Thursday, February 10, 2011

San Francisco Film Locations...a mini-tour on video

Huntington Park at the top of Nob Hill, San Francisco
One day not too long ago my friend Dave and I went on an excursion into three San Francisco neighborhoods to shoot video of classic film locations. I'd done some research and worked out a way to cover many films in just a few hours.

The Fairmont Hotel has appeared on film and TV many times
 We began our tour on Nob Hill where such sites as Huntington Park, Grace Cathedral, the Brocklebank Building, the Pacific Union Club, The Fairmont Hotel, the Mark Hopkins Hotel and steep cable car-tracked hills have long figured in films shot or set in the city...films like The Lady from Shanghai, DOA, Dark Passage, The Line Up, Vertigo, Bullitt, various of the Dirty Harry movies, etc. We moved on to North Beach and made three more stops in that colorful neighborhood to check on sites featured in films like Vertigo, Pal Joey, Play it Again, Sam, Basic Instinct and Foul Play. Our final destination was Pacific Heights where we shot just one building, a "mid-century modern" monolith used in Days of Wine and Roses that is no longer contemporary and is now a bit of an eyesore in an upscale part of town.

Dave edited the video, added a music track and recorded my narration. I then tried but was unable to upload the video to Blogger and eventually gave up...and forgot about it. Then, a few days ago,  a Twitter friend tweeted about a photo contest his site, Writing with Hitchcock, was sponsoring that involved posting personal photos of Hitchcock film locations. After I entered a still photo I'd taken of the building at 900 Lombard where Scottie Ferguson lived in Vertigo, I remembered the video.  Once I'd managed to post it on Facebook, I posted it on YouTube and, only slightly delayed...here it is...my mini-tour of San Francisco film locations. Dave and I hope to get back out there again one day. I'd love to venture into other neighborhoods as well as do a "Hitchcock tour" of the San Francisco Bay Area.

14 comments:

  1. A very enjoyable tour, Eve, of my favorite city as pictured in classic films. I love visiting North Beach but I didn't realize, until now, that where I usually park my car is right by the "Vertigo" apartment. Wow! San Francisco is magical ... and timeless. My first glimpse of the city was as a child when I saw "Pal Joey". I couldn't believe a place could be so beautiful - all these years later my feelings remain unchanged.

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  2. Fun post, Eve! I love Vertigo and Pal Joey, and would love to visit some of those places. The only place I can think of here in Indianapolis that was used in a movie is the Indy 500 race track where they filmed part of the movie "Winning" in 1969 I think. I was an extra, got to meet Paul Newman, and got the worst sunburn of my life that day. It was worth it!

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  3. Salvador Dali called San Francisco the "jewel of American cities," an apt choice of words. I fell in love with the city when I first visited at age 13. Being from Southern California, a very casual locale, I was dazzled by the chic women we encountered downtown...not to mention cable cars climbing "halfway to the stars," the "Top of the Mark," the Golden Gate and the beautiful bay views everywhere.
    My post about opening night of Noir City 9 included a montage of noirs/thrillers filmed here...though my little home movie can't compare with that, I hope it helps illustrate San Francisco's "star power"...and why so many filmmakers have chosen to film here.

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  4. I can't wait to watch the video, but I have to do that at home. They frown on it at work!

    The closest I ever got to SF was Napa Valley. Maybe someday...

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  5. I'd really love to visit San Francisco one day. Thanks for the post!

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  6. cool!! i see that you posted on YOU-TUBE...I also saw your video in the discount bin at WALMART for 99 cents...lol!!

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  7. Lady Eve, I loved your mini tour of San Francisco. I really hope you do more of these type of articles.

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  8. That was a very good video, Eve. I think I recognized some street scenes from What's Up Doc as well. Dark Passage is my favorite Bogart film, and who doesn't like Bullitt? You did a good job of putting all of that together. Maybe S.F. could use you on their film board!

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  9. The response to this little home movie has been great...now Dave and I are talking about when we can get out again to shoot more video...I should add that entering my photo in the Facebook contest mentioned above earned a me a copy of the book, "Writing with Hitchcock." Can't wait to read it!

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    Replies
    1. Hi Eve,

      If you need more ideas for your next filming, check out reelsf.com for hundreds of locations from classic San Francisco movies.

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    2. Thanks! Coincidentally, I'll soon post a short piece with links to a segment that ran recently on KPIX's "Eye on the Bay" that tracks locations for three Alfred Hitchcock film locations in the Bay Area: "Shadow of a Doubt," "The Birds" and "Vertigo."

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  10. I heard a lot about San Francisco but never got a chance to go there..its a beautiful place as i can see by seeing pictures and videos you posted..it must be a fun tour for you..street scenes are good to watch..its a small video..give me a larger view of this place..i'll definitely plan a holiday there..and have lots of fun

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  11. Awesome tour, Eve! So glad I finally got to see it after all these months. As you know, the VERTIGO locales were the ones that intrigued me the most.

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  12. Lady Eve, I remember your post featuring the photo of Scottie Ferguson’s house, and I was disappointed that you were having trouble uploading your video. This is a wonderful surprise to see that you were able to post your tour of film locations. I have never visited San Francisco, so all my images of the city are from film noir to VERTIGO’s Technicolor. Your video is excellently shot, you had a beautiful day for it, and your narration gives a real sense of the city. I saw DeMille’s TEN COMMANDMENTS about two years ago and I remember being impressed by the scenes shot at the cathedral. The panoramic view showed how some of the area had (apparently) yet to rebuild from the earthquake more than fifteen years earlier. Can we hope to see your tour of San Francisco~Part II?

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