Forbidden Nights - Melissa Gilbert (1990) - Nam Chung, North District

Quite a few scenes were filmed around the Starling Inlet area. This place was popular for being as close to mainland "ambience" as you could get on the Hong Kong-side of the border. Or at least it was back in the 80s/90s. These days it's a bit more busy because it's seen a bit of development and is now very popular with hikers, bikers, illegal car racers and general sightseers. You may recall seeing the road in the top image during Noble House, although that view is looking the other way. This is the western side of the valley which is usually referred to generally as Nam Chung (the eastern side is Luk Keng).

Nam Chung Cheng Uk village on the right

Looking across the ponds near the Nam Chung River

Forbidden Nights - Melissa Gilbert (1990) - Sai Kung Waterfront

Shapiro and Liang have a bit of a quarrel. This was filmed along the waterfront in Sai Kung Town near the original public pier (background of top image). In the background of the lower image you can see Sharp Island.

Forbidden Nights - Melissa Gilbert (1990) - Chinese YMCA Wu Kai Sha Village

Many of the scenes set in and around the college grounds were also filmed across the bay at the Chinese YMCA village in Wu Kai Sha. The village has remained relatively unchanged since 1990 with the exception of the old chapel/hall seen in the screencaps below. This hall was later demolished and a replacement constructed on an adjacent plot. The old hall had a large cross stuck to the front above the main doors and this was dealt with by the film crew by covering it in the Chinese flag during filming. I managed to find an old image of it from the Chinese YMCA website and have put it below for comparison.

Several other scenes were also shot at the camp, including the small park where the students hang out by a statue (top image) and also by the waterfront where Shapiro and Liang secretly meet to avoid scrutiny (second image). The lower images are of the old chapel building and the sportsground in front of it. 

Ma On Shan in the background

Wu Kai Sha Public Pier, Pat Sin Leng on the right

The old chapel/hall, also seen in the background below

The old chapel/hall, since demolished Source: Chinese YMCA website

Forbidden Nights - Melissa Gilbert (1990) - St Christopher's Home, Tai Po

I alluded to a new location in my first post for this film and here it is. In the film this is the main location of Shapiro's college. The exterior courtyard and college buildings are located in what was once the St. Christopher's Home, an orphange run by the Anglican Church along Tai Po Road near Tai Po Kau.

Several years ago I was involved in tracking down a plot of land for Sean Olson, a Gwulo user who was tracing his Hong Kong roots and trying to set straight some of his incorrectly reported family history. The land was owned by some recent ancestors and was donated by them, to the church, when they left Hong Kong/passed away. There is a bit more information here. Sadly, Sean is no longer with us either, but I did manage to trace his land down and solve a bit of a mystery.

It turns out that the Anglican Church later sold the orphanage site to Li Ka-shing, who then promptly demolished the whole thing and constructed Deerhill Bay. The plot of land I helped identify appears to have been forfeited to the Government and was largely split in two when the curve in Tai Po Road here was straightened. Later on a couple of schools were built on the site of Sean's ancestral land.

Anyway, I digress. It seems that not long before it was redeveloped, the orphanage site stood in for the rural Chinese college where Shapiro taught English. The courtyard location you see below coincides with the current development's swimming pool - between the current clubhouse and block 9.

Forbidden Nights - Melissa Gilbert (1990) - Yuen Yuen Institute, Tsuen Wan

This next film is a made-for-TV biopic that details the experience of Judith Shapiro when she went to China to teach English in 1979. It stars Melissa Gilbert as Shapiro and Robin Shou as her love interest, Liang Heng (spoiler alert: later, husband), and their clandestine affair that causes all kinds of trouble for everyone. There are some interesting locations used in the film, including one which I have been familiar with for quite some time but never knew it was ever used in a film, until now. More on that in a later post.

One of the first main locations is the Yuen Yuen Institute which is used as the backdrop for Shapiro's trip to Beijing. Those familar with this place will know it contains an ornate pagoda modeled on the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. Given that this film was shot circa 1990, it's no surprise that the film makers chose Hong Kong as the substitute given the events of the previous year and the touchy film subplot (dare I even say it in the current Hong Kong political environment) concerning democracy protests. The film also has a co-starring role from Tzi Ma. Both he and Robin Shou no doubt fresh off their filming for Yellowthread Street the year prior. Tzi played Det. Eddie Pak throughout the whole series and Shou apeared in the episode The Red Pole.
 

Yellowthread Street (TV Series) - Bruce Payne (1990) - 180 Nam Shan San Tsuen Road, Sai Kung

Here's one that I should have done years ago but I only recently realised it was a location I already knew about. I uploaded the Yellowthread Street series to Youtube a while back (see here) and noticed that one episode, The Red Pole, had been blocked due to music copyright. Anyway, after a rewatch (and edit) I realised that the house where the final attack by the triad takes place is a house we have come across a couple of times on the blog before. It's the large Spanish villa that was seen in both Forced Vengeance, where it is the house of Josh's employer, and in Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story where it stands in for 41 Cumberland Road.

In this episode of Yellowthread Street, we see a bit more of the interior, especially the downstairs, compared to the exterior.

If you click through on the Forced Vengeance post you'll notice some interesting comments. One of which appears to be from the current owner/occupier of the house who mentions the swimming pool (under construction during the filming of Forced Vengeance) has been turned into a fish pond. However, I have no idea who lived there when all this stuff was filmed. Perhaps someone related to Salon Films?

Hung Hing Road - Now and Then

I recently walked some of the newly minted Hong Kong Island waterfront walk and noted that it takes you along Hung Hing Road right next to the entrance to the Cross Harbour Tunnel. Having just recently covered this bit of road for She Shoots Straight I took the opportunity to grab some modern day comparisons.

Looking east towards Victoria Park

Looking southwest with the tunnel entrance in the background.

Looking at the tunnel entrance

The cars are entering the cross harbour tunnel

She Shoots Straight - Joyce Godenzi (1990) - Lam Tei Quarry

The film finale takes place in a quarry as Mina chases Yuen Hua and Yuen Ying away from the waterfront on a police motorcycle. The brother crashes and is killed so it's left to his sister to fight Mina mano a mano. This is actually quite a good fight and you can see Godenzi throwing down with some slick moves - no wonder Sammo made a move...Anyway, it looks as though this was filmed at Lam Tei quarry.

She Shoots Straight - Joyce Godenzi (1990) - Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kowloon

Mina takes the brunt of the explosion at the grave site and is rushed to Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

She Shoots Straight - Joyce Godenzi (1990) - Sai Wan Military Cemetery

Bo (Tony Leung) is laid to rest at the Sai Wan War Cemetery. In reality, when a civil servant dies in the line of duty, they get to be buried at Gallant Garden in Wo Hop Shek. Mina spots the Viet gang boss just prior to him blowing up a bomb on the grave.

She Shoots Straight - Joyce Godenzi (1990) - Wu Kau Tang, North District

On my burnt-in subtitle version of this film, the place the Vietnamese gang lure the police to is called "Wu Gao Tam Park", but in reality it is usually referred to as "Wu Kau Tang" - a cluster of old villages just north of Tai Po and Plover Cove Reservoir. Ling arrives first to meet the "informant" and parks her car in the car park.

She Shoots Straight - Joyce Godenzi (1990) - Hong Kong University Main Building

The interiors of the police station were filmed in the old main building of Hong Kong University. This isn't the first time it has been used as a police station (reminder: To Be Number One).