Dirty Harry - Rooftop Flyby
Then … The killer has threatened to kill one person a day until his ransom is paid. He had struck from a rooftop the first time so the police department posted armed lookouts on rooftops around the city and dispatched a helicopter to survey from above. The panorama below, filmed from a tall building in Russian Hill, looks to the north and spans the Golden Gate Bridge on the left to Alcatraz on the right.
… and Now, CitySleuth was able to access the same rooftop to be able to match the panorama as it looks today, … mostly identical but a breakwater has been added at Hyde Street Pier and Pier 45 at far right..
The camera’s vantage point was the roof of Bellaire Tower, pictured in a recent photo below. Built in 1930, the elegant pencil-thin condominium at 1101 Green Street (map) was designed by H.C. Baumann, a prolific San Francisco architect who designed over 400 apartment buildings and hotels.
The helicopter then flies past more police lookouts positioned atop Bellaire Tower. The building seen through the antenna at far right is The Summit at 999 Green Street, another swanky residential high-rise. Built in 1965, this Joseph Eichler project had a modern exterior design - lots of glass and balconies - but lacking the class of Bellaire Tower.
Then … The helicopter banks towards downtown in a shot that shows 999 Green more clearly on the left. The tall building at far right is the Bank Of America Center from whose roof the killer had first struck.
… and Now, downtown today is far more crowded. The TransAmerica pyramid clearly visible below was under construction at the time of the fly-by. When completed it was the tallest building in the city until being surpassed in 2018 by the bullet-shaped Salesforce Tower.
If for no other reason than it’s a lovely photo, check out this north-facing view of the Russian Hill high-rises showing The Summit in the center and Bellaire Tower on the left.
Then … The helicopter lands on a rooftop to check in with Harry Callahan. The nearby red sign reading ‘BM&T Paper’ belonged to the 870 Brannan Street headquarters of Blake Moffit & Towne Wholesale Paper Distributors - it provided the clue to this location: this is the helipad on the roof of the Hall Of Justice at 850 Bryant Street in the SoMa district.
The helicopter takes off and Callahan descends into the Police headquarters.
… and Now, here’s a recent aerial shot of The Hall Of Justice; the helipad is still there but no longer used after the SFPD Aero Squadron was disbanded in part because of fatal crashes. On the left Highway 80 runs past the curvilinear County Jail.
Then … The helicopter swings by a couple more lookouts - this one is on the roof of 1080 Chestnut in Russian Hill. Above it are the Municipal and Hyde Street Piers.
Then … And here’s another atop the Fontana East Condominiums at 1000 North Point, also in Russian Hill. That’s Aquatic Park on the left.
… and Now, this recent aerial view captures both of those buildings - the yellow arrow points to 1080 Chestnut and the white arrow to 1000 North Point. Fort Mason is in the upper left corner and Fisherman’s Wharf is over to the right.