Hong Kong (series) - Rod Taylor (1960) - View over Wanchai, Hong Kong

The next shot appears to be a continuation of the same shot that is used for the series' opening credits, but for some reason (perhaps because of timing) was cut from the credits and then used several times as an establishing shot throughout many of the episodes. It;s the view across Wanchai from the same vantage point above the former Bowen Road Military Hospital, which can be seen in the lower portion of the image. In fact, given the extensive use of 17 Magazine Gap Road in the show, I am fairly certain this image was filmed from the podium of that building.

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.

Five Golden Dragons - Bob Cummings (1967) - Harbour view from Midlevels, Central

The next section of film takes place in and around the Central Mid-levels area - largely Magazine Gap Road and is worthy of a few posts. The first is a view from a mid-levels high rise (not identified, but judging from the angle on various buildings I would place the camera somewhere around #1 May Road).

The view starts off looking directly down onto the banks before panning right and taking in the character's taxi as it makes its way along Magazine Gap Road.

The buildings with the yellow and white colour scheme look to be the predecessor to the "Regence Royale" development along Bowen Road. Actually, if you look carefully you can see a more distant brown building to the right of there. This is the former Bowen Rd Military Hospital - now the home of Carmel School. If you click on the location information at the bottom of the post, I have pinned the marker where the car is driving.

Golden Needles - Joe Don Baker (1974) - View over Central, HK Island

Here is a familiar shot from the opening of the film that shows a view over Central from what I suspect is the Peak Road/Magazine Gap Road area. Take a good long look at this scene because my next post will show a very similar one (it could even be the same bit of film for reasons I will explain) from another film.

What can we see? Well, not much on this one because the camera pans only a small amount so most of our screen is taken up by the 1974 (or perhaps 1973, we shall see) version of the mid-levels.

You see the wire? Just below the wire is a building, or at least its roof, pointing away almost in a straight line away from the camera. This to me looks very much like the old British Military Hospital between Bowen and Borrett Roads. Though once a hospital it now houses the Carmel School (the local Jewish International school) and the Canadian International School. To its immediate left (on the other side of Borrett Road) is what looks to be the site of Island School. Island School moved there just around the time this scene was filmed, which may explain why the site looks to be newly built with the mountain side scraped away behind for part of the development.

There is actually a small lay-by on Peak Road where this shot could have been taken from but I would need to go there myself to be sure. I've pinned it as the location so if anyone is here and has a bit of time to head up there, feel free to let me know if I am right.

Other buildings that can still be seen now include the Mandarin Oriental (just to the right of the tree trunk) and below that is the former Law courts/LegoCo building soon to become the new home of the Court of Final Appeal.