Vintage Cars and Fake Rain on Steiner Street: A 1930s Noir Called 'Fog City' Is Filming in Pacific Heights

If you've walked past Alta Plaza Park this week and felt like you'd stepped back about 90 years, there's a reason. A feature film set in 1930s San Francisco has taken over part of Pacific Heights, with period cars, costumed actors and simulated rain.

SFGATE reported that the production set up on Steiner Street along the east edge of the park, with a long line of classic cars parked on nearby Jackson Street. A crew member confirmed the movie is called "Fog City."

A story about the city during the bridge years

"Fog City" is written and directed by Dan Pritzker, one of the heirs to the Hyatt Hotels fortune, whose earlier film "Bolden" told the story of a New Orleans jazz musician. Deadline reported in July that the noir drama is set in Depression-era San Francisco while the Golden Gate Bridge is going up. According to SFGATE, it follows several people: an underground abolitionist, a police inspector, a newcomer from the Dust Bowl and a socialite who is blackmailing her son.

The cast includes Cooper Koch, known for "Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story," along with Angus Imrie, Sarah Bolger, Carla Gugino and Miranda Otto of "The Lord of the Rings."

Melbourne played San Francisco first

Much of the movie wasn't shot here. In June, the Australian state of Victoria announced that filming had started in Melbourne, where the production used heritage buildings and a backlot at Docklands Studios to recreate 1930s San Francisco. Locations included Labassa Mansion, the Palais Theatre, Rippon Lea Estate and Melbourne Town Hall.

VicScreen, the state's screen agency, said the production would put about $60 million into Victoria's economy and employ 365 local crew members, with the help of state and federal incentives. It's a reminder that stories set in California are often filmed elsewhere, with incentives playing a big role.

For San Francisco, the local shoot is a small win: a few days of work for crews and a chance to put real city streets on screen. Distribution details for "Fog City" haven't been announced, so there's no release date yet.