"...you've gotta ask yourself one question..."
"Do I feel lucky?" Indeed Agent Rob certainly does, being one of the fortunate few who managed to Escape From UK earlier this year for a bit of glorious sightseeing stateside, managing to swipe a few days on the streets of San Francisco, pounding the very same sidewalks that Harry Callahan and Frank Bullitt called their own to bring you yet another 'Summer Blogbuster' in the vein of JAWS, Indiana Jones and, er, Chungking Express....
Greyhoundog day.... Yes please!
It seems only fair to start at the beginning with the bus trip from Reno HQ to San Francisco on a Greyhound bus - I mean, c'mon, why the cliche not? - a journey that just so happened to mosey on through Sacramento and Philip K Dick's old SF stomping ground of Berkeley, California then (over) Oakland (Bay Bridge) giving a first glorious glimpse of Alcatraz Island and the Golden Gate Bridge....
"I am the law!" (er, wrong character....)
Setting up camp in Bush Street (around about Chinatown) proved to be the perfect location to simply get out and wander about this very walkable city (and very tasty too, with Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese slap-ups around the chops). But like Harry and Frank themselves this is gonna be a blog of few words - we all know a picture is worth a thousand and, in Agent Rob's decidedly lower (quality) case, probably much much more than that - so without further ado let's hit those dirty roads....
San Francisco City Hall
First up we have San Francisco City Hall (at 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place) and the surrounding Civic Center Plaza. Maybe best to avoid the decidedly dodgy UN Plaza / Market Street / Tenderloin area to the East, mind - at first Rob thought the nearby assembled throng was tourists before realising it's a key congregation site (for sore eyes) of the city's numerous homeless....
Eh, that was then....
....like this is now....
Civic Centre Plaza (1971 style)
Civic Centre Plaza (minus water feature)
Still hangin' in a Sunshine State....
Saints Peter and Paul Church
Next stop is Saints Peter and Paul Church (at 666 Filbert Street / Washington Square off Columbus Avenue) where that scallywag Scorpio took aim at a Catholic Priest....
Bank of America Building
Our final stop is in fact Harry's first, the Bank of America Building (at 555 California Street) which he scales to get a better view of the swimming pool where Scorpio's first victim is bob bob bobbing along....
Mt. Davidson Memorial Cross
Those with more time on their feet may wish to visit the Mt. Davidson Memorial Cross (at 2-280 Dalewood Way / Myra Way) to complete their stroll around the most easily spotted Dirty Harry landmarks....
"You couldnae tell us the way to San Jose, mate?"
With so much attention lavished on old Harry it was inevitable that young Frank's locations would inevitably suffer (from a lack of proper pre-research and later inability to match up photos to actual street names). Still, a completely comprehensive guide is here and there's no doubt Rob got the gist of the famous car chase, making sure to race around Mason Street, Taylor Street, Chestnut Street - the sign of which definitely appears in The Enforcer, Detective Callahan's third outing, - Filbert Street and Columbus Avenue....
Grace Cathedral Episcopal Church, 1051 Taylor Street
That'll definitely be, er, Chestnut Street, um, at Columbus Avenue
Chestnut Street, again at Columbus Avenue (and Taylor Street)
Filbert Street (towards Colt Tower)
Filbert Street (towards Colt Tower) 1968
Taylor Street
Intercontinental Mark Hopkins Hotel, 1 Nob Hill, 1968
Top of the Mark (Hopkins Hotel)
Taylor Street, er, again....
Mason Street?
Mason Street?
Taylor Street, er, again again....
Of course, the Clint connections just keep on coming, with Alcatraz Island having pride(?) of place to your right in San Francisco Bay. (Those with suitably stern stomachs might fancy a trip doon the watter for a visit.) Then again, over to your left is the Golden Gate Bridge, guest star of far too many films to mention (so Rob'll settle for recent firm film fave Rise of the Planet of the Apes)....
Alcatraz
Murky Harry
Golden Gate Bridge
Unfinished monkey business....
Woah! It's "The Big One"!
Well, here's hoping this blog made your day, as there we have it (for now, as there'll no doubt be some subtle tweaks in the coming weeks) until the planned/under wraps sequel arrives on the small screen worldwide early November. So what are you waiting for, bookmark your tickets now....
Ooh, Braw Books gets political....
Grateful Dead - Ripple (Official Music Video)
