On Film in the Monterey Bay

From Here to Eternity

For you youngsters, this is not a scene from "Sex in the City."  This is one of the most famous scenes in movie history and it was filmed at Pfeiffer Beach in Big Sur.  "From Here to Eternity," released in 1953 was filmed on location on Oahu in Hawaii, according to Doug Lumsden of Monterey Movie Tours. "But the director, Fred Zinnemann, didn't like the way the beach scene with Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr turned out. Zinnemann didn't want to take the cast and crew back to Hawaii, so he drove north from Los Angeles looking for the right beach. They ended up reshooting that famous scene, with Lancaster and Kerr kissing in the rushing surf, at Pfeiffer Beach in Big Sur".

If you want to see a bit of the clip:

I wasn't born yet when this movie was made, but I do remember the iconic scene, as well as seeing the movie when I was younger. In fact, I thought about it yesterday while I was playing with Pepper. It was high tide, lots of kelp on the beach, and I was running backwards to get away from a wave because I didn't want to get my shoes wet. Not only did I get my shoes wet, but I fell hard over a big pile of kelp injuring both my ego and my wrist. A couple of hours waiting for an x-ray and I found I just had a sprain. Don't hold your breath to see me in any films soon.

At the time this movie was released in 1953, the surf kissing scene caused an outrage because of the context and because of the frank sexuality of Kerr's character. It's interesting to look back and think about this--obviously we live in very different times. Being the pragmatist that I am, I'm also thinking about the 56 degree water, the numerous retakes that were probably required, and just the sheer discomfort of getting pounding by the inshore waves, water, and sand. Probably the process of being filmed was not as romantic as the final outcome.

I took a few minutes and was really surprised to find out what an amazing number of films have been made in the Monterey and Santa Cruz area.

Here's a list from Monterey Movie Tours (http://www.montereybayadventures.com/marina/ci_14703154) in the Monterey area (my favorite probably being Star Trek IV):

Movies Filmed in Monterey County*

We Were Soldiers (2002), Fort Hunter-Liggett
Bandits (2001), Salinas
Fast Women (2000), Monterey
Sphere (1998), Monterey
Junior (1994), Big Sur, Carmel, Pacific Grove
Poetic Justice (1993), Big Sur, Monterey
Basic Instinct (1992), Carmel
Turner & Hooch (1989), Pacific Grove
Harry and the Hendersons (1987), Monterey
Blind Date (1987), Carmel
Star Trek IV: Voyage Home (1986), Monterey
Brainstorm (1983), Carmel
The Winter of Our Discontent (TV, 1983), Pacific Grove
Cannery Row (1982), Monterey
Seems Like Old Times (1980), Carmel
The Muppet Movie (1979), Carmel
The Cat From Outer Space (1978), Big Sur, Salinas
Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (1977), Monterey
Escape to Witch Mountain (1975), Big Sur, Carmel, Pebble Beach
The Master Gunfighter (1975), Carmel
Zandy's Bride (1974), Big Sur
Sleeper (1973), Carmel
Jonathan Livingston Seagull (1973), Monterey
Chandler (1972), Carmel, Pebble Beach
The Candidate (1972), Monterey
Thumb Tripping (1972), Carmel
Celebration at Big Sur (1971), Big Sur
Play Misty For Me (1971), Big Sur, Carmel, Monterey, Point Lobos
The Big Bounce (1969), Monterey, Point Lobos
Monterey Pop (1969), Monterey
The Love Bug (1969), Monterey
Changes (1969), Carmel, Point Lobos
Doctor Dolittle (1967), Big Sur
Incubus (1965), Big Sur
My Blood Runs Cold (1965), Point Lobos
The Sandpiper (1965), Big Sur, Monterey
Island of the Blue Dolphins (1964), Salinas
Soldier in the Rain (1963), Fort Ord
The Terror (1963), Big Sur
Five Finger Exercise (1962), Pebble Beach
The Notorious Landlady (1962), Point Lobos
One-Eyed Jacks (1961), Big Sur, Pebble Beach
Susan Slade (1961), Monterey, Pebble Beach
The Parent Trap (1961), Carmel, Monterey, Pebble Beach
A Summer Place (1959), Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, Point Lobos
Roadracers (1958), Monterey
Vertigo (1958), Pebble Beach
In Love and War (1958), Monterey, Pebble Beach
Kings Go Forth (1958), Carmel
Gun Battle at Monterey (1957), Pebble Beach
The Girl He Left Behind (1956), Carmel, Fort Ord
The Naked Eye (1956), Carmel
Julie (1956), Carmel, Monterey, Pebble Beach
East of Eden (1955), Point Lobos
Francis Joins the WACS (1954), Fort Ord
Desirée (1954), Pebble Beach
The Fast and Furious (1954), Carmel, Pebble Beach
The Caddy (1953), Monterey
Take the High Ground! (1953), Monterey
From Here to Eternity (1953), Big Sur
Clash By Night (1952), Monterey
The Lady Says No (1952), Carmel
Japanese War Bride (1952), Point Lobos, Salinas
Follow the Sun (1951), Pebble Beach
Mr. Imperium (1951), Pebble Beach
The Second Woman (1951), Carmel, Monterey
Breakthrough (1950), Fort Ord
The Woman on Pier 13 (1949), Point Lobos
Sword in the Desert (1949), Monterey
Johnny Belinda (1948), Pebble Beach
Deep Valley (1947), Big Sur
Desire Me (1947), Carmel, Pebble Beach, Point Lobos
Forever Amber (1947), Monterey
Gentleman's Agreement (1947), Monterey
California (1947), Carmel, Monterey
My Favorite Brunette (1947), Pebble Beach
Green Dolphin Street (1947), Big Sur
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947), Pebble Beach
Samurai (1945), Monterey
Salome, Where She Danced (1945), Carmel, Point Lobos
National Velvet (1944), Pebble Beach
Marine Raiders (1944), Monterey
Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944), Monterey
Lassie Come Home (1943), Point Lobos
Edge of Darkness (1942), Monterey, Pebble Beach, Point Lobos
The Bugle Sounds (1941), Fort Ord
Suspicion (1941), Carmel
Rebecca (1940), Point Lobos
The Primrose Path (1940), Pacific Grove
They Drive By Night (1940), Monterey
Dust Be My Destiny (1939), Monterey
Intermezzo (1939), Pebble Beach
Of Mice and Men (1939), Monterey
Sergeant Murphy (1938), Monterey
The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), Monterey
Four Daughters (1938), Monterey
Captains Courageous (1937), Monterey
Conquest (1937), Point Lobos
Maid of Salem (1937), Point Lobos
Captain January (1936), Monterey, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, Point Lobos
Small Town Girl (1936), Pebble Beach
A Woman Rebels (1936), Carmel
Anna Karenina (1935), Monterey
Mutiny on the Bounty (1935), Monterey
All Men Are Enemies (1934), Carmel
He Was Her Man (1934), Point Lobos
The Count of Monte Cristo (1934), Pebble Beach
Treasure Island (1934), Point Lobos
The Little Giant (1933), Monterey
I Cover the Waterfront (1933), Monterey
Paddy the Next Big Thing (1933), Point Lobos
Peg o' My Heart (1933), Carmel, Pebble Beach, Point Lobos
The Miracle Man (1932), Pebble Beach, Point Lobos
Tiger Shark (1932), Carmel
Daddy Long Legs (1931), Point Lobos
Men on Call (1930), Pebble Beach
Troopers Three (1930), Monterey
The Iron Mask (1929), Point Lobos
Evangeline (1929), Point Lobos
The Divine Lady (1929), Monterey
The Long, Long Trail (1929), Salinas
Our Dancing Daughters (1928), Pebble Beach
Fast and Furious (1927), Pebble Beach
Married Alive (1927), Carmel, Pacific Grove
Paid to Love (1927), Pebble Beach, Point Lobos
The Unknown (1927), Pebble Beach
Rose of the Golden West (1927), Point Lobos
The Wrong Mr. Wright (1927), Carmel
Tin Gods (1926), Monterey
A Woman of the Sea (1926), Carmel, Monterey
Sandy (1926), Carmel, Pebble Beach
Braveheart (1925), Monterey
Why Women Love (1925), Point Lobos
Sporting Youth (1925), Monterey, Pebble Beach
Eve's Secret (1925), Carmel
The Eleventh Hour (1923), Point Lobos
Foolish Wives (1922), Pebble Beach, Point Lobos
White Shoulders (1922), Monterey, Pebble Beach
The Rosary (1922), Carmel
Shadows (1922), Carmel, Monterey, Point Lobos
Tess of the Storm Country (1922), Pebble Beach, Point Lobos
The Love Light (1921), Monterey, Point Lobos
The Mistress of Shenstone (1921), Point Lobos
Everything For Sale (1921), Salinas
Passion Fruit (1921), Pebble Beach
The Turning Point (1920), Monterey
The Right of Way (1920), Monterey
Miss Hobbs (1920), Carmel
The Beauty Market (1919), Carmel
A Man of Honor (1919), Carmel, Pebble Beach
The Isle of Life (1916), Carmel, Monterey
Ramona (1916), Monterey
Eye of the Night (1916), Monterey, Pacific Grove
The Other Side of the Door (1916), Monterey
Pidgin Island (1916), Big Sur, Point Lobos, Monterey
The Birthmark (1915), Monterey
The Valley of the Moon (1914), Carmel, Point Lobos
Rose of the Rancho (1914), Monterey
Hotel Del Monte (1897), Monterey
Surf at Monterey (1897), Monterey

and in Santa Cruz area (http://www.scruzwiki.org/Movies_Filmed_Locally):

• A Romance of the Redwoods (1917) 
• Harold and Maude (1971) 
• Escape to Witch Mountain (1975) 
• Tilt (1978) 
• Heartbeeps (1981) 
• The Ugly Duckling (1982) 
• The Sting II (1983) 
• Sudden Impact (1983) 
• Creator (1985) 
• Hard Traveling (1985) 
• Alone in the T-Shirt Zone (1986) 
• Back to the Beach (1987) 
• The Lost Boys (1987) 
• Survival Game (1987) 
• Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988) 
• Split (1989) 
• Voyage of the Heart (1991) 
• Strawberry Road (1990) 
• Out on a Limb (1992) 
• Steel Heel (1993) 
• Dangerous Minds (1995) 
• $40,000 (1996) 
• Glory Daze (1996) 
• Somebody is Waiting (1996) 
• The Aqua Girls (1998) 
• Frog and Wombat (1998) 
• Homegrown (1998) 
• Cirque de Soleil: Journey of Man (2000) 
• The Truth About Beef Jerky (2002) 
• Kinsey (2004) 
• Grave's End (2004) 
• The Tripper (2006) 
• 10 Inch Hero (2007) 
• I Think We're Alone Now (2008)