Tom’s son Ray McDonald (Ray Hallor) has exciting news to share with his family. Outside his parent’s home he waves to a passing cable car.
Then … The cable car is heading east on the Pacific Avenue cable line that at one time ran west to Divisidero and south down Larkin to Brannan. This style of cable car, known as a cable train, was comprised of a grip car pulling an enclosed passenger trailer car - (go here for a wonderful 1929 Movietone Newsreel video of a cable train on the Pacific Avenue line and a link to a detailed article on its history). As the cable train passes the Victorian home below the highlighted buildings in the background establishes where this was filmed - at the corner of Pacific and Gough in Pacific Heights.
… and Now, the Pacific Avenue cable line closed in 1929 and the Victorian home, at 1895 Pacific Avenue (map) was replaced in 1931 by this five story Art Deco apartment building. The buildings highlighted above aren’t visible now from street level, but…
… this higher perspective reveals that they are still there ; this is the rear of 1810 and 1824 Jackson Street, built in 1917.
An interesting aside: while it’s a shame, looking back, that yet another of the city’s fine Victorians was sacrificed, at least the replacement brought its own architectural charm as exemplified by this recent photo of the eye-catching art deco detailing in its lobby.
Ray excitedly shows his mother an acceptance letter from the San Francisco D.A.’s office offering him his first job as a deputy assistant attorney. Mary (Lila Leslie) couldn’t be more proud.
Then … Tom and Polly are next to arrive at the McDonald home (its street number is 1421 per the image at the top of this post).
… and Now, it’s supposedly in San Francisco but in fact this was 1421 N. Hudson Avenue in Hollywood (the wave to the cable car was a bit of a stretch!). But the charming original house and the one next to it are no longer there; they were replaced in the 1950s by this group of multi-dwelling buildings.
Then … Clarence Walker (Rex Lease), a San Francisco Chronicle reporter who has taken a fancy to Polly, also shows up.
… and Now, The houses behind Clarence are also gone, victims of commercial creep from the adjacent Wilcox Avenue. What disappoints CitySleuth is how multi-dwelling and commercial properties have pushed aside the charm of what used to be a lovely residential street.
They all congratulate Ray on his appointment. Tom too has news to share - his foreman is leaving and he fully expects to get the job.
Then … There’s more action on this street; we next see Tom’s dog stealing the newspaper from the steps of a neighboring house for his master.
Then … The irate homeowner lives in # 1425. He’s seen this before - he glares towards Tom’s house right next door.
… and Now, Lo and behold! This house, at 1425 N. Hudson Avenue, was built in 1906 and is still there. Over 100 years old but it’s exactly the same. Compare the porch, the posts, the siding, the windows and the steps with the two movie images above. Many thanks to reader Notcom who found this location for CitySleuth.
When Tom returns to work he is bitterly disappointed to learn that in spite of having been recommended for the foreman job it has been given to ‘Bull” Collins (Tom O’Brien) (on the right). It doesn’t help that he’s a failure as a printer (the facial acting of the silent movie era is perfectly captured in this frame).
Then … The Ferry Building is in the distance as the chase continues down Market Street. The cops are right behind Mason’s stylish convertible coupe as he makes a right into Fremont Street.
… and Now, the same junction today (map).
… in 1948 … thirteen years after the movie’s release San Francisco rolled out a new fleet of buses with a parade down Market Street seen here in this photo taken from the same block - Fremont Street is at far right.
Then … Another random jump across town sees them driving west along Washington Street between Gough and Octavia at a time when it was served by a cable car line (map). Lafayette Park is on the right.
… and Now, here’s that same block today. At far left at 2080 Washington is the old Spreckels mansion, now hiding behind an enormous privacy hedge. The cable car line was discontinued in September 1956.
Then … They turn right from Washington down Octavia probably oblivious of the unobstructed view across the north bay to Alcatraz and Angel Island.
… and Now, the matching view is a good example of many of San Francisco’s great views that are now obscured by trees grown wild. The Spreckels mansion, on the right, would be prominently seen fifteen years later in the 1950 movie The Man Who Cheated Himself.
Then … Next they are in the Civic Center passing the city’s main library on Larkin Street…
… and Now, which today houses the Asian Art Museum (map).
Then … Now they are traversing the streetcar turnaround area in front of the Ferry Building (map). Note the pedestrian overpass crossing over to the Ferry Building, more clearly seen behind the opening credits of the movie.
… and Now, this is taken from close to the same spot, reflecting the extensive changes seen in this space but sparing us the ugly Embarcadero Freeway whose brief tenure existed during the decades between the Now and Then images above.
… in 1954 … here’s a later look at the turnaround that, in addition to later-generation streetcars and autos, shows the same buildings and billboards seen in the Then image above. The large billboard has moved from the rooftop to the side of its building but continues pushing alcohol, moving on from gin (Gilmore) to beer (Burgermeister). By then the pedestrian overpass had been sacrificed, becoming much-needed scrap iron for the war effort in the 1940s.
Then … Back to the Main Library on Larkin, this time turning west into Mcallister.
… and Now, as mentioned earlier, the Asian Art Museum is now in the Library building. Two blocks down McAllister is the stately 1920s 100 McAllister high-rise that was used earlier in the movie for a panoramic city view.
Then … Next, a step back down Larkin Street, Mason’s car again approaching the Main Library. There’s a clear view across the unbuilt block to, on the far (eastern) side of Market Street, the Hotel Whitcomb which is still there today.
… and Now, but trees and newer buildings hide the hotel from here. One of them, on the right, is the city’s current main library.
Mason urges Spudsy on; it’s imperative they get to the airport in time… “If she gets off on a plane it means she’s running away. And that’ll hang her!”
Fresh crabs in hand, Perry Mason heads to Luigi’s Italian Restaurant where Luigi allows him to personally cook them for his friends. There was no such eatery in San Francisco in 1935 - this was filmed at Warner Brothers Studios.
But he takes a break when an old flame, Rhoda (Margaret Lindsay), stops by. She tells him about the husband of a friend of hers who reportedly had died four years earlier but may have recently been seen alive. She wants to remarry but needs to ascertain the husband’s legal status. Mason isn’t fooled - he realizes the ‘curious bride’ is Rhoda herself.
When Rhoda leaves she forgets to take her purse and a surreptitious peek confirms Mason’s suspicion - a telegram inside suggests she is being blackmailed. He also sees a small handgun. For protection? Or… no no, surely she wouldn’t…
Rhoda walks to her car followed by, as it turns out, her new husband Carl Montaine (Donald Woods). He too is curious, he wants to find out why she has been acting strangely. Once again this location cries out “Back Lot”, filmed at Warner Brothers Studios.
She pulls into the driveway of her home but there is little in the way of clues here to identify it.
Then … Fortunately later in the movie Mason drives here during daytime which reveals its location. As he approaches her home this block, with a single set of cable car tracks, is familiar to CitySleuth.
… and Now, we are looking east down Washington Street with Lafayette Park on the right. The tall swanky apartment building is 2006 Washington and at far left at 2080 Washington, mostly hidden behind a monster privacy hedge, is the Adolph Spreckels Mansion, now the home of author Danielle Steel. (CitySleuth recognized the block having posted about it in Pal Joey and The Man Who Cheated Himself). The tracks of the east-bound Washington Street section of the Washington-Jackson cable car line were removed after the line was shut down in September 1956.
Then … Mason pulls up in front of Rhoda’s home. In the script it was 2309 Hawthorne Avenue but in real life this is 2100 Washington Street on the corner of Octavia (map).
… and Now, comparing the home (as best we can through those darn trees) to the nighttime view above, some of the architectural detailing on the lower level has been eliminated - more’s the pity. The Spreckels Mansion is partly visible at far right.
Then … Allan climbs Kearny Street on his way back to his North Beach apartment (described in more detail earlier). He finds Dick waiting for him, telling him that he has become convinced that Linda is having an affair. Allan quakes in his boots, not having the nerve to fess up. But he becomes tormented on hearing Dick’s passionate declaration of his feelings for his wife.
… and Now, viewed from Fresno Street (map), this is the ultra-steep block of Kearny above Broadway.
When he calls her she has already confessed to Dick, without naming Allan. Bitterly disappointed, he leaves for the airport on a business trip.
Then … Allan has to talk to her - he takes a cab to her place, finds out that she’s left for the airport chasing Dick, then continues on, chasing Linda.
… and Now, this is viewed from outside 2614 Buchanan Street in Pacific Heights (Linda’s house, described earlier). The cross street ahead is Pacific Avenue .
Then … By now he has decided that he has to tell her to stay with Dick but during the cab ride he pictures her, in this great wide angle shot at San Francisco Airport’s Central Terminal, reacting angrily to his decision.
… and Now, Central Terminal is still there but is now named Terminal 2. In 2008 it underwent a state-of-the-art upgrade via a $383 million renovation.
This vintage image shows Central Terminal as it looked when the movie was filmed. The windows above the upper departure level are the same as those seen in the Then image above.
… vintage trivia … Citysleuth often digs up indirectly related material when researching a location. Case in point; he came across this photograph of passengers lining up at the same PSA counter seen at far left in the Then movie image above. The bell bottoms would date it to the 1970s. PSA (Pacific Southwest Airlines) was a popular West Coast airline perhaps best known for its flight attendants’ mini-skirted outfits in the 1960s and hot pants in the 1970s, not to mention kinky boots.
Monty Python said it best … “Nudge, nudge, know what I mean, say no more, say no more”. It didn’t take long before outraged women’s groups and a shift in passenger profile away from predominantly businessmen persuaded management to, ‘hem, tone it down.
Then … Linda’s cab arrives at Central Terminal’s departures and she dashes in hoping to reach Dick before he leaves. Note two more airline signs: Air West and National, both destined, like PSA, to be swallowed up by bigger fish.
… and Now, same terminal, different name, different look. Here’s a Google image of the Terminal 2 departures level in its current reincarnation.
She finds the gate and runs onto the tarmac (she couldn’t do that now) where Dick is about to board his plane. Allan follows her, just steps behind.
