Erik, were students at Beverly Hills High, as was the focus of the Clinton sex scandal, Monica Lewinsky (although she left in 1990 at age 16 to attend an exclusive Bel-Air prep school.)

Even though it isn't the shooting site for "Beverly Hills 90210," the high school has still seen its fair share of movie cameras on campus...

"It's A Wonderful Life" has become a Christmas classic, and part of that 1946 fantasy was shot here. Remember the scene where young Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed are dancing at a high school prom, when a hidden swimming pool beneath them slides open, and the dancers fall into the water? Well, Frank Capra filmed that famous pool scene here at Beverly Hills High. (What other high school would have a covered swimming pool in 1946?)  (A bit of Hollywood trivia: the student who opened the pool was played by Carl Switzer, the actor who was famous as 'Alfalfa' in the "Our Gang" comedies.)

The high school was also featured in the 1993 movie version of "The Beverly Hillbillies." It was where 'Ellie May Clampett' went to school (and where she whipped the boy's wrestling team in the gym).

And the school was also seen in the 1999 film "Anywhere But Here" - it was where Susan Sarandon's daughter 'Heather' (Natalie Portman) went to school.

Getting there: Beverly Hills High school is located just two blocks east of the Century City Shopping Center, on Moreno Drive, (between Santa Monica Blvd. & Olympic Blvd). / From Rodeo Drive, go north to Santa Monica Boulevard, and turn left (west). Follow Santa Monica Boulevard southwest (about three quarters of a mile) to Moreno Drive. Turn left (southeast) on Moreno Drive, and go three blocks to the school, which will be on your right (west) side. The gym (with the sliding pool) is located near the athletic track, on the southeast side of the campus.

 If you would prefer to see the real high school where the TV series "Beverly Hills 90210" was actually filmed, head out to the city of Torrance, and 2200 W. Carson Street. If you're a fan of the show, you'll recognize Torrance High School's familiar Moorish arches, which Brenda & Dylan (Shannon Doherty & Luke Perry) strolled past each week on the popular TV series. / To reach Torrance High, take the San Diego (405) Freeway to the Crenshaw Boulevard offramp, and head south on Crenshaw (about two and a half miles) to Carson Street. Turn left (east) on Carson Street, and go three blocks east (to just past Plaza Del Amo). The school will be on your right (south) side.