The police take the stolen bag to the crime lab and begin their investigation into the theft.
Then ... The lab is in the old Hall Of Justice, at that time San Francisco's police headquarters at 750 Kearny Street, facing the Portsmouth Square Plaza (map).
... and Now, the imposing original building with its distinctive fan shaped window arches was razed in 1967 and replaced by a hotel, the Hilton San Francisco Financial District.
A replacement Hall Of Justice was built at 850 Bryant Street in the early 1960s (map). Here it is today (below).
The truck carrying Parry to freedom rumbles up a road offering ample views of San Quentin prison across San Francisco Bay. This is Paradise Drive, a 10 mile scenic road running alongside San Francisco Bay between Corte Madera and Tiburon. Refer to the map below as locations featured along the way are described.
Then ... Here, the truck is passing 5050 Paradise Drive, at location A above. San Quentin Prison is across the bay at far right.
... and Now, the roof of 5050 is just visible but a line of trees obscures the view.
... but there's a clear spot just down the road where the prison comes into view.
Then ... Hidden inside the oil drum Parry rocks it back and forth until it falls off the back of the truck and rolls down a hill. He is free at last as the camera pans up to another view of San Quentin Prison, framed by foliage in the style of a 19th century California landscape painting.
... and Now, this matching view was taken from Paradise Drive, 0.1 miles south of Taylor at the junction with Ranch Road, location B on the map above.
Then ... Parry flags down a passing car and the driver, who introduces himself as Baker (Clifton Young), gives him a ride. As they continue south along Paradise Drive Baker hears a police alert on the radio and, startled, comes to a halt. Once again the prison is seen in the distance.
... and Now, the same view was taken 0.3 miles south of the Trestle Glen Blvd junction in front of 4092 Paradise Drive, location C on the map above. The Paradise Cay Marina, not there in 1947, is in the center of this view.
Then ... The movie opens with a panorama of the infamous San Quentin Prison in Marin County north of the Golden Gate bridge (map). A truck drives out carrying escapee Vincent Parry (Humphrey Bogart) hidden inside an oil drum.
... and Now, the prison dates from 1852 and has hardly changed from the outside for many decades, except for the added parking lot.
The movie opens with a bungled heist - during disembarkation at Pier 41 on the Embarcadero (map) a crooked porter throws a passenger's bag into the back of an accomplice's cab which then takes off at high speed and runs over a policeman ...
Then ... Pier 41. See that pier down the road? It's Pier 39 before its big makeover.
... and Now, Pier 41 has been rebuilt as a modern ferry terminal. Pier 39 can be seen beyond it.
Then ... The dying cop gets off a shot and hits the fleeing cabbie as he passes Pier 43.
... and Now, the lonely arch is still there.
.... from 1948, an aerial photo This vintage photo has been marked with an arrow to show the filming location of the opening scene, on the corner of Powell and Jefferson between Piers 41 and 43. The original Pier 39 is at the bottom and that large gas holder on the corner had been removed by the time the movie was filmed.
The cab crashes and the responding police retrieve the stolen bag and determine thatthe dead cab driver's name is Lefty Jenkins.