The secrets and techniques of filming ‘The Princess Diaries’ in San Francisco revealed 20 years later
Carolin Hagenstroem and I are staring down an octagon-shaped hole in the hardwood floor of her home at 724 Brazil Ave. in San Francisco’s Excelsior District. It reveals a dizzying drop that plummets at least 19 feet down to an artist’s studio, and at the center is a fire pole that inspired one of the most influential movies of my childhood.
“I’ll go down first, and then you can try it,” Hagenstroem says to me with a reassuring nod.
She wraps her arms and legs around the brass, and carefully slides to the bottom with ease.
I gulp. I’m not afraid of heights, but let’s just say the drop appears much more intimidating than it did in one of my favorite scenes in “The Princess Diaries,” a landmark San Francisco movie that just celebrated its 20th anniversary.
But if the clumsy Mia Thermopolis could take the plunge before school each morning, so could I. Suppressing a scream, I cling on for dear life and make my way down.
Carolin Hagenstroem slides down the fire pole inside Engine 43 art studio, otherwise known as Mia Thermopolis’ house in “The Princess Diaries,” which is in the Excelsior District of San Francisco, on Sept. 15, 2021.
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE
The fire house that became a castle
Perhaps one of the most beloved coming-of-age stories of the early aughts, the Disney film based on the bestselling series by Meg Cabot follows an awkward San Francisco teenager (Anne Hathaway, in her breakout role) who discovers that her deceased father was a prince, making her the heir to the throne of the fictional European country of Genovia. She must come to terms with this life-shattering news when her estranged grandmother, Queen Clarisse Renaldi (Julie Andrews in a role that kicked off her career renaissance) stops by for tea at the fire house-turned-artist’s loft where Mia lives with her mother Helen (Caroline Goodall).
“The Princess Diaries” was a surprise critical and commercial success, garnering more than $165 million worldwide after its premiere on July 29, 2001. It’s filled with funny one-liners — “I don’t want to rule my own country, I just want to pass the 10th grade!” — apology pizzas topped with M&Ms, a feline sidekick named Fat Louie, probably one of the best makeover scenes of all time and plenty of San Francisco scenery considering the crew only had two and a half weeks to film exterior shots in the city (the rest of production took place in Los Angeles).
The Engine 43 art studio, otherwise known as Mia Thermopolis’ house in “The Princess Diaries,” which is in the Excelsior District of San Francisco, seen Sept. 15, 2021.
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE
Even two decades later, the burgundy-and-white fire house is among one of the most recognizable San Francisco filming locations for “The Princess Diaries.” It helps that a large print next to the front door of the Mission Revival style building bears the painted likenesses of Princess Mia and Princess Leia standing side-by-side — something I noticed when I visited on a recent Wednesday morning.
The film’s production designer, Mayne Berke, said his team scrutinized all 25 of San Francisco’s vintage fire houses before settling on Engine Company No. 43, not only because it was located at the top of one of the city’s quintessential hills, but also for the reason that it had a tower jutting out of it, evoking a subtly royal look and feel.
A sign outside Engine 43 art studio, otherwise known as Mia Thermopolis’ house in “The Princess Diaries,” in the Excelsior District of San Francisco on Sept. 15, 2021.
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE
“After all, she was a princess, and this was her castle,” Berke said with a laugh. The late Garry Marshall, who directed the film, liked the idea so much that he changed a line in the script, said Berke, adding a joke about a frustrated Mia storming off to her tower.
Although the interior scenes were shot on a sound stage in Los Angeles, the space bears a near-identical resemblance, with its high ceilings, a spiral staircase and, of course, the fire pole.
Not Fat Louie, but Sapphire, one of two cats living inside the Engine 43 art studio, sits in her favorite position on the spiral staircase.
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE
‘There are people taking pictures almost every day’
Hagenstroem has lived in the refurbished fire house (now the Engine 43 Art Studio) with her husband and 9-year-old son since 2015, but at first she was unaware of its ties to the popular film and was more interested in its origins as a fire house dating back to 1911, when Engine Company No. 43 formed. It was run with horse-drawn carriages that were replaced by engines seven years later, and functioned as a fire house until 1970, when the company relocated. It was then sold to Dr. Steve Shohet as a private residence in a 1976 surplus auction, according to Guardians of the City. Shohet didn’t actually live there, said Hagenstroem, though he did build a sailboat on the empty lot next to it, in addition to hosting several artists for a number of years, including dancers, sculptors and painters.
When Hagenstroem and her family moved in, they kept the tradition of a communal artists’ space going. The ground floor still serves as a studio today, not unlike the fictional loft where Helen Thermopolis painted, and two artists-in-residence are currently living there — Ryan Smith, a goldsmith and hatmaker, and Anastasia Podlysovka, an architect and painter.
Artist Ryan Smith makes custom tailored hats inside Engine 43 art studio, otherwise known as Mia Thermopolis’ house in “The Princess Diaries,” which is in the Excelsior District of San Francisco, seen Sept. 15, 2021.
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE
Unfortunately, because it’s now a private residence, fans of the movie aren’t allowed to go inside — with the exception of periodic events held by the studio — which many are disheartened to discover, said Smith.
“One day, there were these people who showed up and wouldn’t stop ringing the doorbell. So I came out and politely had to tell them we don’t do tours. They said, ‘Really? We drove three hours to get here.’ I thanked them for their interest, but it was early on during COVID, and I was in my pajamas just trying to eat my breakfast,” he said with a laugh.
For the most part, though, fans are polite and respectful, added Podlysovka.
“There are people coming and taking pictures in front of the house almost every day,” she said. “They’re very sweet.”
Artist Anastasia Podlysovka’s studio is located at the top of the tower at Engine 43 art studio, otherwise known as Mia Thermopolis’ house in “The Princess Diaries,” which is in the Excelsior District of San Francisco, seen Sept. 15, 2021.
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE
Setting the scene in San Francisco
Cabot’s novel was originally set in Manhattan, but director Marshall (“Pretty Woman,” “Beaches”) thought the film was better suited for San Francisco — primarily because he wanted to spend time there with his granddaughters, who were then just 4 years old. Their mother also appears, as well as Marshall’s sister, daughter-in-law and son, who served as a second unit director on the film. In addition to their cameo, his granddaughters also helped with casting and were responsible for choosing Hathaway.
“[Garry] showed them the audition tapes and asked, ‘Who looks the most like a princess?’ They chose Annie because they thought she had the best hair,” Scott Marshall, Garry’s son and a second unit director for the film, said with a laugh.
Queen Clarisse Renaldi (Julie Andrews) faces off with the arm wrestling machine at the Musée Mécanique while Mia (Anne Hathaway) cheers her on in “The Princess Diaries.”
Courtesy of Disney Plus
Several other recognizable locations also played a role in “The Princess Diaries,” like the Musée Mécanique, where the queen faces off with a coin-operated arm wrestling machine as Laffing Sal looks on and cackles. At the time, the attraction was still at Land’s End, and additional scenes were shot near the observation deck at the shuttered Cliff House.
The fictional Grove High School was shot at two locations. For the exterior, they used a mansion at 2601 Lyon St., which belonged to former Giants owner Bob Lurie, said location manager Laurie Noll.
“It was dumb luck and perfect timing,” she said, adding that he had just moved to Atherton and planned to sell the house shortly after. “I couldn’t believe it.”
Lilly (Heather Matarazzo) chats with Mia (Anne Hathaway) on the roof of the fictional Grove High School in “The Princess Diaries.”
Courtesy of Disney Plus
Meanwhile, the tennis and basketball courts where Mia and her best friend Lilly (Heather Matarazzo) hang out were shot on the roof of the Hamlin School on Broadway, Garry Marshall told the Chronicle in a 2001 interview (the public is not permitted to visit). And the infamous cable car accident scene was filmed at the intersection of Broadway and Taylor streets.
“I really don’t believe we could have filmed that scene anywhere else,” said Scott Marshall. “The hills were what made filming the movie in San Francisco so fun.”
Queen Clarisse Renaldi (Julie Andrews) pretends to knight a police officer after Mia (Anne Hathaway) accidentally crashes her Mustang into a (fake) cable car.
Courtesy of Disney Plus
Some scenes were more difficult to shoot than others. Only a few second unit shots were taken at Baker Beach for the high school party scene where Mia is bombarded by the paparazzi.
“The day we scouted it, it was beautiful and warm. Then we came back and realized how cold it could get,” said Berke, laughing. “We shot the rest in Malibu, and the second unit crew told us we made the right choice.”
Mia (Anne Hathaway) and Queen Clarisse Renaldi (Julie Andrews) chow down on a corn dog at Lands End.
Courtesy of Disney Plus
Originally, during the sequence where Mia is showing the queen around San Francisco, the script had them take an elevator up to the top of the Golden Gate Bridge. When the crew got there, they realized it only held two people and took 17 minutes to reach the top — not to mention it was rather rickety, said Berke.
“The wind could blow you right off that thing. I turned to our cinematographer and said, ‘The cast is never coming up here.’” (They opted for the Musée Mécanique instead.)
Noll remembers filming the scene when Mia is attempting to drive her ’60s Mustang to the coronation, only for it to get stuck on Russian Hill in the rain.
“That was a pretty crazy night. We were making all of this fake rain and shooting until one in the morning,” she said.
Mia (Anne Hathaway) and Helen Thermopolis (Caroline Goodall) throw darts at paint-filled balloons in a fan-favorite scene of “The Princess Diaries.”
Courtesy of Disney Plus
But the best story might be one of the film’s most iconic moments, when Mia and her mother spend an evening together shooting darts at paint-filled balloons on a canvas. The crew never tested it beforehand, figuring that if they threw the darts at the balloons, they would pop.
They didn’t.
“Annie threw the first dart and it bounced right off the balloon,” said Berke. “So the prop master tried throwing a dart as hard as he could, and again, it bounced off. I got really scared at first — I thought, ‘My god, this was my idea.’”
In the end, they made the scene happen by having the prop master stand just behind the camera, shooting a BB gun each time the actresses threw a dart.
“It required so many takes,” said Berke, laughing. “We probably spent an hour or two longer on that scene than we should have, but it’s a very fun moment.”
Of course, I have to ask Hagenstroem if she’s ever tried to replicate the scene at home. She chuckles.
“We haven’t, but we’ve filled water guns with paint and sprayed them on a sheet,” she said. “We decided to create our own twist.”
It’s Excelsior Month at SFGATE. We’ll be diving deep into the neighborhood for the entirety of September as part of a new series where we’ll be highlighting a different corner of San Francisco every month this year.
The tower on top of Engine 43 art studio, otherwise known as Mia Thermopolis’ house in “The Princess Diaries,” which is in the Excelsior District of San Francisco, seen Sept. 15, 2021.
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE
The view from the roof of Engine 43 art studio, otherwise known as Mia Thermopolis’ house in “The Princess Diaries,” which is in the Excelsior District of San Francisco, seen Sept. 15, 2021.
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE
Some of the gear artist Carolin Hagenstroem helped created for the Engine 43 art studio, otherwise known as Mia Thermopolis’ house in “The Princess Diaries,” which is in the Excelsior District of San Francisco, on Sept. 15, 2021.
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE
