Footsteps in the Fog is a celebration of the San Francisco films of Alfred Hitchcock. The master director’s familiarity with Northern California greatly influenced his decision to use Bay Area locations in several of his landmark motion pictures, and more importantly was often the source of inspiration for many of these same cinema classics.
Three of Hitchcock’s masterpieces were set in the San Francisco area: Shadow of a Doubt, Vertigo, and The Birds. In addition, Rebecca, Suspicion, Marnie, Topaz, Psycho, and Family Plot utilized Bay Area locations and/or were inspired by Northern California events and settings. Footsteps in the Fog examines these famous films, taking the reader on a journey around the Bay Area, while weaving together cinemagraphic intrigue, Bay Area history and lore, and the timeless elegance of San Francisco and its picturesque surroundings.
Over 400 historical and contemporary photos are featured in the book, including impromptu off-camera images and shots from the films themselves—many never before seen!
Footsteps in the Fog can be used as a companion to viewing the Northern California Hitchcock films, as a guide for visiting the sites and settings used in these motion pictures, and as a source of biographical information about Alfred Hitchcock’s personal connections to San Francisco and the Bay Area. Hitchcock loved Northern California; he often entertained Hollywood celebrities at his ranch and vineyard outside of Santa Cruz, and frequented such San Francisco institutions as Jack’s Restaurant, the Fairmont Hotel, the Top of the Mark, and the historic Bercut Brothers’ Grant Market.
Hitchcock fans everywhere will rejoice as they revisit and rediscover the locations and settings used in the great director’s most beloved films.
“Footsteps in the Fog doesn’t just retrace Hitchcock’s footsteps entertainingly, and with an eye for details that bring back some of cinema’s most classic chills, it’s also an invaluable time capsule. The contrast between what was and what is made me want to book the next flight to California, so I could see Hitchcock’s San Francisco for myself before any more of it disappears!”
—BOB MONDELLO, National Public Radio
“As haunting as its evocative title, Footsteps in the Fog: Alfred Hitchcock’s San Francisco shows us exactly what locations the great director used to create what might be the most elegantly spooky vision of an American city ever put on film.”
—KENNETH TURAN, Los Angeles Times
“Jeff Kraft and Aaron Leventhal make it great fun to play lost-and-found in Hitchcock’s San Francisco. The book they’ve created is unique, haunting, and indispensable.”
—PETER TRAVERS, Rolling Stone
“Like many people, I’m hooked on the idea of finding famous movie locations in Ôreal life.’ I can’t think of a better subject for such a pursuit than Hitchcock and San Francisco.”
—LEONARD MALTIN, Entertainment Tonight
“Anything that allows you to see classics with fresh eyes is welcome. But Footsteps in the Fog is a particular gem that not only makes Hitchcock alive with the breathing presence of San FranciscoÑbut makes San Francisco alive with the ghost of Hitchcock movies. The book is a pleasure from start to finish.”
—MICK LASALLE, San Francisco Chronicle, author of Dangerous Men and Complicated Women: Sex and Power in Pre-Code Hollywood
“Two of my favorites in one bookÑHitchcock and the beautiful Bay Area . . . both classics! A fun ride through Hitchcock-land. See the thriller, visit the site!”
—JAN WAHL, KRON TV/KCBS Radio
“A meticulously researched work describing the trail the suspense master blazed through the greater San Francisco Bay area. . . . An essential part of any Hitchcock fan’s collection”
—Publishers Weekly
Questions? You can contact the authors via email at aaronleventhal@icloud.com.
Alfred Hitchcock's Bay Area 