STERLING WALKS

VERTIGO

Vertigo has not only been my favorite Hitchcock title, but also one of my favorite films period–and that love only deepened once I moved to the Bay Area.  I remember running the projection booth for the 70mm restoration print we screened when I was manager at the AMC Kabuki over two decades ago, and I never get tired of screening the film, though it is always emotionally exhausting and not the lark that so many of Hitch’s more playful films are.

There are so many locations in Vertigo that anyone would naturally cross paths with while exploring the city or giving some visitors a tour of San Francisco, thus, it was natural fit for the film to be one of my first SF Movie Walks.

Mile 0. The VERTIGO hike begins! Mission Dolores, where Madeleine visits the grave of Carlotta Valdes.
From the film
Mission interior
Stained glass window in Mission Dolores. If you've ever been to San Juan Bautista, you know there's no tower in the mission. The tower is a conceit of the film, rendered by a very convincing matte painting. But look at this window: THAT SJB MISSION *HAS* A TOWER, JUST LIKE IN VERTIGO!!!!
No Carlotta Valdes in the cemetery, but most of its residents died younger than I am now.
Mile 1.55 - 1007 Gough St, former site of the Henry F. Fortmann mansion (torn down in 1959), which was used to portray the McKittrick Hotel, where Madeleine has a secret residence.
the Henry F. Fortmann mansion (torn down in 1959), which was used to portray the McKittrick Hotel
Mile 2.47 - 940 Sutter, former location of the Empire Hotel (since renamed to honor the film), where Judy lives.
Empire Hotel
940 Sutter today, the Hotel Vertigo
Hotel Lobby
Hotel Lobby
The street view from 225 Powell, which we see out the window of Argosy’s Book Shop, where Scottie & Midge do some investigating.
Mile 4.03 - Upset by Midge’s painting, Scottie wanders SF, including this southeast corner of Union Square.
From the film
Mile 3.66 - 224 Grant Ave, former location of Podesta Baldocchi’s Flowers, where Scottie follows Madeleine.  This is also the location where he first sees Judy later in the film.
The pedestrian intersection on the other side of the street where Scottie meets Judy for the first time.
The Mark Hopkins (999 California)
Mile 2.22 - The Brocklebank Apartments (1000 Mason) where Madeleine lives.
Mile 4.46 - Across the street is the Pacific Union Club, where we see Scottie waiting for Madeleine to tail her in his DeSoto.
From the film
Mile 4.77 - The block of 1302-1360 Taylor St., where the rooftop chase occurs that opens the film.
Another view of the block of 1302-1360 Taylor St., where the rooftop chase occurs to open the film.
Mile 4.82 - The only gap between buildings in that block, so presumably this is where Scottie was left hanging after the policeman falls to his death.
Mile 5.53 - 847 Montgomery, former location of Ernie’s (closed in ’96), where Scottie first sees Madeleine.
Mile 5.83 - Coit Tower (Madeleine tells Scottie she used it as a reference to find his place).
Mile 5.89 - Union Street at Calhoun Terrace, where we see Scottie drop Midge off at her apartment (with the Bay Bridge and Yerba Buena Island in the background).
Mile 6.69 - Scottie’s apartment on Russian Hill (900 Lombard), hard to recognize since its 2012 renovation. Just one block east from SF’s “crookedest street”.
From the film

This walk (from the Mission up to Lombard) is about seven miles and what I’ve learned is that if you go in the opposite direction, it’s an easier walk downhill all the way to Mission Dolores.  Because I like going early in the morning, ending the walk at the church also means the graveyard will be open by the time you arrive, and it’s worth going in even though there’s no Carlotta Valdes headstone to be found.

However, if you’re feeling very adventurous, you can hit three more major locations if you go west from Scottie’s house:  The Palace of Fine Arts, Fort Point, and the Legion of Honor.

This adds an additional seven miles to your walk or can comprise a Part 2 of a two-day trek (my preference).

And, of course, for the Vertigo completists, check out:

  • Mission San Juan Batista (spoiler–the mission has no tower; that was a matte painting in the film)
  • Cypress Point on the Monterey peninsula
  • Big Basin Redwoods State Park (though Muir Woods can act as a substitute because there’s also a massive tree cross-section cut there in the grandeur of the redwoods)

All are well worth the effort. I’d also like to recognize the terrific website ReelSF.com which has meticulously thorough rundowns of lots of SF movie locations and an invaluable resource when I prepare my walks.  Check it out!

Enjoy and see you at the next installment.

– Sterling Hedgpeth
Programming Manager, Mill Valley Film Festival and Doclands Documentary Film Festival