Come dive into the San Francisco film and cinematic mythology surrounding a complicated landmark, Alcatraz Island.
Shortly after Alcatraz opened as a federal prison in 1934, its film setting career began. From Alcatraz Island (1937) through Birdman of Alcatraz (1962), Hollywood depicted life on the isolated island. After the prison closed in 1963, a new era began with Point Blank (1967) and memorable titles such as Escape from Alcatraz (1979) and The Rock (1996). Jim Van Buskirk, author of Celluloid San Francisco, offers a clip-filled program of how the Bay Area’s beloved prison/sightseeing destination has been portrayed on screen.
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