San Francisco Reader

San Francisco has been the backdrop for plenty of movies in Hollywood history. Travel with us in space and time as we look back at some of the most iconic SF moments memorialized on film.Escape from Alcatraz (1979): The infamous “inescapable prison” was put to the test in this tense thriller, based on the real-life story of convict Frank Lee Morris and brothers John and Clarence Anglin. The film serves as a historical record of a fascinating period in American prison history. You can still tour the island today by taking a ferry from Pier 33, near SF’s Fisherman’s Wharf.Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco (1996): This film is a better choice to show your child to get them excited before your visit to the city. The film showcases plenty of landmarks, including the San Francisco International Airport and the Golden Gate Bridge, as three lost housepets attempt to escape the city and find their way back home.Vertigo (1958): View San Francisco through Hitchcock’s singular perspective in this psychological thriller, often considered one of the greatest movies on all time. The film starts with a chase across the city’s rooftops and hits several other highlights along the way, including Fort Point (on the southern side of the Golden Gate) and the nearby Mission San Juan Batista.San Francisco (1936): This early drama portrayed the 1906 San Francisco earthquake as a backdrop to the romance between a gambler (Clark Gable) and singer Mary Blake (Jeanette MacDonald). Nob Hill, one of the city’s seven original hills, is also featured in the film. The theme song is still sung at the annual earthquake commemoration.Bullitt (1968): Along with the rest of the movie, Bullitt’s influential car chase scene takes place in San Francisco. The film portrays the seedy side of organized crime in the city during the 1960sobviously through a heavily fictionalized lens. Nevertheless, Bullitt has been included in the National Film Registry as a “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” movie.George of the Jungle (1997): This film is great for travellers worried about culture shock when heading to the big city. No matter what, at least it won’t be as bad as what happens when jungle man George (played by Brendan Fraser) hits town with heiress Ursula Stanhope (Leslie Mann). One impressive scene involves a heroic rescue of a paraglider on the Golden Gate bridge.Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978): Philip Kaufman’s 1978 adaptation/remake garnered significant critical acclaim by portraying a city increasingly taken over by cloned pod people. If you can take some thrills and chills with your on-screen vacation, this one is well worth the trip.