LibrarySpot MuseumSpot PeopleSpot ShoppingSpot TripSpot People who've never set foot in San Francisco are still familiar with its famous cable cars , Victorian houses and Golden Gate Bridge . These landmarks are universally recognizable thanks to Hollywood. As a result, the city is usually humming with production crews for documentaries, commercials and music videos. About 12 features from major studios are filmed in San Francisco each year, Johnston said. Action film producers find the city's landscape suitable for car chases and fiery explosions.
Traffic congestion is a common side effect of film shoots.
The film, starring Brendan Fraser and Elizabeth Hurley, will be released Oct. 1. Despite their love of San Francisco, directors often incorrectly portray its geography on screen. Only the city's natives noticed the incongruity of jumping from Potrero Hill to North Beach. Here are some classic films in which the city is an important character. For a complete list of films made in San Francisco, see Northern California Movies .