Two down, one to go. The last stop is the Mark Hopkins Hotel (map) to intercept the Japanese doll carried in by little Cindy Bradshaw.
The panorama below looks down California Street from Mason as the crooks' Plymouth approaches the Mark Hopkins. On the right is the Stanford Court Hotel, built on the site of the Leland Stanford mansion after it burned down following the 1906 earthquake. On the left is the Fairmont Hotel, a survivor of the quake.
Then ... Prominent marquees advertise the Fairmont's Papagayo Room, since closed, and the Cirque Room. The Nob Hill Theater was an unusual rear-projection cinema until becoming a restaurant in 1964. The smaller sign down the road advertises the Tonga Room.
... and Now, there's still a sign for the Tonga Room on the Fairmont. The Bay Bridge tower is now barely visible between the modern Financial District buildings down California.
Then ... They swing into the tiny courtyard of the Mark Hopkins Hotel at California and Mason. This grand edifice was built in 1926 on the site of the Mark Hopkins mansion which, like its neighbors, went up in smoke in 1906. The same hotel was featured in the 1968 movie 'Bullitt'.
... and Now, you wouldn't expect many changes at such a traditional and venerable place, and sure enough, there aren't any.
Dancer and Julian quickly discover that Dorothy Bradshaw and daughter are visiting the Steinhart Aquarium; without further ado they hightail it over there.
> Previous Location
> Next Location
In the Fillmore, Parry eludes the law and runs into an alley opposite Harry's Wagon (below) ... but when he emerges from the alley he has been transported to skid row on Mission Street, South of Market, miles across town! Note the all day parking rate in 1947 - that would be a little over $2.00 today, such a deal.
Then ... He turns right from the alley and checks into the Kean Hotel right next door.
... and Now, the Kean is still there, now a residential hotel, at 1018 Mission between 6th and 7th Streets (map). This part of town is still a throwback to mid-century days.
Then ... Below, Parry opens his hotel window (bottom center, below the top row of windows), but the camera that took this shot was actually on the roof of the Kean Hotel filming the windows on the side of the Mission Street building next to it. Beyond the rooftops the view looks across 6th Street.
... and Now, CitySleuth was able to get the same shot from the same spot. None of the nearby buildings have changed, only the Financial District highrises in the distance.
Baker, the man who had given Parry a ride after his escape from prison, shows up at the hotel and pulls a gun on Parry, demanding they go to Irene's place to blackmail her.
Then ... Parry is forced to drive Baker's car. Below, they are leaving from the parking alley alongside the Kean hotel - the cross street at the end of the alley is Jessie.
... and Now, exactly as it used to be. The hotel wall is at near left and the unpainted brick wall down the alley on the right is the same wall pictured above.
Then ... Continuing on, they are now a half block south of Mission turning from Natoma Street into Russ Street (map). The skyscraper in the distance is the 1925 Pacific Telephone building at 140 New Montgomery Street.
... and Now, the de Vera corner store occupies the site of 1947's La Esperanza. The Pacific Telephone building, most recently the Pac Bell building but vacant since 2007, can still be seen down the street beyond the office building now sitting astride Natoma at 155 5th Street.
Archie meets a girlfriend, May (Pippa Scott), for a picnic in a park. These scenes were filmed in Golden Gate Park where they meet in the Japanese Tea Garden.
Then ... Visitors carefully tread their way over a narrow stone bridge below the Temple Gate and waterfall.
... and Now, the stones forming the bridge are just as they were, as is the stone in the pool at the lower right corner.
Then ... They set up their picnic basket in front of a traditional Japanese stone oil lantern. Such lanterns were introduced in the 6th century for the purpose of lighting the path to Buddhist shrines.
... and Now, the lantern is still there.
Then ... There's a brief glimpse of a couple sitting on top of the Taiko Bashi, aka the Drum Bridge.
Then ... Still in Golden Gate Park, we next see Archie and May crossing a bridge with part of the California Academy Of Sciences beyond them on the left. A Fellini-esque group of nuns - a recurring theme throughout the movie - are emerging from the parking tunnel.
... and Now, the bridge and tunnel are still there but the original Academy has been torn down, replaced by a new one.
Then ... As our couple walk up the steps of the Music Concourse the lads hamming it up on the bandstand invoke memories of director Richard Lester's Beatles movie 'A Hard Day's Night'.
... and Now, the concourse, between the De Young Museum and the California Academy of Sciences, is still used for outdoor musical performances. The trees, mostly London Planes and Wyche and Accolade Elms, are set out on a grid and pollarded each winter to achieve optimum shade for the audience in the summer.
Meanwhile, Petulia is fixated on Archie and has been secretly watching them ...
Two hit men burst into the Daniels Hotel and gun down Bullitt's partner and the mob witness. They are taken to San Francisco General Hospital, located at 1001 Potrero Avenue since 1872.
Then ... The ambulance pulls up in front of the emergency room on 22nd Street.
...and Now, it hasn't changed at all - the view looks west down 22nd to Potrero Ave.
Then ... Later, Bullitt is seen heading east down 22nd Street looking in vain for one of the hitmen after a nerve-jangling chase through the hospital.
Then ... Below, the main hospital entrance is seen in an outtake from the movie.
... and Now, the entrance is the same but the brick building was replaced in 1973 for improved earthquake safety by a newer, blander structure.
... on location ... here's the crew filming one of the scenes in the hospital. Real doctors and nurses were used for added realism. The doctor in the colored smock was anaesthesiologist Dick Barber.
