Then … The Ferry Building is in the distance as the chase continues down Market Street. The cops are right behind Mason’s stylish convertible coupe as he makes a right into Fremont Street.
… and Now, the same junction today (map).
… in 1948 … thirteen years after the movie’s release San Francisco rolled out a new fleet of buses with a parade down Market Street seen here in this photo taken from the same block - Fremont Street is at far right.
Then … Another random jump across town sees them driving west along Washington Street between Gough and Octavia at a time when it was served by a cable car line (map). Lafayette Park is on the right.
… and Now, here’s that same block today. At far left at 2080 Washington is the old Spreckels mansion, now hiding behind an enormous privacy hedge. The cable car line was discontinued in September 1956.
Then … They turn right from Washington down Octavia probably oblivious of the unobstructed view across the north bay to Alcatraz and Angel Island.
… and Now, the matching view is a good example of many of San Francisco’s great views that are now obscured by trees grown wild. The Spreckels mansion, on the right, would be prominently seen fifteen years later in the 1950 movie The Man Who Cheated Himself.
Then … Next they are in the Civic Center passing the city’s main library on Larkin Street…
… and Now, which today houses the Asian Art Museum (map).
Then … Now they are traversing the streetcar turnaround area in front of the Ferry Building (map). Note the pedestrian overpass crossing over to the Ferry Building, more clearly seen behind the opening credits of the movie.
… and Now, this is taken from close to the same spot, reflecting the extensive changes seen in this space but sparing us the ugly Embarcadero Freeway whose brief tenure existed during the decades between the Now and Then images above.
… in 1954 … here’s a later look at the turnaround that, in addition to later-generation streetcars and autos, shows the same buildings and billboards seen in the Then image above. The large billboard has moved from the rooftop to the side of its building but continues pushing alcohol, moving on from gin (Gilmore) to beer (Burgermeister). By then the pedestrian overpass had been sacrificed, becoming much-needed scrap iron for the war effort in the 1940s.
Then … Back to the Main Library on Larkin, this time turning west into Mcallister.
… and Now, as mentioned earlier, the Asian Art Museum is now in the Library building. Two blocks down McAllister is the stately 1920s 100 McAllister high-rise that was used earlier in the movie for a panoramic city view.
Then … Next, a step back down Larkin Street, Mason’s car again approaching the Main Library. There’s a clear view across the unbuilt block to, on the far (eastern) side of Market Street, the Hotel Whitcomb which is still there today.
… and Now, but trees and newer buildings hide the hotel from here. One of them, on the right, is the city’s current main library.
Mason urges Spudsy on; it’s imperative they get to the airport in time… “If she gets off on a plane it means she’s running away. And that’ll hang her!”
During a photoshoot at Jane’s studio George shares some surprise news - unbeknownst to him Susan had taken out a life insurance policy before she died and he is the beneficiary of $2,000,000. The studio interiors were filmed in Italy at the Cinecittà Studios in Rome.
Then … at the Dumurrier clinic (described earlier) Henry listens as George is hounded by a lender but is now able to tell him, thanks to the insurance payout, that he will soon get the money. The scene was filmed in the Lodge at Pebble Beach where the window view looks south beyond Carmel.
… and Now, this same view was taken in front of the Lodge. The 18th Green of the famous golf course is in the center.
Then … The two lovers are next seen dining at a restaurant with a colorful sign.
… in the 1960s … here’s a vintage photo of the restaurant as it looked when the movie was filmed - it’s the Fishermen’s Grotto at Fisherman’s Wharf (map). It started life as fish stall #9, becoming a 2-story restaurant in 1935 then expanding over the years into a perennial tourist favorite.
… and Now, the restaurant including its array of striped lantern posts is remarkably unchanged in over a half century. However it is still closed (July 2021) even as other restaurants have opened up following removal of city-wide pandemic restrictions; its future at this time appears uncertain. Here’s hoping the 86 year-old eatery, one of the largest in San Francisco, survives.
Then … But someone is very interested in George - we get our first glimpse of a man in a fedora who is tailing him - a suspicious insurance investigator (Bill Vanders).
… and Now, in the matching image today the iconic circular yellow sign at left that heralds Fisherman’s Wharf is still there; it continues to light up at night as it did above. There are still posts and lanterns on the right and over on the left Sabella’s restaurant on the corner of Taylor and Jefferson is now an Applebee’s.
Then … In the upstairs level of the restaurant, George gets a mysterious call to check out a local club. Curious, he decides to go, concocting an excuse and leaving Jane (looking every inch the fashionista) behind. The window view looks across Fisherman’s Wharf marina to high-rise apartment buildings dotted along the Russian Hill skyline.
… and Now, unable to get inside the shutdown restaurant, CitySleuth settled for this matching shot taken outside at ground level. The building that housed Rosario’s restaurant on Jefferson (its sign dimly visible above center) is still there but the restaurant is long gone.
Then … On the lookout for Scorpio carrying a tan suitcase, they drive north on Grant Avenue, here approaching Union Street, passing the dimly lit New Star Cleaners at 1445 Grant and the brightly lit Nirvana Gifts at 1443 Grant (map).
… and Now, the most recent tenants at those two locations were Therapy Stores and Knitz & Leather.
Then … They cross Union, continuing on towards Filbert Street. The Chevron sign ahead on the corner is at the Grant Avenue Garage at 501 Filbert.
… and Now, the garage is still there (the red building); now an auto repair shop, it no longer pumps gas.
Then … Gonzalez spots a man carrying a tan suitcase walking along Grant and the chase is on. They hang a left into Filbert Street.
… and Now, this view today is unchanged. The Grant Avenue repair shop is at far left; Filbert continues on past Sts. Peter and Paul Church then climbs up to Russian Hill.
Then … Mid-block, the suspect darts up an alley - Callahan leaps out and chases after him.
… and Now, this is Krausgrill Place, one of North Beaches many narrow alleys, looking exactly the same as it did back then.
Then … The alley turns to the right at the top of Krausgrill, becoming Medau Place. Callahan sees the suspect enter an apartment - he balances precariously on a trash can, peering in just long enough to realize it’s not Scorpio, just a guy foolin’ around with his girlfriend.
… and Now, this is the window of 57 Medau Place (map). Krausgrill is seen ahead at the end of Medau.
Then … A group of men jump Callahan, thinking him a peeping tom. But the beating is curtailed by Gonzalez’s arrival. He holds them at bay with his gun, threatening an arrest, but Callahan tells them to clear off.
… and Now, they were in front of 57 Medau Place, filmed from the opposite direction.
The whole commotion caught the attention of Hot Mary, the lady in the apartment.
Then … A cityscape is presented at this point (why?) - it was filmed from high up in the 100 McAllister building on the corner of McAllister and Leavenworth (map). The arrow points to the Golden Gate Theater with its octagonal tower and in the distance are the Hunter-Dulin Building at far left and the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Building at far right which coincidentally was designed by the same architect, Timothy Pflueger, who designed 100 McAllister.
… and Now, Citysleuth stumbled upon a recent photo taken from the 14th floor of 100 McAllister which captured the same view. The arrow again points to the Golden Gate Theater, still there today on the corner of Golden Gate Ave and Taylor Street. Several foreground buildings are recognizable but those downtown are replaced or dwarfed by newer high-rises.
The 28-story Neo-Gothic-styled 100 McAllister building was built in 1925 as a Methodist Episcopal church with a ‘dry’ hotel (no alcohol) above it. Wouldn’t you know it, the project failed. Today it’s a student residential tower for U.C. Hastings College of Law.
Knowing that the police think Rhoda Montaine has killed Moxley, Mason returns to her home at 2100 Washington Street (shown in an earlier post). Her husband Carl tells him she left earlier that day with a suitcase and a trunk.
Then … Mason surmises she went to the airport to flee the police, not a good idea because it would for sure implicate her. He hastily drives there in a mad dash through town. Here he is approaching Market Street in the ‘00’ block of Fell Street (map), closely followed by the police in an unmarked car. The tower of the former Sacred Heart Catholic Church can be seen at the top of the hill on the corner of Fillmore Street.
… and Now, The distant tower is still visible from here. Since 2014 the 19th century church has been used as a rollerskate venue, aka The Church Of 8 Wheels. The Spanish Colonial building at far right at 50 Fell Street is currently a Montessori school.
Then … They make a right from Fell into Market Street. The Ferry building is barely visible way in the distance. The Fox Theater can be seen behind them at 1350 Market, advertising the movies Woman In Red and Little Men as the ‘A’ and ‘B’ features.
The 4,651 seat Fox was one of many grand theaters on Market Street that saw their heyday in the 1930s, 40s and 50s. It was built in 1929 but closed after years of declining attendance as television became popular. Here it is in 1963 just prior to demolition.
… in the 1960s … A telephoto shot down Market c. early 1960s captured the Fox at far left with its fellow theaters arrayed along the street. Only the Orpheum and the Warfield have survived.
… and Now, a mostly rebuilt Market Street is a very different thoroughfare than its neon-blazed predecessor.
Then … The drive through the city jumps all over town as was typical in movies. Here the cop car tailing Mason has just turned left from Van Ness into McAllister (map). That’s the War Memorial Veterans Building on the left.
… and Now, The Beaux-Arts-style Veteran’s Building dates from 1932; it commemorates those who served in the first World War. The hodgepodge block across McAllister was sacrificed for the California Public Utilities Commission headquarters at 505 Van Ness.
Then … Next, they turn north into Van Ness from Market Street (map). Across Market check out what these days would be a very rare sight - the Fur Doctor, a fur repair store, at 1521 Market.
… and Now, The same Market/ Van Ness junction is unrecognizable today and not only because of the mess created by the Van Ness Improvement Project, now in its 5th year.
… in 1944 … this vintage photo looking east down Market across the Van Ness junction was taken 9 years after the movie was released. The Fur Doctor was still in business, on the right.
(Part 2 of the chase to the airport will continue in the next post).
