There’s another woman in George’s life: fashionista photographer Jane Bleeker (Italian actress Elsa Martinelli), introduced to us by way of an artistically filmed tête-à-tête accompanied by evocative music by composer Riz Ortolani. You can hear it here, between time points 2:22 - 4:44 on the movie soundtrack.
The action takes place on the mezzanine level in her studio. This, as were the other interior scenes in the movie, was filmed in Italy at the Cinecittà Studios in Rome.
It’s not hard to understand how he would be attracted to such a fashionista. But Jane then surprises him by announcing she is leaving San Francisco - even though she’s in love with him she wants … “a man on my own, I’m the selfish type”. She has already sold her business interest and bought a train ticket to San Luis Obispo.
Then … He offers to drive her to the station … they walk to his car from her place (1083 Lombard, the house at far right), near the top of Lombard Street’s famed ‘Crooked Street” block in the Russian Hill neighborhood (map). This was the setting for her spacious studio - unrealistic at such a residential property. But hey, it’s all about the views.
… and Now, new paint jobs aside, this block, a magnet for tourists, has not seen much change. In the distance Coit Tower presides over Telegraph Hill and beyond that there’s a clear view of the Bay Bridge and the hills of the east bay. (Incidentally, Jack Palance’s character’s apartment in the 1952 movie Sudden Fear was in the grey building next to Jane’s place).
Then … They drive off, pictured here between the fourth and fifth of eight hairpin bends.
… and Now, again, unchanged. The serpentine road was the city planners’ solution in 1922 to an otherwise dangerously steep slope for vehicles.
Then … Driving up Hyde Street, George looks for clarification … “Leaving me, or running away?”
… and Now, the cable car tracks head then and now down Hyde Street and across North Point (map) towards Hyde Street Pier at the bottom of the hill where our eyes are drawn to the distant Alcatraz and Angel Islands.
Then … Locationally unrealistic - now they are driving back into the city across the Golden Gate Bridge! The headlands of Marin County are in the background on the left.
… and Now, two notable safety changes have since been installed: a barrier has been added on each side of the roadway to protect pedestrians and cyclists from the dangerously close traffic whizzing by, and a central divider, repositionable to accommodate changing daily commuter flows, now protects drivers from head-ons. Suicide jumping wasn’t the only bridge hazard it seems.
Then … They arrive at the Southern Pacific depot. The Mission Revival structure was built here at 3rd and Townsend in the Mission Bay neighborhood in 1915 (map).
… and Now, the depot was demolished in 1976 after an architecturally mundane replacement was built a block south, in part to eliminate 4th Street traffic-crossing delays behind the original depot. This modern building took its place.
Then … Jane prefers that they part on the street … “I hate those tearful farewells on railway platforms”. Across 3rd Street behind George’s wistful gaze we see one of the bay area’s Doggie Diner fast food restaurants.
… 1n 1975 … here’s a vintage photo of the depot and the restaurant with its pole mounted giant dachshund head mascot sign - from the rear we see its floppy ears and chef’s hat.
… and Now, The Doggie Diner chain eventually was gobbled up by the competition and all of its San Francisco restaurants are gone; one vestige remains however - preserved by nostalgists is a transplanted lone mascot pole sign on the median near the San Francisco Zoo on Sloat Blvd at 45th Avenue (map).
Then … Jane, stylishly caped, walks along track 2 of the depot past coach SP3705. The reflection in the side of the railcar looks across King Street way over to the east bay hills. But eagle-eyed reader Notcom (see his comment) has some bad news for her - she’s catching a commute train to San Jose, some 185 miles short of her destination.
… in 1975 … rolling stock buffs will recognize the train’s Bilevel Commute Coaches, here’s coach SP3721 photographed in San Jose.
Then … George drives off past a sign advertising Rickey’s Rendezvous Room, a bar and restaurant inside the depot operated by Palo Alto-based Rickey’s Hyatt House. (Trivia time … the image also includes an interesting structure at far left) …
… and Now, the structure is the 3rd Street bridge, a type known as a Bascule drawbridge. Designed by Joseph Strauss - he later became Chief Engineer of the Golden Gate Bridge - it was built in 1933 across the Mission Creek Channel and is still operational. In 1980 it was renamed the Lefty O’Doul bridge in honor of a legendary San Francisco Seals baseball pitcher, prescient indeed because 20 years later the San Francisco Giants ballpark would be built right next to it.
… and Now, a closer look at the Lefty O’Doul Bridge shows the Giants ballpark complex on the left (check out those two massive concrete counterweights - clunky but functional).
Then ... Allan takes Julie out for a date at a tavern but things get awkward when two bikers spot them and head over.
... and Now? Could this have been filmed inside the Hidive bar at Pier 28 on the Embarcadero (map)? The angled front door with the window next to it on the right matches nicely with the interior view above.
... and Now? But the matching view inside the tavern today shows the bar on the other side of the room compared to the movie view above. For many decades known as the Boondocks, the tavern was remodeled in 2004, which might included repositioning the bar. Anyone who can shed light on this is asked to add a comment at the bottom of this post or to contact citysleuth@reelsf.com.
As the bikers mercilessly hit on Julie (Joy Bang), totally ignoring our hapless hero, the writing on the lifebuoy on the wall references Pier 28, the location of the Hidive. (In another shot the full text on the buoy is seen as 'Maries Pier 28').
Then ... The big guys follow them outside where we get to see the bar’s name - the Pier Head. Allan's amusingly puny efforts to 'fight' them gets him nowhere fast but they leave him mostly unscathed after Julie makes a choice - them. But, to CitySleuth's eye this is a different building than that used for the interior scene. (Reader Scherrie Barone, daughter of one of the bar’s owners, has added interesting information about the Pier Head in the comments below).
Reader Joe commented below that an episode of the TV series The Streets Of San Francisco was also filmed in 1972 at the Pier Head. Here we see Michael Douglas’s character walking in; this wider daylight view also reveals its aka name, Manjo’s. Scenes filmed inside do not match the Play It Again, Sam interiors, further evidence that two separate locations had been used for these bar scenes.
… a vintage aerial ... The 1972 street directory listed the Pier Head tavern at 780 Embarcadero South, opposite Piers 42 and 44. The tavern is clearly seen in this 1930s aerial view.
…and Now, the tavern and Piers 42 and 44 were demolished decades ago. Embarcadero South was rerouted to link with King Street and the Giants ballpark was built atop Berry Street; the arrow indicates where the Pier Head Tavern used to be.
Nick insists on taking a reluctant Rica out for a drink at Shorty's Bar, seen below. CitySleuth searched 1949 City records but found no mention of a Shorty's so presumably it was a fictitious movie name. The shop front below is certainly real enough - the question is ... where was it?
Two views from the interior of the bar help provide the answer. The first shows an Embarcadero pier across the street, Pier 44. (It's possible the interiors were filmed in the studio with projected window views to set the location).
In the second view, seen through the entrance doorway to Shorty's, another pier, Pier 42, is seen across the Embarcadero looking in the opposite direction. So, Shorty's was on the Embarcadero opposite and between Piers 42 and 44. Both piers were terminals for American President Lines.
How does CitySleuth know these were Piers 42 and 44? They are not there any more, but compare the shots above with the vintage photo below of these two piers (which incidentally shows the Bay Bridge under construction in 1935). They match.
Then ... In this movie pan below, the view looks south down the Embarcadero as Nick and Rica cross the rail tracks heading for Shorty's. (This panorama links with the one at the top of this post). Pier 44 is on the left and the Embarcadero continues past Berry Street before ending at Pier 46.
... and Now, Pier 42, 44 and 46 are no longer there; they were replaced by the South Beach Marina. Instead of continuing straight on past King and Berry Streets as it used to, the Embarcadero now swings to the right into King Street alongside the San Francisco Giants ballpark. The marina is on the left, as is South Beach Park which replaced the block where Shorty's Bar used to be, between King and Berry Streets.
If all of this is confusing, the photo and map below may help ...
Then ... this 1955 aerial photo shows piers 42 and 44 before they were removed. Shorty's bar location was in the block opposite those two piers, between King Street and Berry Street. Note also that back then Berry Sreet connected to the Embarcadero.
... and Now, The same view today courtesy of Google maps showing that the Embarcadero now swings into King Street. A section of Berry Street has been swallowed up by South Beach Park and the ballpark redevelopment project, completed in 2000. The locations where Piers 42 and 44 used to be are shown in orange and the approximate location for Shorty's bar is indicated by the asterisk, within South Beach Park.
The three crooks drive to meet a contact awaiting arrival of a ship carrying passengers from overseas. On the way they drive down Illinois Street.
Then ... This is Illinois Street looking south from 18th (map). The crane is in the Bethlehem Pacific Shipyard in the Dogpatch neighborhood east of Potrero Hill. Trivia note - Alfred Hitchcock used the same shipyard to represent one of the Vertigo locations.
... and Now, the Dogpatch is rapidly gentrifying but this stretch of Illinois, other than the missing gasholder, is yet to change. One set of rail tracks are gone but amazingly, though rusting and graffitied, that darn crane is still there a half century on!
Then ... The drug ring contact, Staples (Robert Bailey), is waiting for them at the terminal.
... from 1962 ... This vintage photograph shows where he was. The arrow marks where Staples was waiting, at the far end of the Mission Rock Terminal, aka Pier 50, in Mission Bay near to China Basin and today's San Francisco Giants ballpark (map).
... and Now , a berthed vessel blocks part of the view but CitySleuth was able to duplicate most of it from the corner of the pier.
Then ... As our mischief-makers drive onto the pier (below), the camera pan gives us a sweeping view of the terminal at the end of Pier 50.
... from 1955 ... Another aerial photo of Pier 50. This photo and the panorama from the movie, above, both look west down the length of the pier. The arrow marks where the scene was filmed.
... and Now, no longer a passenger terminal, the pier is still actively used for commerce.
Then ... The camera continues panning, a continuation of the panorama above, until the car stops at the end of the pier.
... and Now , the island on the right is Yerba Buena Island. Just beyond it, at far right, is the partially constructed single tower of the new suspension bridge scheduled to replace the old section of the Bay Bridge left vulnerable after the 1989 earthquake.
Staples' job is to describe to Dancer the passengers who are carrying the contraband and where they are staying. Dancer's job is to go get the stuff.
The first is a Mr. Sanders ... "They live at 9020 Jackson". (An interesting dyslexic misquote by Staples, even repeated by Dancer, because as we shall see, they live at 2090 Jackson). The heroin has been hidden in the handles of a set of flatware he bought in Bangkok.
Next, Dorothy Bradshaw and her daughter Cindy. In their case the hiding place is Cindy's doll from Tokyo. They are staying at the Mark Hopkins Hotel.
And finally, Larry Warner, a crewmember who is staying at the Seaman's Club. His package has been secreted inside a Tang Dynasty horse from Hong Kong.