Maps of Movies
Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927)
Where Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans says it takes place, and where it was really shot.
A story set 'anywhere at any time' was built in California: a mountain lake for the village and a whole city made on a studio lot.
View on the map
Scenes and places
The summer visitors arrive
The film opens on a crowd of summer holidaymakers arriving, the season that brings a woman from the city to a lakeside town. The title card says this song of a man and his wife could be heard anywhere at any time.
Set in Seaside arrival (no named place) — City holidaymakers arrive for the summer, shown before the story moves to the lakeside town.
A public beach on Coronado Island, near San Diego.
Filmed at Coronado Beach, California — The opening beach shot was filmed here. Google Maps · Apple Maps
How to get there:
The lakeside town
A woman from the city lingers in a lakeside town for weeks. The farming couple who live there are no longer happy, and the husband neglects the farm for her.
Set in Lakeside village (no named place) — The small lakeside town where the woman from the city lingers for weeks.
A reservoir lake in the San Bernardino Mountains, east of Los Angeles.
Filmed at Lake Arrowhead, California — The village scenes were filmed here. Google Maps · Apple Maps
How to get there:
The whistle and the moonlit marsh
After dark the woman whistles from the fence outside the farmhouse, and the Man, torn, finally goes to her, leaving his wife alone with memories of better times. In the moonlight she urges him to sell the farm and come to the city, and tells him how to get rid of his wife.
Set in The farmhouse and reed marsh (no named place) — After dark the woman whistles from the fence outside the farmhouse, and the man goes out to meet her in the moonlight.
A farmhouse and reed marsh built for the film; the sources give no filming location for these scenes.
The boat across the lake
The Wife suspects nothing when her husband suggests an outing, but as they set off across the lake she grows suspicious. He prepares to throw her overboard, but when she pleads for mercy he cannot do it, and rows frantically for shore.
Set in The lake (no named place) — The Man rows the Wife out across the lake.
The lake scenes belong with the village scenes shot at Lake Arrowhead; no source names the boat shots separately.
Filmed at Lake Arrowhead, California — The village and lake scenes were filmed here; the boat shots are assumed to be on the same lake. Google Maps · Apple Maps
How to get there:
The trolley to the city
The Wife flees onto a trolley, and the Man follows, begging her not to be afraid of him. The trolley carries them into the city, where he tries to win her back with flowers and bread.
Set in The trolley line (no named place) — The Wife boards a trolley and the Man follows her, begging her not to be afraid.
The sources give no filming location for the trolley ride.
The big city
The couple step out into the city streets, touched by a bride entering a church, and follow her inside to watch the wedding. The Man breaks down and asks for forgiveness, and after a tearful reconciliation they have their photograph taken and visit a funfair.
Set in The big city (no named place) — The city street, church, photographer's studio and funfair where the couple are reconciled.
A whole city street set was built at Fox Hills, later Movietone City, and is now part of Century City.
Filmed at Fox Hills artificial city set (later Movietone City), West Los Angeles — The city exteriors were shot on a set built here; the coordinate is the later Fox Studio Lot site, not the set itself. Google Maps · Apple Maps
How to get there:
The storm on the lake
As darkness falls the couple board the trolley for home and drift back across the lake in the moonlight. A sudden storm causes their boat to begin sinking.
Set in The lake (no named place) — The couple drift back across the lake under the moon until a sudden storm hits.
No source names where the storm scenes were filmed.
Characters
- The Man — A farmer who has neglected his farm for a woman from the city.
- The Wife — His wife, who lives on the farm with their child.
- The Woman from the City — A city woman vacationing in the lakeside town for weeks.
Questions answered on the map
- Where was the lakeside village in Sunrise really filmed?
- Where is the big city in Sunrise?