So I Married an Axe Murderer
San Francisco Movie Location Tour
So I Married an Axe Murderer (1993) makes a great movie upon which to base a San Francisco tour because many of its locations and establishing shots are in or near attractions that you will want to visit on your trip to San Francisco. You can have a great time comparing the locations in the movie to their real-life counterparts. The movie stars Mike Meyers, Nancy Travis, Anthony LaPaglia and Amanda Plummer.
To enhance your enjoyment of the tour, watch the movie before you come to San Francisco. Read through this tour and while watching the movie, try to pick out the locations that you'll be visiting when you come to San Francisco.
Before You Begin
This tour is designed so that you can get to the various locations either using public transportation or by walking. The public transportation system beats trying to locate and pay for parking in San Francisco. I recommend that you purchase a San Franciso CityPass and use this for your tour. Otherwise, you can pay for Muni bus rides individually (be sure to get and use transfers). Of course, you may drive your own vehicle if you want. You should plan an entire day for this tour. There will be places for you to stop and eat or rest during the tour. If the tour mentions a private residence or building, please do not disturb the occupants.
1. Fog City Diner
Begin the tour at the Fog City Diner at 1300 Battery Street (at Greenwich and Embarcadero). You can reach the starting point of the tour by the F-line street car or the 10 bus, both of which service Fisherman's Wharf and downtown San Francisco.
A sign on the door says "No Crybabbies" and "Booth Service." Myers and Travis meet LaPaglia and his date here for dinner. In this scene the couples play the which-is-worse game. Myers entry is sitting in Bay Bridge traffic after eating bran muffins. You may also want to play the which-is-worse game at some point during the tour (on the bus or while having lunch). Remember that "or being electrocuted" is not a winning entry.
2. Ferry Building
Walk through the park adjoining the diner and step through the gap in the hedges and you'll see a stop for the F-line streetcar. Catch the F-line streetcar heading south (on the same side of the street as the diner). Get out at the Ferry Building (at the foot of Market Street).
The San Francisco Ferry Building is used as the establishing shot at the opening of the movie. The shot is taken from the bay at night, so your view of the Ferry Building will be quite different. The Ferry Building has many boutique shops and eateries, so stroll around and enjoy yourself for a few minutes. You may want to stop for a cup of coffee at Peet's Coffee or Frog Hollow Farm. In the back of the Ferry Building, you'll see the ferry terminal as well as a statue of Mahatma Ghandi. If you're there on a Saturday or a Tuesday, you can enjoy walking around the farmer's market.
3. Vesuvio Café
In front of the main entrance to the Ferry Building to the left of the main crosswalk on Embarcadero, get on the inbound 12 bus (headed back towards the Fog City Diner). As you ride the bus look for the views of Coit Tower out the window. Get off the bus at Pacific and Columbus. Cross Columbus Avenue turn right and walk to Kerouac Alley (1/2 block).
The exterior of the Café Roads was actually the Vesuvio Café at 255 Columbus Avenue at Kerouac Alley in North Beach. This is the cafe where Myers read his poems about woman. The interior of the café was filmed at a location that is not part of our tour, so don't expect to see the map wall or the stage on which Myers reads his poems. Established in 1948, Vesuvio itself was a hang out spot for beat writers and artists. Jack Kerouac became a regular of the cafe and he famously spent a night here in 1960 when he should have been on his way to Big Sur to meet with Henry Miller. Kerouac called Miller every hour telling him that he was delayed leaving the city. Meanwhile he continued to drink. He never made it to see Miller that night. Today, the cafe continues to attract a diverse clientele.
Vesuvio is just across from the City Lights Booksellers and Publishers, which is known for supporting and publishing many beat poets and writers, including Alan Ginsburgh and Jack Kerouac.
4. 1462 Grant
Walk up Columbus Avenue until you get to Grant Avenue. Walk north (across Columbus) along Grant until you get to 1462 (about three blocks). While you are walking you will pass by Cafe Trieste (601 Vallejo at Grant), the oldest espresso bar in the western U.S. You will also pass by Grant and Green (1371 Grand), a bar that features live music and dancing.
The Meats of the World butcher shop scenes were filmed at 1462 Grant Avenue (at Union). When I visited this space, it was being temporarily occupied by the Poet's Gallery, which included a space for readings and artwork from local artists.
The property is owned by the same person who owns North Beach Pizza across the street. If the timing is right, North Beach Pizza is a great place to stop for lunch. Their pizzas have a crispy crust and come topped with lots of cheese. If you sit in one of the window booths, you can look out and see the tip of Coit Tower floating above San Francisco rooftops.
5. Union at Columbus
Walk along Untion to Columbus (about 2 blocks). This intersection was featured when Myers was driving to Meats of the World. From the park, look towards the intersection of Columbus and Union and you'll see where the car turned the corner. On that corner, you'll see Mario's Bohemian Cigar Store Cafe, which has a slightly misleading name. Mario's is also a great place for lunch where you can enjoy sidewalk dining across from the park as well as delicious focaccia sandwiches, but there are no cigars.
6. Aladdin Terrace
Continue along Union towards Taylor (about 2 blocks). As you're walking, you'll pass by Trattoria Contadina (at Union and Mason), which is one of the favorite restaurants of Tim and Michaela. Also, at this corner, you may want to wait and watch a cable car go by (a great photo op).
When you reach Taylor turn right and walk a half block. You'll get a great view of Alcatraz. At the end of Aladdin Terrace is the building where Myers' apartment was located. Walk down to end of the terrace for a good view of Telegraph Hill. Please do not disturb the residents of Aladdin Terrace.
7. La Rocca's
Walk back out to Taylor, turn right and walk three blocks to Lombard. At Lombard, look left up the hill and you'll see the crooked block of the street for which Lombard is famous. Continue along Taylor to Columbus street. At 900 Columbus, you will see the La Rocca's, the location where the Cock o' the North exterior was shot. Myers' parents celebrated their wedding anniversary here and Myers announced his engagement to Travis. Note that the interior scenes were shot elsewhere.
Notice the cable car turnaround at the end of Taylor Street. In the movie, Myers and Travis get off a cable car in front of La Rocca's. This must have been a very short ride for them because the cable car was coming from the Taylor turnaround.
8. Beach and Hyde Cable Car Turnaround
Cross to the other side of Columbus Avenue and catch the outbound 30 bus. Get off at North Point and Hyde (the first stop after turning left and heading uphill). Walk one block down hill and you'll arrive at the Hyde Street Cable Car turnaround. This location was featured during one of the driving scenes. You may want to stop at the Buena Vista Cafe on the corner. The Buena Vista Cafe is famous for its Irish Coffee, which they started serving in 1952. The drink is a mixture of whisky and coffee with a cream floater. The bartenders are very adept at making these drinks and when they have to make several at a time, they can really put on a show.
On this corner, you can walk in the park, enjoy the views of Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge, and visit the street merchants. You may also have the opportunity to enjoy a street performer entertaining the queue to board a cable car.
9. Palace of Fine Arts
Walk back up to North Point and get back on a 30 bus headed for Broderick and Beach (some buses on this line terminate earlier). Now ride the bus to Broderick and North Point. This is the longest bus ride you've had yet in the tour. The bus will take you along Chestnut Street, which is one of the popular shopping areas for Marina residents. Get off at Broderick and North Point and walk one block to the Palace of Fine Arts.
The Palace was build for the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition. Myers and Travis walk in the palace after their dinner near the Golden Gate Bridge. In this scene two Russian sailors pass Travis and she speaks to them in Russian. Walk right around the pond and then walk through the colonnades (a truly romantic setting as illustrated in the movie). This is also the location of the Exploratorium, a science and discovery museum for young people, if you want to come back another day.
10. Golden Gate Battery East
Note: If you plan to visit the Golden Gate Bridge on another day and you want to shorten this tour, you can skip this leg by catching the 28 bus on the opposite side of Richardson then continue with tour stop number 11 (Alamo Square) by following the instructions after getting off the bus at Fillmore.
Walk up to Richardson (the feeder to the Golden Gate Bridge) and catch the 28 bus at Francisco and Richardson headed to the Golden Gate Bridge. On the bus ride, sit on the right and enjoy the great views of Crissy Field and the Bay. Get off the bus at the bridge. (There are public restrooms here if you need them.) Walk past the statue of Joseph Strauss, architect and engineer of the bridge. Take the right fork of the bricked walkway and head downhill. When you get to the end of the walkway, turn left and walk towards the Golden Gate Bridge. You should see a sign that points down to the Battery Picnic Area.
Myers and Travis had a romantic chat here with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background. Then when they started to walk, they mysteriously appeared at the Palace of Fine Arts (you now know how far away that is).
11. Alamo Square
Get back on the 28 bus headed to Fort Mason. You'll catch the bus on the same side of the street that you got off on. Just make sure that you board a bus headed to Fort Mason. On the bus ride, sit on the right and watch for the Presidio Cemetery. This cemetery is one of only two cemeteries within the city limits because in 1900 the Board of Supervisors voted to ban cemeteries within the city and county limits. Continue on the bus past the Palace of Fine Arts and get off at Lombard and Fillmore. Transfer to the 22 bus (on the same corner where you got off the 28). Ride the 22 bus over Pacific Heights. Sit on the right side of the bus and when the bus turns from Steiner onto Broadway, you'll be able to see the home where Sally Field lived in the movie Mrs. Doubtfire (a bonus to this tour). Continue on the bus and get off at Fillmore and Hayes. Walk right along Hayes one block until you get to Alamo Square park.
Walk into the park and look back towards the city. You should be able to see the city skyline above a row of Victorian homes. These homes are known as the Painted Ladies for their colorful paint. You should recognize this as the location where Myers breaks up with Travis because he is afraid she is going to "Kleave" him.
12. More
This tour officially ends in Alamo Square. You can catch the inbound 21 bus on Hays street to get back to downtown or the Ferry Building. There are two more locations that appear in the movie that you may want to visit on your own. The first of these is Alcatraz; one of the most popular attractions in San Francisco. In the movie, LaPaglia and Myers take a tour of Alcatraz that is guided by a "former guard." If you actually go to Alcatraz, you can take a guided tour that is narrated by a "former guard". Live tours are not offered and if they were the guards would be quite old as the prison closed in 1963.
The second location that you may want to visit is the Dunsmuir House, which despite the scenes of the characters driving in the Marin Headlands, is actually located at 2960 Peralta Oaks Court in Oakland. This is the house where the honeymoon scenes were shot.
Finally, I would like to acknowledge the Northern California Movies website. The information contained on the site was invaluable in preparing this tour.
