There are two window views seen in the Hall of Justice scenes ...
1. View from Lt. Guthrie's Office
Lt. Ben Guthrie (Warner Anderson), on the right, discusses the case in his office with fellow investigator Insp. Al Quine (Emil Meyer). This scene was filmed on a studio set and although the art director went to great measures to reproduce the distinctive arched windows of the Hall of Justice the photo they chose to represent the view is of the 1926 Financial Center Building at 500 California Street with the Bay Bridge in the distance. An odd choice because the real Hall of Justice view, across Portsmouth Square and sloping up to Nob Hill, would have been very San Francisco.
Then ...
... and Now, the once dominant building (arrowed) is now but one of many after decades of Financial District growth. In 2001 it became the Omni Hotel (map).
... from 1961 ... take a look at this vintage photo, below, taken inside one of the actual offices in the old Hall Of Justice and compare it to the movie office set above to see how well the window style was reproduced. Their window view is of Coit Tower and Telegraph Hill; the same view was used in the 1949 movie Impact.
2. View from the Crime Lab
Investigators in the crime lab discover a package of heroin hidden in an inexpensive statuette in the stolen bag. This window view, once again unrelated to the real Hall of Justice location, is a photo of Russian Hill taken from the base of Coit Tower. The vertical sign visible just above the seated lab worker advertised the Lyon Van and Storage Co. at 1520 Stockton Street.
Then ...
... from 1952, as verification, check out this vintage photo of Russian Hill viewed from the top of Coit Tower - the tall building right of center, also visible above, is the 945 Green Street apartment building (map).
... and Now, 945 Green looks the same but is now sandwiched between the incongruous Royal Towers apartments at 1750 Taylor Street and the apartment building at 999 Green Street.
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.