Vertigo

A miscreant in a roof top chase pursued, by a policeman who falls to his death when Stewart clings to a gutter."The rooftops of 1302 to 1360 Taylor Street." Reel SF. It's hard to see but the Brocklebank Apartments (featured later) are in the background to the right.

Hitchcock makes his cameo appearance outside, allegedly, a Paramount Studios Gate, 5555 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, just as Stewart visits his old friend Helmore. Not the famous main gates though as far as I can see.

Stewart visits Ernie's, 847 Montgomery Street, San Francisco, where he first sees Novak with Helmore. Now the Essex Supper Club.

John Wilkinson passed by on the way to the airport and observed it looked closed... I've since read that both exterior and interior were studio-recreated. (SJ)

Stewart parks his Desoto Firedome Sportsman Hardtop Coupe opposite the Brocklebank Apartments to spy on Novak.

John W. found this scene relatively unchanged except for an added high rise behind Grace Cathedral with The Pacific Union club on the left. (SJ)

The entrance of the apartments. Novak heads for her green Jaguar Mk. VIII.

Horribly blurred. Enlarged in photoshop from the archive. Needs a sharper one. SJ

After ten years, John W. responded to my request for a sharper image. Much better! (SJ)

Stewart follows Novak. Mason Street at the corner with California Street. Mariano Garcia.

Robin Curtis has provided a clever shot to include the hood of James Stewart’s 1956 DeSoto Firedome Sportsman Hardtop Coupe. Taken from Mason Street with the section fronting the Fairmont named Tony Bennett Way in 2018 looking south. (SJ)

Stewart follows Novak. Going down Bush Street towards Grant Avenue with, at left, the old Astoria Hotel. Mariano Garcia.

Robin has provided another clever image, with a couple of Easter eggs for Chevy and Jaguar fans, to show that the high rises at the eastern end of Grant have obscured Bay Bridge for at least 20 years, and that the lanes have increased by one. (SJ)

Stewart follows Novak. That's the Beverly Plaza Hotel and the Pan Americana Bar at the corner of Grant Avenue with Bush Street. Mariano Garcia

Some more artistry from Robin who's really having some fun here. Part of the original yellow '55 Buick Century appears on the red car and the Century and light blue’57 VW bug reappear top left. Robin adds that Hitchcock was using a slightly telephoto lens by comparing the mid-centre fire hydrant's dimensions. With the camera placed in the driver's seat, this sequence poses the question of whether a right-hand drive or dolly-car was used. (SJ)

Novak is followed by Stewart to an alleyway leading to the back of the Podesta Baldocchi flower shop. The alley she turns off is Ashburton but this alley is Claude Lane and the buildings on Sutter Street match. So Bush Street is behind us. The real flower shop, seen later, used to be on Grant Avenue, close by, before it moved.

Robin does it again, proving the correct alley with the buildings on Sutter Street intact. (SJ)

Stewart goes to the back entrance, the rear of 239 Kearny Street.

Provided by Robin, this shows that the back has all been bricked up with some decoration applied. (SJ)

Stewart follows Novak to Mission Dolores aka Misión San Francisco de Asís, Dolores Street, between 16th and 17th Streets.

Not surprisingly, the tree has ballooned. SJ

Stewart approaches the Mission chapel which stands alongside the basilica: the adobe chapel is the oldest intact building in San Francisco.

John W. attended the Mission. (SJ)

And another shot to show the door he uses.

Holger Braune captured the left side. (SJ)

The interior of the Mission.

And now the back to the cemetery.

Novak reflects at a gravestone, that of Carlotta Valdez which was left for a while for location seekers to enjoy but has now gone.

Stewart spies on.

Roughly matching the background behind Stewart, taken by Holger. (SJ)

Next stop: Palace of the Legion Of Honor, Lincoln Park.

Taken by Rachel and sent in by Richard Winchester. (SJ)

Inside the Palace in Gallery 6.

These paintings are 'Portrait of a Gentleman' by Nicolas de Largilliere' and 'Allegories of the Arts: Architecture' by Charles-Andre van Loo. Occasionally they are hung in Gallery 7. Once again brilliant research by Citysleuth@reelSF.com

Stewart has now followed Novak to the McKittrick Hotel. This was the Henry F. Fortmann Mansion, 1007 Gough Street, at Eddy in the Cathedral Hill area. It was demolished two years after filming and is now a sports field, sitting opposite Jefferson Square Park.

Stewart looks up at Novak's hotel room. Behind him is the St. Paulus' German Evangelican Lutheran Church which stood until 1995 when it burnt down. It is now a garden.

The background still stands as we look down east down Eddy Street.

Bel Geddes' apartment, a studio set with a San Franciscan backdrop. The view looks west from the top of Union Street on Telegraph Hill.

Stewart and Bel Geddes outside the Argosy Bookstore, a sign hidden by Stewart. Further interior shots show a back projection of cable cars rumbling along Powell Street but this does look studio-y.

Driving to the Palace of Legion of Honor again, shot on Presidio Boulevard, and that's the dome of the Palace of Fine Arts, seen later, and the bay of San Francisco.

A side view of the Palace of the Legion of Honor.

Unchanged. SJ

Fort Point, at the end of Marine Drive.

Also unchanged, but then this was taken before a fence was erected. SJ

Stewart watches Novak round the back of the fort with Marine Drive in the background. The "now" will be hard to replicate after the post-9/11 fence was installed.

This is round the corner of Fort Point and now inaccessible as Novak prepares to jump into the San Francisco Bay.

After foiling Novak's suicide attempt, Stewart resumes observation.

The Brocklebank Apartments are unchanged on 1000 Mason at Sacramento. SJ

An update from Becca showing little change. (SJ)

Stewart follows Novak by car. Going down Taylor Street towards the corner with Clay. On the right stands Louis Cleaner's and Valet at 1156 Taylor Street. Mariano Garcia

Stewart follows Novak by car. Going down Clay Street before the corner of corner Mason Street. Mariano Garcia.

Stewart follows Novak by car. Going Down Mason Street before the corner of Washington with a little alley named Shephard to the right. Mariano Garcia.

Stewart follows Novak by car. Going down Washington Street towards Bay Bridge at the corner with Powell. The red building at left is Codman Place. Mariano Garcia.

Scottie follows Madeline. Leavenworth Street at the corner of Lombard Street. Mariano Garcia.

Stewart follow Novak to his own flat at 900 Lombard Street at Jones Street. Coits Tower on Telegraph Hill is nicely captured here.

Holger captures the view here. (SJ)

Approaching his front door to find Novak delivering a thank-you note for pulling her out of the bay. The wall was rebuilt higher in 2012 for privacy reasons, not a popular move.

Taken by Holger before the wall was built up. (SJ)

Looks like a studio shot as the pair look at a Redwood cross section showing its timeline. Big Basin Redwood State Park near Santa Cruz was used here for background and establishing shots.

This is the new timeline trunk, taken by RJ

Stewart and Novak Cypress Point on the 17 Mile Drive northwest of Pebble Beach and Carmel: Clint Eastwood stomping ground. The tree was a prop which was also used in the studio in front of a backdrop for close-ups.

A general view of the area by Holger Braune. (SJ)

Night. Stewart walks alone at the junction of Geary Street with Stockton Street in Union Square. Mariano Garcia.

The sign helpfully says Mission San Juan Bautista. This road is northeast of Salinas and south of San Francisco and San Jose.

The mission off 2nd Street, San Juan Bautista.

The colonnade now. SJ

Driving into the grounds of the old mission.

Looking from the colonnade southeast. RJ

Stewart joins Novak in the stable.

RJ again, now with matching stable doors.

Stewart leaves the barn.

Nearly right. Taken from in front of the stable. SJ

He follows her across the square.

... into the chapel

Note the crossbeams have gone and the aisles beyond the archways have been opened up. RJ

As above. Stewart will take a door to the left

Fraternal competition here. This is my effort taken a few years before RJ. SJ

The inquest is held next door to the stables.

Now. RJ

A sweep of San Francisco from Twin Peaks.

Bel Geddes visits Stewart in the sanatorium. 355 Buena Vista Avenue East.

Stewart back on Mason Street heading for the Brocklebank apartments.

Becca captured the same blue sky from Mason Street, this portion renamed Tony Bennett Way in 2018. (SJ)

Right car, wrong dame.

Becca Andrews found that some of the charming view has been blocked by no. 1045 Mason Street. However the view is still there on the street. (SJ)

Novak mark ii just about to appear in shot. This is shot outside the front entrance of Podesta Baldocchi's flower shop mentioned earlier at 224 Grant Avenue near Union Square.

Stewart starts to follow her, the girl in the green dress.

He follows her to this hotel. The Empire Hotel, 940 Sutter Street.

John Wilkinson provides a spot-on angle... The hotel was renamed The York and then between 2008 & 2009, as Streetview shows, it changed its name to Hotel Vertigo! (SJ)

Stewart on the other side of Sutter Street.

John W. caught a nice match with the building on the right, 919 Sutter Street. (SJ)

The camera tilts upwards to reveal Novak looking out of the hotel's room 401. After a spell as the York Hotel, it is now called Hotel Vertigo. Well done, new owners.

A wider shot from Holger. (SJ)

Strolling along Baker Street with the Palace of Fine Arts to the east.

And another shot as they stroll further north.

This doesn't look particularly real and the bell tower certainly wasn't though the old mission did have a slightly smaller one.

Now, minus any size of tower. SJ