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Thursday, April 23, 2020

Foxbat - Henry Silva (1977) - Former 36 Repulse Bay Road, Deepwater Bay

So, during the COVID19 lock down (though HK hasn't been as locked down as the UK) I have been re-looking at Foxbat (last covered back in 2017) courtesy of the bluray version. The additional resolution has allowed me to find a few more previously unidentified places, and this location was a real stumper.

Recall that in the film this property is supposed to be located at the top of Craigmin Road on the Peak because all the shots of people and cars approaching the property were filmed there. However, that was most definitely a red herring because it turns out this property was in fact located on the headland that sits between Deepwater Bay and Repulse Bay.

It's a great looking property and I haven't bothered investigating when it was built but suffice to say it has since been demolished and turned into a small collection of luxury houses, collectively called "Sunbeam", at 36 Repulse Bay Road.

If anyone can tell me who used to live here or anything else interesting about the place, please feel free to leave a comment or email me.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Was there another very similar house visible in the film? It looks like there are two hacienda-style houses with turrets in the picture below taken from Island Road (http://credo.library.umass.edu/view/zoom/mufs001-hk-i0146)

I think today the largest house stands No. 36 and the smaller houses are collectively No. 36A. Might this house in Foxbat have been 36A? Rodney

Phil said...

no, only this one. Although they used a completely different house for the interiors. In the film, this house is supposed to be on the peak.

Phil said...

Yes, the large house was on the site of the smaller ones as you mention. The location of the current large house was an empty plot at the time - I assume the garden? - and the next development along was located at #38. #38 is the closer of the two hacienda-style houses on your image i.e. centre frame.

Anonymous said...

The old house at No. 36 was rented by Esso Standard Oil HK for its chairman, F C Westphal according to https://industrialhistoryhk.org/fred-westphal-the-american-oil-taipan-from-new-orleans-who-helped-to-power-hong-kong/

Thanks for the clarification about No. 38 - it was a lowrise apartment block when I used to drive by. From late 1980s aerial photos, it looked like No. 38 was still standing when the current 36 & 36A development was completed in '87.

Rodney

Phil said...

Nice find. That article mentions the house was owned by the Aw family (of Tiger Balm).

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