Reel SF

San Francisco movie locations from classic films

San Francisco movie locations from classic films

Dark Passage - Harry's Wagon

  After Parry recovers from his plastic surgery in Irene's apartment, she removes his bandages and gets to see his new (Bogart's) face.  But he doesn't want to put her at risk and decides it's best to get out of her life.  He calls for a cab and tells the driver "Post and Fillmore" - the cab drops him off at Harry's Wagon, a railcar-styled diner sandwiched between two buildings.

Then ...   These ad hoc diners were popular at that time.  Diner researcher Richard Gutman in his informative comment below explains that this particular one began life not as a rail car but as a purpose-built horse-drawn street food wagon in the early 1900s.

... from the 1947 street directory ...  the entry below confirms that Harry's Wagon was indeed a real diner at 1921 Post Street near Fillmore (map).

... and Now,  Sohn's French Cleaners currently occupies the setback building on the site of the old diner, re-addressed as 1919 Post Street.

... a similar diner ...  Harry's Wagon is long gone but thanks to reader Zach Georgopoulos (see his comment below) we now know where we can still dine today in an similar railcar, the Grubstake, at 1525 Pine Street, which according to their website was a converted railcar from the long extinct Key Line railroard system.

 

  A suspicious detective apprehends Parry in the diner but he gives him the slip and takes off (below).

Vertigo - Art Gallery and The Portrait Of Carlotta

Then ...  Madeleine leads Scottie across town to the art gallery at the Palace of the Legion of Honor (map).  This grand edifice, at the top of Lincoln Park, was a gift to the city from Alma de Bretteville Spreckels and was completed in 1924.  (Trivia note - Alma lived in the Spreckels Mansion, site of one of the murders in the movie The Sniper).  The Palace is a 3/4 scale model of the Palais de la Legion d'Honneur in Paris.

... and Now,   just the same.  

 

Then ...  Scottie finds Madeleine gazing at a portrait in Gallery 6 of the museum.  He calls over an attendant who tells him it's a portrait of Carlotta Valdes.

... and Now

 

  He sneaks up behind her to get a closer look.  Not surprisingly the portrait of Carlotta is not on display in the gallery but the two paintings behind Scottie (below) are periodically hung in the adjacent Gallery 7.  They are 'Portrait of a Gentleman' by Nicolas de Largilliere' and 'Allegories of the Arts: Architecture' by Charles-Andre van Loo.

 

Then ...  Madeleine is transfixed by the image of Carlotta.  The portrait was painted for the movie by studio artist John Ferren but has since been lost.

... and Now,  taken from the same spot in Gallery 6.

 

  Scottie realizes that Madeleine's bouquet is the same as Carlotta's in the painting and that her hair is worn in the same style.  Spooky.

Vertigo - Scottie Follows Madeleine - 3

  Madeleine leaves the cemetery and continues on her 'wanderings'.  Scottie follows again - this time she leads him to the Palace of the Legion of Honor in Lincoln Park. Every block traversed is listed and described sequentially.  An asterisk (*) indicates a route discontinuity, ie a location jump.

 

Bullitt - Cathy's Office

    Bullitt has arranged to meet friends for dinner and picks up his girlfriend Cathy at her office.  The scene was filmed at the office of the renowned San Francisco environmental architect Lawrence Halprin, designer of outdoor spaces across the nation including the F.D.R. Memorial, Sea Ranch, Ghirardelli Square, Levi Plaza and many more.  The office was at the base of Telegraph Hill at 1620 Montgomery Street, Suite 320, and is still home to an architectural firm, Theodore Brown and Partners.  The building exterior is not seen in the movie but a recent photo of 1620 Montgomery is shown below.

 

Then ...  Bullitt is seen here between the 2nd and 3rd floor on his way to the top floor.

... and Now,  the statue is gone but nothing else has changed.

 

Then ...  He is greeted by a pretty receptionist as he enters Cathy's office: Mr. Cool, raincoat nonchalantly slung over the shoulder,  (Does anybody do that any more?).

... and Now,  the open space has since been partitioned off.  It was more welcoming and convivial then.

 

Then ...  Bullitt waits patiently while Cathy finishes off a calculation.

... and Now,  below, note the vertical pipe to the left of where the partition meets the wall.  It's the same as the one above.

 

 ... on location ...  here's a panoramic view of the film crew setting up Cathy's workspace, taken from behind a planter on the mezzanine level.

... and Now,  from the same spot.

 

 ... on location ...  Steve McQueen, inseparable from the raincoat, chats to Lawrence Halprin between takes.

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