Tours of the Tales

miniseries, was also a Hitchcock fan.  Elements of Vertigo found their way into the miniseries:

• The music and the opening shots in both movies are nearly identical (if not identical).  Here are the opening credits for both films.
• Mary Ann sat front of a large painting of a woman holding a bouquet at the Palace of the Legion of Honor – as did Madeleine, Kim Novak’s character in Vertigo.  
• Mary Ann revealed to Michael what really happened to Norman Neal Williams at Fort Point, the same place where Madeleine attempted her suicide.
• The Brocklebank Apartments were used in the first two Tales miniseries:  Madeleine lived in that apartment building as did DeDe and Beauchamp Day.
• The shot of the interior staircase of the Bay Area Crises Hot Line is highly suggestive of the staircase leading to the top of the bell tower at Mission San Juan Bautista. 
• A special camera effect was developed by Irmin Roberts, one of the cameramen in Vertigo, called the “dolly zoom” (this effect is also known by a number of other names including the “Vertigo zoom” and the “Vertigo effect”).  This effect is achieved by moving the camera dolly one way and the camera’s zoom the opposite direction.  This effect was very noticeable in Vertigo when Scottie climbed the stairs leading to the top of the bell tower at Mission San Juan Bautista.  Here’s that scene.  Alastair Reid did not use the dolly zoom effect either time the staircase in the Crisis Switchboard appeared in "Tales of the City"; however, the effect was used in the scene where Beauchamp and Peter Cipriani have drinks at the club prior to Beauchamp meeting up with the Halcyons at the opera.
  

Vertigo also found its way twice into Michael Tolliver Lives:  

Michael had purchased a Prius that came with an on-board “concierge” that had a “female, elegant, and a little bossy” voice.  Michael and Ben named the voice Carlotta after the Madeleine Elster/Carlotta Valdes character played by Kim Novak in Vertigo.  

One day Michael and Anna Madrigal decided to meet Shawna at the café of the recently rebuilt de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park.  They arrived at the museum before the meeting time in order to see the new structure.  Anna suggested to Michael they climb the new museum’s tower.  Michael again referenced Vertigo, “As Jimmy Stewart said to Kim Novak.”  (Michael Tolliver Lives, p. 205)

Vertigo also played a less visible role in More Tales of the City.  The real name of the woman who impersonated Madeleine Elster was Judy Barton (Kim Novak).  When introducing herself to Mother Mucca at the San Francisco Greyhound Station, Mona Ramsey started to say her first name, but suddenly blurted out the name Judy.

900 Lombard

900 Lombard Street (northwest corner of Lombard and Jones)

This is where Scottie, Jimmy Steward’s character in the Alfred Hitchcock thriller Vertigo, lived.  The exterior of the house used in the movie, most notably the entry way. The interior scenes were shot in a set built on a sound stage; however, that set was designed to closely match the layout and the external features of this home.  

In March 2013, the owner of the house constructed a wall and a solid, metal gate that now blocks the doorway/entrance to the home.  Prior to this construction, you would have been able to see the actual mailbox which Madeleine (Kim Novak) used to deliver a note to Scottie.   The photo shows the exterior of the house prior to the construction of the privacy wall and gate.  

Here's a clip from Vertigo showing the entrance to Scottie’s house.

Armistead Maupin is a fan of Alfred Hitchcock.  He placed some of the events of Tales of the City in locales seen in Vertigo (such as the Palace of the Legion of Honor and Fort Point).  During production of the “Tales of the City” miniseries, he learned that Alastair Reid, the Director of the first Tales