On the way to San Francisco the Circe puts in at Acapulco. Filming here commenced mid October 1946 in old Acapulco and the Caleta Peninsula on the west side of Acapulco Bay and in the Puerto Marques Diamante area just to the east (see the map below).
Then ... Elsa and her husband Arthur Bannister (Everett Sloane) treat their passengers to a picnic on the beach. The Circe is moored behind them as Bannister, who walks with the aid of canes, is helped ashore (below) by his steward Sidney Broome (Ted de Corsia). Behind them is Bannister's law partner George Grisby (Glenn Anders) who had joined them in Acapulco. This is the beach at Puerto Marques, at location A on the map above.
... and Now, the recent view shows some changes but, compared to the main bay around the coast, as we shall see, this one is still relatively undeveloped.
... on location ... this promotional movie still of the beautiful Miss Hayworth was taken on the beach at Puerto Marques between takes - she is wearing the same outfit as in the movie scene above.
Then ... The picnic party provisions are brought ashore but this is a different beach, Revolcadero beach just east of Puerto Marques (location B on the map above).
... and Now, the same mountain profile can be seen beyond the Fairmont Pierre Marques hotel in this recent photo taken from Revolcadero beach.
Then ... They canoe through the mangroves in the Puerto Marques tropical lagoon which connects to Revolcadero beach.
... and Now, the lagoon has been mostly taken over by vegetation but tourists can still navigate it on high-speed adventure boats. Below is a capture from a promotional video.
Then ... Later O'Hara and Grisby go off on a walk. Below they crest the hill above the twin Caleta (furthest) and Caletilla (nearest) beaches (location C on the map above).
... in the 1960's ... this postcard image shows the beaches from near the same spot as the movie view. The large hotel in the background, the Grand Meigas, was opened in 1949 three years after the filming and is still there today.
... and Now, a recent aerial photo of these same two beaches shows how much the Caleta Peninsula has developed since the 1940s. The two images above were taken from close to the tall apartment building seen below in the bottom left quadrant.
Bigelow has found out that it was Halliday who had poisoned him and rushes to his office in the Bradbury Building (described earlier here) to confront him.
Below, he looks up and sees that Halliday's office lights are still on (click image to enlarge).
Then ... As he makes his way across the street we see those same windows lit up but, hang on, this is not the Bradbury Building ... it's actually the Million Dollar Building (that's the Million Dollar Theater in front) at 307 Broadway and 3rd Street, directly opposite the Bradbury Building (map).
... and Now, the Million Dollar Building as it is today (below). The theater is still in business, catering to a Spanish-speaking audience, but the offices above it were recently converted to residential units.
Then ... But as he enters the building ...
... and Now ... we see that this really is the Bradbury Building, at the 3rd Street entrance near the corner of Broadway (map). Note the external fire pipe down the right side of the entrance - still there after more than 60 years!
Then ... Halliday, in the same overcoat he wore when he doctored Bigelow's drink in San Francisco, leaves his Bradbury office just as Bigelow approaches on the 3rd floor balcony (take a moment and savor the dramatic shadows of the railing projected across the balcony floor. Isn't noir wonderful?).
... a similar view ... this undated photo captured a very similar view.
Then ... In the ensuing exchange of gunfire Bigelow prevails, finally achieving the redemption of a punitive but successful end to his last furious hours.
... and Now, the same view today looks as it always did, testament to the lasting legacy of a classic building, incidentally designed not by a trained architect but by a draftsman who worked for Lewis Bradbury.
The movie ends as it starts, at the homicide department where the rapt officers have been hanging on to every word of Bigelow's incredible tale. His final word is "...P-Paula ..." then he drops to the ground.
"How shall I make out the report on him, Captain?"
"Better make it - Dead On Arrival"
In the amusement park Eleanor and Leggett notice that police Inspector Ferris has followed them.
Then ... Behind them are two attractions, The Whip and The Skooter.
... from a vintage video ... the amusement park is long gone now but the same attractions are seen here from a short vintage home movie taken at Ocean Park Pier in 1954.
Leggett suggests they split up to help avoid the police. He sends Eleanor off on the rollercoaster while he looks for her husband Frank but as she pulls away he carelessly mentions something only the killer would have known - the police had shared it with Eleanor so she suddenly realizes with horror that Leggett is the killer and that because Frank had witnessed the crime his life is now in great jeopardy.
Below is a vintage photo of the rollercoaster at Ocean Park Pier and, in the movie, Eleanor, beside herself with fear and helpless to warn her husband, is tossed about on the hair-raising ride.
Leggett finds Frank - he knows of his weak heart and so attacks him hoping to provoke a heart attack. Eleanor hears a shot as she rushes over to them and fears the worst.
... but, phew!, it was Inspector Ferris who got there just in time and shot Leggett, bringing his investigation to a fitting end and leaving the way clear for Frank and Eleanor to be reunited.
Then ... The movie fades out with a shot of the amusement park's Laffing Sal cackling away (below) at Legget's fate.
... from a vintage video ... The home movie mentioned above also showed the same Laffing Sal (below). There's a change of clothing but the display, with mirrors, a beach ball and a dangling parrot, is the same.
... and Now, but a different one ... San Francisco's Playland-at-the-Beach amusement park also had a Laffing Sal. There were in fact many Laffing Sals at funhouses across the country at that time, all built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Co. of Germantown, Pennsylvania in the 1930s. Playland has disappeared but its Laffing Sal display still cackles away today at the Musee Mecanique at Pier 45 in San Francisco.
... and Now, yet another one ... Over the years Playland had more than one Laffing Sal. Here's another of them, on display at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk. They claim it's the original Playland display but CitySleuth is staying neutral on that.
After the car crash Victoria is convinced her new husband tampered with the brakes hoping she and her son Chris would die, leaving aunt Sophie's estate to him. She and friend Marc Bennett take the car to a garage where the mechanic finds a broken hydraulic line - it could have been a deliberate act, but they can't be sure.
Then ... They are at Larry's Garage on Verdi Place, off Montgomery between Broadway and Pacific (map). The view towards Nob Hill includes the Mark Hopkins hotel just left of the 'Brakes/Alignment' sign and the Sentinel Building (aka the Columbus Tower) on Columbus Avenue, with its distinctive dome. The gabled building with the mural, just above the gas pump, is on Pacific Avenue.
But Larry’s Garage was not listed anywhere in the 1953 city directory ; there was however a parking lot listed at Verdi Place. Larry’s appears to have been created by the moviemakers on this lot for this scene as posited by reader Morgan in the comments below. This directory entry is for Montgomery Street; the parking lot was the only business on the east side of the 900 block.
Then ... In this shot as they are about to exit onto Montgomery there's a wider angle view. The Columbus Tower is at far left and on the left horizon are the Mark Hopkins and Fairmont hotels as well as the Brocklebank Apartments (featured in 'Vertigo'). The two high-rise apartments spaced out to their right are 1250 and 1360 Jones Street (also visible from George's House in 'Dark Passage').
... and Now, it’s still a parking lot. From the same spot on Verdi Place today we see an added upper-level parking structure and the views are blocked by several newer buildings surrounding it. 1250 Jones is seen between the buildings in today's view.
Here's a recent Google Earth view of the garage site with an arrow pointing to the parking structure. Broadway runs vertically right of center with Montgomery crossing it at bottom. The Columbus Tower is at upper left. The former site-with-a-view is now completely hemmed in.
