Trading Places: Orson Welles

aka Confidential Report
dir. Orson Welles

The Criterion Collection produced a DVD box set that includes a comprehensive re-edit that combines material taken from all the known versions of the film. Despite being assembled without the original director's participation, the Criterion version seems to be the most coherent and easy to follow of all the known versions. Given the kaleidoscopic nature of the film, and Welles' penchant to mix several different places in the same sequence, it's a daunting task to identify all of the filming locations. So far, this post only covers the Munich and Paris locations. The French Riviera and Spanish locations have yet to be investigated.

Guy Van Stratten (Robert Arden) visits Zouk (Akim Tamiroff) – Sebastianplatz 4, Munich, Germany

Van Stratten inquiring about Arkadin’s (Orson Welles) past in Paris – Rue Royal, Paris, France. The famous Maxim’s is on the left of the frame.

Van Stratten questioning another witness – Pont Alexandre III, Paris, France.

Van Stratten asking a concierge about Baroness von Nagel (Suzanne Flon) – Place des Vosges, Paris, France.

Van Stratten crossing the Place de la Concorde, Paris, France.

Van Stratten on his way to Arkadin’s hotel – Place Pigalle, Paris, France. The Hotel Royal Pigalle is now called Villa Royale.

Van Stratten talking to the two policemen who have been following him – Rindermarkt, Munich, Germany. The block has since been rebuilt, and it’s not possible to get a view of the Neue Rathaus (New Town Hall) from there.

The church behind the policeman – St. Peterskirche (St. Peter’s Church), Petersplatz 1, Munich, Germany. The church is the oldest in Munich, and its 90-meter high tower – nicknamed "Alter Peter" (Old Peter) – is one of the enduring symbols of the city.

Van Stratten rushing through the square – Am Kosttor, Munich, Germany. The fountain in the center of the square is called Wolfsbrunnen or Rotkäppchenbrunnen and is topped by a bronze sculpture of Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf.

Van Stratten is nearly run over by Arkadin’s car – Platzl, Munich, Germany. The famous Hofbräuhaus is in the background. The three-floor beer hall dating back to the 16th century is featured more prominently in Dario Argento's Suspiria.

The restaurant where Van Stratten gets goose liver for Zouk – Still searching for this location

Van Stratten's hotel – ORAG-Haus, Oberanger 9, Munich, Germany.

Arkadin’s car rushes past Van Stratten – Weinstraße at Schäfflerstraße, Munich, Germany.

Van Stratten takes refuge in a church but Arkadin finds him there – Dreifaltigkeitskirche (Trinity Church), Pacellistraße 6, Munich, Germany. This was the only church in the center of Munich which had been spared from destruction by bombs during World War II.

See also...

The Third Man

Othello

dir. Carol Reed

Many thanks to the Third Man website for clarifying many obscure points.

Holly Martins (Joseph Cotten) goes to his friend Harry Lime's (Orson Welles) apartment – Josefsplatz 5, Vienna, Austria. The building is actually Palais Pallavicini. It’s a baroque palace built and owned by the Fries family in the late 18th century but later acquired by Alfons Pallavicini in 1842.

Martins attends Lime's funeral where he meets Major Calloway (Trevor Howard) – Zentralfriedhof, Simmeringer Hauptstraße 234, Vienna, Austria.

Martins meeting with Kurtz (Ernst Deutsch) at 'Café Mozart' – Neuer Markt 8A, Vienna, Austria. There's indeed a café there now, though the real Café Mozart is located at Albertinaplatz 2. The building on the left is the Kaisegruft (Imperial Crypt), the principal place of entombment for members of the House of Habsburg.

Kurtz shows Martins where they laid down Harry Lime after his accident – Josefsplatz, Vienna, Austria. They're standing near the statue of the Emperor Josef II (incidentally, it's him who Jeffrey Jones played in Amadeus.)

Anna's (Alida Valli) apartment – Am Hof 6A, Vienna, Austria. The old building is no longer there but the rest of the square looks pretty much the same.

Martins comes to see Dr. Winkel (Erich Ponto) – Sankt-Ulrichs-Platz 2, Vienna, Austria. It’s in the courtyard but it's hard to get in there because the front door is locked. It’s actually an entirely different building from the one Winkel later comes out with his bike.

The Casanova Club – Dorotheergasse 6-8, Vienna, Austria. The club is still there though its name is no longer on the marquee.

Dr. Winkel comes out with his bike – Börsegasse 5, Vienna, Austria

Lime’s associates meeting on a bridge – Reichsbrücke, Vienna, Austria. The original suspension bridge collapsed in 1976 and a new bridge was built in its place.

An angry crowd chasing Martins and Anna – Ruprechtsplatz, Vienna, Austria. The church in the background is Ruprechtskirche.

Martins and Anna hiding in a movie theater – Porzellangasse 19, Vienna, Austria. The former movie theater is now a theater (Schauspielhaus).

The hotel where Martins stays – Hotel Sacher, Philharmonikerstraße 4, Vienna, Austria.

A cab drives Martins to a lecture – Salesianerkirche, Rennweg 10, Vienna, Austria.

Martins running from thugs towards a church – Maria am Gestade, Salvatorgasse 12, Vienna, Austria

Martins on his way to meet with Lime – Schreyvogelgasse, Vienna, Austria

Lime lurking in the doorway – Schreyvogelgasse 8, Vienna, Austria

Martins showing Calloway where Lime vanished – Schulhof, Vienna, Austria. The basin with a cherub was apparently a prop.

The kiosk that masks the entrance to the sewers – Am Hof, Vienna, Austria. The kiosk itself was a prop.

Martins comes to see Kurtz – Morzinplatz 3, Vienna, Austria. The square has been substantially rebuilt but the building still stands. The façade has been stripped of its baroque ornaments though.

The Ferris wheel – Wiener Riesenrad, Riesenradplatz 1, Prater Park, Vienna, Austria

Anna is escorted to the railway station but then refuses to leave – Franz-Josefs-Bahnhof, Julius-Tandler-Platz, Vienna, Austria. The current terminal was built in 1978.

Martins waiting for Lime in a café – Café Marc Aurel (now closed), Hoher Markt 5, Vienna, Austria. It's a stationery store now.

The police setting a trap for Lime – Hoher Markt, Vienna, Austria.

A giant shadow appears – Reitschulgasse at Habsburgergasse, Vienna, Austria. This place is not anywhere near the Hoher Markt where the police are waiting. The shadow is projected on the Stallburg. Unfortunately, the wall was covered, and it was impossible to get a good shot.

The police are lurking among the statues – Vermählungsbrunnen (Wedding Fountain), Hoher Markt, Vienna, Austria. The fountain was commissioned by Emperor Leopold I who wanted to celebrate the return of his son Joseph from the siege of Landau. The sculptures depict the marriage between Joseph and Mary by the High Priest under a bronze baldachin, supported by four large Corinthian columns.

The entrance to the sewers – Friedrichstraße at Girardipark, Vienna, Austria. There's indeed an entrance to the sewers which was closed at the time this picture was taken.

The sewers – it was partially filmed on a studio set, partially on the covered portion of the River Wien. The actual sewer appears briefly when Lime escapes across "the waterfall."

The MPs truck arrives to another entrance to the sewers – Alserbachstraße 40, Vienna, Austria. The facades of the buildings have changed.

Lime trying to get out of the sewer through the grating – Minoretenplatz, Vienna, Austria. The grating still exists but it was moved farther down the square (it's visible in my picture.)