Jo enters the reception area of Mr. Lee’s office - he is the insurance agent who sponsored the Chan family; perhaps he knows where Chan might be. The receptionist asks him to wait; he looks around and sees attached to the walls an interesting collection of traditional Chinese wall altars with paper proverbs and statues of deities.
Then … Mr Lee steps out and introduces himself.
… and Now, here’s that same office today. Note the matching staircase and railing in the corridor outside.
How did Citysleuth find it? He came across an interview with director Wayne Wang where fortuitously he said that the actor who played the role of Mr. Lee (credited in the cast as Roy Chan) was in real life his insurance agent. The 1980 City Directory listed his business and gave his address as 915a Grant Avenue, Room 2.
But finding the office wasn’t straightforward, a visit to 915a Grant drew a blank. Fortunately a helpful office worker there told CitySleuth he should be looking next door because that used to be 915a before its address was changed to 917 Grant. Sure enough a sign inside 917 verified exactly that.
Here’s 915 Grant on the left, the red herring, and 917, flanked by the red brick facia; those stairs led up to Mr. Lee’s office.
… and here’s the office on the second floor at the top of the stairs. It’s now M & L Services, 917 Grant Avenue #1, a tax preparation and family-based immigration office.
Then … It’s another dead end for Jo because It’s been a week or so since Mr. Lee saw Chan Hung and he doesn’t know where he is now.
… and Now, the corner where Mr. Lee’s desk was has since been reconfigured.
When Scorpio drives into the Hutchinson Rock Quarry trying to throw Dirty Harry off the roof of the bus we get a brief glimpse of a cottage, shown arrowed at far right. The cottage has nothing to do with the movie but its story is worth recounting since it is of local historical interest. It was built in 1891 to house the superintendent of the adjacent Remillard Brick Company; today it is the lone surviving quarry complex building.
In this 1937 image the Hutchinson Rock Quarry is in the center (back then the site was part of Greenbrae before it was annexed to Larkspur). The arrows point to the cottage and the towering smokestack and brickyard kiln of the Remillard Brick Company. The kiln and cottage were built in 1891; the quarry followed it in 1924. San Quentin State Prison is in the background; still operational, it has been there since 1854.
What to do with the delapidated cottage became a cause célèbre when the Hutchinson structures were demolished in the mid 1970’s, a few years after Dirty Harry was filmed there. Here it sits alone awaiting news of its fate.
This 1977 article in the Marin Independent Journal reflected a lack of enthusiasm by the local city council for saving the structure. But thanks to the efforts of the town’s Historical Society and Heritage Committee and just as it was about to be burned as an exercise by the local fire department in 1982, the decision was made to save it.
Then … With doors and windows boarded up the cottage was temporarily moved next to the Remillard brick kiln smokestack, very fitting since these are the only surviving structures from the entire Remillard/Hutchinson site. The brick smokestack, whose letters proclaim ‘RB Co 1891’, survived the closing of the kiln in 1915.
… and Now, The redeveloped kiln site integrated the smokestack into an office and restaurant complex at 125 East Sir Francis Drake Blvd. (The restaurant closed in 2000, a victim of a parking issue). But the cottage is gone from here, moved one last time. (Note the same electric pylon at center on the distant skyline).
Then … A new purpose was found for the cottage; in this 1984 photo, below, a tow truck has taken it to its new home at 2900 Larkspur Landing Circle on the corner of Lincoln Village Circle (map).
… and Now, a $100,000 restoration in 1985 transformed the cottage into a nursery, still there today as the Children’s Cottage Cooperative Preschool.
This map shows 1: the original cottage location, 2: the temporary location, 3: the final (current) location.
Then … The San Franciscan Chinese-American community were not confined solely to Chinatown. The urban diaspora included the Richmond district, where Jo has arranged to meet Steve. As he arrives in his cab we can see Gordon’s Sporting Goods at right on the corner at 554 Clement Street.
… and Now, This view looks north along 7th Avenue across Clement Street to the Presidio in the background (map). The corner store at right where Gordon’s was is now the home of a Tinker Preschool. Check out those two power poles; 43 years later they are exactly the same, the furthest even leaning at the same angle.
Then … Steve is waiting in front of 325/327 7th Ave; the front steps of 321/323 are seen on the left. Jo pulls in as Chan Hung’s daughter Jenny (Emily Yamasaki) approaches with a friend.
… and Now, today we see that the entrance to 321/323 7th Ave over on the left has been remodeled.
Then … across the street is the former Lick Super Market at 350 7th Ave, at that time housing Louie’s Delicatessen and Petrini’s Fish, Poultry, Meat and Super Markets.
… and Now, that store is currently occupied by Smart & Final, a warehouse grocery. For reference in comparing the images, that’s the same power pole both Then and Now.
Then … Steve introduces himself, trying to impress them but falling flat with his best Richard Pryor imitation (a popular comedian back then). Jenny tells him that when her parents came to the U.S. her mother quickly assimilated but Chan did not. Her mom chastised him for not being successful like their sponsor, Mr Lee - she thinks her Dad went to see him just a week ago. Now Steve has another lead to follow in his search for Chan. The building stretching out behind them was the Lloyd’s Bank branch at 601 Clement.
… and Now, that building is now the Tat Wong Kung Fu Academy.
Then … Scorpio takes over the wheel of the school bus, veering sharply from side to side on East Sir Francis Drake Boulevard in an attempt to dislodge Callahan. The railroad trestle from which Callahan jumped onto the bus crosses behind them near the highway flyover.
… and Now, the removal of the trestle (described in more detail in the previous post) cleared the way for the road to be widened and for the newer bicycle/pedestrian bridge seen here to be built. Mount Tamalpais punctuates the skyline in both images.
Then … Right ahead is Larkspur’s Hutchinson Co. crushed rock quarry. Callahan’s dangling head and gun drives Scorpio nuts; he continues the violent swerving. (Note the small cottage at far right - more on that in the next post).
… and Now, the quarry site was cleared and redeveloped in the mid-to-late 1970s, becoming the Marin Country Mart shopping center, a hotel, offices, apartments and the Larkspur Landing Ferry Terminal. The matching view below on East Sir Francis Drake Boulevard looks towards the shopping center. Note the same electric pylon on the horizon in the center of both images.
The bus slides to a halt in a cloud of dust in front of the giant dilapidated Hutchinson building; Scorpio leaps out and runs off, pursued by Callahan.
… in 1972 … This photo of the building with its warped curvilinear roof was taken a year after Dirty Harry was filmed there.
… and Now, the red outline shows where that building used to be within today’s Marin Country Mart. For a frame of reference, the Farmer’s Market roadside banner in the foreground is the same one as in the ‘and Now’ aerial photo three images above.
The adversaries trade bullets during a hectic chase through the quarry buildings and conveyors.
When Scorpio spots a young boy fishing on a platform at the water-filled quarry pit out back he grabs him, maniacally screaming at Callahan to drop his gun. More than any other this frame captures the amazing job Andy Robinson did inhabiting the role. Rage personified.
Callahan faces Scorpio for the final showdown. He’s in a quandary … now what?
Then … He slowly lowers his gun, then … BANG!! … he lets fly a shot inches from the boy’s head, hitting Scorpio in the shoulder, allowing the boy to escape. What else would we expect from Dirty Harry?
… and Now, the Serenity At Larkspur (previously called Larkspur Shores) apartment complex covers this site today. Were Dirty Harry to fast forward on that same spot this is what he would see.
… and Now, the arrow shows where the final showdown took place. A small ornamental lake is the only reminder of the water-filled gravel pit that preceded it.
CitySleuth zeroed in on where the building and the showdown platform used to be by overlaying a 1968 aerial photo on a map of the area today. (Click or tap the image to toggle between them). (You can also clearly see the railroad trestle crossing East Sir Francis Drake Boulevard in the 1968 image, at bottom left).
When Scorpio reaches for his gun Callahan, for the second time in the movie, delivers his iconic ‘Well, do you, punk?...’ monologue. (The first time the punk didn’t feel lucky. He made the wrong decision).
This time the punk did feel lucky. He made the wrong decision.
Having finally got his man, Callahan calls it quits - he hurls his inspector’s badge into the water and walks away. As the end credits begin to roll a reverse view of the quarry complex shows Highway 101 in the background with the platform where Scorpio met his demise in the center foreground.
