Benson - Robert Guillaume (1984) - Kowloon Peninsula

 As is expected of an overseas production filmed in Hong Kong, we get the obligaotry view of a plane landing at Kai Tak. In Benson the view is a super zoomed one from Hong Kong Island as a plane flies low over Kowloon on its approach. The lens then zooms out to reveal the Tsim Sha Tsui peninsula and its various landmarks.

Benson - Robert Guillaume (1984) - Matheson Street, Causeway Bay

Unfortunately many of the shots in Benson that might be quite interesting are flashed quickly and due to the poor quality of the image, I doubt I would be able to identify most any, however, one of the shows this view of a tram trundling along what is now the northern section of Matheson Street next to the old Russell Street tran depot sheds (seen in the background). This place is now, of course, filled up by Times Square and the surrounding plaza.

Benson - Robert Guillaume (1984) - View from the Peak

Here's a flashback to my own childhood growing up in the UK in the 70s and 80s. Benson was a comedy starring Robert Guillaume as Benson Dubois, a head of household for a US Governor, Eugene X. Gatling (John Noble). It turns out the Benson character was originally part of the US comedy series, Soap, which I remember my parents watching when I was a youngster. The series theme tune was an immediate trip down memory lane for me but I have no idea what year I used to watch it or whether the two episode about to be featured were ever seen by me.

Anyway, Season 6 - originally broadcast in 1984 - features a double episode (episode 6 & 7) that was shot on location in Hong Kong. There looks to be a bit of library footage scattered around during the various transitions, but in general the show appears to have been largely shot on location. The episodes are Made in Hong Kong: Part 1 and Part 2.

The show starts with the main characters preparing for a business trip to Hong Kong where a big deal is made of Clayton's (René Auberjonois) portfolio folder. This turns out to be a crucial 'Macguffin' as it mistakenly identifies Clayton as a successful, but secretive, fashion designer carrying around his latest fashion designs - something coveted by a Hong Kong based fashion villain, Ursula (Marian Mercer).

The Hong Kong part begins about 5 minutes into the initial epsiode as we are presented with the establishing scenes as the group arrive at Kai Tak. Unfortunately the copy I took these images from was most likely a digitised VHS recording as the quality is quite low (like many other bits of hard to find footage).

Bullet for Hire - Simon Yam (1991) - Caine Lane Garden, Sheung Wan

Han takes San away from Ngok's apartment and tries to escape with her, but she gets nervous and jumps out of the car on Caine Lane right next to the weirdly designed garden/playground there (it looks like someone assembled it with Duplo™ bricks). Shan catches up with them and a gunfight ensues between them and Boss's men. The film's finale takes place a the boss's house which I covered back in this post, so this is the last one for this film.

Bullet for Hire - Simon Yam (1991) - Somerset House, Tai Koo Shing

We are supposed to believe that this rooftop is the top of the building where Ngok lives with his daughter, however, this shot was filmed a short distance away from the previous establishing shot and was instead snapped at the top of Somerset House within Tai Koo Shing. This place was demolished circa 2015/2016 to make way for a much taller replacement called "One Taikoo Place". I'm not sure you would be able to convince me to stand quite so close to the edge as Lo Lieh, mind you.

The boss's other gang members have tracked the pair down anyway and a rooftop shootout ensues.

Bullet for Hire - Simon Yam (1991) - Lei King Wan Estate, Shau Kei Wan

We are back in the vicinity of the earlier killing of the Interpol peeps as we are given an establishing shot of where Ngok supposedly lives. This is a view of Site A of the Lei King Wan development along Tai Hong Street. Han goes here because he has a hunch that his buddy is still alive. They go to talk on the roof, but as you'll see in the next post, this was filmed at a separate location.

The lower image shows Han and Ngok's daughter escaping from the gunmen, but this scene was actually filmed on another part of the estate, next to Tower 15 on what is called Site D. You can tell it was here by the diagonal plane of the block in the back left of the image.

Bullet for Hire - Simon Yam (1991) - Hebe Haven Yacht Club

Boss has ordered another rival killed and Ngok is disguised as a waiter to initiate the killing. Meanwhile Han and Shan are nearby to provide cover. However, it's actually a setup by Interpol to help Ngok escape in return for him giving evidence against his boss. The location is the Hebe Haven Yacht Club.

Bullet for Hire - Simon Yam (1991) - Lion's Club Pavilion, The Peak

Elaine takes Ngok up to the Lion's Club Pavilion on the Peak to make him an offer for his cooperation.

Bullet for Hire - Simon Yam (1991) - D'Aguilar Street, Central

Ngok is driving around one night when he accidentally hits someone with his car but it turns out to be a setup orchestrated by Elaine, the Interpol agent. She threatens to arrest him but offers him the chance to help bring down the gang boss. This all takes place on D'Aguilar Street at the top of Lan Kwai Fong.

Bullet for Hire - Simon Yam (1991) - Hau Wong Road, Kowloon City

The boys' next hit is a drive-by shooting in Kowloon City. They drive north along Hau Wong Road with the wet market building in the background and gun down several men standing on the pavement.

Bullet for Hire - Simon Yam (1991) - Chater Road, Central

Still out and about enjoying themselves, the next shot was filmed on Chater Road next to Statue Square.

Bullet for Hire - Simon Yam (1991) - Hebe Haven, Sai Kung

Still living it up on their earnings, the boys take a boat out onto the waters of Hebe Haven in Sai Kung.

Bullet for Hire - Simon Yam (1991) - Tolo Highway, Tai Po

Shan starts spending some of the money he has earned from the jobs and goes and buys a new car. He then heads out with Han for a spin along the Tolo Highway just outside of Tai Po. The buildings on the right belong to the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Bullet for Hire - Simon Yam (1991) - Ma Tau Kok Road, Ma Tau Kok

Han and Shan's next job is to kill a rival gang member, but when Shan goes inside to do the deed, their inside man has been caught and tortured (with a chainsaw!). The location for this sequence was along the far eastern end of Ma Tau Kok Road outside the Newport Centre. Back left is the Ma Tau Kok gas naptha plant.

Bullet for Hire - Simon Yam (1991) - Cumberland Road, Kowloon Tong

Shan gets involved with one of the girls at the sauna and picks her up after work after paying off her debt to a local gangster. They take a taxi to Kowloon Tong which at the time was full of "Love Motels". There are still afew around but they are not quite as prolific as they used to be. The O.MAS Hotel was still around until a few years ago. I don't think it's operating anymore but the neon sign was still there during the last Google Streetview sweep. I can't remember seeing it the last time I walked this way though.

Forced Vengeance - Chuck Norris (1982) - Olympic Bridge, Causeway Bay

Prompted by the recent news of Chuck Norris' passing, long time supporter of the blog, AP, asked me if I had ever managed to locate the place where the neon sign backlit fight scene took place during Forced Vengeance. The scene is played over the opening credits but is also part of the main story later in the film as Josh (Norris) and his two female companions are desperately trying to escape the bad guys.

I must admit I hadn't actually given it any thought at the time (back in 2014 when I first covered the film, I just assumed it was a studio set up), but a brief look at the scene has made it quite clear to me that it was filmed on what is known locally as "Olympic Bridge" in Causeway Bay. The footbridge spans Irving Street and Leighton Road and has, on the face of each step, a Summer Olympic games location followed by the year it was held. If you want to know why this was done you can read this Govt press release from 2002.

Anyway back in 1981, we see Norris and co running down Yee Wo Street towards the bridge, and then, as they walk up the bridge they are obstructed by one of the bad guys and the following fight scene is silhouetted by the bright neon Vitasoy advert on the building behind.

The neon sign was hanging on the building that used to stand right on the corner where the Causeway Bay Tram terminus loops around. It looks like the sign covered the front of #90 Yee Wo Street which has long since been replaced by the Regal Hong Kong Hotel. I haven't been able to find any 80s era images of the Vitasoy signage, but earlier versions appear to have existed since (at least) the 1960s. You can see an earlier version on this Gwulo image - it's behind the tram on the left.

Anyway, RIP to Chuck Norris.

The bridge seen from Yee Wo Street

Bullet for Hire - Simon Yam (1991) - Lan Kwai Fong, Central

The assassins' favourite sauna is a frequent location in this movie. I'm not so sure of its location at the moment, but in one of the scenes they drive their car down Lan Kwai Fong on the way (no, I don't think it was there). The signboard for Post 97, a popular bar, can be seen on the left. The wall at the back on D'Aguilar Street was later partially demolished to make way for LKF Tower.

Later in the film there is a brief glimpse of the frontage of "Scotties", another famous Lan Kwai Fong bar that operated in the 1980s and 90s (see bottom image). I believe it closed in 1993, so a couple of years after this film was released.

Bullet for Hire - Simon Yam (1991) - The Lido, Repulse Bay

The exclusive club that Han always goes to, but where Shan is initially refused entry because of his attire, was located in what was the old Lido building along the beachfront in Repulse Bay.

Information on the history of this place is a bit patchy, so I've had to guess afew things, but what is known is that it was built by the Kadoorie family in 1935 as a sort of beachside resort building containing bathing booths, a restaurant and at some point a nightclub. It was a standalone building, designed in the art-deco style that was popular at the time (and for quite a while afterwards) in Hong Kong. Located at the eastern end of the beach, it was later joined by a second, similarly low-rise, building immediately to the west. I think (I'm guessing again) that may have been built when the when the site was bought and redeveloped by the Lido Development Company circa 1976. The two buildings may or may not have been referred to as the "Lido Complex", please feel free to comment below to correct any mistakes.

You can see in the images that Han's car drives along Beach Road with a white building in the background with curved roof edge. I think this is the east tip of the later development I just mentioned. Han stops outside what was the original Lido building. The sign above the door says "Lido International Resort Club" but I have no idea if it was known by this at the time or whether it was a film prop. I suspect it was the real name though.

The Lido building(s)/complex were later bought by Emperor Group (circa mid-90s) and redeveloped into a single long mall building called "The Pulse". This new development appears to take up the same footprint as the previous two buildings combined. Apparently there were some legal issues because Emperor were only given permission to build a three-storey structure and instead they slapped an additional three floors on the top, breaking their lease conditions. They got away with it by paying an additional land premium of close to HK$800 million. In HK, all problems go away with a big bag of cash.

The area we can see on the film below is in front of a traffic island that itself sits in front of 49-53 Beach Road. Both of which can be seen in the third image.

The curved wall in the background belongs to 49-53 Beach Road

Bullet for Hire - Simon Yam (1991) - Ice House Street, Central

Later that night, Han takes Shan out to spend some of their earnings. Their car, a rather nice looking Porsche 928, can be seen driving down Lower Albert Road before turning into Ice House Street next to the Fringe Club.