9 Movies Filmed in Sausalito to Inspire Your Trip

One of the best parts about living in Sausalito is just how beautiful it is. There are few places more picturesque in the Bay Area – that’s why people compare it to the Almafi coast in Italy!

It’s no surprise then that artists have been drawn to Sausalito over the decades, including filmmakers. There have been a number of movies film in Sausalito, and it has been the setting for everything from romantic dramedies to thrillers and killers. No matter the type of movie you like watching, there’s probably one on this list that shows off Sausalito too.

Below you’ll find a list of the movies filmed in Sausalito – most are just a scene or two, but some show off the city in a much grander scale. If you’re ready to get inspired for your upcoming trip to Sausalito, grab the remote, queue up the appropriate streaming service, and enjoy!

Sausalito is the traditional lands of the Graton Rancheria, Miwok, and Me-Wuk (Coast Miwok) peoples. With respect, I make a formal land acknowledgment, extending my appreciation to the past and present stewards of these lands. To learn more, I invite you to explore Native Land.

The Lady from Shanghai (1947)

Directed by the legendary Orson Welles and starring Rita Hayworth, The Lady from Shanghai is one of the most iconic movies filmed in Sausalito. 

Rumor has it that Welles had visited Sausalito years before making his movie and decided that he’d film a scene in the San Francisco Bay area. The cult movie shot some of its most thrilling scenes on the Sausalito waterfront and at the Walhalla Bar & Cafe.

Dear Brigitte (1965)

Dear Brigitte was filmed in one of Sausalito’s most iconic attractions: the houseboat community. This lighthearted comedy, starring James Stewart and Brigitte Bardot, follows an eight-year-old boy who develops a crush on the famous French actress. The infatuated young boy happens to live in a Sausalito floating home along Gate 6 Road.

Dirty Harry (1971)

Sausalito also provided the setting for the Dirty Harry franchise. Starring Clint Eastwood as the tough-as-nails San Francisco cop Harry Callahan, the first movie in the series features a tense scene when Ann Mary Deacon’s body is found in a drainage pipe on Conzelman Road, in Sausalito. 

Foul Play (1978)

Foul Play, starring Goldie Hawn and Chevy Chase, is a comedy that takes place in San Francisco and Sausalito. The movie features a memorable scene in which Hawn’s character is pursued through the winding streets of Sausalito by a group of villains.

Golden Gate (1993)

Golden Gate is a romantic drama that was filmed entirely in San Francisco and Sausalito. The movie follows the tumultuous relationship between a young man and a woman from different backgrounds who meet on the Golden Gate Bridge. The most notorious of Sausalito film locations you can spot in this movie is the Lighthouse Café, which appears as a 1950s diner.

Jack (1996)

Directed by the mythical Francis Ford Coppola, Jack is a coming-of-age comedy-drama film about a boy with a rare aging disorder. You can see Robin Williams (Jack) on a scene on Caledonia Street near the old Police Station. 

Zodiac (2007)

Zodiac, directed by David Fincher and starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Mark Ruffalo, is a tense thriller based on the true story of the Zodiac Killer. The movie was filmed in numerous spots in California. One of the movie locations is 62 Varda Landing Rd in Sausalito, where the houseboat of one of the characters is moored. 

Funny People (2009)

Funny People, directed by Judd Apatow and starring Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen, is a comedy-drama about a famous comedian who is diagnosed with a terminal illness. There are numerous Sausalito movie locations featured, like the beach house of Adam Sandler. 

The Diary of a Teenage Girl (2015)

Last but not least, The Diary of a Teenage Girl is another of the movies filmed in Sausalito. This drama set in San Francisco in the 1970s features several scenes filmed in Sausalito, including a memorable scene in which the main character, played by Bel Powley, rides her bike across the Golden Gate Bridge. 

Do you know of any other movies filmed in Sausalito, or have any questions about these ones? Let me know in the comments below!