DARK PASSAGE + THE MALTESE FALCON

STERLING’S MOVIE WALK

Hello again everyone!

I’ve often played around with the notion of bundling multiple films in a single SF MovieWalk. A David Fincher double feature?  A Marvel Comics franchise jaunt?

And while those still may happen, the only one I’ve ever done is this Humphrey Bogart two-fer, though they originate from very different directions. For while THE MALTESE FALCON (1941) takes place in San Francisco, it wasn’t actually shot here. But the place names, the street and establishment references, plus Dashiel Hammett’s own personal history made for a lot of great story “locations” to explore.

On the other hand, DARK PASSAGE (1947) was shot here– in locations familiar to film fans but some other neighborhoods too. So threading these two films together in a single walk was a challenge but a fun one. So enjoy the views, plus, you get to see perhaps the only historical marker that commemorates a fictional event, and an iconic prop that, even if just a reproduction, is one that not many cinephiles have probably even visited (and with the current restaurant lockdown, this is the closest you’ll get to seeing it…for now).

I’ve put (MF) or (DP) on each post to indicate which film is being referenced at each spot. This was also my first Walk of B&W films but also not the last.



Stay safe and thanks for tagging along.

Sterling

Mile 0.  Filbert/Sansome: The Filbert Steps. When escaped convict Vincent Parry (Bogie) finds his friend George murdered, he ascends the stairs to walk to the apartment of Irene Jansen (Lauren Bacall), the only friend he has left.  DARK PASSAGE (DP).
From the film | DARK PASSAGE
Mile 0.11 - 1360 Montgomery: Irene’s apartment on Telegraph Hill. (DP)
From the film | DARK PASSAGE
Mile 0.80 - Kearny/Vallejo: Intersection near plastic surgeon where Parry goes to make himself look like Humphrey Bogart. (DP)
From the film | DARK PASSAGE
Mile 0.62 - 242 Columbus: Tosca Café does not appear in the film THE MALTESE FALCON (MF) but it’s prominent enough in the book that they have a black bird replica on display inside—though they’re only open evenings. 
Mile 1.36 - 1 Florence: Home of Parry’s ill-fated friend George, victim of homicide and poor geographic continuity. (DP)
Mile 2.93 - Government shutdown forces a detour. Best current view of Golden Gate Bridge, where Irene smuggles Parry into SF. Obscured is Fort Point, where Parry is in a fatal fist fight with blackmailer Baker. (DP)
Mile 3.65 - 1090 Chestnut: The apartment building of villainess Madge (Agnes Moorehead). Her swan dive out the window lands her out front on Chestnut. (DP)
Mile 3.98 -  1201 Greenwich: The other building used for Madge’s apartment.  We see Parry descend this fire escape. (DP)
From the film | DARK PASSAGE
From the film | DARK PASSAGE
Mile 4.04 - Greenwich/Hyde: Parry exits Madge’s building and comes here to pick up a cable car (the Hyde St. line). Note Coit Tower in the background. (DP)
From the film | DARK PASSAGE
Mile 4.29 - Green St.: Sydney Greenstreet’s film debut was as “The Fat Man” Kaspar Gutman.  He’d earn an Oscar nomination for the role. (MF)
Mile 5.18 - 1201 California: Site of the Coronet Apartments, where Brigid O’Shaughnessy (Mary Astor) moves after the deaths of Archer and Thursby. (MF)
Mile 6.73 - 1919 Post: Location of Harry’s Wagon, the railcar diner where Parry has a run-in with the law. (DP)
From the film | DARK PASSAGE
Mile 7.77 - 891 Post: Where Dashiell Hammett lived when writing THE MALTESE FALCON.  He also made it the address of Sam Spade in the books.
Mile 7.77 - 891 Post
Mile 7.96 - Geary/Leavenworth: Intersection where Floyd Thursby’s hotel is, which is also where he’s gunned down on the street. (MF)
Mile 8.73 - 1018 Mission: Kean Hotel, where Parry checks-in after shaking the cop that was chasing him. (DP)
Mile 9.13 - 870 Market: The Flood Building, home of the Pinkerton Detective Agency where Hammett worked before serving in WWI.
Mile 9.19 - Powell/Market: Cable car turnabout, where Parry disembarks. (DP)
From the film | DARK PASSAGE
Mile 9.31 - 114 Powell St: Hotel Union Square has its own Dashiell Hammett Suite.
Mile 9.77 - 501 Geary: Hotel Belvedere (now Marker), where Joel Cairo (Petter Lorre) and Gutman are staying. (MF)
The Hotel Marker's conference rooms
Upstairs too
Mile 9.90 - 415 Geary: The Geary Theatre (now home to ACT) where Joel Cairo sees a show.  We don’t know what, but we do see his ticket when Sam Spade (Bogie) rifles through his wallet. (MF)
Mile 10.16 - Union Square: Parry’s cable car passes by here. (DP)
Mile 10.23 - 335 Powell: The St. Francis, which Hammett called “The St. Mark” in the book.  Brigid originally is staying here before moving. (MF)
Mile 10.50 - He's got his own street.
Mile 10.54 - Burritt St.: The plaque says it all. (MF)
The Burritt alley with the plaque.
Mile 10.96 - 111 Sutter: Home of Spade and Archer Detective Age
Mile 11.50 - The stuff that dreams are made of. Hike finished! My phone was about to give up the ghost so had to do final leg to John's Grill offline, but did have enough battery for one snap. Whew!
John's Grill

And here’s the route, minus the final half-mile leg. Note to self: the length is deceptive because there are a ton of hills plus 750+ stairs to ascend. Great fun, though.