After only getting to bed about 3 am the night before, my stupid circadian rhythm wouldn't let me sleep much past 7 am. Either because of excitement or jet lag, I had been getting only four hours of sleep a night for several nights, now. I tried to doze a bit longer, but my body must have figured, "Who needs sleep when every waking moment was a dream come true?"
Down in the hotel restaurant, Kathi and I both ordered French Toast and we joyfully recollected each treasured moment of the day before. Fearful that we'd start to forget these precious memories, we spent the morning committing as many as we could to paper. That done, we could go out and collect a bunch of new ones. :)
So, with the Gastown brochure finally in hand, we set
out on foot at 1:00 pm to find the "Antique Store" alley (as
we referred to it). Based on the clues I had gathered, we headed to the
block bound by Water St. to the north, Cordova St. to the south, Carrall
St. to the east and Abbott St. to the west. Get this - the name of this
alley is apparently "Blood Alley" since the map shows it to be
the location of "Blood Alley Square."
We
entered the alley from Abbott St. and as the walls and fences grew increasingly
familiar, my mind provided the reverse angle; the one seen in the opening
credits with Joe talking to Duncan (from THE WATCHERS). All of those
overhead beams and brace-looking struts across the alley are simply Vancouver's
normal configuration for electric and telephone wire poles. They are not
unique to this alley. I've never seen this arrangement in any other city,
but Vancouver wisely tucks these unsightly support frames bearing all manner
of cables *behind* their buildings. Hence, downtown is full of such alleys.
But none as special as this one.
This
one is typically scuzzy-looking at one end, but it opens into the picturesque
square which you see from various angles throughout the early Vancouver
episodes. One shocker: the entire front of the "Antique Store"
has been remodeled and no longer has a recessed doorway. (Keep in mind,
of course, that studio sets were used for actual interior shots.) This
threw Kathi off a bit, so I ran around like a puppy saying things like,
"See, these are the angled brick steps," and "That's where
Slan and Rebecca Lord and a Hunter parked their cars," and "That's
the building you see behind Sgt. Bennett when he's questioning Duncan in
EYEWITNESS." I'm sure passers-by thought I was nuts. (That
building also appears prominently in FAMILY TREE - Kevin)
After
zig-zagging the length of the alley showing off it's features, I ricocheted
out the other end to finally get a full look at the red awning on the east
side Carrall St. which is only partially seen in a few episodes (THE
WATCHERS, for one). All that you can make out when you freeze-frame
the tape is the word "Hotel" in the lower left corner and "The
S.." in larger letters. Unfortunately, there *ain't* no such hotel
even listed as existing on that block.
The moment I glanced at the whole awning, I yelled for Kathi
to come over. The awning read, "The Spinning Wheel" - the site
of the establishing shot used in FAMILY TREE. At the lower right
side of the awning was the word, "Cabaret." Now, I had given
my friend, Hugh, the location list and he informed me via e-mail that there
was no "Spinning Wheel Hotel" listed. What this place is used
for now, I have no idea; but the awning is for real.
While
I was going ga-ga over a silly awning, Kathi beckoned me in the other direction;
she had *found* "Joe's" bookstore! It is just a few steps north
from the east end of the alley on the west side of Carrall St. The shelves
on the main floor are arranged differently, but, sure enough, there above
them was the mezzanine with the white railing. I asked the clerk if I could
take some pictures and she said I could. Here all the other tourists are
facing the other way taking pictures of the statue of "Gassy Jack"
and I'm getting a shot of Kathi standing in a bookstore doorway. [It
was like this on Thursday as well, when a huge crowd assembled around the
Steam Clock waiting for ol' faithful to do it's thing, and I was turned
the other way to photograph the brick building behind it. Not exactly your
typical tourist. ;j]
Standing there at Carrall St. and Blood Alley, I realized that things weren't where one would think they are after seeing THE WATCHERS. The "Kenneth Gord Publications" building (a gag prop sign put up on the building where the Watcher-guys are peering out with their laser surveillance gear) is not across from the bookstore. (Something which resembles it seems to be down Alexander St., but it wasn't worth the jog over there to confirm this.) Likewise, the outside staircase (which the Watcher-guys use to escape) is also not across from the bookstore but is back just inside the alley. I was gaining a deeper respect for the use of camera angles and clever editing so the viewers see what the director *wants* them to see regardless of what is actually there.
You want to show Duncan "running around the building" to chase the Watchers? Who cares that there is no access around?! You just have the actors stand off camera behind the raised cement patio with the iron railing and the director shouts something like, "Start running! Action!"
Yes, they've used this alley quite alot, and I went around shooting it from every angle imaginable. Kathi, meanwhile, was free to discover a couple of cute details that are just the things to warm a Highlander fan's heart. [You know those Eggo Waffle commercials? "Type A - the one who's carrying the location list, map, notebook and camera. Type B - the one who goes for the whole gestalt thing and takes it all in." We made a great team. :)]
The interior space of what would theoretically be the antique store is slightly below ground level. Entering it from the alley, one would have to walk down a few steps. An extra-tall person might have to duck at the edge of the room's ceiling. Some kindly person thought to put up a sign in plain view of anyone on the street - "WATCH YOUR HEAD."
Further down, the hand-lettered "NO PARKING" sign is still painted on the garage-type door. Above it, an adoring fan must have written the graffiti question, "Where's Stan?" So we weren't the only tourists to find this alley so special.
[New Note: At the time, I thought this graffiti was a new addition, but thanks to my set of second season tapes, you can see the "Where's Stan?" in THE WATCHERS as Richie consoles Tessa that life with Duncan is like being married to a cop.]
Copyright (c) 1995, Janine Shahinian
Photographs (c) 1995, Janine Shahinian -- Do not reproduce!