Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - Adam Baldwin (2000) - View from Bowen Road

Another transition sequence, this one is over Wanchai from Bowen Road. This is a panning shot that begins by looking across to the Sun Hung Kai Centre (top image - tallest building left hand side) and pans right, passing the cylindrical Hopewell Centre, and ending on Camelot Heights on Kennedy Road below. This should give you a good idea of where the camera was located (i.e. somewhere close to the latter).

Police Story 2 - Jackie Chan (1988) - Bowen Road, Mid-levels

The small tree lined road where the bombers meet up with Ka Kui's after he has grabbed the suitcase of money is Bowen Road. The first image shows the car driving under the elevated section of Borrett Road that leads to Borrett Mansions above. The second image is at the junction with Borrett Road not that far along.

Earlier in this sequence, we get a view past Ka Kui's car looking towards the - under construction - Bank of China Tower. This was captured a little further along either Borrett Road or Bowen Road (hard to tell which one) near to the bend below the old military hospital building. The view is now obscured by #6 Borrett Road development.

Isabella - Isabella Leong (2006) - former British Military Hospital, Bowen Road

I know I said that Isabella was set and filmed in Macau but I should point out that some scenes were filmed in Hong Kong and this is one of them. It's the former British Military Hospital on Bowen Road, and in the film it's the clinic where Yan's mum goes (with a young Ma) as a pregnant teenager to undergo an abortion. There is a flashback scene early in the film that partially sets the present circumstances and Ma goes back later, as a grown man, to remember what happened on that day.

Anyway, the clue to identifying this location is the granite ledges and bases built into the brick columns - these appear to be quite unique to the BMH. These days, the BMH is largely occupied by the Carmel School - Hong Kong's only Jewish school, apparently.

Le Monocle Rit Jaune - Paul Meurisse (1964) - View from Mid-levels, Central

One of the problems with older films in Hong Kong is trying to figure out where a shot was taken from given how much the landscape and development may have changed in the following years. Take this case for example, the actors all look to be standing on either a balcony or rooftop of a building in the vicinity of Magazine Gap Road in the Central mid-levels. Looking at the first picture below, we can see the old British Military Hospital building on Bowen Road in the background and Bowen Mansion a little bit closer, giving us a fair idea of the location of the scene.

My feeling is that this was filmed somewhere around where Magazine Court stands today, but seeing as the current Magazine Court was built in 1983, if it was here it will have been in the buildings predecessor. Unfortunately I don' really have much of a clue as to what it was or how it looked so I can't confirm my guess. So feel free to pitch in if you have a better suggestion.

In the meantime here are the views looking in the other directions, or at least the best we can do given the closeness of the Paul Meurisse to the camera. The detail in the first one isn't really that great for making out individual buildings, but over his right shoulder appears to be Canossa Hospital and the developments behind it (Kam Yuen Mansion and Pine Court) which were newly built at the time of filming. We can also make out Stonecutter Island in the background and the Botanical gardens on the lower right.

The lower picture shows the fuzzy detail of TST in the distance including the just about distinguishable clocktower but lower left looks like it might be the Hilton Hotel at the bottom of Garden Road.

Soldier of Fortune - Clark Gable (1955) - Bowen Road, Wanchai - Hong Kong

Immediately prior to the scene where we see Hank Lee's (Clark Gable) stupendous house in the guise of King Yin Lei, we are treated to a quick car tour which includes a short trip along Bowen Road.

More famous these days as a jogging spot and place to go and get your pet dogs killed by the infamous Bowen Road dog killer, the place is still quite picturesque and provides a great scenic walk that provides nice and cool shade on even the hottest of days.

The top shows nice views over Happy Valley, and look closely on the second pic and you will see the roof of King Yin Lei sticking out above the trees - much as it still does today.