Chan Is Missing - Paranoia In The Cab
By now Jo is really confused. Maybe the other woman is trying to frame Chan? Maybe Chan killed the flag protester, not the old man who was charged? Maybe if he knows this, someone might not want him to know? A montage set to ominous music alternates between shots of him driving the cab and walking on the streets as paranoia sets in; by editorial choice CitySleuth groups them separately in this and in the next post.
Then … Driving north on Grant Avenue on a soggy day he approaches the Dragon Gate at the southern entrance to Chinatown at Bush Street.
… and Now, The dragon-clad arch, inspired by ceremonial entrances to Chinese villages, was the winning design in a competition sponsored by the mayor of San Francisco. Beneath the portal is a quote from Chinese revolutionary leader Sun Yat Sen (who once lived in Chinatown) which translates as “All Under Heaven Is For The Good Of The People”. Two carved lions stand guard on either side, one male and one female, warding off evil spirits. The arch was completed in 1969 and dedicated in 1970. (Photo by Alan P. Goldstein).
Then … California Street crosses Grant ahead - on the right is St. Mary’s Catholic Church and on the left is the Sing Chong Building which housed a wax museum back then.
… and Now, the Chinatown Wax Museum is not there in today’s matching view - it closed in 1983.
Here’s a vintage photo postcard c. 1970s of the Sing Chong Building, one of the first buildings to be rebuilt after the 1906 earthquake leveled and burned Chinatown. Today it’s as popular with visiting photographers as is the Dragon Gate shown above.
Then … Convinced he is being followed, Jo keeps checking his rearview mirror.
… and Now, He was traveling north on Grant Avenue with Washington crossing ahead. The long-lived Bow Hon restaurant still occupies 850 Grant.
Then … The next shot is a little further back on the same block. On the right is the roof garden restaurant Empress of China at 838 Grant, the premier restaurant in Chinatown after it opened in 1966.
… and Now, The Empress of China closed in 2014 after almost 50 years. Today a new high-end restaurant, Empress by Boon, has taken over the site.
Then … during another surreptitious peep in the mirror a block further north we glimpse the venerated Li Po bar at 916 Grant, which shows up several times in the backgound during the course of the movie.
… and Now, Li Po has been a popular presence here for 86 years but is swankier now - it’s called Li Po Cocktail Lounge. It’s come a long way from its early opium den days.
Then … A few blocks away, Jo is heading south down Waverly Place - Sacramento crosses two blocks ahead.
… and Now, the iCafe Bakery (below) now occupies the site of the Wonder Food Company (above), at 133 Waverly. Bakeries are ubiquitous in Chinatown. They were very popular with residents then and continue to be so now.