John "Scottie" Ferguson's career as a police detective is cut short after a cop falls to his death trying to rescue him. Riddled with acrophobia and vertigo, Scottie soon finds his empty days filled tracking Gavin Elster's wife Madeleine, who hasn't quite been herself. ;-) Scottie rescues "Madeleine" after she jumps into the San Francisco Bay and the two grow closer. A day trip to the Mission San Juan Bautista turns into a nightmare as Madeleine climbs the bell tower and jumps to her death.
Scottie later spots a woman who reminds him of Madeleine - Judy Barton from Salina, Kansas. Debunking Midwestern innocence, it is revealed Judy was impersonating Madeleine as part of a murder plot with Gavin, whom she was shagging. Judy's been blinded by love, perhaps due the bright green Hotel Empire sign right outside her window, and carries on the charade with Scottie. Once Scottie figures out he's been duped, he and Judy return to the scene of the crime, where she ends up falling from great heights.
Vertigo wasn't well-received upon its release but is now hailed as one of Hitchcock's best works. It felt like I grew a full beard during my first viewing, but have grown to love the movie upon repeat screenings. At times it may seem like a San Francisco tourism commercial, but Vertigo is a twisted film addressing themes of control and obsession. The movie is also noted for using the famous dolly zoom, a technique copied in numerous films such as Jaws (1975) and Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988).
Vertigo was filmed in San Francisco, San Juan Bautista, Santa Cruz and Pebble Beach, CA
Location: Madeleine's Apartment Building
Address: 1000 Mason Street, San Francisco, CA
Location: Scottie Follows Madeleine
Address: Claude Lane, San Francisco, CA
Location: Mission Dolores
Address: 320 Dolores Street, San Francisco, CA
The gift shop had a few nods to the movie...
Location: The Art Museum
Address: 100 34th Avenue, San Francisco, CA Legion of Honor
Location: The Golden Gate Bridge
Address: Marine Drive, San Francisco, CA Fort Point National Historic Site
Location: Scottie's Apartment
Address: 900 Lombard Street, San Francisco, CA
Scottie's apartment is at the bottom of the famous zig-zagging Lombard Street and just off the in the distance is the Coit Tower...
Location: Mission San Juan Bautista
Address: 406 2nd Street, San Juan Bautista, CA
If you expect to see the iconic tower when visiting the mission, you'll be disappointed. While there is a small one at the end, the tower where Madeleine and Judy meet their deaths was a matte painting, with the interiors done on a soundstage. A larger tower was removed back in 1949 due to damage...
Location: The Hospital
Address: 351 Buena Vista Avenue East, San Francisco, CA
Location: The Empire Hotel
Address: 940 Sutter Street, San Francisco, CA
Another location taking pride in its history...
Location: The Palace of Fine Arts
Address: 3456 Baker Street, San Francisco, CA
Locations Visited: October 2018
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