Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Target Hong Kong - Richard Denning (1953) - Central Waterfront, Hong Kong

Target Hong Kong is a bit of an anomaly for this site because so far it's the only film that wasn't actually shot here - not even partially. The low-budget film relied entirely on stock footage of HK and other places (including Shanghai) in order to convince us we are viewing HK-based action. It seems that the viewing film public in the early 50's was none the wiser and I suspect many people even now would be too.

Never mind, the stock footage still has value and historical significance including this quick scene taken at the Central waterfront. The partial roof on the right in the top photo is actually the 2nd generation of the Star Ferry Pier that was in place between 1912 and 1957. Looking at the fashion in the pictures though I would say this is possibly 1920's or 1930's vintage.


Some of you may recognise the pier at the back. It's the original Blake Pier that was removed in 1965 and was recently reconstructed over in Stanley. I say 'reconstructed' but I have no idea if the original ironwork has been used. There is a tendency for the Govt to oversell its heritage concern in this respect and it still genuinely tells people the Murray Barracks building (also in Stanley) was reconstriucted "brick by brick" when it wasn't, so I shall reserve judgement.

Just for reference, the old Blake Pier used to sit at the waterfront in front of the old General Post Office which puts it at the end of Pedder St. This equates today to roughly where Pedder St turns into Connaught Place at the junction with Connaught Road.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Hi Phil,
I was told, by the information panel outside the current Blake pier in Stanley, that metal parts sitting on top of the vertical metal columns (i.e. trusses of the roof structures) are original. I guess it was the only section that got moved to Morse Park after they ended their time in Central.

Arthur Y

Phil said...

Hi Arthur, so only the roof trusses are original? Well, I guess that is better than nothing. The comments on gwulo suggest that the pier was shortened when it moved to Morse Park, losing one of its sloped gable ends, but the double sloped gable has reappeared in Stanley.
Cheers, Phil

Post a Comment