Bridges in TV Shows and Film

[roadman65]

Someone started a thread about a bridge in LA that was used in pop culture, which led me to this.  You often see many structures in movies and television and even commercials, and many of us do not know where they are located at and some of us here have there own photos of some, so here is a chance to share our photos or our knowledge to answer questions to those who are curious.

My wondering, is the bridges in the original TV show Dallas in the station break sequence where you see two viaducts side by side.  I was in Dallas last Fall, but did not get a chance to explore too much for lack of time, except I did drive across two that were a pair of one way streets across the main river and I-30 and I-35E that obviously was US 77 back in the day.  I am not sure that those were the bridges or not, but it would be interesting to know which were those used in that famous soap opera footage.

In addition, the TV show Walker Texas Ranger that was filmed in part in Dallas that always featured the shows main characters always in a shoot out with bad guys either in another vehicle or even a helicopter on one such Dallas viaduct.  This  bridge that was used constantly during the show's run seemed to be a two way bridge and part of a major highway.  Whether its a freeway or expressway was unclear as it could have been either or when the episodes aired.  Does anyone know the location of this bridge as well?

[NE2]

holy shit the bridges of madison county

[kkt]

Golden Gate Bridge in "Dark Passage" (1947).

[txstateends]

Someone started a thread about a bridge in LA that was used in pop culture, which led me to this.  You often see many structures in movies and television and even commercials, and many of us do not know where they are located at and some of us here have there own photos of some, so here is a chance to share our photos or our knowledge to answer questions to those who are curious.

My wondering, is the bridges in the original TV show Dallas in the station break sequence where you see two viaducts side by side.  I was in Dallas last Fall, but did not get a chance to explore too much for lack of time, except I did drive across two that were a pair of one way streets across the main river and I-30 and I-35E that obviously was US 77 back in the day.  I am not sure that those were the bridges or not, but it would be interesting to know which were those used in that famous soap opera footage.

In addition, the TV show Walker Texas Ranger that was filmed in part in Dallas that always featured the shows main characters always in a shoot out with bad guys either in another vehicle or even a helicopter on one such Dallas viaduct.  This  bridge that was used constantly during the show's run seemed to be a two way bridge and part of a major highway.  Whether its a freeway or expressway was unclear as it could have been either or when the episodes aired.  Does anyone know the location of this bridge as well?

The twin bridges across the Trinity just south of downtown are the Jefferson and Houston Street Viaducts.  They are the historic routings of US 77 connecting downtown to the south side of town.  The older of the 2 bridges just turned 100 years old in the last few months and was the first permanent bridge crossing in Dallas after previous floods washed away other road and railroad crossings.  The Jefferson and Houston Street Viaducts are the twin bridges first seen in the 'Dallas' opening credits of both the previous series and the current series.

Another bridge is shown in the Dallas opening credits in the current series: the new Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge is shown once in an overhead shot and a different time the bridge arch can be seen in the distance past part of the downtown skyline.

Many shows set in San Francisco use shots of either the Golden Gate Bridge or the Bay Bridge, or both.

The show 'Taxi' used a shot of a cab driving across the Queensboro Bridge in NYC in it's opening sequence.

[ARMOURERERIC]

In the opening credits of the mid-1980's series "Simon and Simon" themain characters drive across the San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge.  The show has many location shots of San Diego from the mid 1980's.

[Big John]

Taxi.  The opening credits were too long for the driving across the Queensboro bridge so with editing it was a repeated shot.

[Ace10]

Who can forget the Astoria-Megler Bridge (US 101 between Washington and Oregon) in The Goonies and Short Circuit? Number 5 even jumps off and parachutes from it.

George of the Jungle has a scene on the Oakland-San Francisco Bay Bridge, as does the near-end of The Guilt Trip.

[kendancy66]

I watched a commercial for Hangover III that had what looked to be I-405.  It showed that what looked to be a giraffe head almost hitting a button copy BGS for next exits that was attached to a bridge. On the sign was University and MacArthur Blvd.  In the background was city limits sign for Newport Beach.  Something wasn't in sync though.  The sign was missing the intermediate exits for Culver Dr and Jamboree and University is supposed to paired with Jeffery Rd..  Also the road was missing the car pool lanes, but had a lot of space in the median.  It is like they took road footage of I-405 from 10-15 years ago, and put it in this movie that is just now coming out.

[kkt]

The George Washington Bridge was featured in "How to Marry a Millionaire".  Betty Grable and her gentleman friend were trying to drive back to New York unobserved after spending a scandalous weekend alone, but they were honored as the 10 millionth (I think) car to cross the bridge and got their pictures all over the newspaper.

[roadman65]

The George Washington Bridge was featured in "How to Marry a Millionaire".  Betty Grable and her gentleman friend were trying to drive back to New York unobserved after spending a scandalous weekend alone, but they were honored as the 10 millionth (I think) car to cross the bridge and got their pictures all over the newspaper.

In the sitcom Maude back in the Mid 70's it features not only the original West Side Highway Viaduct when billing Beatrice Arthur, but the George Washington Bridge back in the 50's as well.  You can see the vehicles at the time plus the upper level lane configuration had a 3-2-3 lane operation with the center two having yellow pylons to separate the directions of traffic.  I am assuming that before the lower level was added there was a bi-directional center with two lanes that could be used either way depending on traffic demand or like in the footage, one lane each way.

Also, to note the bridge scene was not needed as it depicted a trip from Manhattan to Tuckahoe, NY that are both on the same side of the Hudson River.  The GWB leads into New Jersey and Tuckahoe is due north of the Bronx in Westchester County.

[Stephane Dumas]

Taxi.  The opening credits were too long for the driving across the Queensboro bridge so with editing it was a repeated shot.

Archie Bunker's Place (who was a countinuation of All in the Family) also featured the Queensboro bridge in the opening credits.

[NE2]

Archie's Bunker Place

Pooing is cool.

[Brandon]

holy shit the bridges of madison county

Points deducted for not mentioning the state! 

Seriously though,  The lift bridges in Chicago have appeared in many films and TV shows such as:
The Blues Brothers (also has the Chicago Skyway Bridge in the background) and The Fugitive (movie).

The Poplar Street Bridge in St. Louis makes a cameo in National Lampoon's Vacation (as does the nearby Eads Bridge).

The Blues Brothers also has the Hoan Bridge in Milwaukee (in a scene meant to look like they're in Chicago).

[Big John]

The Blues Brothers also has the Hoan Bridge in Milwaukee (in a scene meant to look like they're in Chicago).

When the bridge/interchange was unfinished for a long time so they show the car jumping of at an unfinished section in mid-air.

[1995hoo]

As was previously noted, the original and current versions of Dallas open with largely the same view. Interesting to see how it's changed in 30 years.

.....with one exception from March 11, 2013. I think this may be the best version of all. RIP J.R. Ewing.

[roadman65]

It looks like the 2012 version uses the Houston and Jefferson Viaducts in its opener. The ponds in the middle match with Google Satellite View.  Plus the crossover bridge that now links the two viaducts near the Convention Center is clear.

The original show opening, is still hard to make as the small tower that is in the middle of the two bridges is now gone.  I would assume its Interstate 35E, but cannot find anything to reference it.

[Stephane Dumas]

A off-topic sidenote, CBC for "Hockey Night in Canada" did a little nod of rhe opening credits of the tv series Dallas when Dallas Stars hosted the 2007 NHL All-Stars game.

[1995hoo]

I like that. Nicely done.

Somebody put together this parody following Pope Benedict's resignation. The image of J.R. as a candidate for pope amuses me.

With that I will attempt to refrain from further off-topic digression.

[txstateends]

.....with one exception from March 11, 2013. I think this may be the best version of all. RIP J.R. Ewing.

I heard that the producers/music arranger/etc. came up with the special opening in just a couple of hours.  They were about to provide the episode to TNT to air, then looked at the regular open and thought it wouldn't set the right mood.  They happened to have other shots of the skyline around that weren't being used in the regular open plus candid shots of Larry Hagman.  And it included (for the topic) a very brief distant shot of the arch of the Margaret Hunt Hill bridge.

So many have commented positively about the special open; amazing the effect a couple of hours made.

[1995hoo]

I heard that the producers/music arranger/etc. came up with the special opening in just a couple of hours.  They were about to provide the episode to TNT to air, then looked at the regular open and thought it wouldn't set the right mood.  They happened to have other shots of the skyline around that weren't being used in the regular open plus candid shots of Larry Hagman.  And it included (for the topic) a very brief distant shot of the arch of the Margaret Hunt Hill bridge.

So many have commented positively about the special open; amazing the effect a couple of hours made.

I heard that as well. They're right, the regular one wouldn't have been the way to go there because the scene right before it is where Bobby, Sue Ellen, John Ross, and Christopher see J.R.'s body in the morgue in Mexico (the viewer does not see the body but sees their faces and reactions).

[Stephane Dumas]

Unfortunately, I didn't found a better video for this one.  This is from the 1st season of WKRP in Cincinnati where it showed a quick shot of the Roebling bridge

[thenetwork]

Unfortunately, I didn't found a better video for this one.  This is from the 1st season of WKRP in Cincinnati where it showed a quick shot of the Roebling bridge

And a brief shot of I-71/US-50/Fort Washington Way heading due west towards the Brent Spence the scene where the overhead gantry flies by.

In later seasons, there is a scene in the opening which shows a BGS sign saying "Downtown Cincinnati" next to a greened-out BGS.  This was a shot of I-71 South near the not-yet-complete I-471 South exit (hence the green-out panel).

Also in Ohio. in the Drew Carey show, a lot of the freeway driving scenes were heading Northbound I-71 between Ridge Road and I-90/i-490 (thus  seeing the signs on the SB side).  Since the Jennings Freeway/SR-176 was not complete yet, you can see a glimpse of the old exit signs for Jennings Road/Denison Avenue.

[DeaconG]

The Ben Franklin bridge shows up in the opening credits of Cold Case.

[The High Plains Traveler]

My first reaction to the subject line was "Lloyd" in "Sea Hunt".

[DeaconG]

My first reaction to the subject line was "Lloyd" in "Sea Hunt".

"I picked a bad day to (consume controlled substance)!"