Movie Fans'
CALIFORNIA
Iconic Locations Across Industry's Home State
COLIN SIMPSON
ONE of the first things you notice as you drive around California is how familiar everywhere looks. This is largely thanks to the movie industry, which is, of course, based in the state. From the earliest days of Hollywood, directors have sought out striking, unique or iconic settings for their work. This post is the first in a series on places that provided backdrops for Hollywood’s biggest stars and some of the most popular films ever made.
We start with the forbidding prison island of Alcatraz, setting for one of Clint Eastwood’s most memorable thrillers.
ALCATRAZ
Gaze out across San Francisco Bay from the piers at the city’s northern tip and you’ll see the looming hulk of Alcatraz Island. Clearly visible are the buildings of the notorious maximum security prison that once housed Al Capone, Machine Gun Kelly and other gangsters.
The island had been used as a location for no fewer than 27 movies and TV shows, according to the Internet Movie Database. The most popular include Steven Spielberg’s Catch Me If You Can, with Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks, and The Book of Eli, starring Denzel Washington.
The film most closely associated with it, however, is Escape From Alcatraz, directed by Don Siegel and starring Clint Eastwood.
It was released in 1979, and many of the scenes were shot on the island. The film is based on a real escape that happened in June 1962. Three inmates, led by lifer Frank Morris – played by Eastwood – broke out of their cells through holes they had dug with spoons and other implements.
They placed dummies in their beds – as recreated here for tourists to see – to fool guards into thinking they were still there. The three left the island in a makeshift raft, though it is not known whether they survived.
Escape From Alcatraz remains popular 40 years after its release. It turns up on Netflix, and has a 96 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The review -aggregation site ranked it seventh out of 46 Eastwood films.
We watched it recently, and felt it stood up really well.
The island was occupied by native Americans for 19 months from November 1969, and traces of their presence remain. The warden’s house burned down during this period.
The federal prison on Alcatraz – also known as “The Rock” – closed in 1963, and today the site is one of San Francisco’s most popular tourist attractions, with 1.7 million visitors annually.
Visitors can walk through areas seen in the movie, including the exercise yard and the dining hall. There are tear-gas dispensers on the walls of the hall, though a guide told us they were never used because of fears that this would trigger a riot.
You can see why prisoners frequently thought about escaping – there’s a tantalising view of San Francisco, little more than 2km across the bay, from the island.
Sue and I visited the island on a lovely sunny day, as you can see from the photos. I can’t imagine what it was like for the inmates when the fog that frequently shrouds the bay closed in, and they were left with the prospect of being confined there for years to come.
Updated June 2020
MORE IN THIS SERIES
MORE INFO
ALCATRAZ CRUISES is the the National Park Service’s authorised concessionaire for tours of the islands, so this is the place to get tickets. READ MORE
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Movie Lovers'
CALIFORNIA
Iconic Locations Across Industry's Home State
COLIN SIMPSON
ONE of the first things you notice as you drive around California is how familiar everywhere looks. This is largely thanks to the movie industry, which is, of course, based in the state. From the earliest days of Hollywood, directors have sought out striking, unique or iconic settings for their work. This post is the first in a series on places that provided backdrops for Hollywood’s biggest stars and some of the most popular films ever made.
We start with the forbidding prison island of Alcatraz, setting for one of Clint Eastwood’s most memorable thrillers.
TOP PHOTO: The Hollywood Sign, imposing symbol of the US film industry
ALCATRAZ
Gaze out across San Francisco Bay from the piers at the city’s northern tip and you’ll see the looming hulk of Alcatraz Island. Clearly visible are the buildings of the notorious maximum security prison that once housed Al Capone, Machine Gun Kelly and other gangsters.
The island had been used as a location for no fewer than 27 movies and TV shows, according to the Internet Movie Database. The most popular include Steven Spielberg’s Catch Me If You Can, with Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks, and The Book of Eli, starring Denzel Washington.
The film most closely associated with it, however, is Escape From Alcatraz, directed by Don Siegel and starring Clint Eastwood.
It was released in 1979, and many of the scenes were shot on the island. The film is based on a real escape that happened in June 1962. Three inmates, led by lifer Frank Morris – played by Eastwood – broke out of their cells through holes they had dug with spoons and other implements.
They placed dummies in their beds – as recreated here for tourists to see – to fool guards into thinking they were still there. The three left the island in a makeshift raft, though it is not known whether they survived.
Escape From Alcatraz remains popular 40 years after its release. It turns up on Netflix, and has a 96 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The review -aggregation site ranked it seventh out of 46 Eastwood films.
We watched it recently, and felt it stood up really well.
The island was occupied by native Americans for 19 months from November 1969, and traces of their presence remain. The warden’s house burned down during this period.
The federal prison on Alcatraz – also known as “The Rock” – closed in 1963, and today the site is one of San Francisco’s most popular tourist attractions, with 1.7 million visitors annually.
Visitors can walk through areas seen in the movie, including the exercise yard and the dining hall. There are tear-gas dispensers on the walls of the hall, though a guide told us they were never used because of fears that this would trigger a riot.
You can see why prisoners frequently thought about escaping – there’s a tantalising view of San Francisco, little more than 2km across the bay, from the island.
Sue and I visited the island on a lovely sunny day, as you can see from the photos. I can’t imagine what it was like for the inmates when the fog that frequently shrouds the bay closed in, and they were left with the prospect of being confined there for years to come.
Updated June 2020
MORE IN THIS SERIES
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MORE INFO
ALCATRAZ CRUISES is the the National Park Service’s authorised concessionaire for tours of the islands, so this is the place to get tickets. READ MORE
RELATED
GLORIOUS GOLDEN GATE: You can’t take your eyes off it, and in real life it’s more beautiful than any photograph you can take. The Golden Gate Bridge really does prove that, now and then, mankind can rise above itself… READ MORE
CALIFORNIA’S AMAZING WILDLIFE – GALLERY: Whales, elephant seals, elk, sea lions… California has all these and much, much more. But did you know that you can also find zebras grazing on the roadside in one part of the Golden State? READ MORE
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WELCOME TO OUR WORLD! Afaranwide’s home page – this is where you can find out about our latest posts and other highlights. READ MORE
TOP 10 ATTRACTIONS: Many of the world’s most popular tourists sites are closed because of the coronavirus crisis, but you can still visit them virtually while you’re self-isolating. READ MORE
SHIMLA, QUEEN OF THE HILLS: Government officials once retreated to Shimla in the foothills of the Himalayas to escape India’s blazing hot summers. Now tourists make the same journey. READ MORE
TEN THINGS WE LEARNED: Our detailed guide to creating a website, one step at a time. The costs, the mistakes – it’s what we wish we’d known when we started blogging. READ MORE
TROUBLED TIMES FOR EXPATS: Moving abroad can seem an idyllic prospect, but what happens when sudden upheavals or the inescapable realities of life intrude? READ MORE