City Spotlight: San Francisco
We're going to begin today with a question: What do the following films have in common? It Came from Beneath the Sea, Superman, The Core, X-Men: The Last Stand, Pacific Rim, Godzilla (2014), San Andreas, Terminator Genisys, and Sharknado 5: Global Swarming.
Answer: All of these films destroyed or partially destroyed that iconic piece of international orange colored infrastructure known as the Golden Gate Bridge. How is 2012 not on that list?! I thought they destroyed everything in that mess of a movie!
In any event, I am here to praise the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco, not destroy it like those films did.
This is the first episode of a series titled “City Spotlight” where I will focus on a particular city and some of the best movies filmed there over the years.
My intention is to concentrate on movies in which the highlighted city is treated like an additional member of the cast. I’m looking for on location shooting in the city as opposed to soundstages and sets. And no fair having another city “filling in” for the actual city in which the film is supposedly set. I see you Toronto and Vancouver!
I intended to start these episodes with Boston since that’s where I went to college to study film back in the stone age. To my surprise I could only come up with four worthy movies. The Thomas Crown Affair (1968), The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973), The Verdict (1982), and The Town (2010). I know there are probably a few Boston movies you may be thinking of that are popular, but…I hate them all. Putting Boston in the rearview, I headed west.
San Francisco, here we come!
It's easy for a film to "take place" in a city, but it takes a special shoot to include that city and make it part of the story. Location shooting is extremely expensive, which may help to explain why the most recent film on this list is 15 years old.
#10) Escape from Alcatraz (1979)
Shooting Locations: Alcatraz Prison, Alcatraz Island, San Francisco Bay
I remember being fascinated by Alcatraz while I was still in middle school. I read several books about the prison and set a goal to visit Alcatraz someday. I achieved that goal during my last cross-country drive in 2019, and it was absolutely amazing. It was an unbelievable experience walking around the prison after reading about all of the famous prisoners who were held there (Al Capone, Machine Gun Kelly, "The Birdman of Alcatraz," and Whitey Bulger) along with all of the failed escaped attempts.
Escape from Alcatraz doesn't actually take place in San Francisco, but on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay. It's on this list because a vast majority of it was filmed at the prison. Some interiors were filmed on soundstages, but "The Rock" is certainly a featured player in the film. Did you know that zero prisoners were executed at Alcatraz? They had no facilities to carry out Capital Punishment. Just a little Alcatraz Trivia for you!
Tours were not stopped during filming which meant a new boatful of tourists arrived every half hour. This made filming very difficult and forced production to switch to night shooting to avoid the crowds and their interruptions.
Escape from Alcatraz is an exciting prison film starring Clint Eastwood (who will show up again on this list) with plenty of suspense, a strong supporting cast, and an evil warden (Patrick McGoohan). Every good prison movie has to feature an evil warden.
Did Frank Morris and the Anglin brothers actually escape? Were they the only prisoners ever to escape from Alcatraz? Chances are we'll never know the answer to that question.
#9) Vertigo (1958)
Shooting Locations: Presidio, Golden Gate Park, Lombard St., Nob Hill, Union Square, North Beach, The Dogpatch
Vertigo is a classic suspense film directed by the King of Suspense, Alfred Hitchcock. I was ready to add The Birds to this list, but not enough of it was filmed in San Francisco. Hitchcock was famous for building sound stages and sets to recreate locations. He also used a lot of "green screen" shooting to show his characters in a particular place, but Vertigo has enough location shots to merit inclusion on this list.
I had to rewatch this film because I had only seen it once and wasn't that happy with it as I recall. I think it's because I'm such a fan of another Hitchcock film starring Jimmy Stewart, Rear Window. I still think Rear Window is superior, but Vertigo is still an excellent film.
In Vertigo, Jimmy Stewart plays a former SF police detective wrestling with personal demons and an obsession with a possibly disturbed woman. It's a hauntingly beautiful film and the San Francisco setting adds to the mood and atmosphere like only San Francisco can.
Edith Head did the costume design, Bernard Herrmann did the music. Add Hitch to that, and you have a wonderful film.
#8) The Game (1997)
Shooting Locations: The Embarcadero, Nob Hill, Presidio, Market St., San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, Golden Gate Park, Chinatown, San Francisco Zoo
I want to be very up front about this mystery/suspense/thriller directed by the great director David Fincher (Fight Club, Se7en, Panic Room, Zodiac, Mank). The Game is, at times, extremely preposterous. For everything to work the way it works, you have to check your reality at the door. To fully enjoy it, you have to take a lot of things in stride. If you're able to do that, you're in for a treat!
IMDb: After a wealthy San Francisco banker is given an opportunity to participate in a mysterious game, his life is turned upside down as he begins to question if it might really be a concealed conspiracy to destroy him.
This movie is a wild, wild ride from start to finish. Michael Douglas is excellent as the obnoxious banker, and Sean Penn (who will show up later on this list) exudes paranoia and fear as Douglas's younger brother who gives him "The Game" for his 48th birthday.
I've seen this many times, and it doesn't matter that I know how it ends. To me, that's a sign of a good movie.
#7) Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
Shooting Locations: Telegraph Hill, Chinatown, The Dogpatch, Union Square, Pier 70, Presidio, Golden Gate Park, Pacific Heights, The Tenderloin
This remake of the 1956 Sci-Fi classic of the same name substitutes San Francisco for Los Angeles, and it's one of the few remakes that holds up to the original material.
This is a creepy movie with horror elements (a dog with a human face!!) that is also chock full of conspiracy storylines.
There are a lot of night scenes in the movie, but the locations are still recognizable as "Fog City."
In an extremely odd coincidence, this is the first of FOUR movies on this list featuring Robert Duvall! This appearance is a non-credited, non-speaking role. His character is referred to as "Priest on Swing." He was reportedly paid for this appearance with an Eddie Bauer jacket.
If you're in the mood for some weirdness and chills, give this movie a look. And watch out for those pods.
#6) Milk (2008)
Shooting Locations: Duboce Park, Market St. & Castro St., Noe Valley, Chinatown, City Hall, Federal Building, Golden Gate Bridge, Haight St., The Castro District, Treasure Island
Milk is a fantastic film that tells the story of Harvey Milk and his struggles as an American gay activist who fought for gay rights and became California's first openly gay elected official.
Sean Penn plays Milk with compassion and understanding. His performance is tremendous and earned him a Best Actor Oscar. Milk earned 8 Oscar nominations and also won for Best Original Screenplay.
Milk was filmed in the very places where the real Harvey Milk made a positive difference in the city he loved. The film was shot at City Hall and the Federal Building where Milk worked. Especially interesting are scenes filmed in The Castro District, which was one of the first gay neighborhoods in the United States. Harvey Milk loved San Francisco and San Francisco loved him.
I remember watching documentaries about Harvey Milk (including the 1985 Oscar Winning The Times of Harvey Milk) after seeing this film. I was absolutely stunned at how Penn totally nailed everything about Harvey Milk. It's a phenomenal performance by a phenomenal actor.
This is one of the best biopics out there.
#5) The Conversation (1974)
Shooting Locations: Potrero Hill, Union Square, Maritime Plaza/Financial District, Cathedral Hill
Talk about paranoia and conspiracy!! This will have you looking over your shoulder and looking for bugs (not insects!) in your house.
Gene Hackman has made a ton of movies in his career, and this is probably my favorite. Francis Ford Coppola directed, John Cazale costars (which means it was nominated for Best Picture!) and Robert Duvall is here! It's another relatively small role (again uncredited) as The Director, but he has lines this time and is very important to the story.
For The Conversation, I'm going to quote the movie poster as opposed to IMDb: "Harry Caul is an invader of privacy. The best in the business. He can record any conversation between two people anywhere. So far, three people are dead because of him."
Hackman's Harry Caul is so protective of his own privacy and obsessive about the amount of security in his professional/personal life.
Coppola has said this is his favorite film he has ever directed; Hackman has stated that this is his favorite film in which he's ever appeared. That right there is some high praise! If you need convincing, check out their filmographies on IMDb!
My favorite San Francisco location featured in The Conversation is Union Square where the "conversation" is recorded.
Oh, and it takes place during Christmas, so it's a "Christmas Movie," just like Die Hard.
#4) The Laughing Policeman (1973)
Shooting Locations: Robinhood Dr., Haight St., Filbert Steps on Filbert St., Portsmouth Square, Mission St., South of Market
The poster reads, "This movie is so real it makes every other movie in this town look like a movie." That's certainly one way to describe it.
This is a good time to mention something that I probably should have done way earlier. The ranking of these movies is based on San Francisco's locations, not necessarily on how good the movies are. If the latter were the case, The Conversation would most likely top the list. But this list is about the city and how it is implemented in the movie. All 10 of these films are excellent, in my opinion, but they're ranked by how much they incorporate the city in which they were shot.
The movie begins with a gunman killing everyone aboard a city bus that eventually crashes in Chinatown. I am reminded of an afternoon subway ride I once had in Boston while attending grad school. A well-dressed older gentleman (with a fedora!) got on my sparsely populated train car and began to sing. The lyrics to his, I'm assuming original tune went along the lines of, "You'll never know...when it's your time...You'll never know...You could be next.... It could be YOU or YOU..." and so on and so forth. And he pointed to people in the car, me included, while emphasizing "YOU!" He had a beautiful voice and a very pleasant demeanor. After he exited at the next stop, we sat in bewildered silence until I asked the car, "Did anyone else think he was going to kill us all?" They unanimously nodded in agreement. Good times.
That train ride always made me think of The Laughing Policeman. Other than the fact that we all made it home that night.
The great Walter Matthau plays the scruffy, gruff detective whose partner was among those killed on the bus. What follows is the investigation all around the seamier sides of San Francisco as they try to catch the gunman before he does it again.
The Laughing Policeman is so high on this list because it employed interior and exterior filming. Many films shoot exteriors showing characters entering a structure and then shoot the remainder of the scene on a set or soundstage. This film shot both, which leads to a much more realistic experience of being in a particular city.
I hadn't seen this in years, and I was happy to get on that bus again. Well, not on the actual bus...you know what I mean.
#3) Dirty Harry (1971)
Shooting Locations: Golden Gate Park, Mount Davidson Park, Mission District, SF General Hospital, The Embarcadero, Washington Square, Chinatown, Golden Gate Bridge
The second Clint Eastwood film on this list features the debut of one of his most iconic characters, Inspector Harry Callahan, a.k.a. "Dirty Harry." Dirty Harry is the first of five in the series, all of which are set in San Francisco, the place of Eastwood's birth.
All but one of the outdoor scenes was shot in San Francisco. Only the famous bank robbery scene ("Well, do ya, punk?) was filmed on a set.
The character of Callahan was a tad right wing for 1971, and parts of it are a little "much" today, but this is an undeniable cop classic that highlights several San Francisco locations as Harry hunts for a psychopathic killer expertly played by Andrew Robinson.
It also features something that happens every once in a while when filmmakers want to hide Easter Egg type items in their films as inside jokes for film fans. At one point Clint Eastwood exits a diner and walks across the street. In the background there's a movie theater marquee. The theater is showing Play Misty for Me which is a film Eastwood directed and starred in, also in 1971. My point is, if the film Play Misty for Me is part of Harry Callahan's universe and that film stars Clint Eastwood, wouldn't Harry constantly be told that he looks EXACTLY like movie star Clint Eastwood? Just a thought...
#2) The Killer Elite (1975)
Shooting Locations: Sausalito (11 mi. N), Chinatown, Golden Gate Bridge, SF International Airport, Embarcadero Waterfront, SF Bay, Bethlehem Steel Pier, Filbert Steps on Filbert St.
#1) Bullitt (1968)
Shooting Locations: Union St., Taylor St., Pacific Heights, Embarcadero Freeway, Marina District, Russian Hill, Mission District
Bullitt tops the first "City Spotlight" list for a few reasons; 1) no sets were built for the movie: it's ALL shot on location 2) it includes what I consider the greatest car chase ever filmed 3) Steve McQueen.
Oh! And Bob Duvall #4! Another small role, with lines, as a cab driver.
Once again, IMDb: "An all-guts, no glory San Francisco cop becomes determined to find the underworld kingpin that killed the witness in his protection." Since this was all location shooting, Bullitt looks like a travelogue set to the jazzy, hip score of Lalo Schifrin. Along with, of course, that car chase.
The chase between a 1968 Dodge Charger 440 Magnum driven by actor/stuntman Bill Hickman (who also drove the car in the terrific chase scene from The French Connection) and McQueen's 1968 Ford Mustang 390 GT 2+2 Fastback is absolutely thrilling, white knuckled, edge of your seat cinema.
This epic chase took three weeks to film and fills a whopping 10:53 of screen time. Every second of it is magic. The cat and mouse start of the chase isn't at high speeds, but it's still ultra suspenseful. Schifrin's score stops when Hickman buckles his seatbelt and the dangerous stuff begins.
Yes, I know that they passed the same green VW bug several times during the chase. Yes, I know that the Charger lost five (5) hubcaps during the chase. But none of that matters to me!
San Francisco was not considered a hotspot for movie making in 1968, but the mayor at the time wanted it to be. Because of this desire, the production was given carte blanche around the city. They were given an entire wing of San Francisco General Hospital's Medical Center for filming, multiple streets were shut down for the three week car chase shooting, and they were allowed to shoot at SF International Airport at night. Amazing access that doesn't happen anymore.
So if you want to see San Francisco from your couch, you can't go wrong with these 10 films. If you're still hungry for more, take a look at Days of Wine and Roses, D.O.A., Harold and Maude, The Maltese Falcon, and Zodiac. More San Francisco Treats!
Oh, and then there's The Green Fog! A friend of mine told me about this film without realizing I was working on a San Francisco episode. This movie is made up entirely of clips of movies and television shows filmed in San Francisco. The way it's edited makes it seem like an actual mystery movie. It's absolutely amazing, and it definitely helped get my mind ready for this piece. Thanks to the Criterion Channel for continuing to showcase films like The Green Fog. And, of course, thanks to my friend for the heads up.
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