Newly married, Joe and Kirsten now have a baby daughter and have upscaled into a fine apartment with an even finer view.
Then ... Joe carries a bag of groceries to the apartment.
... and Now, he is on Pacific Avenue crossing Franklin in the Pacific Heights neighborhood. The house on the corner behind him is the historic Talbot-Dutton house at 1782 Pacific built in 1869. It was also used as a location in the 1968 movie Petulia
Then ... He enters the breezeway of his apartment, 1800 Pacific (map), across Franklin Street from the Talbot-Dutton house.
... and Now, here it is today after a recent remodel.
Then ... Later in the movie a cab drops him off, drunk, in the breezeway where he picks some flowers as a peace offering for his wife.
... and Now, the large brick planter is gone after being hit by the car of a resident who might have been in a similar state as Joe at the time.
Then ... Joe staggers into the lobby and, feeling no pain, heads for the elevator.
... and Now, the mailboxes in the breezeway have been upgraded in response to unauthorized letter removals over the years.
Then ... The apartment has a clear view to the Golden Gate Bridge. Was this scene filmed in one of 1800 Pacific's apartments? CitySleuth and the building manager think not. The interior, especially the fireplace, is sufficiently different in layout to suggest that this is a studio set using a photo plate to simulate the view.
... the window view now, in addition, the building's view of the bridge, below, though similar to the movie's, does not properly line up with the Marin headlands behind it. The movie photo was taken from a spot further west.
... a better match now , the view below, a closer match to the movie window view, was taken from near the corner of Broadway and Broderick in Pacific Heights.
Joey has persuaded Vera to fund the opening of a new supper club, Chez Joey. They find the perfect place for it in a swanky neighborhood.
Then ... This fine building is the Spreckels Mansion at 2080 Washington Street in Pacific Heights (map); the rear of the building is viewed here from the corner of Jackson and Octavia
... and Now , there's a huge coiffured hedge around the property and the jutting curved rooms have been extended upwards with an addition. The home's current owner is author Danielle Steel.
Then ... the panning camera on a high balcony of the building next door sweeps right to left towards the mansion resulting in this fine panorama. The ‘For Rent’ sign in the Then image above can be seen at the bottom of the garden, below.
... and Now, the same panorama today. The house now has a roof garden which may explain the added but odd fire escape wrapping around this side of the building. Lafayette Park is just off to the left of the picture.
Then ... Joey drives Vera's 1957 yellow Ford Thunderbird convertible up a steep block alongside the side of the mansion and turns into Washington. The street is a mess, undergoing resurfacing following removal of the Washington - Jackson cable car tracks after the line was closed down in September 1956.
... and Now, viewed from Lafayette Park, the steep street is Octavia, stretching all the way down to Fort Mason at the edge of the bay.
Then ... As he turns into the driveway we get to see the front of the mansion.
... and Now, the ridiculously high hedge isolates the house not only from the street but from the raised park opposite and prevents San Franciscans from enjoying the fine French Baroque architecture. This same entrance was the site of a murder in the 1952 movie The Sniper.
Then ... The proud owner pulls up and watches the new club's livery going up.
... and Now, it never was a club of course, otherwise it's the same.
Unfortunately, just before opening night, Vera pulls the plug on the financing in a jealous reaction to Joey's increasing interest in Linda. The club is doomed.
Having discovered Lester's and Irene's intention to murder her, Myra plans a pre-emptive strike. She cleverly arranges for them to meet late at night at Irene's apartment (see earlier post), each thinking the other had set up the meeting. Meanwhile Myra awaits their arrival. She has Irene's gun and apparently plans to bump Lester off and pin it on her.
But Myra is overwhelmed by emotion as she waits. Unnerved by a hot brow and cold feet, she can't see it through. She drops the gun and retreats into a closet as Lester arrives.
Then ... Lester sees the gun and a monogrammed handkerchief that Myra had dropped. Recognizing the trap he desperately scours the apartment for her but she manages to slip out. Outside, he spots her running down Hyde Street, wearing the same style white scarf favored by Irene.
... and Now, the same view looking down the entryway of the Tamalpais Building at 1201 Greenwich Street.
Then ... He rushes past the Tamalpais' entrance and down a flight of steps to Hyde.
... and Now, the fire hose connectors, like four teets in a row, are still there.
Then ... His car is parked at the foot of the steps - a quick U-turn in the convertible and the chase is on.
... and Now, the awnings are gone on those houses across Hyde.
Then ... He spots her downtown, but this isn't San Francisco - it's the corner of Cinnabar and 3rd Street in the Bunker Hill neighborhood of Los Angeles! The director has pulled a fast one on us but CitySleuth for one wasn't fooled.
... and Now, today, the shabby but vibrant Bunker Hill downtown exists only in the movies. A major civic development in the 1950s and 60s flattened the hill and transformed the area to a stretch of wide, soul-less streets and modern buildings. Cinnabar Street disappeared altogether, making way for a Veolia Energy facility providing heating and cooling to private buildings (map) . Would that the displaced and departed denizens of Bunker Hill could have enjoyed such luxury.
At dinner on their first date Joe introduces Kirsten to the seductive charms of a Brandy Alexander. She hasn't drunk alcohol before but tells him he was right - it made her feel good. She doesn't know it yet but she just stepped on the slippery slope.
Then ... Their cab drops them off outside her place.
... and Now, this is Union Street atop Telegraph Hill looking east from Montgomery (map). The piers of the Embarcadero are at the bottom of the hill and in the distance the Bay Bridge reaches out to Yerba Buena Island. Calhoun Terrace, a two-level cul-de-sac, sweeps around to the right.
Then ... When we get to see inside her apartment later in the movie the view from the window is the clue to its location ...
The exact same view was seen from Scottie's friend Midge's place in Vertigo, filmed four years earlier (below) - it's a view west to Russian Hill, the matching part framed in yellow being the houses along Union Street. In both cases the apartment was a movie set using a background plate, most likely the same one.
... and Now, the same view today.
... in 1970 ... Based on these observations, 298 Union Street on the corner of Montgomery was the virtual location of Kirsten's (and Midge's) place. This vintage photo shows how it looked when the movie was filmed - Union to the right, Montgomery to the left. But the house wasn't tall enough to have the unimpeded window view west so it must have been captured from this or a nearby rooftop.
... and Now, the house was rebuilt in expanded form in 1974 at which time it was re-addressed as 296 Union. For more on its use in Vertigo see here.
Then ... Another window view, looking east, was seen from Kirsten's place. This looks down to piers on the Embarcadero but it's a view that can't be seen from the 296 Union location, further confirming the use of a studio set.
... and Now, the pier bulkhead seen above appears to be Pier 23; this recent photo of it was taken from Montgomery Street at Filbert, a block from 296 Union.