The extraordinary beauty of the photogenic and hilly city of San Francisco could not fail to be celebrated by some of Hollywood‘s most celebrated film productions. Many of the movies filmed in San Francisco also share a matrix inspired by freedom, redemption and emancipation, as San Francisco has always been the conventional capital of the counterculture, the hippies and the LGBT community. From the ferment stirred by its citizens, the result has been a city that is alive, always changing, and never dull. Let’s discover the most famous San Francisco film locations.
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The Golden Gate Bridge film locations
The symbol of the city is undoubtedly the (1) Golden Gate Bridge, a bridge suspended over the bay of the same name and about 1.8 miles long, which provides a seamless solution to traffic moving from Southern to Northern California, and vice versa.
Of course, given its significance, grandeur, and aesthetics, it has been symbolically portrayed in numerous films shot in the area. In one of the earliest epic movie scenes, in the 1955 science fiction film “It Came from Beneath the Sea” the giant octopus protagonist emerges from San Francisco Bay, crushing and destroying the Golden Gate bridge itself. The bridge also appears in many other science fiction movies, such as “Superman” (1978), “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home” (1986), “Hulk” (2003), “X-Men: The Last Stand” (2006), “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” (2011), “Bumblebee” (2018) and many others. Films that are less fantastical and more centered in contemporary reality include “The Circle” (2017) and “Summertime” (2016).
In the first of these feature films, the bridge appears often, as the new employee of the prosperous company “The Circle,” Mae Holland (Emma Watson), rows her kayak in the bay, passing near the bridge itself. In Gabriele Muccino’s film, the young people featured in the film spend their summer vacation in the city, and, one of the places visited by Italian tourists, is of course the famous Golden Gate Bridge.
Dense fog often envelops the entire bay in any season, and in those conditions, it is fascinating to watch the particular international orange color of the steel structure emerge from the velvety dense haze.
Unfortunately, this surreal and melancholic atmosphere, together with the effectiveness of throwing oneself at 75 mph into the water below, has contributed to an increase in the number of suicide cases, which is far higher than the national average. The documentary “The Bridge” (2006), presented at the TRIBECA film festival, was the result of video footage, at times gory in its reality, which testified to how the bridge’s protective barriers are far from adequate for deterring and averting the many suicide attempts made there each year.
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Locations in and around the Palace of Fine Arts
The (2) Palace of Fine Arts, is another important symbol of the Californian city to which the citizens are really very attached. In his essay “An Optimist in America” written in the 1960s, Italo Calvino describes the Palace of Fine Arts as:
a gigantic surrealist scenario, but more for the cultural angst of Jorge Borges than the dreamlike one of Salvador Dali. For it is also an image of those that suddenly restore the whole sense of an era: here there is a dizzying sign of culture as it must have appeared at the beginning of the century to the new millionaires of the Pacific coast. I can no longer remember who said that America goes straight from barbarism to decadence.
This imposing building, located in theMarina District and now housing art exhibitions, appears with its neoclassical exterior in the film “The Rock” (1996), in the sequence where the action film’s hero, former British spy John Patrick Mason (Sean Connery), meets his estranged daughter (Claire Forlani).
South of the Marina District, we find the exclusive Cow Hollow neighborhood, whose main thoroughfare, Union Street, is dotted with upscale bistros, boutiques, health stores and gyms. Two luxurious homes stand on this hill, each of which have appeared in the movies, “Basic Instict” and “Mrs. Doubtfire.” The femme fatale, Catherine Tramell, the female lead in the legendary thriller starring Sharon Stone, lives in the immense (3) Neoclassical mansion at 2930 Vallejo Street.
The (4) home of Miranda Hillard (Sally Field), which the housekeeper Mrs. Euphegenia Doubtfire (Robin Williams) visits daily to perform domestic and educational duties, is located at 2640 Steiner Street. The sad and untimely death of the brilliant, profligate and beloved actor prompted fans around the world to leave their own polite and restrained message of affection on the stones adorning the flower bed in front of the entrance.
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Alcatraz locations
The former prison on the island of (5) Alcatraz, has seen the world’s most inspiring prison stories, later filmed on the silver screen. Among the many films in which Alcatraz has played a starring role are “Murder in the First” (1995), in which brutal and bewildering facts that really happened inside the prisons are recounted; “The Rock” (1996), in which the island is taken hostage by terrorists; and “Escape from Alcatraz” (1979), in which the story of the escape of three inmates including the protagonist Frank Morris, played by the timeless Clint Eastwood, is told.
In the 1979 film, the prison warden exposes the strict rules of the penitentiary to the protagonist:
If you disobey the rules of society, they send you to prison; if you disobey the rules of the prison, they send you to US. Alcatraz is not like any other prison in the United States. Here, every inmate is confined ALONE… to an individual cell.
Scenes filmed on the Streetcars
Public transportation in San Francisco is definitely European-style. Not only do citizens move around using the streetcars, like in many of the cities on the old continent, but some of the cars on the tracks have been directly purchased from or donated by municipalities overseas: it is, for example, easy to board an original “Ventotto,” an Italian vehicle from the early 20th century originally used in Milan.
Then there is the (6) Cable Car, a native symbol instead, used daily by San Francisco citizens and tourists alike to negotiate the steep hills and troughs of the city. This particular streetcar climbs the hills behind the Fisherman’s Wharf neighborhood, along Hyde Street and Taylor Street, eventually connecting to the famous Union Square.
In Woody Allen’s comedy “Play it Again Sam” (1972), the main characters, Sam Felix – played by the screenwriter himself, and Linda Christie (Diane Keaton), board the Cable Car near the intersection of Hyde Street and Bay Street. A little further up the slope, the legendary Herbie, in “The Love Bug” (1968), who escaped from the car dealer’s garage to follow race car driver Jim Douglas, (Dean Jones), lines up behind the Cable Car, tailing the man all the way home.
Lombard Street locations
(7) Lombard Street, is a very famous street in the city because of its steep downhill sharp bends, on Russian Hill, between Hyde Street and Leavenworth Street. In the 1979 Disney film, Herbie drives downhill on that stretch of road at high speed, despite the speed limit being only 5 mph. The winding roadway, consisting of eight steep switchbacks, runs along a red brick floor, and, the lush flower beds that are created between one bend and the next are perpetually adorned with very colorful hedges, plants and flowers. The best view of the winding slope is from the lower end of the hill, at 1000 Lombard Street.
In the 2013 film “Blue Jasmine”, Woody Allen betrays his beloved hometown of New York with San Francisco for the second time. For her role in this comedy, Cate Blanchett won the prestigious Oscar statuette for Best Actress in a Leading Role. In one of the sequences shot among the city streets, the protagonist, Jeanette ‘Jasmine’ Francis, takes a (8) selfie along the scenic Taylor Street on the corner with Green Street, with a spectacular view of Alcatraz Island.
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Chinatown locations
San Francisco’s Chinatown is the largest Chinese neighborhood inside a U.S. metropolitan area. The conventional gateway, the (9) Dragon’s Gate, was immortalized in the 1986 cult movie “Big Trouble in Little China,” when Mr. Egg Shen’s (Victor Wong) small tour bus passes under the emerald-colored arch and squeezes into the heart of the neighborhood.
Today, tourists can actually board the yellow bus marked “Egg Foo Yong Tours” and revisit some of the sights that appeared in the film. Indeed, John Carpenter’s detective fantasy comes to life amidst the maze of small streets where, (10) at the corner of Commercial Street & Grant Avenue, the truck of protagonist Jack Burton (Kurt Russell) first appears. Turning the corner, the two trucks risk a head-on collision along Grant Avenue and, “tenth-of-a-second timing will be required” to avoid the fatal impact. It is in the narrow (11) Ross Alley, that Jack Burton enters with the large tractor-trailer, after a spectacular and complicated maneuver that takes place at the height of the Shuang Li Trading Co. store at 749 Jackson Street.
In the historic, renowned and very popular Chinese take-out deli, (12) New Moon, at 1247 Stockton Street, the wealthy businessman Nicholas Van Orton (Michael Douglas) also makes a brief detour in the film “The Game” (1997) trying to piece together the puzzle of his life that has been derailed ever since the dangerous “game” began. It is his younger brother, Conrad Van Orton (Sean Penn), who sets him up for that nightmare, because, as he reveals to Nicholas, “I had to do something, you were becoming such an asshole.”
In the excellent and charming (13) Tosca Café, at 242 Columbus Avenue, we find Michael Douglas again, this time as the famous detective Nick Curran, star of “Basic Instinct” (1992).
After a couple of Jack Daniel’s on the rocks in this Italian-inspired eatery, while discussing the case with his colleagues in the precinct and responding to provocations from some of the men from police conduct department, Nick leaves the bar in the company of his lover and police psychologist Beth Garner (Jeanne Tripplehorn). Tosca Café, is highly recommended for its ambiance, clientele and drinks; it also offers some American-style Italian dishes on its menu.
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Telegraph Hill and Financial District locations
The hilly Telegraph Hill neighborhood is primarily a residential area, much quieter than the neighboring North Beach, distinguished by the presence of lively clubs and vibrant nightlife. In fact, three famous apartments that have appeared in some famous movie sequences can be found on its streets.
In the aforementioned “Play it again Sam” (1972), (14) Sam Felix’s (Woody Allen) apartment is located at 15 Fresno Street. The entrance looks very different today than it did then; in fact, a black gate has been placed before the two adjacent front doors of the building, which have also been repainted a bright red color. After being kicked out of the house for childish and irresponsible conduct, Mrs. Doubtfire, a.k.a. Daniel Hillard takes up residence at (15) 516 Green Street, in the Victorian-style tenement above what is now the Baonecci Restaurant/pizzeria.
Finally, (16) the ‘home of Nick Curran (Michael Douglas), the controversial hero of “Basic Instinct” (1992), is located at 1158 Montgomery Street. In this apartment, the detective spends a few passionate hours in the company of the woman at the center of the investigation, although, as she confides to him, “I can’t allow myself to care about you. I can’t allow myself to care.”
The same protagonist of the crime thriller can be found on (17) Pier 7, in a long and scenic sequence in which he argues heatedly with his friend and colleague Detective Gus Moran (George Dzundza), who tries to warn him about the diabolical Catherine Tramell (Sharon Stone). From this pier over the water, there is a spectacular view of the (18) Bay Bridge, another remarkable piece of engineering that connects San Francisco to the city of Oakland.
In “The Graduate” (1967), a legendary film directed by Mike Nichols and based on Charles Webb’s novel of the same name, the young protagonist Benjamin “Ben” Braddock (Dustin Hoffman), speeds along in his equally legendary blazing-red Alfa Romeo Duetto in pursuit of his sweetheart Elaine Robinson (Katharine Ross). The car ride is made all the more emblematic by the notes of Simon & Garfunkel’s famous song, “Mrs. Robinson,” the soundtrack to the film of the same name.
The (19) Pacific Stock Exchange building, in modern style with a large colonnade on the main facade, is located on Pine Street at the intersection with Sansome Street, in the heart of San Francisco’s Financial District. In “The Pursuit of Happiness” (2006), the headstrong, humble and intelligent Chris Gardner (Will Smith), finds himself admiring a beautiful Ferrari parked at the entrance just in front of this majestic building, dreaming of one day owning one and transforming his life and that of his little boy (Jaden Smith), into something unique and wonderful. Watching in dismay as the brokers walk in and out of the building, Chris reflects, “I still remember that moment. They all looked so damn happy to me.
Why couldn’t I look like that?”
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The locations of the Painted Ladies and the surrounding area
Not far from the San Francisco City Hall, between Steiner Street and Hayes Street, runs the row of townhouses nicknamed (20) The Painted Ladies, because of the colorful colors with which they are painted. These Victorian and Edwardian-style houses, set on the edge of Alamo Square Park, have appeared in numerous movies and television series: from the comedy starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito, “Junior” (1994), to the series “Full House” (1987-1995) and the sequel, “Fuller House” (2016-2020), produced by Netflix with the involvement of many of the actors from the original cast.
With (21) San Francisco’s City Hall behind him, in front of a crowd of supporters, Councilman candidate Harvey Milk (Sean Penn), star of the eponymous “Milk” (2008), utters the famous phrase and his original trademark: “Hello, I’m Harvey Milk, and I’m here to recruit you!”
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Castro locations
The charismatic and fragile protagonist of the film directed by Gus Van Sant, in 1972 chooses to move to the Castro district with his partner Scott Smith (James Franco), whom he met a few months earlier in New York. The two, decide to rent a space at 575 Castro Street, and turn it into a camera store.
During the 1970s, the (22) Castro Camera became the focal point of the neighborhood’s growing gay community, as well as the campaign headquarters of the newly political Harvey Milk. Today, the space is occupied by the Human Rights Campaign, a society that today, as then, protects civil rights.
On the opposite side of the street stands the (23) Swirl On Castro, a wine and liquor store that also appears, albeit under a different name (McConnelly Wine & Liquors), in the film. the store’s owner, initially hostile toward the gay community, realizes how business grows during the unification of the neighborhood by the self-styled “Mayor of Castro Street.”
Cleve Jones (Emile Hirsch), initially disinterested in the cause, over times becomes a key player in his leader’s recruitment campaign. The bar he sneaks into to bring people to the streets is the (24) Twin Peaks Tavern, at 401 Castro Street. The establishment, still on the crest of a wave in this rainbow neighborhood, describes itself as “Gateway to the Castro… a legend in its own time… and the best view of the Castro, any day, any time.”
The film earned eight nominations at the 2009 Academy Awards, winning two; one for Best Actor in a Leading Role for Sean Penn and one for Best Original Screenplay to Dustin Lance Black.
