Asia-Pol Secret Service - Wang Yu (1966) - Kellet Island

Next up is a scene filmed at Kellet Island. We see a small boat containing the gang boss approaching from the typhoon shelter before everyone gets into a car parked nearby and drive off along the causeway connecting the former island to Hong Kong. Meanwhile, Wang Yu is observing from his car parked in the Yacht Club carpark.

On the left hand side of the middle image you can see the old red-coloured B.A.T factory building that I was talking about in this post. This is important because it helps identify the next location.

Felicity - Glory Annen (1978) - Kellet Island Jetties, Causeway Bay

Felicity bids farewell to her new found love who has decided to go off on a jaunt around the oceans. The seeing off point is the wooden boardwalk on the eastern side of Kellet Island. Note the R.H.K.Y.C sign behind her on the wall.

This Time I'll Make You Rich - Brad Harris (1974) - Kellet Island, Causeway Bay

This was one of those films that was proving difficult to get hold of until I was pointed in the direction of Youtube. It's a Shaw's/Italian co-production (original title is: Questa volta ti faccio ricco!) and was made the same year as Shatter, so Shaws were fairly busy with international co-productions that year.  In fact, if you are a really keen Shaws fan, you may remember one of the scenes in the 1975 BBC Shaws documentary Fists of Fire. It captured some behind-the-scenes footage of a fight in a gymnasium shot for this film.

Brad Harris is one of the two main protagonists (the other being Antonio Sabato), although for some bizarre reason he is given the stage name "Robin McDavid". Regular readers may remember Harris' name from a  couple of German productions I looked at last year: Weiße Fracht für Hongkong and Heisser Hafen Hongkong.

Harris was one of the early 60's bodybuilding stars who made his name in toga films - similar to Steve Reeves - and went on to act (and stunt - he is a Stunt Hall of Fame inductee) for a plethora of films in various countries: German productions in the 60s, Italian productions in the 70s, and he was even in Challenge of the Tiger - a Bruce Le film released in 1980. Sadly, he just passed away in November 2017 at the sprightly age of 84. RIP Brad Harris.

Although pitched as made in Hong Kong, after watching the film it's quite apparent that the majority of exterior shots were actually filmed in Taipei in Taiwan. The HK-based locations, as we will see, were limited to just a couple of places, excluding the gym fight filmed at the Shaw studios.

The main location, seen throughout the film, is the beach area next to the Hong Kong Yacht Club on Kellet Island. Look at the right of the top picture and you can see a concrete structure that I believe is a vent for the Cross harbour tunnel. You also get a decent view of the typhoon shelter and the buildings of North Point at the back, as well as the concrete breakwater and yacht club clubhouse.

Look closely at the lower picture and you might just be able to make out the chimney of North Point power station. There is also the odd view south towards the Excelsior hotel. It's easily identifiable in these shots despite the slightly poor picture quality.

The Million Eyes of Sumuru - George Nader (1967) - Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter, Causeway Bay

There's lots to see in the next scene where Avalon's character suddenly stumbles across Nader's as he is heading back to Sumuru's island. The whole sequence takes place on the causeway that once linked Kellet Island with Hong Kong. Actually, we've seen this area previously in Suzie Wong but in this film we get a much better look at the surrounding environment.

The scene starts with the camera pointing at the water of the shelter before panning south (to the right) showing the full extent (almost) of the causeway. Notice the far East Motor Company building at the back - the same one we can see in that Suzie Wong link. This whole area was taken over as the entry/exit point for the HK-side of the cross harbour tunnel. I believe the chimneys poking up behind Avalon's head on the third picture belonged to the famous North Point Power Station. The site was later redeveloped into the City Garden development.

A rather more expansive view of the waterfront is also to be had in this scene showing Gloucester Road before the Wanchai reclamation added a whole new portion of waterfront closer to Kowloon. There's something very striking about the second picture, it's not just the buildings but the fact that you can still see the mountains at the back. Sadly, all you can see these days is just the odd bit of green poking out between the various gaps in the skyscrapers.

Finally we also get a view the other way towards Kellet Island and the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club. I don't think the building has changed that much, but of course the club gained a whole bunch of land courtesy of the reclamation. The steps that Avalon runs down looks to be the one that is still there. It looks quite new in the film though.

Yellowthread Street (TV Series) - Bruce Payne (1990) - Wanchai Aerial View

Another one of the series' cityscapes that shows off Hong Kong in all its glory. This time we have what can only be a helicoptered shot taken from above the streets of Wanchai District. The shots, which pans south, starts off over looking the HK Island-side of the cross harbour tunnel and continues across Causeway Bay area. On the first shot we can see causeway bay Typhoon shelter and the tunnel entrance below it. The flat land to the right of the shelter (in reality to the south) is Victoria Park.

 The flyover that snakes away through town is Canal Road West.

Hennessy Road starting bottom left and
Morrison Hill Swimming Pool complex bottom right

Noble House (Mini series) - Pierce Brosnan (1988) - Kellet Island Cargo Handling Basin, Causeway Bay

This is the cargo basin on the west side of Kellet Island (the eastern side is Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter) and is where we see the Sea Witch in its berth, awaiting Bartlett. Currently the place is a bit of a mess because it is part of the harbourfront reclamation that will see the MTR extended via either the South Island line (which is going to head down to Aberdeen) or the Shatin-Central link. I have no idea which bit they are excavating for at the moment, but suffice to say there won't be much of either the basin or typhoon shelter when they have finished.

 You can just see the Hong Kong Yacht Club building at the back in the lower picture.

The World of Suzie Wong - William Holden (1960) - Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter, Hong Kong

After Suzie goes missing, Lomax spends some time visiting various locations searching for her. One of those is the wall along the west side of Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter with a view over to Gloucester Road behind.

Back in 1960 you can see that the Far East Motors Limited occupied the space behind, they used to be 26 Nathan Road during the 20's and 30's but expanded here later in life. Of course in 1960 the breakwater which Holden was on (and which joined Kellet Island to Hong Kong) was a bit further east than where it is today - largely because the exact spot Holden is on now hosts the HK-side entrance to the cross-harbour tunnel. This part of Gloucester Road is now taken up by various buildings Top Glory Tower and the Sino Plaza. Here is a Streetview of what the background looks like now.