Telephone Poles

“Telephone poles! So, these are of enormous interest to us, Tim, because?” Well, telephone poles can be interesting, there’s one in Niles that dates back to 1860 when it was a telegraph pole! At top left, a bandaged and, obviously, hurt Humphrey Bogart is being heckled by strangers as he begins his climb up the old wooden Filbert Steps in the 1947 film ‘Dark Passage’. “Hey, Bud, had a rough night?” “Having trouble with the little lady?” Oh, these guys are a riot! A lot of people get killed by Bogie in this movie, but these two got off easy! The wooden portion of the Filbert Steps have been replaced here in the current picture on the right, and I know as much about telephone poles as I do about women, but by the way this pole leans, I’m going to give the nod to this being the same one. Second from the top, the telephone poles in the film picture on the left and the some location today were just an excuse to post this image from the 1962 film ‘Experiment in Terror’. My Physician, Dr. Knotts in Castro Valley, told me that he was one of the students walking up the hill at George Washington High School when this scene with Lee Remick and Stefanie Powers driving up the street to the school was filmed. I’m not going to argue with him, he’s the one who has to tell me all of the things that are wrong with me! Second from the bottom: Speaking of Niles, the old horse trail still passes between the house that was once Bronco Billy’s office, the first film cowboy superstar, and a telephone pole. To the right of the house is the old Essanay Studios, circa 1915. A fire station now occupies the spot where the studio was. Many people don’t realize it, but at that fire station is where the world first met Charlie Chaplin’s little tramp! At the bottom, Erich Von Stroheim’s ‘Greed’ is considered one of the best silent films ever made. This 1925 tale of murder and pursuit originally ran nearly eight hours, but was eventually cut down to under two and one half hours running time when released. Probably, just as well; that would have been a lot of popcorn to have to consume. The old office building on the corner of Laguna Ave. & Hayes seen in a film image on the left is where the movie’s main protagonist, McTeague, sets up his dental practice before he eventually kills his miserly wife, and flees to Death Valley while being pursued by her lover. The two telephone poles look to be still there today, although, another one has been placed in the middle. (Thumbnail image)