Sunday, June 29, 2025
The Scavengers - Vince Edwards (1958) - Astor Hotel, Tsim Sha Tsui
The hotel was located on the corner of Carnarvon Road and Cornwall Avenue. Sadly the latter street was obliterated when the K11 Masterpiece was built and there is no physical trace of it anymore, other than an open, nameless thoroughfare alongside the skyscraper where the street used to be.
In the first two images below Vince Edwards is standing on the corner of Bristol Avenue,with the hotel entrance on the corner of Cornwall Avenue. Carnarvon Road runs along left of frame where the cars are lined up.
The hotel makes a final appearance at the end of the film and although Allison's arrival there looks to have been filmed on location, his departure soon after (right at the end of the film) looks to have been filmed on a set.
Saturday, June 28, 2025
The Scavengers - Vince Edwards (1958) - Hankow Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Friday, June 27, 2025
The Scavengers -Vince Edwards (1958) - View from Penha Hill, Macau
Suffice to say it was eventually located thanks to an local discussion forum called Uwants which I have used myself in the past when looking for older images of obscure areas in Kowloon and Hong Kong.
This is a now very much changed southwest view from Penha Hill in Macau looking towards a cluster of islands that have now been absorbed into the Zhuhai mainland next to Macau. The low, stone wall of the Penha Church courtyard is quite obvious in this image (and it remains the same to this day). It wouldn't surprise me at all if the stone bench seen bottom right is one of the ones still there today.
Thursday, June 26, 2025
The Scavengers - Vince Edwards (1958) - Hong Kong Macao Ferry Wharf
This film gives us a really nice view of the building that fronted the pier along Connaught Road. I've never seen it this close before. We also get some shots waterside as well as a close up of the rear of the aforementioned Tai Loy.
For modern day context, the pier was located along Connaught Road at the end of Gilman Street.
Wednesday, June 25, 2025
The Scavengers - Vince Edwards (1958) - Magazine Gap Road, Midlevels
Tuesday, June 24, 2025
The Scavengers - Vince Edwards (1958) - View from the Peak
The movie, shot in 1958 on location in Hong Kong and Macau (and in a Manila film studio), stars Vince Edwards as Stuart Allison, an ex-US soldier who, following the Korean war, is in Hong Kong as a smuggler. Just as he is about to hang up his smuggling boots he spots his estranged (and missing) wife boarding a ferry to Macau and chases after her. It turns out she is involved in some Nationalist-era bond smuggling and has become addicted to drugs. What follows is a fairly decent film noir story as he tries to save his ex-wife and make away with the bonds with a variety of bad men on his tail. One of which is the former RTHK journalist, John Wallace (full name: Geoffrey Wallace John Trodd), who shows of his acting chops as a rather nasty Brit gangster called Taggert. It appears to be a largely Filipino produced film but with an American director and stars (hence why it has an entry on the AFI catalog).
The film has some decent locations to see but many have been too difficult for me to track down due to lack of clues and the often night filter used for many scenes. However, the views are still good and the film is well worth a looksee if you like 50s era film noir. The opening sequence is a view of the harbour from atop the Peak on Hong Kong Island.
Monday, June 23, 2025
...and Millions will die! - Richard Basehart (1973) - Edinburgh Place, Central
Sunday, June 22, 2025
...and Millions will die! - Richard Basehart (1973) - The Excelsior Hotel, Causeway Bay



The area on the roof by the bar

The scarring on the hillside in the background is the start
of construction of the Lai Tak Estate.
We then get afew shots of the hotel interior as Pruit tries to escape from Gallagher. You can compare the entrance lobby lift shot to the same area a few years later for the aforementioned Pink Panther movie.




Saturday, June 21, 2025
...and Millions will die! - Richard Basehart (1973) - Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter
Friday, June 20, 2025
...and Millions will die! - Richard Basehart (1973) - Victoria Harbour
Thursday, June 19, 2025
...and Millions will die! - Richard Basehart (1973) - Aberdeen Harbour
Wednesday, June 18, 2025
...and Millions will die! - Richard Basehart (1973) - Old Aberdeen Police Station
Finally, after all these years of this old, colonial, brick Police Station appearing in countless movies as mere background, I have finally found a film that used it as a proper location. This is where Pruit goes to consult the Chief Inspector of police about what to do about the imminent gas threat. It's a shame we only get a brief glimpse of the place from one of its verandahs. The building is still around and used as a youth club called "The Warehouse".
Tuesday, June 17, 2025
...and Millions will die! - Richard Basehart (1973) - Kai Tak Airport
As Dr Pruit arrives in Hong Kong to begin his investigation we get a nice view of a Singapore Airlines plane touching down at the old airport. Note the prominent checkerboard in the background. Not so long ago someone (I'm not sure if it was Govt sanctioned or not) went and touched up the red/white squares of the south facing checkboard so it is still very much plain to see above Kowloon Tsai Park. Well worth a visit still if you get the chance. The lower images below show the local Police Inspector waiting for Dr Pruit on the upper drop off/pick up level at the old terminal building.