The movie starts with a rooftop panning shot of New York City.
Then ... the pan begins at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel at 301 Park Avenue (at upper right), takes in the Commerce Building at 708 3rd Avenue then scans down to the Chrysler building at 405 Lexington Avenue at 42nd Street (click image to enlarge).
... in 1939 ... this vintage aerial photo of a DC-4 airplane over Manhattan just happens to reveal whence the panorama was filmed. The camera was set up at the top of the 37-story Daily News Building at 220 E. 42nd Street near 2nd Avenue and panned from right to left between the arrows.
... and Now, here's a recent photo of the same panorama through adjacent windows on the 26th floor of the Daily News Building. Although taken 11 stories below the movie's vantage point, the twin bronze-clad cupolas of the Waldorf-Astoria can be seen above the skyline on the right with the Commerce Building just to its left and the Chrysler Building at far left (click image to enlarge).
Those three buildings and the Daily News Building are still to be found at their original locations, proud ambassadors of the Art Deco era that spawned them. Here they are today - from left to right the Chrysler Building, the Commerce Building, the Waldorf-Astoria and the Daily News Building.
Cut to a street corner where the signs declare in two different ways that we are in the Theatre District at Times Square.
Then ... just steps away, the camera closes in on the marquee of the Bijou theatre advertising a new play by Myra Hudson, a successful playwright and wealthy heiress from San Francisco. Opposite and a little further down is another theatre, the Booth, where Jack Palance had his first stage role, a one-liner, in the comedy ‘The Big Two’.
... and Now, the Bijou, at 209 W. 45th Street in Manhattan's Theatre District, had been there since 1917. In 1951 it became a CBS studio and then a D. W. Griffith Theatre before reverting back to the Bijou in 1965 but was finally demolished to make way for the Marriott Marquis Hotel - the Bijou site is now covered by the hotel's garage. In this west-facing view down 45th Street the hotel is to the right. Across the street the Booth Theatre is still in business today (map) - note the billboard frame on its roof, still there 60 years on.
During reheasals in the Bijou Myra (Joan Crawford) watches Lester Blaine (Jack Palance), the actor hired to play the romantic lead, and decides he is not suitable for the role, summarily firing him. (Who can blame her - Palance's menacing visage usually brought him bad-guy roles). Lester is not happy to get the news and lets her have it before storming out.
A horse-drawn carriage is next shown entering Central Park.... but, these scenes weren't filmed in Central Park at all. The location was re-created on the Columbia Pictures' Columbia Ranch backlot in Burbank, Southern California.
Then ... None of Central Park's entrances match up exactly with the view below - instead, these street blocks appear to be loosely based on Central Park South as viewed from the Merchant's Gate entrance near Columbus Circle with the 5th Avenue junction at far left.
... and Now, the real Central Park South (part of W. 59th Street) looking east towards 5th Avenue from 7th Avenue. Central Park is on the left.
Then ... The carriage is carrying the stunning Elsa Bannister (the normally redheaded Rita Hayworth now with short platinum-blonde hair). Michael O'Hara (Orson Welles), an Irish journeyman seaman with a philosophical take on life, is walking in the park and engages her in conversation.
... and Now, today, carriage rides are a popular tourist attraction in Central Park but the drivers now are up front and sitting down.
O'Hara is immediately smitten by the enigmatic beauty. In Irish brogue voiceover he confides "That's how I found her and from that moment on I did not use my head very much, except to be thinking of her". Neither is he fazed when she hints at a racy background, having lived in Shanghai (hence the movie name) and gambled in Macao.
The movie opens with two twilight views in succession, establishing the location as New York City. The views are at locations A and B on the map below.
Then ... First is a view of Brooklyn Bridge taken from the Brooklyn side looking across the East River to Manhattan (location A on the map).
... and Now, below is a recent photo taken from the same spot. There are many new buildings in this view but sadly, the most dominant of the newer additions - the twin towers of the World Trade Center, are missing.
... before 9/11/2001 ... This earlier photo shows the same view when the towers were still there.
Then ... The second view is from Central Park (location B in the map above) and establishes the setting for the opening action which follows. Note the two twin tower apartment buildings on the skyline.
... and Now, this matching photo was taken from the Sheep Meadow in Central Park. The two classic buildings stand as sentinels representing a side of the city unchanged in the 64 years since the movie was made. At center the Majestic Apartments at 115 Central Park West and to its right the San Remo Apartments at 145 Central Park West where coincidentally the star of the movie, Rita Hayworth, resided at the time of her death from Alzheimers in 1987. Other celebrities who have lived here are Dustin Hoffman, Steven Spielberg, Bono and Demi Moore with Bruce Willis.
... and Now, below, this aerial photo looking south down Central Park shows the Sheep Meadow, location B, with arrows pointing to the two apartment buildings. That's the Metroplitan Museum of Art in the center foreround.
In a flashback we see Victoria (below left) and ailing fellow inmate Karin Dernakova (Natasha Lytess, who incidentally was the acting coach of Marilyn Monroe in the early 1950s) during their confinement in the infamous Belsen concentration camp. Karin spoke of a rich relative in America - "Aunt Sophie has a big house on the hill" - and pines for her infant son who has been sent to the aunt for safety. When Karin dies shortly before liberation the envious Victoria grabs the opportunity and surreptitiously switches identities with her.
Then ... Victoria eventually manages to emigrate to America. The director portrays her arrival in New York with this view looking north from downtown Manhattan. The tower in the foreground is the Singer Building and the one behind it is the Woolworth Building.
... and Now, the Singer Building was razed in 1967 to make way for the U.S Steel Building, now known as One Liberty Plaza (in the recent photo below it's the sleek dark building in the center). The original Woolworth Building is still there, just visible on the left.
Victoria has learned that Karin's aunt Sophie in San Francisco has died and left her estate to Karin's son Chris, under the care of guardian Alan Spender (Richard Basehart). She visits the office, below, of the attorney representing the estate and demands to be reunited with 'her' son. Both lawyer and Alan Spender are at first skeptical of her claim to be Karin but she does a convincing job of persuading them.
Alan Spender, now reassured that Victoria is Chris's mother, buys her a fine wardrobe and wines and dines her. It's clear he's attracted to her, a situation she privately admits she is prepared to take advantage of.
Then ... On a Manhattan patio Alan proposes to Victoria who is only too willing to accept, assuring stability and security in her life. Citysleuth thinks this scene was filmed on a studio soundstage using a background photo of a bridge to imply the location ...
... in 1935 ... Below is a vintage photo taken from Sutton Place near E 57th Street at the East River and has the same view. This is the Queensboro (aka 59th St) Bridge, which places the virtual location of the patio as Midtown Manhattan overlooking the Sutton Place neighborhood.
... and Now, here's the Queensboro Bridge today.