The Taxi Driver - David Chiang (1975) - The Hong Kong Macau Ferry Wharf

The head robber and girlfriend make an attempt to flee Hong Kong for Macau via the ferry terminal. So it's all hands on deck as the fleets of taxi drivers descend upon the place to help prove that Chen is innocent.

Hong Kong (series) - Rod Taylor (1960) - Central Waterfront, Hong Kong

Jumping Dragon's aircraft themed plot means we are treated to a rather nice aerial sequence that takes in the waterfront from Central to Sheung Wan. It was a bit reminiscent of the opening credits of Love is a Many-Splendored Thing but viewed from the opposite direction. For a modern orientation you can look at the first image and spot the two-tone building centre screen. This was the Marine Dept HQ and stood on the site now occupied by Infinitus Plaza (previously known as Vicwood Plaza). The lower image gives a good view of the old Macau Ferry piers. I'm sure there is someone out there who can recognize which ferries were docked at the time, so if you know, please feel free to leave a comment.

Spearhead in Hong Kong - Stafford Gordon (1981) - Hong Kong Macau Ferry, Sheung Wan

A return trip to Macau for Sgt Bilinski as he heads into the ferry terminal during episode 3: Another Happy Day. This time we can see the Rumsey Street car park in the background. It's about the only thing left around here.

Spearhead in Hong Kong - Stafford Gordon (1981) - Hong Kong Macau Ferry, Sheung Wan

Sergeant Bilinski is a bit of a naughty man and heads off to Macau to fuel his gambling habit. The scene here is a little reminiscent of The Man with the Golden Gun, although Roy Holder is going in whereas Roger Moore was coming out.

This was still before the Shun Tak Centre had been built and it looks as though not much had changed between 1974 and 1981. Look carefully at the top of the first image and you can just make out the two-tone brick work of Western Market.

China Rose - George C. Scott (1983) - Ferry Terminal, Macau

Just when you thought we had left Macau for good, the scene of the hydrofoil arriving at port in HK was actually filmed back in Macau! The giveaway is the view of the Governor Nobre de Carvalho Bridge in the background - at a time when it could still be easily seen from the ferry terminal. I'm not sure why they filmed this bit back in Macau, but I am wondering if the crew couldn't get a permit (or it was too expensive for what was a TV movie) to film at the HK-side.

China Rose - George C. Scott (1983) - Hong Kong Macau Ferry Terminal, Hong Kong

The film leaves Mainland China (i.e. Macau) for a brief moment as the two protagonists make their way to Hong Kong to follow up a lead. The establishing shot of the hydrofoil approaching the ferry terminal gives us a nice view of the waterfront along the western part of HK Island. Obviously this was made before the Shun Tak Centre towers were built - the eastern one opening the following year in 1984.

Blackhat - Chris Hemsworth (2015) - Hong Kong Macau Ferry Terminal, Sheung Wan

Prior to the raid on the bad guy's hideout in Shek O, the gang all jump aboard police helicopters that are parked on the helipad on the roof of the HK->Macau ferry terminal. Usually this place is used for the HK-Macau helicopter flights but I guess it's possible the police may take over it on the odd occasion.

In the bottom picture you can see (left to right) the 2 IFC, The Centre and far right the unmistakable side of the Shun Tak centre with its red trim. Of course the ferry terminal is part of the first few floors of the Shun Tak and the helipads are located on top of the piers that extend into the harbour.

Macao - Robert Mitchum (1952) - Tak Shing Ferry to Macau

Three years before we saw the Tak Shing in full colour glory courtesy of Clark Gable and Soldier of Fortune, it was featured in Mitchum's Macao as the ferry supposedly taking him and his cohorts to the enclave. The only difference between 1952 and 1955 seems to be that the ferry had a lick of paint on its hull before appearing on Soldier of Fortune in full colour.

 

Of course, Mitchum and co didn't actually travel on this ferry at all. All their scenes were filmed back in the studio in front of the back-projected footage expensively procured by Dick Davol, but it's nice to see he did get some decent footage of this famous Macau ferry boat.

Soldier of Fortune - Clark Gable (1955) - Tak Shing Ferry to Macau

I have been re watching Soldier of Fortune recently (following on from the post concerning Ronald Chow) and found a few more grabs that are worthy of including such as this brief glimpse of the Macau<>Hong Kong Ferry: Tak Shing.

I don't have any information about the vessel other than that it was a real ship that toiled between Hong Kong and Macau. In the film it is the ferry that Hayward's character, Mrs Hoyt, catches to Macau and witnesses the arrest of Richard Loo's character by Communist sailors.

I did notice that the ship gets a mention on this thread over on Gwulo (and I have added a picture to the thread) and Thomas Ngan - frequent saviour of my identification exploits here - has mentioned that Ian Fleming traveled on the ferry when he visited HK.

Okay, it's not a film location as such (well, I guess it is a mobile one) but worthy of including here.

Love is a Many-Splendored Thing - William Holden (1955) - Hong Kong - Macau Ferry Pier, Sheung Wan

A closer view of the old ferry terminal (if you can use that term to describe what it used to be) and we get a slightly better view of one of the ferries - although it's not the one that Suyin gets on board. First we have the view over to the other boat. 

I'm sure someone out there can tell me which one it was ;-). The following pictures show a life ring with the name Fat Shan on it. We've seen the Nam Shan and the Wah Shan on this blog before but I'm not sure we have come across the Fat Shan before, despite the fact that it was a fairly well known vessel. Sadly we don't get to see it anyway as the camera seems to be filming from on board the ship - as you can see from the bottom image.

Shatter - Stuart Whitman (1974) - Hong Kong Macau Ferry Terminal, Sheung Wan

The last Shatter post until I can get a few of my unknowns identified. This one is pretty much the last scene anyway and shows Ti Lung together with Whitman and Cushing at the pontoons of the Hong Kong and Macau Ferry Terminal as the former duo arrive back from their mission to Macau.

Of course this whole area was redeveloped into the rather significantly taller Shun Tak Centre, but the newer pontoons aren't too far from this earlier location.

Note the Far east Hydrofoil pontoon at the back, this was the company owned by the STDM (Societe de Tourismo de Macau - the company that had the Macau gaming monopoly for so many years) set up by Stanley Ho and Henry Fok.

Tai Shan ferry behind Ti Lung 

Note the "Tai Shan" ferry behind Ti Lung and the "FEH" liveried hydrofoils in the other pictures. The first Jetfoils (manufactured by Boeing) weren't introduced to HK until the following year - 1975.

That Man Bolt - Fred Williamson (1973) - HK Macau Ferry Terminal, Sheung Wan

Seeing as we were just talking about the Ferry terminal, then why not take a quick look.The hydrofoil that we just saw leaving HK for Macau suddenly does an about turn and arrives back in HK. Amazing!

As you can see the hydrofoil goes past one of the larger slow passenger ferries, the Wah Shan, before tying up against the ferry pier. The old pier/terminal we have seen a couple of times on this blog previously (for example in The Man with the Golden Gun and Flatfoot in Hong Kong) but this film beats them by a couple of years.

I'm sure this brings back some memories for anyone who lived in or visited the place prior to the Shun Tak Centre being constructed because that's pretty much what sits on this site now.Is that larger ferry the Wah Shan? If we assume the filming of this scene was done with reasonable continuity then I guess it should be but, to be honest, these outside scenes showing the wider angle could have been filmed at anytime. Perhaps there is a HK<>Macau Ferry expert who can confirm the name of that ship?

Anyway, getting closer, we see Bolt and his RHKP escort leave the terminal building and get into a car before driving off.

Flatfoot in Hong Kong - Bud Spencer (1975) - Hong Kong Macau Ferry Pier, Sheung Wan

Here's a place we've seen before - it featured on the previous year's effort starring Roger Moore. In this sequence we see Rizzo following Chaplin's mysterious character to Macau and therefore catch glimpses of the old ferry terminal and the car park in front that have long since been replaced by the Shun Tak Centre. We also get a quick glimpse at one of the old ferries called the "Nam Shan".

The Man with the Golden Gun - Roger Moore (1974) - HK->Macau Ferry, Sheung Wan

Well, seeing as I mentioned this place yesterday I figured we may as well post it up properly. Of course these days the huge Shun Tak Centre sits on top of the site and the view down Connaught Road is no longer open due to the construction of the flyover (which means these days you can only see Western Market with great difficulty).