Bridges

“Bridges? We ain’t got no bridges. I don’t have to show you any stinkin’ bridges!”

Well, San Francisco does have bridges to show you. Upper left, rare color film of the Bay Bridge in 1940 from James Fitzpatrick’s ‘Cavalcade of San Francisco’. Hey, that crazy guy’s going the wrong way! Oh, I forgot. Look at that riveting! Upper right, “Scaramouche! Scaramouche! Will you do the Fandango?” The old Stone Bridge at Stow Lake in Golden Gate Park makes a great place for Scaramouche to hide under while being chased by the King’s soldiers in the 1952 film of the same name. The setting was supposed to be the Normandy section of old France, but most of it was filmed in Golden Gate Park, including Speedway Meadow, Rainbow Falls, the Band Concourse, and the Shakespeare Gardens. This movie also features the longest sword fighting scene in cinema history, according to Leonard Maltin. Lower left, Margaret Lindsay crosses over Butchertown Bridge, today’s Lefty O’Doul Bridge, and is kidnapped by boat after learning that her sister Bette Davis has been murdered in the 1934 movie ‘Fog Over Frisco’. She’s having a bad day! Today, lots of people who are having a bad day cross over the Lefty O’Doul Bridge when the Giants lose! Whether this scene was actually filmed at Lefty O’Doul Bridge can be argued, but it lines up pretty good with today’s Lefty O’Doul Bridge. Lower right, Kirk and Spock at the Golden Gate Bridge in the 1986 movie ‘Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home’ Spock could see into the future! He’s saying to Kirk, “Someday, a silly girl who hasn’t been born yet, and can’t make up her mind whether she’s a blond or brunette, will be sitting on this chain rail next to us!”