Reel SF

San Francisco movie locations from classic films

San Francisco movie locations from classic films

Portrait In Black - Making Amends

  Matthew Cabot's secretary Miss Lee (Virginia Grey) had earlier supported Mason's lie when he told Blake that no agreement had ever been made to award him the Cabot tugboat contract.  Now her conscience is bothering her so she decides to make amends.  She arranges to meet Blake and Cathy at a restaurant.

Then ...  As she approaches the restaurant she passes the Jade Palace restaurant and a souvenir shop, the Golden City, two big clues as to the location.  They were at 842 and 840 Grant Avenue, respectively (map), in the heart of Chinatown.

... and Now,  both of those businesses were replaced six years later in 1966 by a new building which now houses the China Trade Center and a restaurant, the Empress Of China.  Today's matching view looks north along Grant past Washington Street.

 

Then ...  Before going in she pauses at the rendezvous and we see its street number -  830.  At that time 830 Grant Avenue was the address of the Chinese Pagoda restaurant.

... and Now,  the Chinese Pagoda is no longer there and its location is now home to the Peking Bazaar, whose shop frontage has been extensively redone.  The building has been re-addressed as 826 and 832 Grant (below).

... in 1947 ...  check out this clip from a scene in the 1947 movie Lady From Shanghai in which Orson Welles' character runs down the same block.  Behind him, at the left edge of this shot, are the Jade Palace and Chinese Pagoda signs.

 

  Inside the Chinese Pagoda (most likely a studio set) Miss Lee admits the lie and gives Blake documents that reveal that the scheming Mason had also previously scuttled his late father's business with Cabot Shipping.

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