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Jagged Edge movie cover Movie Locations Guide

Where was Jagged Edge filmed?

1985

City Locations

San Francisco

Location Types

American/City

Location Styles

Anywhere America/City/Contemporary

About Jagged Edge

Following the brutal and violent murder of a San Franciscan heiress, Page Forrester (Maria Mayenze), her husband Jack (Jeff Bridges) is now the prime suspect, with everyone having their opinions about the high profile case.

Jack Forrester approaches attorney Terry Barnes (Glenn Close) to represent him in the murder case, but she’s reluctant. After an incident with her former boss and district attorney Thomas Krasny (Peter Coyote), she quit criminal law, but after some convincing from her quick-talking private investigator friend, Sam (Robert Loggia), she takes the case.

Quickly, as they prepare for the trial, Jack and Terry start to fall for each other. Sam warns her not to get too tied up emotionally in the case, but she’s insistent that he’s innocent. Soon after, she starts to receive letters to her house about the case with information that could only come from inside the DA’s office.

It leads her from witness to witness, eventually getting Jack off for murder. Whoever the mystery writer was, they were helping Terry find the truth… or so she thought. After some analysis, Sam and Terry discover the notes must have been written on a very specific vintage typewriter - the same typewriter that Terry spots in Jack’s apartment after the trial!

Furious that she’s been led on and manipulated, she runs. She’s about to ring Sam and tell him what’s happened when the masked murderer appears in her bedroom, jagged edged blade and rope at the ready!

Will Teddy escape? Will we find out the true murderer? Find out all this and more if you watch Jagged Edge.

Jagged Edge Locations

When it came to picking the ideal filming locations, the Jagged Edge production team had a lot of factors to think about. Aside from the courtroom scenes which make up most of the film, there were a lot of fancy houses along Malibu-style beach houses. The variety of city-scapes and beachfront property meant that California was the ideal place to film the movie.

Splitting filming between Los Angeles and San Francisco, the production team were able to show a variety of location types and really bring the heiress' life onto the screen, while maintaining all the stuffier courtroom scenes.

If you’re heading to either of these Californian cities, you’ll have a few filming locations to choose from that you can go and check out. Read on to find out where exactly your favorite Jagged Edge scenes were filmed and how you can visit them!

Pre-trial instructions scene in Jagged Edge

Montgomery Washington Tower, Chinatown district of San Francisco

Reluctantly, Teddy takes on Jack as a client. She’s not convinced that he’s innocent at this point, but as she later tells Jack, you don’t need to believe someone to represent them - that’s the legal system for you.

When she starts to prepare him for the high-profile case, Teddy lays down some ground rules for what she needs from Jack moving forward.

Teddy: “I don’t want you out in public until the trial’s over. I don’t want to see any pictures of you in the paper. I want you to look as if your life has been shattered.”

Jack: “It has been shattered.”

This particular Jagged Edge scene was filmed in Jack’s penthouse condo, which is actually located in Montgomery Washington Tower, found at 611 Washington Street, San Francisco, California.

Located in the popular and thriving Chinatown district of San Francisco, this skyscraper is now an office block, situated next to the Hilton Hotel. So, if you want a taste of Jack’s penthouse life, why not stay next door and get a feel for the area?

With it being Chinatown, there are tons of bus stops all around, especially opposite the neighboring Portsmouth Square gardens, serving a wide variety of routes. Get off here, enjoy some boba tea as you wander the area, and make sure to sample some delicious Chinese food before you leave!

Terry and Sam go to see Judge Carrigan scene in Jagged Edge

2898 Broadway, Pacific Heights, San Francisco

When Terry is still unconvinced about the case, she enlists the help of Sam, her private detective friend, to figure out whether it’s a good move or not to get involved. As they’re accepting the case, they have to go and see Judge Carrigan (John Dehner) at his residence.

Terry: “So what do you think?”

Sam: “What the f**k do I know”

Terry: “Didn’t your mother ever wash your mouth out with soap and water?”

Sam: “Yeah but it didn’t do any f**king good”

This scene was shot at Judge Carrigan's Private Residence which is actually 2898 Broadway, Pacific Heights, San Francisco, California. Located a couple of blocks away from the Presidio of San Francisco, there are plenty of things to see and do in the area.

The number 43 bus route stops a couple of roads over, and there is plenty of public parking available in the Presidio park area. From here you can see plenty of iconic San Francisco sights, including the winding Lombard Street.

Courtroom scene in Jagged Edge

1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisc

Unsurprisingly for a legal film, the majority of the action takes place in a courtroom. With the rocky history between Krasny and Barnes, it provides a lot of opportunities for witty exchanges and lawyerly knock-downs. No more so than when Terry called Julie Jensen (Karen Austin) to the stand, after a tip-off from the mysterious letter sender.

As it turns out she’d been the victim of a similar crime and the assistant DA, Greg Arnold (William Allen Young) had paid her a visit, convincing her that the crimes weren’t linked, even though they were identical. Not a smart move.

Terry: “When Mr. Arnold came back two days later, what did he say?”

Julie: “That the Baker Beach killings were not related to what happened to me.”

The courtroom scenes in Jagged Edge were all filmed at San Francisco’s City Hall, which is located at 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco, California. The building itself is a gorgeous, striking, domed building that is obviously vital in the running of the city.

You can normally get tours around this building, learning about the process of running the city and the different departments at play here. Both the number 40 and number 90 bus routes stop right outside city hall, making it super accessible.

Returning to the beach house scene in Jagged Edge

Malibu, California

When Teddy and Jack are prepping for trial, it’s important that they get every detail exactly right, so Teddy takes him back to the scene of the crime. Returning to his wife’s former beach house, we can see Jack getting more and more distressed as he recollects waking up from being knocked out and finding all the bloody carnage.

Jack: “Consuela’s door was open”

Terry: “What could you see?”

Jack: “Blood”

This opulent beachfront mansion was filmed on location in Malibu, California. The exact house is unknown, but there are countless houses all along the Pacific coast that it could be. The area is now super expensive and mostly owned by celebrities or the mega wealthy. The beaches are phenomenal though, so if you can have a wander on the public beaches and gaze longingly at these extravagant homes.

Located off Highway One, there are plenty of beachside parking lots and pull-ins that you can use. Alternatively, the 534 bus stops all through Malibu

Thomas warns Teddy scene in Jagged Edge

Stage 18, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios

Following the testimony of Julie Jenson, it becomes increasingly apparent that the jury is going to find Jack not guilty. In a tense scene in chambers between Krasny and Barnes, the former lays out the events as he sees them. That Jack was the man that attacked Julie Jenson 18 months earlier and he’s been planning this crime for almost two years.

Thomas Krasny: “Bulls**t! Don't you understand what he did? He did the identical crime eighteen months before he murdered his wife! He knew it would get him off the hook! He knew Bobby Slade was seeing his wife! That's why he committed the first crime in Santa Cruz! He threw us Bobby Slade as a suspect! He picked that woman very carefully! He knew she played tennis with Slade! He planned this for eighteen months! He is not a psychopath! He is an iceman. He is a monster.”

This monologue is super intense and one of the best scenes in the film. Many of the internal scenes in chambers, the DA offices and more were shot in a studio for ease. The actual studio was Stage 18, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios which can be found at 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California.

You can of course tour the Warner Brothers Studio - after all, it’s one of the major Los Angeles tourist attractions. You have to make sure you book your ticket well in advance, but it’s a must-visit for any movie fan.

With it being a popular destination, there is a decent parking lot and a whole host of buses that stop outside each gate of the studio complex. Depending on where you’re starting, the route may vary, but you’ll receive plenty of entry information once you book your ticket. It’s also important to remember that it’s a working studio lot, so you may be limited on where you can go, and there will be a lot of rules to follow!

Break-in scene in Jagged Edge

305 Spruce Street, San Francisco

The highly climactic final scene brings everything together in this nail-biting thriller. After discovering that it was indeed Jack who was sending Terry all the tip-offs, she’s now convinced that he is the murderer, despite having just got him off for the crime.

He breaks into Terry’s house, all in black including a ski mask, to which Terry calmly says: “I need to see your face Jack”.

He proceeds to try and attack her, but not before Terry pulls a gun and shoots him numerous times. She was not messing around here.

Teddy's house is used throughout the film and can be found at 305 Spruce Street, San Francisco, California. Located slightly further West than our last location, but still in the Presidio neighborhood of San Francisco, this Jagged Edge filming location is super accessible.

Just one street over you’ll find a bus stop for the number 1 route, and going the opposite way from the house, you’ll find a parking lot. It’s an easy filming location to reach, and it’s under a mile away from Judge Carrigan’s private residence filming location, so you can easily visit two Jagged Edge filming locations in one day.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for a nail-biting, murder mystery thriller, that’ll have you hooked until the final scene, then Jagged Edge will be right up your street. With a super young Jeff Bridges and Glenn Close bringing that steely calm that she does so well, it’s a twisty and dark movie. If you liked Fatal Attraction, this film should definitely be on your watchlist.

With the filming locations being pretty equally split between Los Angeles and San Francisco, if you’re visiting either city, you can easily get your fill of Jagged Edge filming locations.

Alternatively, plan a dual-city California adventure, and tick them all off along the way! The ultimate Jagged Edge road trip - just remember to keep your wits about you and don’t go falling in love with any clients, murderers, or any clients who also happen to be murderers. Professional hazard, I guess!