In the Footsteps of Carlotta Valdes (The Vertigo Hike)

This hike combines two of my favorite things: urban hiking and Alfred Hitchcock films! This hike is inspired by the Hitchcock film Vertigo. We will start at Old Mission Dolores 12:30 meet time, 12:40 walk start time.

If you want to visit the mission, museum and garden it is recommended that you arrive at 11:30. Mission Dolores There is an entry fee.

FAQ
Q: Are we returning to our starting point?
A. No, we will end this walk in the Marina District.

Here are some of the highlights of places we will try to hit, in no particular order, and no guarantees we will get to all of them, and some interesting facts:

The garden at Mission Dolores is where Madeleine goes to visit Carlotta’s grave. The grave is fictitious and there is no actual Carlotta Valdes grave there, so you have to use your imagination.

Mission Dolores at 16th and Dolores Streets: Madeleine walks through the chapel of the mission into the cemetery to stare at Carlotta's grave. The mission - founded in 1776 and the oldest continuously occupied building in San Francisco - is still there, though the tombstone is gone. It remained in the cemetery for several years after the filming and was a highlight of the Gray Line tour. But with tourists passing by real tombstones to get to Carlotta's, the bishop decided it had to go.

The Brocklebank, 1000 Mason St.: To this day, people refer to this elegant L-shaped apartment building with its sweeping courtyard as the place where Novak lived in "Vertigo." When an attractive blonde in a fur coat gets into a limo in front of the building, it's easy to imagine that Novak still lives there.

900 block of Lombard Street: Jimmy Stewart plays Scottie, a detective who, while trying to help Madeleine at the urging of her husband, falls in love with her. Scottie's duplex is still there, although the door is no longer painted red. There's no point in disturbing the current residents by trying to peer in - the interiors were all shot in Hollywood.

Podesta Baldocchi: The well-known floral shop where Madeleine stops to buy a small nosegay of forget-me-nots has moved twice since it was filmed at its 224 Grant Ave. location. Now it is strictly phone and e-mail orders. The shop occupying the space at 508 Grant Ave., you may be able to peek in and see parquet floors nothing like the tile floors (acquired from the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition) that made Hitchcock choose the Podesta Baldocchi in the first place. The Italian marble artwork also is long gone.

Ernie's Restaurant: The fancy eatery at 847 Montgomery Street that Madeleine sweeps through closed in 1995, a victim of changing tastes. At Ernie's closing party, owner Victor Gotti recalled that Hitchcock gave him a speaking part in the movie. Gotti was supposed to greet Scottie when he came in with Madeleine. But when the two walked in, Gotti said, "Good evening, Mr. Stewart" instead. Actually, the movie wasn't filmed at Ernie's. Hitchcock reproduced the restaurant's exterior and upstairs room, borrowing its dishes, paintings and antiques.

The Palace of Fine Arts (Marina Boulevard and Lyon Street), where Scottie strolls with Judy, a down-on-her-luck shopgirl who is a dead ringer for Madeleine and also is played by Kim Novak.

If we are really ambitous we will make it all the way to Fort Point.
Fort Point (under the southern approach to the Golden Gate Bridge, reached from the Presidio) The Presidio is no longer a military base, but Fort Point, where Scottie rescues Madeleine from a suicide attempt, still stands.

McKittrick Hotel: The hotel that Madeleine checks into never existed; that scene was filmed in the historic 20-room Portman Mansion at 1007 Gough St. Built in 1890, it was torn down in 1959. Today, an apartment building occupies the site.

Empire Hotel: The hotel at 940 Sutter St. where Judy resides is still there, though it is now called the Julian. The green neon sign outside her window is gone.

Ransohoffs: Scottie takes Judy shopping at this upscale women's specialty shop, which closed in 1976. Escada, a fancy Italian designer, took over the space at 259 Post St. for years. The shop space is empty now, the windows papered with "For Lease" signs. The exterior of Ransohoffs appears in the film, but the sales floor was re-created in the studio. Hitchcock requested Ransohoffs' distinctive red and gold boxes, which are shown strewn all over Judy's room at the Empire.

You may want to see the film before the hike!

The after gathering will be at a commercial establishment in the Marina district.

Hope to see you there!

Please note: Phone help is not available for latecomers. If you are late it is very hard to catch up with us. We walk at a medium pace. Escorts or sweeps are not provided, so slower walkers should be completely prepared to finish the hike on their own if they become separated from the group, and they may want to consider bringing a friend to walk with them. I reserve the right to make small changes to the route as needed.

Liability Disclaimer: The organizers of this meet-up are unpaid volunteers and not expert hiking guides. All participants agree to assume 100% responsibility for their own safety, conduct, and well-being and recognize that possible hazards exist while participating in outdoor (or any other) activities, and agree to participate solely at their own risk. If you RSVP “Yes” and/or attend any of our events, it shall be conclusively presumed that you understand and agree to this policy.