Supermen Against the Orient - Robert Malcolm (1973) - Kai Tak Airport Part 3, Kowloon

A final post from this film until I can figure out one more tricky location. Anyway, it's a few more shots of the apron around the Kai Tak runway as the three protagonists enter a Singapore Airlines plane in a not-so conventional manner. The plane spotters and Kai Tak fans among you will apreciate the view of the HAEC hangar in the second frame.

Supermen Against the Orient - Robert Malcolm (1973) - Nathan Road, Mongkok

Remember we were just talking about Wu Sang House in Mongkok and it being the first revolving restaurant in HK? Here's the reminder. Anyway, look carefully and you can see the same building with its circular top in the background of the top two pictures below. This places us somewhere near Mongkok along Nathan Road and I *think* it might be the junction with Hamilton Street, but am not 100% sure at the moment. I'm still looking for further clues to confirm one way or the other.

Looking west along Hamilton St?

NE corner of Hamilton and Nathan?

Supermen Against the Orient - Robert Malcolm (1973) - Kai Tak Airport Part 2, Kowloon

A second trip to Kai Tak in this film shows us some of the interior. We've seen those stairs before somewhere. I must admit that despite using Kai Tak on several occasions in the mid to late 90's I can't remember much about the inside of the terminal - however, I'm sure even by the time I first used it, it must have changed significantly since this film was made.

Supermen Against the Orient - Robert Malcolm (1973) - Tso Wo Hang Jetty, Sai Kung

The start of the film takes place in Sai Kung as a drug deal is interuppted by some kung fu cops at a remotye jetty. As the two criminal factions do their deal by the waterside, the cops jump out from their concealed location and take on all comers. It was all filmed at a jetty in front of Tso Wo Hang village, just off Tai Mong Tsai Road along the northern shore of Port Shelter in Sai Kung.

Supermen Against the Orient - Robert Malcolm (1973) - Shau Kei Wan, Hong Kong

Although most of this film appears to have been filmed on studio sets, there are the odd moments when the crew ventured out to capture the real Hong Kong. This scene was taken at the eastern side of Shaukeiwan typhoon shelter.

The pointy hill at the back of the fourth screen grab is Devil's Peak. The buildings at the back are in the Cha Kwo Ling/Kwun Tong areas. You can still get to this spot today but you have to get to it through the (excellent) Museum of Coastal Defence. This section of the typhoon shelter is where the (supposed but probably not) old HMS Tamar anchor is sited. GoogleEarth has a fairly decent match - albeit greener and more built up.

Supermen Against the Orient - Robert Malcolm (1973) - Kai Tak Airport Part 1, Kowloon

Like many of the films we see on this blog, Kai Tak gets a look in both from the outside and the inside. Here is the outside view as a Singapore Airlines plane comes in to land.

Supermen Against the Orient - Robert Malcolm (1973) - Yau Ma Tei Typhoon Shelter, Kowloon

In the final opening credits post we get a brief glimpse of the old typhoon shelter in Yau Ma Tei. The view here shows the northern end with Cherry Street on the left as the northern limit of the shelter. The reclamation that can already be seen along Ferry Street (running along top of picture) was the formation works for what would become the West Kowloon Corridor. The white building top centre left is the Kwong Wing building and is one of the remaining buildings still found in the area.

Despite being referred to as Yau Ma Tei Typhoon Shelter, strictly speaking this section is in the vicinity of Mongkok and Tai Kok Tsui. It's all been filled in now and this exact spot now supports Park Avenue and Ho Fui Court residential developments.

Supermen Against the Orient - Robert Malcolm (1973) - Midlevels, Central

Another view from the credits, this time hovering above the mid levels in front of Century Tower and Granville House - both situated right next to the peak tram track around May Road and both still around surprisingly. Look carefully and you can see the tram track going up the hillside in the middle of the top picture.

Supermen Against the Orient - Robert Malcolm (1973) - Aberdeen Harbour, Hong Kong

Some more views from the opening credits (obviously it's the most interesting part of the film, trust me, it is), this time from Aberdeen. The view below is from the western end of the harbour and you can just see the former power station far right (now South Horizons).

Then there is a quick glimpse of the various floating restaunats and the sequence ends at the other end of Ap Lei Chau looking at the various old boat yards.

Supermen Against the Orient - Robert Malcolm (1973) - Mongkok, Kowloon

We also get a brief glimpse of Mongkok during the credits. It's a very quick shot of the junction between Argyle Street (running vertical at centre right) and Nathan Road and we can see the HSBC building and Wu Sang House next door. We're looking from east to west in this shot so in reality Wu Sang House is directly south of the HSBC building. The circular structure at the top of Wu Sang House was (apparently) Hong Kong's first revolving restaurant, opening in the 60's and operating into the 90's.

Supermen Against the Orient - Robert Malcolm (1973) - The Peak, Hong Kong

For those who don't know what the old Peak viewing tower looked like, here is a great shot of it. Also in the top shot, behind the tower you can see the small domes of the former Peak Mansions. I don't know about you but I much prefer this old building compared to what replaced it. We saw a similar view taken in 1978 for the Spiderman special.

Supermen Against the Orient - Robert Malcolm (1973) - Happy Valley, Hong Kong

More from the jumpy opening credits. This time we get to see a rather oddly angled shot taken over causeway bay looking towards the Happy valley racetrack. I get the feeling that the cameraman didn't like heights and was bit nervous hanging out of a helicopter to get his film.

Supermen Against the Orient - Robert Malcolm (1973) - Central Harbourfront, Hong Kong

Talking of the Central Harbourfront as we just were, the next film to be given the blog treatment is a 1973 Italian production with the name of Supermen Against the Orient, although its Italian title is Crash! Che botte... strippo strappo stroppio. The film centres around a US Agent (Malcolm) sent to Bangkok and then Hong Kong in search of some kidnapped compatriots. Given the fact that the film was shot in both places I find it a bit strange that more wasn't made of Hong Kong as a backdrop. As it turns out most of the best locations appear in the rather choppy opening credits, so the next few posts will feature these. Starting with the Central waterfront.

The picture quality means there's not much to make out, but we do get some closer helicoptered shots around Jardine House (then called the Connaught Centre).

The base of the building still shows signs of construction, although this may have just been the concrete garden/water features being built rather than the building itself (which supposedly opened for business in 1972).