Vertigo
I’ve previously done lists of the best films set in LA and the best set in New York. But there’s one other U.S. city that is featured in a lot of really good pictures and here I present ten of them for your enjoyment and edification.
Astute readers (I’m looking at you Goliath Nicholson of Boothbay Harbor, Maine) will be shocked to see that I’ve included, So I Married an Axe Murderer on this list but not The Maltese Falcon. They will likely say, “what the…?” And assume that I’ve gone mad. Ahh, but not when one considers the parameters that I’m here establishing. These aren’t just films SET in San Francisco, they were FILMED IN the city and feature many of its more recognizable locales. So these movies truly celebrate one of the world’s greatest cities and one that is an ideal movie backdrop. The Maltese Falcon has an opening shot that establishes that the setting is San Francisco but after that there’s nary a shot of the city. The movies listed below show parts of the city and its landmarks and notable establishments, some of which no longer stand.
Bullitt (1968) Yates. The famous chase scene sees Steve McQueen’s Bullitt zipping from one end of the city to another in a matter of seconds, something that we local yokels note but the vast majority of people who’ve enjoyed the film have been oblivious to. The car chase scene alone shows a lot of the city in all its hilly glory. Bullitt represents McQueen at his coolest (cooler than in The Great Escape? Okay, tied for coolest). It’s a confusing cop story but it’s so damn entertaining, who cares? SF sights in Bullitt include North Beach, the Airport, Enrico’s Cafe, the since demolished Embarcadero Freeway, Grace Cathedral, the Mark Hopkins, the Marina Green, Lake Merced, Pacific Heights, the Mission District and Russian Hill. And that’s just for starters.
Vertigo (1958) Hitchcock. Maybe the most famous of San Francisco films and indeed one of the most famous and revered motion pictures of all time. Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak star in a story of murder, love, obsession and people paying for their actions. San Francisco never looked more glorious or glamorous. The Golden Gate is featured in a key scene. Stewart’s apartment still stands pretty much as was on Lombard Street and I’ve visited it. We also get Ernie’s Restaurant, the Fairmont Hotel, the Palace of Fine Arts, Mission Dolores, the Legion of Honor, Nob Hill and much more including Big Basin Redwood State Park. A visual feast.
So I Married an Axe Murderer (1993) Schlamme. Not by any stretch a cinematic classic but a fun — and original — romance, starring Mike Meyers in a charming performance. Nancy Travis is his love interest. See the Fog City Diner, Vesuvio Cafe, Alamo Square, Alcatraz Island, the Palace of Fine Arts and Candlestick Park. Early scenes in North Beach are the highlight for me.
Play It Again, Sam (1972) Ross. Written by and starring, but not directed by, Woody Allen, co-starring the wonderful Diane Keaton. Allen plays a Humphrey Bogart-obssessed film critic struggling to get over a breakup. It’s classic Woody Allen comedy with a typically excellent performance from Ms. Keaton. Featured in the film are Golden Gate Park, Aquatic Park, North Beach, SFMOMA and, as bonus, a bit of Sausalito.
Blue Jasmine (2013) Allen. This one is directed by Allen but he does not appear. Cate Blanchett deservedly won an Oscar for her performance as a latter day Blanche DuBois, devastated by the end of her marriage and fortune and the subsequent imprisonment and suicide of her cheating husband. It’s dark but made watchable and enjoyable by Blanchett and a supporting cast that includes Alec Baldwin, Sally Hawkins and Bobby Cannavale. SF locales include Ocean Beach, the Golden Gate Bridge, Chinatown, Pacific Heights, and as a bonus, Tiburon.
The Last Black Man in San Francisco (2019) Talbot. Jimmie dreams of reclaiming the beautiful Victorian house his grandfather once owned, but which is now far beyond his means in a rapidly gentrifying San Francisco. With the help of his best friend, he devises a scheme to move back in. It’s a timely and engaging story and though an indie film drew the type of audience it deserved. Locales in the film include The Mission, The Portola District, the Tenderloin District, Bayview, Buena Vista Park, the Castro, Haight Street and Chinatown.
What’s Up, Doc? (1972) Bogdanovich. An ode to the screwball comedies of the thirties and forties and particularly to Bringing Up Baby. It stars Ryan O’Neal, Barbra Streisand, Madeline Kahn and the city of San Francisco. It was deservedly a big hit for director Peter Bogdanovich. The climactic chase scene gives a veritable tour of the city. Among the film’s SF locales are Alta Plaza Park, Pier 70, Bush Street, Lombard Street, Van Ness, the Financial District and Hyde Street.
The Conversation (1974) Coppola. If nothing else the opening scene gives you a very thorough tour of Union Square circa 1974. The Conversation is a mystery-thriller about a professional eavesdropper obsessed with a case that takes a dramatic U-turn. One of Coppola’s four great films from the seventies (you know the others). In addition to Union Square, you get the Jack Tar Hotel, the City of Paris department store, One Embarcadero Plaza, Alamo Square, Potrero Hill and Hayes Valley.
Milk (2008) Van Sant. This is a very San Francisco story telling, as it does, the story of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay person to be elected to public office in the U.S. Sean Penn gave an Oscar-winning performance as the title character in this inspiring story. SF sites in the movie include: The Castro, Lower Haight Street, Treasure Island, Chinatown, City Hall, and the Excelsior District.
Time After Time (1979) Meyer. A fun and underrated film from the seventies starring Malcolm McDowell and a young Mary Steenburgen. McDowell plays H.G. Wells who has ridden a time machine of his own invention from fin de siecle London to modern day SF in pursuit of Jack the Ripper. I know, that’s a meaty premise— but it works. You also get to visit Golden Gate Park, the California Academy of Sciences, the Golden Gate Bridge, Huntington Park, United Nations Plaza, the Hyatt Regency, Justin Herman Plaza, the Marina Green and….more.
Also see: (All excellent films but not quite as much San Francisco as those listed.) Zodiac, The Lady from Shanghai, Experiment in Terror, Invasion of the Body Snatchers and Dark Passage.
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