San Juan Bautista – Not all movie fans are created equal.
There are people who like movies, people who love movies and then there are “Vertigarians” – local historian Sandy Lydon’s term for serious fans of Alfred Hitchcock’s classic movie “Vertigo.” And many of the most dedicated Vertigarians were in San Juan Bautista on Friday, Saturday and Sunday to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the movie’s filming at Mission San Juan Bautista.
“It’s like ‘Night of the Living Dead,'” Lydon said. “You’ve got all the Vertigarians coming to one place.”
And he doesn’t mean that as an insult – Lydon could be one of the most dedicated Vertigarians of all. Many visitors reported watching “Vertigo” 10 or 15 times, but Lydon estimated he’s seen it “more than 30 times, maybe even more than 100.”
It was Lydon, along with Hollister resident Donna Howe, who planned the “Vertigo” weekend, and it was Lydon again who brought a bus-full of more than 20 fans on a tour of Hitchcock sites throughout the Monterey Bay area.
The ride included the “Avenue of Tall Trees” on Highway 101, where the characters played by Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak drove on their way to the mission; the Resetar Hotel in Watsonville, where Novak stayed during filming; and New Brighton State Beach, where University of California, Santa Cruz Professor Mary Silver explained the science behind the Capitola bird frenzy that inspired “The Birds.”
As the tour progressed, fans seemed eager to share their knowledge and thoughts about the film – and the movie seemed to mean different things to each of them. One fan argued that “Vertigo” is really a film about the absence of God. For Oakland resident Jesse Warr, on the other hand, “Vertigo” is really a feminist critique of traditional female roles. The film criticizes Stewart’s on-screen obsession with and manipulation of Novak’s character, Warr noted.
“Hitchcock knew exactly what he was doing,” he said.
Warr had a professional reason to join the tour because he runs his own tour company, A Friend in Town, and he offers “Vertigo” tours that travel from San Francisco to San Juan Bautista.
Hal Armstrong had no such excuse for his flight from North Carolina. He admitted it seems like an irrational decision.
“But I really like Northern California, too, and it worked out well with work and vacation,” Armstrong said. “There were a lot of factors.”
The weekend’s events raised money for the mission, particularly at a fundraising dinner where the guest list included Pat Hitchcock O’Connell, Alfred Hitchcock’s daughter.
Organizers won’t know until Thursday how people donated, Howe said. But the event was a success, and she recalled being moved when the audience gave O’Connell a standing ovation.
“It was really wonderful,” Howe said.
Lydon said he also hoped to draw attention to Hitchcock’s many connections to San Benito County and the Central Coast, including the fact that the director lived in Scotts Valley. There may be future “Vertigo” events and even a festival bringing together all of Hitchcock’s films set in or inspired by the area, Lydon said.
“This time around, I don’t think everyone in the community quite grasped what we were doing,” he said. “If there’s another event, I’d hope to have more community involvement, not just in terms of people but also in terms of the space.”
Despite all the fundraising and touring, Lydon said the weekend’s highlight remains the film itself. Specifically, he was thrilled when movie goers filled the mission’s pews to watch a screening of “Vertigo” Friday night.
“This has been a dream of mine for 10 years to show this movie right here,” Lydon told the audience as he pointed to the mission floor.
