It's fascinating to see how the director filmed Madge's apartment house. CitySleuth deduced that two different buildings on Russian Hill, several blocks apart, were used then seamlessly edited to appear as one. Studio and location footage were intermixed and one of the scenes incorporated two concurrently running background projections.
Based on a comment from Baker during their confrontation on the bluff, Parry suspects his jealous ex-girlfriend Madge Rapf (Agnes Morehead), who had testified against him in his wife's murder trial, was his friend George's killer. He confronts her in her apartment where she flies into a rage, admitting she was the one who killed his wife for taking Parry away from her. So Parry was innocent after all.
Then ... In her confused state she stumbles against the drape and falls to her death out of the apartment window. As the stunned Parry looks down we see the view from the window. This was filmed from the penthouse suite of 1090 Chestnut Street, a 1927 co-op building on the corner of Chestnut and Larkin (map), and used as a backdrop during this studio scene. The view is to the north - in the distance are Alcatraz and Angel Island and to Parry's right are the Cannery and Pier 45 at Fisherman's Wharf.
... and Now, CitySleuth was able to gain entry (with permission!) to bring you the identical view from the same penthouse.
Then ... Madge's fall was filmed from the roof of 1090 Chestnut. Directorial artistic license prevails because the window she falls through (above) faces Bay Street to the north but here we see her falling down the west side of the building to Larkin Street.
... and Now, here's the view today from the same rooftop vantage point.
The juxtaposition below matches the falling body to the west side of 1090 Chestnut. The screaming witness bottom left was leaning out of the lobby window.
Then ... ... and Now
Then ... Parry, fearful he will be accused of Madge's death, bolts to the roof, oblivious of the glorious east-facing view to Coit Tower atop Telegraph Hill. For this shot the camera was elevated to reveal more of the Telegraph Hill background.
... and Now, the view today, regrettably, is obscured by 1080 Chestnut which in 1962 was built directly against the side of its neighbor. No matter, it seems, that the architectural styles of the two buildings are as different as chalk and cheese.
Then ... The next shot of Parry climbing down the fire escape was filmed in the studio with a projected background to simulate the location. The view looks north from the same roof down to Bay Street. But check out the scene through the escape ladder opening - close inspection reveals that this street and these houses are the same ones as those above them on Bay Street. In the movie the cars on these streets passed by out of sync so as not to draw attention to the duplication. To achieve this, two concurrently-running projected images from the same footage were used for the background, a lot of work for just seconds of action but brilliantly executed.
... and Now, the same view of Bay Street. Hyde Street crosses on the right. Most of these houses are just as they were.
Readers may be interested in the following piece of historical trivia. An 1851 Swiss chalet-styled home built by respected civil engineer J. P. Manrow, was originally on the corner now occupied by the 1090 and 1080 Chestnut apartments. Known locally as 'The House Of Demons', it was, according to many first-hand accounts, haunted by several spirits ranging from the benign to the violent. Madge, now in their midst, should feel at home.
Then ... He continues down the fire escape, but this is a different building, the Tamalpais Building at 1201 Greenwich Street, a few blocks away on the corner of Hyde! (map)
... and Now, The same building, viewed from Hyde Street.
Then ... In a stroke of good fortune the next shot shows both of the buildings used to represent Madge's apartment. Filmed from across Hyde Street, Parry is climbing down 1201 Greenwich on the left and on the right is 1090 Chestnut. (The buildings are arrowed in red and blue on this map). Note too the open reservoir next to 1201 Greenwich, and Sausalito and Mount Tamalpais are clearly visible across the bay.
... and Now, the incongruity of the newer building dwarfing the classy 1090 Chestnut is plain to see from here. How on earth was that approved? The Alice Marble tennis courts at George Sterling Park have been built on top of the reservoir which is still there and in use, but safely hidden.
Then ... Finally, Parry jumps down to Hyde Street. He pauses in the middle of the road before completing his escape on a passing cable car. In this great shot the quintessential San Francisco view behind him leads the eye east down Greenwich through North Beach then up again to Telegraph Hill.
Within days Alan and Victoria are married and off to San Francisco for a reunion with Karin's son who is too young to know that his mother is an impostor. Trivia note - during the making of the movie Richard Basehart and Valentina Cortese, who played Alan and Victoria, really did fall for each other and were married shortly afterwards.
Then ... Their train pulls in supposedly at the station in San Francisco, but this footage is from somewhere else ...
... and Now, this is actually Union Station in Los Angeles, seen below in a recent photo. Note the same roof overhangs, angling upward.
And here is an aerial view of how Union Station, which opened in 1939 in the northeast corner of downtown Los Angeles, looks today. The station has a Spanish Mission inspired exterior and Art Deco Streamline Moderne interiors, reflecting the popular tastes at that time.
Then ... The composited panorama below shows them greeting the young boy in the station. Standing in the background is their rather stern-looking housekeeper, Margaret (Fay Baker). Shades of 'Rebecca'! (click image to enlarge).
Reader Sean Beougher provided CitySleuth with details on this location. The scene was filmed at an indoor/outdoor set called “The Train Shed” on the old 20th Century Fox backlot, now part of Century City in Los Angeles. It is described in a coffee table book about the history of the studio, called "20th Century Fox: A Century of Entertainment" which included this set photo taken before the shoot. The display board on the floor includes director Robert Wise’s name , with the description “INT. S.F. TRAIN STATION”. Note the papers and hanging photos on the News Stand - they match up exactly in the movie.
Then ... Their arrival in San Francisco is also announced by this night vista, taken from Twin Peaks, of an arrow-straight Market Street leading to San Francisco Bay.
... and Now, the same view today is even more scintillating. The Bay Bridge now has illuminated suspension cables, the City Hall dome at far left is lit up too and the eclipse of San Francisco's docklands is apparent from Oakland's brightly lit waterfront across the Bay.
Following up on Sullivan's tip Eleanor and Leggett embark on a round of Navy stores. These were real San Franciscan locations, three on the Embarcadero and one nearby on Market Street.
Then ... Their first stop is at Vic's Navy Tailors at 110 S. Embarcadero between Mission and Howard.
... and Now, viewed from the same spot, looking south towards the Bay Bridge, the storefronts on this block have been rebuilt and the piers across the Embarcadero have been demolished. The Hotel Griffon is down the block next to the Embarcadero YMCA.
Then ... Then on to Gus Kroesen's at 506 Market Street near the Battery Street intersection.
... and Now, this block has seen dramatic change having been replaced by a modern highrise office building.
... from 1939 ... in this vintage photo we see what the block used to look like - the tailor shop is a couple of stores along from Battery, the one with the awning.
Then ... No luck yet so they move on to Frank's Naval Tailor at 124 S. Embarcadero, on the same block as Vic's, their first stop (note the 'Wines - Liquors' sign down the block, the same one seen in the Vic's shot). This view is to the north towards the Ferry Building.
... and Now, the recent view shows a remodelled block but the Ferry Building is still there, across the street to the right. The Boulevard restaurant is at the end of this block.
Then ... As they approach the fourth store we see the Ferry Building through its window some blocks in the distance and a hotel sign just ahead which reads 'Hotel Colchester Apartments'. The Colchester was at 259 Embarcadero on the block between Jackson and Oregon. But this scene was filmed in a studio using a rear projection to virtually set the location of the store, meant to be at the corner of Jackson and the Embarcadero.
... from Thieves Highway ... In 1949 the San Francisco movie Thieves Highway included location footage of the Colchester Hotel. The panning camera captured this panorama showing the same sign above the hotel entrance.
... and Now, today, this whole block has been swallowed up, part of the huge Golden Gateway redevelopment project. A parking lot (below) has replaced it. For more on the Colchester Hotel and its location see here.
The 1968 movie 'Bullitt' is famous for its spectacular car chase as Steve McQueen barrels through the streets of San Francisco in pursuit of the bad guys. But Don Siegel had done it first, a decade earlier, in this movie. Dancer and Julian, with Dorothy and her daughter as hostages and Sandy at the wheel, lead police pursuers in a high speed race across town.
As they speed away from Sutro's, Julian wants to stop and scatter but Sandy reassures him ... "I'm your boy, I'll get you out". We'll soon see about that.
The chase unfolds below with each segment shown side by side as 'Then" and 'Now'.
Below, the police close in and the chase is finally over, but not before the enraged Dancer shoots his partner Julian in the back as he tries to flee.