Reel SF

San Francisco movie locations from classic films

San Francisco movie locations from classic films

Filtering by Tag: Daly City

Time After Time - "Gimme A Big Mac ... And Tea"

Then … The next scene begins with a shot of a classic 1980s mansard-roofed McDonald’s with an Arco gas station next to it.

… and Now, This was filmed at the McDonald’s at 505 Serramonte Blvd in Daly City (thanks to ReelSF blog reader Al for recognizing it). The diner has since been moved back from the road and rebuilt in a modern style. The sign appears to be the original one and the gas station, on the corner of Gellert Blvd, is now a Speedway station.

… in 2019 … as recently as 6 years ago the original diner was still there, looking the same as in the Then image above except that the rooftop beams had been removed (sometime after 2008) and it was a Mobil gas station on the corner of Gellert.

 

Then … Herbert of course has never seen a McDonald’s diner before; he listens carefully to the customer in front of him then repeats the same order for himself, adding “…and tea, to go, please”. Spoken like a true Brit. But these interior scenes were not filmed at the location above…

… in 1975 … instead, they were filmed in the McDonald’s located on the lobby level of San Francisco’s Two Embarcadero Center (thanks go to ReelSF blog reader Notcom for recognizing it). It had newly opened in 1975 when this photograph was taken; the counter filmed above is at the far end. (Note the circle-patterned floor tiles outside the entrance - a design feature throughout the public areas of the entire Embarcadero Center complex of buildings).

… and Now, McDonald’s closed down at this site in 2014 or 2015. Today a One Medical primary care clinic occupies and overlaps its former space. Below, the McDonald’s entrance used to be where the reception desk is, right of center at the rear of the One Medical lobby.

 

This floor plan detail of the Two Embarcadero lobby level shows today’s One Medical footprint. Click or tap the image to see exactly where McDonald’s used to be.

 

Then … Herbet is fascinated by the lacquered table top, telling the man next to him that he’s never seen wood like that before. Also in this scene there’s a mis-spoken moment where you can clearly see his lips mouth the (British) word ‘chips’ but you hear ‘fries’, substituted post-production. Note the corner planter behind them…

… that corner planter enables us to deduce which table was used for the scene above. In the 1975 photo (four images above), his table is behind the tall trash enclosure mid-aisle, partially visible above at the far right.

 

Petulia - The Mendoza Residence

  While Petulia is recovering from her beating, Archie comes across a letter she wrote addressed to a Mr. Mendoza at 4295 Morton Drive, San Francisco (a fictitious address).  The viewing audience knows from flashbacks that this is the family looking after Oliver after his accident and Petulia has been sending them food and cash.  Archie doesn't know this and he goes to the address to investigate.

  But as it turns out, the Mendoza house is not in San Francisco - it is in a housing tract in the Serramonte neighborhood of Daly City, just south of San Francisco.  Reel SF blog reader CDL deserves compliments for finding this location for CitySleuth.

Then ...  Has a housing tract ever looked so good?  Cinematographer Nicholas Roeg filmed this glowing vista of the tract in its early construction phase.  Morton Drive runs across the foreground and the three streets aligned away from the viewer are, from left to right, Callan Blvd, Wakefield Ave and Canterbury Ave.  The Mendoza house is 4295 Callan Blvd, in the left foreground, marked with an arrow (map).  Citysleuth wonders if the director's choice of this location was inspired by Pete Seeger's hit song 'Little Boxes', a satire on suburburban development.

... and Now,  The south-facing shot above was filmed from near the Hickey Boulevard ridge which runs up to Skyline Boulevard.  Extensive construction below the ridge since then and mature trees prevent an identical matching shot today but the similar view below is taken from a little higher up on Hickey close to Skyline.  The pink house in the bottom left corner was still under construction in the movie shot above - the Mendoza house opposite it is obscured by the line of newer houses along the near side of Morton Drive.

... Google Earth View ...  Below is a recent satellite photo of the housing tract and the Mendoza house (arrowed), courtesy of Google Earth.  Skyline Blvd runs along the top of the ridge at right.

Then ...  Archie descends the entrance steps of 4295 Callan Blvd after knocking on the door and getting no response.

... and Now,  just the same!

... and Now,  here's a wider view of the Mendoza house.  The junction with Morton Drive is one house down at right.

 

Then ...  Archie finds Mendoza who can't help him because he doesn't speak Spanish.  Behind the house (below) a couple of spaced-out hippies are no help either.  He leaves, none the wiser.

... and Now,  the fecund slope between the two lines of houses after more than 40 years of growth.

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