Reel SF

San Francisco movie locations from classic films

San Francisco movie locations from classic films

Pal Joey - Joey Finds A Room

  After the society party at Vera Simpson's mansion Joey and Ned, the bandleader, take Linda home.

Then ...  They take the cable car to Nob Hill, seen here coming down Washington Street towards Taylor Street.  (San Franciscans would never take this highly circuitous route from Telegraph Hill).  Reader CDL has pointed out that this section of track was closed down in 1957 awaiting a new turntable at Hyde and Beach Street.  Not a problem for the moviemakers from Hollywood - they used a motorized car with a bumper and fenders to hide the wheels.

... and Now,  the real cable car resumed service and still traverses this street - CitySleuth was able to capture the perfect matching shot.

 

Then ...  They hop off at the junction and walk along Taylor to the building at far right where Linda has a room.  As the cable car heads over the incline we see a rear tire outside of the track, confirming that a motorized version was indeed used.  Note too that this car is the 'double-ender' style, displaying 'Presidio Ave, California and Market Streets' front and back, unlike the real Powell Street 'single-ender' (compare them here).

... and Now,  the corner houses are mostly unchanged but several high rise buildings now block the view down Washington of the Ferry Building and the Bay Bridge except for part of its massive central caisson.

 

Ned opens the door of Linda's rooming house and the two men bid her goodnight.  The building's address is 1250 Taylor Street (map) which, by the way, is just one block from Frank Bullitt's apartment in the movie Bullitt.  A wider view of it is seen from across the street in the next image, a composite of several shots that gives an unobstructed view of the location.

Then ...  Ned's place is one of the two up the stairs in the foreground below (1239 or 1241 Taylor) and after he retires, refusing to let Joey stay with him, Joey returns across the street to 1250 Taylor and rents a room there, conveniently as it turns out right next to Linda's.

... and Now,  from the same spot.  But Citysleuth wonders if this scene was filmed on a studio set modeled closely on the real location below. It has that 'slightly phony' look in the movie and the stair bannister, though similar, doesn't match exactly.

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