Then … While driving with Teddy through town Buddy offers to be his chauffeur if he finally gets a date with Charlotte. They are driving east along Bush Street on the south edge of Chinatown; ahead, Stockton crosses and the concrete Stockton-Sutter Garage is seen on the right. On the left is the Victoria Hotel at 590 Bush and the Bush Garden Japanese restaurant at 580 Bush.
… and Now, the unsightly, bordering on ugly, garage structure is still there.
Then … True to his word, he does exactly that in a fancy limo but first he makes a detour so Teddy can quickly drop off a gift at his grandmother’s place since he’s been told that she’s there alone on her birthday.
… and Now, once again Los Angeles was chosen for this scene - it was filmed at the Sheraton-Town House Hotel at 639 S. Commonwealth Avenue and Wilshire Blvd in the Westlake district. The hotel closed in 1993 and now operates as low income housing, its awning not nearly as swanky as it used to be. Note too the added metal security fencing.
They take the elevator up to the 8th floor and make their way to Room 801 at the end of the corridor. CitySleuth thinks this was filmed in the Sheraton hotel but has yet to confirm it.
But … “Surprise!!” … his whole family were waiting there to sing Happy Birthday to him - they had tricked him into thinking it was also grandmother’s birthday when in fact it was just his. In the nick of time Buddy arrives to introduce Charlotte to everybody as his friend, saving Teddy from a disastrous embarrassment.
Here’s a fine overview photo of the late Beaux-Arts style hotel building taken in 2008.
Buddy and Charlotte make a quick exit - so much for the date. At evening’s end the family leaves via the lobby; note the key slots behind the receptionist - this was the Sheraton’s reception lobby.
Then … Teddy’s buddies are waiting outside when they leave, creating a loud commotion. Apparently Joey’s wife has left again and he’s going berserk; it takes all of them to bundle him into the car. But it’s a ruse to get Teddy to come with them … Charlotte wants him to join her. (Watch out for the continuity goof in this scene as Didi across the street disappears and reappears between cuts).
… and Now, this recent photo from the same angle shows a wider view of the repurposed building.
Then … Clarence and the police motorbike escort head up California Street during their dash across town to get Blotz. Kearny Street crosses at the end of the block.
… and Now, most of the buildings lining California street have since been replaced. Still there though way at the bottom of the hill is the Southern Pacific Building, built in 1917 as the headquarters of Southern Pacific Railway. Beyond it is the Bay Bridge, not built until 11 years after the scene above was filmed.
Then … They overtake a cable car as they speed up California. The landmark Sing Chong Building is on the corner of Grant Avenue.
… and Now, a century later it’s still there.
The Pagoda-styled Sing Chong Building was built in 1907. Local residents and Benevolent Societies had wasted no time rebuilding Chinatown following the 1906 earthquake and fire as a statement to city government that they were not about to be resettled anywhere else.
Then … The cop leans his bike to his right around a tight bend…
… then leans over to his left, apparently negotiating an S - curved street. More of the building behind him is now revealed, helping to confirm this location.
… and Now, here’s that building, still there. It’s 60 Leavenworth, an apartment building with street level retail stores on the corner of McAllister. Credit to reader Notcom who found it.
In this late 1920’s aerial photo you can see the curved street 3 blocks east of City Hall.
It’s more clearly seen in this 1931 aerial photo; tap or click the image to see how it looks today. The curve was straightened out in the mid-1930s to make way for the Federal Office Building at 50 U.N. Plaza.
Then … Continuing on, in the next shot the Geary-Mason Drugs sign on the right is a giveaway to this location. That drugstore was at 400 Mason so this view looks south along Mason Street with Geary crossing in the foreground. The Hotel Minster sign on the left a block down was at 312 Mason.
… and Now, 312 Mason is still a hotel; more specifically an international hostel.
Then … Almost there! This shot revisits a junction appearing twice before during the frantic dash. Here they head west on Market Street having just driven out of Golden Gate Avenue over on the right. The turrets of the Granada Theater can be seen near the end of the block beyond the car.
… and Now, the Granada Theater has long since been demolished and replaced.
Viewed from the opposite direction this vintage photo captured the Granada in 1921, the year it opened. The opulent theater was one of many that sprung up along the length of Market Street during the silver screen heyday of the 1920s and 1930s. It was renamed the Paramount in 1931 and eventually demolished in 1965.
They arrive in time - it’s game over for Blotz, Red Moran and, at City Hall, D.A. Fuller.
As the bad guys are hauled into their cells, Tom and Ray are released from theirs to a joyful welcome by Mary and Polly McDonald. Even Chronicle Proprietor Hamilton gets in on the act, proclaiming to Tom … “They’ve found their man McDonald, and I have found mine!” All’s well that ends well.
In the movie’s final frames Polly turns to Clarence, the derring-do hero of the day. Boy, does she owe him!!
Clarence and on-duty cops are at the police station when he hears the news of the Chronicle fire …
… they pile into a car, Clarence hanging on the side, to rush across town to Chron headquarters. (This doorway location is yet to be found - a Los Angeles precinct, a studio back lot, somewhere else?).
Then … They drive out of Golden Gate Avenue in downtown San Francisco, captured here turning east on Market Street. The projecting marquee of the Granada Theater at 1066 Market Street can be seen in the block behind them near the corner of Jones.
… and Now, the same block today. The Granada Theater is no longer there; after being renamed the Paramount in 1931 it was demolished in 1965.
Then … They are on Market again. This view was filmed looking east from 1st Street towards the Ferry Building in the background. Note at top center the ‘MOISE’ sign on the corner of Fremont Street…
… in 1930 … Here’s a photo taken a few years later from the same spot. A city directory entry revealed that the ‘MOISE’ sign belonged to the Moise-Klinkner store that sold a mix of rubber stamps, badges and signs.
… and Now, the traffic nightmare omnipresent on Market Street over the past century has recently been exorcised by the simple expedient of restricting access to commuter vehicles and taxis. Dead center in the distance the Ferry Building still stands like a sentinel on the Embarcadero, visible along most of the 3-mile length of arrow-straight Market Street.
Then … Now heading north they are on Stockton Street entering the south portal of the Stockton Tunnel near Union Square. Market Street crosses at the south end of Stockton.
… and Now, the first block on the left was rebuilt in 1960 as the Sutter-Stockton garage.
Here’s a reverse look at the south entrance of the tunnel in 1953 seven years before the current Sutter-Stockton garage was built.
… and just for fun check out this cool 1913 photo of the tunnel being excavated. It opened in 1914 after taking only 17 months to build. People worked hard in those days. The building at top right at 590 Bush Street is also visible in the image above.
Then … We then see them emerging from the tunnel’s north portal into Chinatown.
… and Now, the north portal today looks the same.
Clarence arrives outside the Chronicle press room to find an angry crowd surrounding Tom, wrongly accusing him of starting the fire. He is hauled off to jail where he briefly sees Ray before being dragged off to his own cell.
Meanwhile the fire rages on while a growing crowd of onlookers gather where Market Street and Geary come together. Customers of Bercovich Cigars on the ground floor at 700 Market Street could conveniently head up to dentist Chas. Strub on the 3rd floor to take care of the yellow stains. The stylishly-hatted lady in white on the 2nd floor windowsill has the best view of all.
Then … Across Market another crowd stands in front of the Monadnock Building at 685 Market adjacent to the Palace Hotel.
… and Now, The Beaux Arts building, built the year after the ‘06 earthquake, now features in its atrium lobby colorful murals depicting in Renaissance Baroque style many well-known San Francisco personalities including Mayor Adolph Sutro, fountain donor Lotta Crabtree and Supervisor Harvey Milk.
For history buffs here’s a 1910 postcard photo of the Monadnock showing the original iteration of Lotta’s Fountain in the foreground.
Then … There’s a lot going on in the next montage image; kitchen workers prepare dim sum through the window of a restaurant while reflected pedestrians pass by outside.
… and Now, this was the Hong Kong Teahouse at 835 Pacific Avenue; it’s now the New Wing Long Food market. The arrow points to that part of the window, only recently covered by bars, that the camera spied into.
As confirmation that this is the right place, let’s take a closer look at the movie’s window reflection. Since it’s a reverse mirror window image, we first reverse it, like so…
… then we turn around and see if the same image is across the street. Voila! The building is part of the Ping Yuen North public housing complex at 838 Pacific Avenue, photographed here in 2019. The red box outlines the area in the movie image above.
… and Now, following a 2019 street level remodel, only the section at far right in this view (mostly obscured by trees) remains unchanged today.
Then … Next, viewed from Jackson Street across from the Tao Tao restaurant at 675 Jackson, the Transamerica Pyramid office tower rises in the background .
… and Now, newer structures partially block the view of the pyramid from here. 675 Jackson, currently vacant and recently listed for sale, has retained its oriental styling.
Then … Here’s another restaurant; after struggling for some time to find it, CitySleuth was bailed out by ReelSF reader Notcom who came up with its location. It was Meemie’s Coffee Shop restaurant at 727 Washington on the corner of Walter U. Lum Place. The view on the left looks through both corner windows across Walter U. Lum Place and Portsmouth Square towards the Bank Of America Center at 555 California Street rising in the distance. Another clue was the reflection of three window arches from a building across the street (arrows).
… and Now, the current tenant, Sweet Mart, has been shuttered since the pandemic but in this pre-pandemic photo the vertical post inside the corner window that supported the shelves, above, was still there.
… and Now, here’s the building opposite showing the window arches reflected in the Then image above.
Then … What?? An Italian market in the heart of Chinatown? At least it’s advertising Chop Suey. This is 699 Jackson on the corner of Grant Avenue.
… and Now, the store now sells souvenirs, not food, but that old Chop Suey sign is still there.
Here, the camera slowly pans along a large group of elderly ladies as they congregate on a sidewalk. But where? Director Wayne Wang told CitySleuth that the scene was filmed “somewhere on Kearny Street” but even knowing that, this location remains as yet unfound. Anyone who recognizes it is asked to contact citysleuth@reelsf.com.
Also yet to be found is this store displaying a Confucius figurine in a festive tinsel-framed window.
Then … In this, the movie’s final image, the sign and the 1980 city directory tells us where this window was filmed. It’s one of the rooms of the Wing On hotel at 917 Kearny Street. The Far East Travel Service store is below it at 911 Kearny Street.
… and Now, the sign today advertises the current tenant - Wayne’s Liquors. The name has changed but it’s the same original sign, even down to the support wires, a convenient clothes line then as now for the occupant of the room. The Wing On hotel now operates as a single-room-occupancy building called the 917 Kearny Street Apartments.
… and Now, a wide angle view of the window and Wayne’s Liquors. The hotel entrance is the orange doorway at far right.
