gary

Hi, I'll be visiting San Francisco soon and I would like to visit various locations which were featured in the movies. Some of my favorite movies set in SF are Vertigo, Dirty Harry, the Birds, the Rock (I'm sure there are more but I can't think of them at the moment). Any suggestions? The closer it still resembles the scene in the movie the better. Thanks!

Owen O'Neill

Taking the Alcatraz tour is an easy one... be use to get the audio tour option, it is well worth it. Go to see the Palace of Fine Arts near the outer edge of the Marina District. It's been in more movies than I can think of (although I can't remember the title of any of them!). You will definitely recognize it. A trip to Coit Tower makes sense and will ring familar bells. Any one of the hilly sections in the city (there are so many) will look familar to Bullitt fans. I haven't been to Pacific Heights but think it too may have been a backdrop to any number of movies.

Susan

A post here about the Grand Hyatt has reminded me of another, Gary. High Anxiety! Remember the glass elevators?

Also, Pacific Heights is the name of a movie based on the SF neighborhood. Not that great, starring Melanie Griffith and Michael Keaton as a crazy tenant.

Susan

Oh, as Ada pointed out in another thread, it is the Hyatt Regency, not the Grand Hyatt. Too many ...

Eva

The building that Dirty Harry lived in in Magnum Force is at 1501 Leavenworth @ the corner of Jackson. Nothing much happened there although I think there was a scene with his mailbox... I used to live there and thought it was a hoot seeing my bldg. on tv.

kam

The Birds was filmed in Bodega Bay but I think it's pretty hard to find things that look the same. The schoolhouse is now a private home. The Vampire Lestat is another SF film--the Ferry Building, Divisdero Street and the bridge etc. Currently they're film The Hulk over on Telegraph Hill much to the dismay of the residents who are asked to vacate their apartments and move their cars off the streets.

moviebuff

If you've seen the movie The Game w/Michael Douglas you will remember the part where he falls through the glass ceiling. That room is in the Palace Hotel on Market. A friend of mine got married in that room and it is absolutely gorgeous.

xx

My friend got married at the Palace Hotel as well, with the reception in that dining room. It's a beautiful place. The glass ceiling is so amazing.

gary

Thanks to all who responded. Hope the city is as beautiful in real life as it is on the silver screen.

kal

Sir Francis Drake Blvd exit off of Hwy 101...ring a bell?

sharon

And now... as of this past Friday... the Incredible Hulk... filmed on Telegraph Hill. The entire neighborhood had to be evacuated for two days so they could fly helicopters over the tops of the buildings.

Jasper

I've seen the courtyard/driveway of the Mark Hopkins Hotel in many SF movies.

Nina

Mrs. Doubtfire's house is on the corner of Steiner and Pacific in Pacific Heights. The owner rented the house for the filming, and then later sued them, saying that he couldn't sell the house because there were so many tourists driving by and gawking. I don't know what happened with the suit, but I felt that it was groundless. It is a beautiful house, and a drive through Pacific Heights is a 'must see', if you have a car that is.

Off the beaten path, is the rear parking lot of the Hall of Justice, 850 Bryant St. It's been used in probably every police story shot here, including Streets of San Francisco. Not exactly a must see though.

The whole City on a nice day, like today, is a movie set, especially near the Bay.

Enjoy your stay.

Ricky

Tales Of The City:
The series famous location of 28 Barbary Lane doesn't really exist, but was built as a set in Los Angeles. The exterior staircase, though, was filmed at the Macondray Lane Stairs at 1801 Taylor Street at Green. Macondray Lane was Armistead Maupin's real-life inspiration for the book's fictional 28 Barbary Lane, which was described as being located at "a narrow, wooded walkway off Leavenworth between Union and Filbert."

The Maltese Falcon:
Spade and Archer Detective Agency was supposed to be at 111 Sutter Street at Montgomery, but the scenes in the movie were probably filmed in Los Angeles.

Mrs. Doubtfire:
The family home is at 2640 Steiner Street at Broadway, Pacific Heights area.

Pacific Heights:
The real house that gives the movie its name is not even located in Pacific Heights, but actually is at 1243 19th Street at Texas Street on Potrero Hill. The interiors were done in Culver City near Los Angeles. A few scenes were shot in the real Pacific Heights and others were in the Financial District.

Vertigo:
Jimmy Stewart's character's apartment is located at 900 Lombard Street at Jones. The McKittrick Hotel was at 1000 Eddy Street at Gough, but the Sacred Heart Preparatory Athletic Field now occupies that space. The St.Paul's Luthern Church which was across the street was destroyed by fire. Both the interiors and exteriors of Ernie's Restaurant were sets built on the Paramount lot in Los Angeles. The real place was at 847 Montgomery Street in SF.

The Game:
Nicolas Van Orton's (Michael Douglas)'s mansion on Broadway in Pacific Heights was really the Filoli Mansion near Woodside south of SF. (this was also used in The Joy Luck Club). Van Orton's taxi raced down Harrison Street before crashing into the Bay at Embarcadero. The jump from the roof was shot at
1 Bush Street.

Guess Who's Coming To Dinner:
That Mel's Diner is the one on Geary Blvd.

gail

Re: The Birds...The Bodega schoolhouse is once again open for tours.It only costs about $5.00. We really enjoyed it. There seems to be new focus on the paranormal world rather than the (movie) historical qualities. The Birds was filmed in Bodega and Bodega Bay, so you won't see much that looks like the movie other than the schoolhouse.It is a beautiful drive in any case.