The Ghosts of San Francisco

Winner at the New York Jazz Film Festival and winner at the Mokkho International Film Festival for "Best Song in a Short Film", our film features a song written by R. Christian Anderson (lyrics) and John Thomas Bullock (music). Sung by Motown recording artist Chris Clark. The film depicts the effects of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire. The lyrics of the song also apply to old friends and favorite places which have now faded into memory.

  • R. Christian Anderson
    Director
    Manhattan Montage, Tea and Destiny, Defcon 2012
  • Grover James Taylor
    Producer
    Defcon 2012, Sugarfoot Photo Shoot, Lost Broadway
  • Chris Clark
    Vocalist
    Lady Sings the Blues, When the World Came to San Francisco, Mahogany
  • R. Christian Anderson
    Lyrics
    Manhattan Montage, Tea and Destiny, Defcon 2012
  • John Thomas Bullock
    Music
    The Ghosts of San Francisco
  • Genres:
    jazz, motown, soul, blues
  • Runtime:
    6 minutes 54 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    October 30, 2015
  • Production Budget:
    7,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Student Project:
    No
  • de Young Fine Arts Museum
    San Francisco
    United States
    October 30, 2015
    World Premiere
  • New York Jazz Film Festival
    New York City
    United States
    November 13, 2016
    Winner - Mixed Genre Jazz Film Award
  • The BeBop Channel Content Festival
    New York City
    United States
    June 4, 2020
    Official Selection
Distribution Information
  • Telegraph Landing Productions
    Country: United States
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - R. Christian Anderson

Born in Los Angeles and raised in Hollywood, his passion for film came at an early age. His mother, Lita, was a radio personality for station KMPC, at the time a music and entertainment station. He was performing on live radio in commercials by the age of 3. She took him to many movie premiers on the boulevard that she covered in her broadcasts, so he was able to meet many stars of the time while still a small child, among them Lucille Ball, Celeste Holm, Dick Powell, June Allison, cowboy star Lash LaRue, Sally Forrest and celebrity psychic "Criswell."

At the age of 9, his mother married Raymond D. Bowman, a jazz and classical music impresario and noted music critic who taught and encouraged Christian to write. His step-father later owned an art gallery in Beverly Hills where he was inspired by the artists showing there, including Innocenzo Daraio, Mae Babitz, Leonora Cetone Starr, and the late Edgar Payne. At age 12 he met legendary dance pioneer Ruth St. Denis, who encouraged his love of art and shared her life and career with him.

In 1969 Christian volunteered to serve in the United States Air Force where he was trained as an illustrator and designer. He created orientations and briefings with the 62nd Military Airlift Wing (MAC), where he was also a member of the Honor Guard. He later worked on military training films with the Aerospace Audiovisual Service (MAC), and worked with one of the first units to produce films on video tape, rather than film stock. He received an Honorable Discharge for his service.

By 1973 he moved to San Francisco where he freelanced as a graphic designer, creating numerous posters, brochures, print ads and collateral materials over the next couple of decades.

He spent two years in Springfield, Ohio where he was active in live theater. During the 1980 season at the Springfield Civic Theater, he performed in two plays, Agatha Christie's "Mousetrap" in the part of "Christopher Wren" and played the lead role of "Charles Condomine" in Noel Coward's comedy "Blythe Spirit". Both plays required him to speak in an English accent.

He lived in New York City in during the spring of 1984 and worked for an noted entertainment manager. It was during that time he was fortunate to meet several people he admired in film. Among them Martin Scorsese, Robert DeNiro, Treat Williams, Martin Scorsese, Shelley Winters, Anthony Franciosa, Joe Pesci, and Martin Balsam, respectively. This experience further inspired his passion for film.

During the 1990s he returned to college to obtain a degree in Multimedia and was then employed by two major advertising agencies in the San Diego area. He also gave tours at the San Francisco Opera House, worked as a classical music manager in a music store, and spent a season working with the Houston Symphony Orchestra in the Operations Department. He began freelancing as a writer and had several magazine articles on music and film published during this time.

By the 2000s, he turned to ghost-writing screenplays before finally directing his first feature-length film "Defcon 2012" in 2008. He is also a composer and song lyricist and co-wrote the song "The Ghosts of San Francisco," for the film "When the World Came to San Francisco", the music video of which won the "Mixed Genre Jazz Film Award" at the New York Jazz Film Festival" in November, 2016.

He is married and lives in Las Vegas, Nevada. He continues to write, compose, and direct films. He is a member of ASCAP.

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Director Statement

I've been a fan of legendary Motown singer Chris Clark since 1966. How blessed I am to be her personal friend today. She did an incredible job singing our original song for this film.