The World of Suzie Wong - William Holden (1960) - The Chartered Bank, Hong Kong

The south side of Statue Square was - and still is - fronted by the various major banks. There is a point in the film when Lomax (Holden) realises he needs a bit of cash - strapped as he is as a freelance artist - so off he heads to try and get a loan. Where does he go? The Chartered Bank. Formerly known as The Chartered Bank of India Australia and China (it went on to become Standard Chartered circa 1970).

The first shot shows Holden standing on a very familiar spot (familiar to anyone in HK at least because the building in the background is the former Supreme Court building, subsequently the former Legislative Council Building and soon to reappear as a law court when the Final Court of Appeal moves there from the former French Mission building at the top of nearby Battery Path.

Both the Chartered Bank building and HSBC behind it have since been rebuilt but the Bank of China building at the far end of the row is still standing. The BOC created their new HQ on a different site (the site of the Murray Building that now - or at least a 70% new version of it - stands in Stanley).

The Private Eyes - Hui Brothers (1976) - Pedder Street, Central

Classic Cantonese comedy from the mid-70's with a catchy theme tune sung by Sam Hui. The opening titles of the film have various snap shots of buildings until stopping on this junction that is actually where Pedder Street crosses Chater Road and Des Voeux Road.

Look carefully up Pedder Street (the road that leads of to wards the top left) and you should be able to make out the Pedder Building. Look right and you can see the old General Post Office with its colonial facade. The GPO was knocked down and replaced by Worldwide House but strangely several of the old columns from the Post Office were preserved and hauled half way up Kwun Yam Shan (behind Kadoorie Farm) where they form part of some bizarre misplaced memorial - perhaps to remind everyone just how crap at preservation HK truly is.