Chan Is Missing - Paranoia On The Streets
Jo’s paranoia continues while he walks the streets of Chinatown. He keeps glancing back to see if he’s being followed. Below, he’s at a movie house next to a poster display of stereotypical (at that time) images of Asian actors. Director Wang was making a point.
Then … As he moves on, passing another poster display, we see details of the theatre - it’s the Bella Union Theatre at 825 Kearny Street.
… in 1979 … here’s a vintage photo of it pictured as it was when the Chan Is Missing scene was filmed there. The poster displays are clearly visible, as too is the ticket booth.
… and Now, the theatre closed in 1985; the remodeled building is now a self-help academy for the elderly.
A little history: the theatre opened in the 1890s as the Shanghai Theatre offering Chinese drama, seen below in a contemporaneous postcard. Around 1912 it was renamed the Kearny Theater, switching to burlesque entertainment. It became the Bella Union in 1948, until it closed 37 years later.
Then … Jo heads north on Kearny, nervously looking back. Across the street is the Chinatown Chevron gas station on the corner of Jackson and straight ahead Kearny climbs towards Telegraph Hill. The store alongside him is next to the Bella Union; it’s on the right in the 1979 image above.
… and Now, in today’s matching photo the gas station has been built over and the distant view up the hill is hidden by trees. An apartment building that looks architecturally out of place on this block has replaced the store on the left.
Then … Next he’s seen walking south on Grant Avenue approaching the triple arched entrance to Central Bank at 933 Grant and just past that, Chung Fat grocery at 921 Grant. Li Po’s bar is visible across the street.
… and Now, the venerable Li Po is still there and 933 (with a remodeled entrance) is still a bank - Cathay Pacific’s Chinatown branch. But the grocery is now a gift shop.
Then … Just around the corner from Grant on Washington Street Waverly Place tees in from the left at the Wonton Noodles sign. Ping’s Place restaurant straight ahead is at 835 Washington (check out the little girl passing by - she has just spotted the camera).
… and Now, in a recent view from the same spot what’s notable is the Chat Hai Jeweler’s store across the street at 864 Washington. The same long-lived business and sign can be seen in the Then image above.
Then … Watch out for this moment in the movie; as it was being filmed the newspaper vendor, not prepped in any way, slowly turns back, glimpsing the camera without even the slightest hint of a reaction.
… and Now, this is the southwest corner of Grant and Washington - the view looks along Washington. The distinctive tiles above, now behind the corner store’s security bars, have been plastered over…
… but more than 30 years earlier those tiles were seen behind Rita Hayworth as she crosses Washington in the 1947 movie The Lady From Shanghai (compare them to the Then image above - they are identical). Waverly Place tees in along the block.
… and Now, the matching view today.