Then … Still trying to find out where he is, Herbert asks a passerby what city this is; his exasperated response before striding on? … “Come on!”. This shot was filmed on the 1800 block of Union Street in Cow Hollow (map) in front of the French restaurant La Cabane at 1838 Union.
… and Now, it’s now Kaiyo, a Peruvian restaurant, not open at lunch time when CitySleuth stopped by.
Then … He walks on and tries again with a passing blonde; she walks on without a word … who is this kook? The What’s Cooking restaurant was at 1830 Union Street - (open 7 days a week and 24 hours on the weekend? Unheard of today).
… and Now, the current tenant at 1830 is the Roaming Goat Mediterranean Wine Bar - the parklets are holdovers from the Covid era and appear to now be permanent, usurped street parking be damned.
Then … Further along the block Herbert finds the answer from a newspaper stand in front of 1840 Union. La Cabane at 1838 is behind him.
… and Now, Is that the same sidewalk tree? A sapling then, a stalwart now.
The newspaper reveals that he’s in San Francisco. (On a trivia note, the paper’s name was fictitious, it’s font mimicked that of the San Francisco Chronicle, the period after the name was superfluous and the two columns at top left were (tsk, tsk …) replicated - sloppy work by the prop master.
Then … as his lightbulb goes on we get a good look at the stores across the street.
… and Now, of interest is the yellow One Medical building at 1832 Union. Compare it to the Then image above - it has since been redone but unlike most rebuilds where older styles are architecturally modernized, in this case the plain facade has been traditionalized.
Then … Here’s a panorama of the five adjoining businesses that spanned this scene. From left to right, the newsstand was in front of Settepu’s Imported Clothing at 1840 Union, next is La Cabane French Restaurant at 1838, then a doorway leading to Nancy’s LTD Exercise Studio at 1836, Earthly Goods Jewelry at 1832 and, at far right, What’s Cooking Restaurant at 1830.
… and Now, Today’s tenants from left to right: Topdrawer Gifts at 1840, Kaiyo Restaurant at 1838, real estate brokers at 1836, Union Nail Spa at 1832 and, at far right, Roaming Goat Mediterranean Wine Bar at 1830.
Teddy coaches his buddy Mikey on, when, and how to call him that evening pretending he’s urgently needed at the office. That will clear the way for Teddy to go to the dinner date he’s (he thinks) made with the Woman in Red.
After helping with the blind man prank (previous post) Mikey makes the call. But by then Teddy has found out he has to stay at home with Didi to babysit their grandkid. In a hilarious response he demands the bewildered Mikey tell the bosses to take their request and shove it up their (you know where). (Watch the movie to see why Didi has that inappropriately positioned gun).
Then … Mikey rejoins his buddies, finding them in a fracas with local louts in front of a Carls Jr. diner. It’s time for more sight gags as Buddy, still playing the blind man (on the left), punches away. The phone number posted at the adjacent business on the right led CitySleuth to this location.
… and Now, both Carls Jr. at 305 W. 6th Street in the Wilshire/Vermont neighborhood of Los Angeles and the Olympic Auto Body Shop (with the same phone number) are still there today. The shot was filmed looking across Virgil Avenue (map).
Teddy doesn’t know that it was Ms. Milner who had answered the call and received his offer of a date. She doesn’t know it was meant for the Woman in Red. She patiently waits for him to arrive.
He never does - she ends up closing the place, below. But where was this filmed? Teddy referred to it as “…La Primavera in North Beach”; but this looks way too swanky for North Beach. If anyone recognizes it they are encouraged to email citysleuth@reelsf.com.
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. To say she’s bent out of shape is perhaps an understatement; the next morning as Teddy parks his car she walks up, keys it down the side then transfers her feelings to its antenna.
The time machine has transported Herbert 86 years into the future smack in the middle of a museum exhibit about his life. A sign advertises it outside the museum.
Then … the camera pans down to Herbert as he leaves the building. He has no idea yet where he is. (But CitySleuth does - many moons ago he attended a light show at the planetarium here, set to Pink Floyd’s Dark Side Of The Moon album. Super cool.)
… and Now, this was filmed at the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park, one of the world’s largest natural history museums (map). The Academy tore down the original building in 2005 to make way for an innovative Renzo Piano-designed replacement, below, which opened in 2008.
Then … Here’s a contemporaneous 1970s photo of the original academy.
… and Now, this is the new one. Popular with old and young alike, its exhibits include an Amazonian rainforest, a spectacular aquarium, a penguin habitat, a planetarium and a green, living roof referencing the hills of San Francisco.
Then … Herbert looks across the large concourse spread out before him; over to his left he sees a bandshell structure.
… and Now, this is the Spreckles Temple Of Music, a gift to the city in 1900 by sugar magnate Claus Spreckles. Still in continuous use, it has hosted famous musicians and bands over the decades, from Luciano Pavarotti to the Grateful Dead, for up to 20,000 appreciative attendees.
Then … He exits the park frantically scribbling in his notebook, recording strange sights alien to his Victorian eye (and ours).
… and Now, this, the Golden Gate Park entrance on Fulton Street at 6th Avenue incorporating curved bench seating (map), looks the same today.
Then … the junction is clearly street-signed here as the plastic-wrapped lady sashays across the road.
… and Now, the addition of a garage around the corner resulted in the reduction of the two first floor windows on the left.
Then … Oblivious to a Do Not Walk sign he follows her onto the crosswalk causing screeching tires and metal-on-metal. Confused and alarmed, yes, but fortunately he is unscathed.
… and Now, thanks to road work Citysleuth was able to stand here with impunity while taking this matching photo. Of interest is the gabled structure on the left (just visible beyond Herbert, above) - it’s the old Powell Street Railroad Company’s rail stop at Fulton Street and 7th Avenue.
It was built in 1889. Viewed from the park looking towards Fulton Street we see it’s been maintained in fine condition to this day.
The next scene is played purely for audience laughs, tapping into Charles Grodin’s comedic background. The idea was to cheer Joey up after his wife left him. Today people are likely less likely to find it funny.
Then … Joey watches from outside as Buddy, pretending to be a blind man, and Mikey approach the bar in a swanky restaurant.
… and Now, this was filmed in the restaurant Cafe Alma at 13362 Ventura Blvd in the Sherman Oaks neighborhood of Los Angeles (map). Very shortly afterwards the restaurant was taken over by the Great Greek; it’s still there today under that name - in the recent photo below note how similar it still looks with its mirrored pillars and curvilinear-topped partitions.
Then … The blind man orders two cocktails then becomes agitated when he realizes his sighted guide has moved away. He swings around, bellowing out for him, his arm sending drinks and ice cubes across the room. When the flustered bartender (Billy Beck) hastily replaces the drinks he swings back and it happens again. And again. And again. And again.
… and Now, the Great Greek’s bar is still there at the same spot.
Mayhem ensues as Buddy stumbles around, bumping into diners and knocking over waiters bearing laden trays.
The strategy is working, Joey is in stitches watching the pantomine unfold. Mikey, too.
Then … But it’s rapidly becoming out of hand so Mikey runs back in to retrieve Buddy.
… and Now, these frosted glass partitions are now clear glass. Both Then and Now the same retail stores are visible across the street.
Then … Buddy plays the blind man right until he climbs behind the wheel of his classy Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham outside the restaurant. The store numbers 13367, 13365, and 13363 are clearly legible across the street, the clue that led CitySleuth to this Ventura Blvd location.
… and Now, current tenants include an orthodontist at 13367, a coffee shop at 13365 and a garden/antique decor shop at 13363.
The barman and a waiter (Danny Wells) can only stare in total disbelief.
And here’s a recent photo of the Great Greek. With a wine store and two side-by-side restaurants it’s all you can eat and drink on this corner.
