This is an all-consuming, ongoing project.
For more than 20 years I have pursued a passion for movie location hunting in San Francisco. Not just any movies - they have to be classic movies. In other words older movies, often film noir in genre, so that I can compare this extraordinary city as it was up to a century ago with how it looks today. I have researched, hunted down and in some cases simply stumbled upon hundreds of locations spanning over 30 movies and I plan to share the fruits of my efforts through this blog, building it up movie by movie, location by location, presented in a 'Then' and 'Now' format.
I can't think of a better way to get to know the city, for me that is, but through this blog, for you too. Its sole intent is to inform and to educate. It generates zero income and displays zero ads. It represents, quite simply, a labor of love in recognition of an extraordinary city.
What's different about this movie location site? In a word, it's anal. I'm driven to ferret out every last one of each movie's locations, real and virtual, even window views used in studio interior scenes. If the original site is not there today I look for historical photos for verification. The locations of some of the better known movies have been quite well documented over the years (such as Bullitt, Vertigo, Dirty Harry) but even those are often incomplete and I have made a point of finding those locations not included. For lesser known movies (such as Thieves' Highway, The Sniper, Woman On The Run, Impact) you will explore their settings perhaps for the first time.
A brief word about the format of the blog: The home page that appears when you log in presents the most recent posts. ‘Movie List’ in the top menu of any page takes you to a chronological listing of all of the movies. Click on one to see its locations then navigate back and forth within that movie using the Prior and Next Location link at the bottom of each post.
Contact me at, or send constructive comments to, citysleuth@reelsf.com
I hope I've whetted your appetite. Subscribe for free to receive each new post by email. Enjoy!
--- CitySleuth