Filmed Here: ‘When Harry Met Sally…’
Travel Blog • Eva Holland • 02.03.09 | 3:47 PM ET
Movie tourism: to some, it may be an embarrassing, empty and needy exercise. But to me, it’s at worst a harmless detour from more weighty travel fare, and—in a best-case scenario—can even be a surprisingly illuminating way of looking at the world. By chasing the spots where ghosts of film crews past still linger, you can find yourself stumbling on unexpected treasures, or seeing well-worn landmarks in a new light.
I’ve dabbled in the practice before, but this year I’ve decided to get serious. During my present stay in New York City, and beyond, I plan on seeking out some major movie-making landmarks, and (naturally) sharing my findings here.
And where better to open an occasional series on movie tourism hot spots than Manhattan’s Katz’s Deli, of When Harry Met Sally fame?
Quibblers, hold your fire—I’m well aware that several other movies have been filmed at Katz’s. And yes, I even know that it was a landmark long before Hollywood came calling; the deli had already passed its 100th birthday when Harry and Sally arrived for their fateful pastrami sandwiches. But let’s face it, when most people outside Manhattan think of Katz’s Delicatessen, they think of one thing only: the fake orgasm heard ‘round the world.
I had heard that Katz’s has become something of a tourist trap, and I wanted to see for myself how loudly the place was trumpeting its Meg Ryan connection. So earlier this week I slid my plastic tray onto an empty table and settled in for lunch. The deli was larger than I expected, but was otherwise exactly as I remembered it from the movie. I did a quick check of the staff uniforms: no mention of Harry or Sally printed anywhere. Of course, there was a sign hanging above the famous table (pictured) urging customers to “have what she had!” and stills from the movie were mixed in with the photos of famous customers that line the walls. At one point, a giggling girl sitting near me asked her boyfriend to snap a photo while she placed her order. But beyond that? Nothing to separate it from any other vintage deli.
(If you think Katz’s is a movie-tourism-hellhole, you should try Edinburgh’s Elephant House on for size sometime. Made legendary by its “Harry Potter” connection—J.K. Rowling wrote much of the first book there—it certainly won’t be home to more budding novelists anytime soon. That is, unless they need tourist hordes and complete chaos to get their creative juices flowing.)
All in all, I was impressed by the deli’s restraint in milking its Harry and Sally heritage. Thanks to that restraint, the place still feels real, not at all like a theme park; I could pretend, for a few minutes, that Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan might sit down next to me, bickering, at any moment.
Embarrassing and empty? Maybe. But I had fun—and hey, my matzo ball soup wasn’t bad, either.
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Sophie 02.03.09 | 5:25 PM ET
I went to Katz’s with my husband and an old friend. The waiter said, “You should THANK GOD for having two such handsome men to eat with.” And when my friend ordered a vegetarian meal, the waiter said, “You know who else was a vegetarian? HITLER! HITLER was a vegetarian!”
Julie 02.03.09 | 5:29 PM ET
Eva- Be sure to check this site out if you haven’t seen it already:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/film/html/index/index.shtml
and specifically,
http://www.nyc.gov/html/film/html/locations/location_home.shtml
which has current and past locations and info about movies filmed in NYC.
And have fun!
Eva Holland 02.03.09 | 6:19 PM ET
@Sophie Nope, no sanitized deli/theme park here! :D
@Julie Thanks! Those links are invaluable. I may have to buy you a beer or three.
Nancy D. Brown 02.03.09 | 6:30 PM ET
I liked the movie “When Harry Met Sally” and I’m one of those fools who’d like to visit the deli in NY and snap my picture in the booth.
Sounds like we need to have you visit the University of Oregon in Eugene where Animal House was filmed. Besides a gorgeous campus with ivy-covered buildings and the beautiful Willamette River, the Journalism school has a very good program. Of course, you’re probaby too young to remember Animal House.
Maybe you know us from our Donald Duck mascot? Go Ducks!
Eva Holland 02.03.09 | 6:44 PM ET
Nancy, I’d love to someday!
“Of course, you’re probaby too young to remember Animal House.”
Are you kidding? :D I think every guy in my college dorm had that poster of Belushi with the COLLEGE sweater and the bottle of (SoCo? Johnnie Walker? I forget).
Sophia Dembling 02.04.09 | 10:32 AM ET
BTW, for more Meg Ryan movie tourism, they filmed a scene from You’ve Got Mail at Cafe Lalo on the Upper West Side.
NJ 02.05.09 | 7:48 AM ET
Hi Eva,
Firstly let me congratulate you for your contributions here. They make a really good read.
About the concept of movie (induced) tourism, I feel it has a strange ability to make a very common location seem very attractive. Partly because of the way it is showcased and also because some of the famous people have set foot there!
I have a soft corner for this topic as it was the topic for my masters dissertation (research project) which I completed just last year. I had explored the aspect of movies as a motivation for tourism.
During my research I came across various sites that actually provide vast information about movie locations. Probably you may already know this, but http://www.movie-locations.com/ is a huge store house of all the info you may need for your further explorations!
All the best.