 Real locations in San Francisco and Oakland were used, even for  interiors. The house depicted in the film, however, is not actually  located on Polk street, as it is in the story. Much of Polk street  had been remodeled around the time Stroheim took his company to San  Francisco, and he decided that it looked too modern for the film.  The company selected a building on the corner of Halyes and Laguna  and completely took it over. The building still stands.