STERLING WALKS

THE CONVERSATION

I lived in the Bay Area for many years before I owned a car and so I got very used to walking everywhere, especially in San Francisco. My penchant for taking epic walks in The City never really faded once I became more mobile.  Recently, though, I decided to channel that energy into SF Movie Walks, a series of film location tours I’ve hosted on social media, taking a film (or two) and covering the myriad places that film was shot across San Francisco, all on foot. Here’s the one I did for the legendary 70s thriller The Conversation, directed by Francis Ford Coppola.

1616 16th St. – The warehouse where Harry Caul (Gene Hackman) has his audio surveillance workshop on the 3rd floor. 
110 Frederick St. – The Casa Madrona apartments where Caul’s girlfriend Amy (Teri Garr) lives.
Lombard St. – Stretch between Divisadero and Webster where Harry and his pals go on a car chase. This is the intersection at Pierce. 
Alta Plaza Park – Location in Pacific Heights where Harry dreams of following the woman (Cindy Williams) he was surveilling.
THE CONVERSATION (Francis Ford Coppola, 1974)
700 Laguna St. – Harry’s apartment in Hayes Valley where he has his famous meltdown.  His windows are on the second floor of the corner apartment.
Former location of the Jack Tar Hotel, where Harry trails the illicit lovers and, in the room next to theirs, witnesses a murder.  Or does he?  (This is Brian who joined me for all 12 miles of yesterday's walk and helped with pix after my battery died.)
St. Francis Hotel (335 Powell) – The garage entrance on Geary where Harry and his buddies pile into a car post-convention.
St. Francis Hotel (335 Powell) – The Colonial Room and the Grand Ballroom were closed yesterday but the audio convention was shot in both. This is the hallway where you enter each.
Union Square – Where the surveillance job occurs that opens the film.
THE CONVERSATION (Francis Ford Coppola, 1974)
St. Patrick’s Church (756 Mission) – Where Harry goes to confession.
One Embarcadero Center – Where Harry goes to deliver the tapes to the Director (Robert Duvall). The Director’s office is near the very top facing west.
One Maritime Plaza (355 Clay St.) – Where Harry, having been paid, throws his money away in disgust.
THE CONVERSATION (Francis Ford Coppola, 1974)
Clay skybridge – Harry crosses this bridge linking One Maritime Plaza and One Embarcadero Center. 
THE CONVERSATION (Francis Ford Coppola, 1974)
One Embarcadero, Clay side – Where Harry sees the Director’s limo with the wife (Williams) inside.
THE CONVERSATION (Francis Ford Coppola, 1974)
Two Embarcadero Center – Base of staircase where the security desk is to access the Director’s office. 
THE CONVERSATION (Francis Ford Coppola, 1974)
The same staircase from above.
THE CONVERSATION (Francis Ford Coppola, 1974)
916 Kearny St. – the American Zoetrope building.

It seemed only fitting to end the tour at Cafe Zoetrope, which is at the base of the flatiron building at the tip of North Beach at 916 Kearny. It’s also home to some of the American Zoetrope studio offices upstairs. The final map is a little deceiving (I accidentally butt-paused my geo-tracker for a bit, explaining that stark 45-degree angle) but nine miles is still a good estimate if you want to take on this walk yourself.

I hope you enjoyed my Coppola constitutional.  If you’re interested in checking out any other of my walk tours, look up #SterlingWalks on Instagram.  And everyone is always welcome to join me, though few rarely do because (a) I usually start at 7am before the temperatures get hot, and (b) all the tours are typically 8-12 miles non-stop.  But it’s fun to see who follows along vicariously, and I know I’m very excited about future walks (Philip Kaufman’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers will be next).  But in the meantime, keep your eyes out for other past walks here at the CAFILM blog.

Be well everyone, and have a safe summer.  

– Sterling Hedgpeth
Programming Manager, Mill Valley Film Festival and Doclands Documentary Film Festival