DIRTY HARRY (1971)
The Movie
When Clint Eastwood starred in Dirty Harry he was already known for roles in Sergio Leone spaghetti westerns, the TV series Rawhide, and Play Misty For Me. But his role of San Francisco cop Harry Callahan meting out an eye-for-an-eye style of vigilante justice in which rules have no place and law-breaking violence deserves a violent response elevated him to iconic status. Directed by Don Siegel, the movie was a huge box-office hit, spawning four good sequels: Magnum Force in 1973, The Enforcer in 1976, Sudden Impact in 1983 and The Dead Pool in 1988, but there was no topping the original. Several leading actors were initially approached for the Harry Callahan role (including Frank Sinatra, Paul Newman and Steve McQueen) but we can be thankful it ended up in Eastwood’s lap.
The Story
A rooftop sniper picks off a swimmer in an outdoor pool leaving behind a ransom note for the city’s mayor, threatening to kill one person a day until the money is delivered. The case is assigned to Inspector Harry Callahan, aka Dirty Harry to his police colleagues. The sniper (Andy Robinson), who calls himself ‘Scorpio” kills two more victims while the city drags its feet over the ransom. Callahan gets the bag-man job and is led across town on a hectic succession of rendezvous from phone booth to phone booth before he has a shootout with the killer on Mount Davidson, finally following and arresting him, Dirty Harry style, at Kezar Stadium in Golden Gate Park where his 44 Magnum elicits a confession. But the unorthodox arrest compels the D.A. to release the psychopath and almost immediately the mayhem continues. The final scenes when Scorpio kidnaps a school bus with children aboard brings the adversaries together for a gripping finale at a deserted quarry.
The Locations
Tribute To The Fallen Hall Of Justice Lobby, 850 Bryant Street, SoMa
Death From Above Holiday Inn Chinatown (now the Hilton Financial District), 750 Kearney Street, Portsmouth Square
Ransom Note Montgomery Street viewed from Pine —- Pine Street viewed from Montgomery —- Rooftop of old Bank Of America Center, 555 California Street, Financial District
City Hall Mayor’s Office, City Hall, Civic Center
Well, Do You, Punk? New York Street at Universal Studios’ back lot, Hollywood
Rooftop Flyby View from 1101 Green Street, Russian Hill —- Helipad on roof of the Hall Of Justice, 850 Bryant Street, SoMa —- 1080 Chestnut Street, Russian Hill —- 1000 North Point Street, Russian Hill
A Close Call Saints Peter and Paul Church, Washington Square, North Beach —- Dante Building, 1606 Stockton Street, North Beach
Red Light District Hungry-I Club, 546 Broadway, North Beach —- Roaring 20s Club, 552 Broadway, North Beach —- Big Al’s, 556 Broadway, North Beach —- Condor Club, corner of Columbus and Broadway, North Beach —- El Cid, 606 Columbus Avenue, North Beach
Hot Mary Grant Avenue between Green and Filbert Streets, North Beach —- Krausgrill Place, North Beach —- 57 Medau Place, North Beach
The Jumper California Hall, 625 Polk Street at Turk, Tenderloin
Second Victim City vista from Mississippi at 19th Street, Potrero Hill —- Open lot at Texas Street and Sierra, Potrero Hill
Third Victim North East Medical Services building, 1520 Stockton Street, North Beach —- Top Floor, 570 Union Street, North Beach —- Dante Building, 1606 Stockton Street, North Beach
Police Headquarters Hall Of Justice, 850 Bryant Street, SoMa —- PG&E Building, 245 Market Street, Financial District
Ransom Run: At The Marina Marina Green East Harbor, Marina District
Ransom Run: Forest Hill Station Forest Hill Station, Laguna Honda Boulevard at Dewey Boulevard, Forest Hill
Ransom Run: Church and 20th 2099 Lombard Street, Cow Hollow —- Church Street at 20th Street, Mission Dolores
Ransom Run: Hamburger Stand Lombard Street at Fillmore, Marina/Cow Hollow —- Fort Mason tunnel (Marina end) —- Fort Mason tunnel (Aquatic Park end) —- Hamburger Stand, Van Ness Avenue, Aquatic Park
Ransom Run: The Cross Dalewood Way, Sherwood Forest —- The Cross, Mount Davidson
Park Emergency Hospital 811 Stanyan Street, Golden Gate Park
Arrest At Kezar Stadium Kezar Stadium, Golden Gate Park
Grim Discovery - Fourth Victim Battery Spencer, Conzelman Road, Marin Headlands, Marin County
Stalking Scorpio - Portsmouth Square Portsmouth Square, lower level
Stalking Scorpio - Roaring 20’s Nightclub Roaring 20’s, 552 Broadway Street, North Beach
A Masochistic Beating Elkton Shops in the Muni Ocean Division Bus Yard, Balboa Park
Chico Quits The Force San Francisco General Hospital, 23rd Street at San Bruno Avenue, the Mission
Liquor Store Vacant store, 148 Embarcadero South, Rincon Hill
School Bus Hijack 15th Avenue at Grandview Park, Golden Gate Heights
Another Ransom Note City Hall —- Mayor’s Office, City Hall, Civic Center
School Bus Hijack (continued) Bison Paddock, Golden Gate Park —- Golden Gate Bridge —- Waldo Grade —- Waldo Tunnel —- Railroad Trestle, East Sir Francis Drake Blvd, Larkspur
Showdown At The Quarry Hutchinson Rock Quarry, Larkspur
The Superintendent’s Cottage 2900 Larkspur Landing Circle, Larkspur