Black Cobra Woman - Laura Gemser (1976) - Lung Ha Wan, Clearwater Bay

Julius invites Eva to go back to his home island so he can show her where he was born. It's not explicit where this island is supposed to be, but the fact that they supposedly fly there means it is somewhere other than Hong Kong. In actual fact, these island scenes were filmed around the Lobster Bay promontory in Clearwater Bay at the very end of Lung Ha Wan Road. I once spent a couple of hours walking around the rocky shoreline and so am quite familiar with the terrain.

The first location is not the main Lobster Bay beach (with the old destroyed concrete ramp) but in fact a smaller one just to the south. When this film was made there was really nothing here but the Clearwater Bay Equestrian Centre appeared here around 2008 (I think) and now I am not sure if there is access through there without following the route I took around the rocks.

Had I known a film had been shot here at the time I would have made an effort to at least recreate the angle used. However, as it is, in my picture above the large rock left of centre is the same one seen in the background of the screen grab. The flat rock on the left of my image is the same one Laura Gemser is lying in front of in the film.

This second image above was a bit more fortuitous. The only thing that has changed really is the amount of greenery that has sprung up. Judging from the tide, I guess the filming was done in the morning at a lower tide.

The next part of Lung Ha Wan seen on film is the flat grassy area that tops the promontory. See the shots above. These days it has been designated as a kite flying area, but actually, hardly anyone ever comes here. I had the place to myself and was here in the middle of summer (that's why the views are so clear). What I will say is that it looks as though the area has been deliberately levelled a bit more because behind Julius' (Gabriele Tinti) head is a slope that no longer exists.

Finally, the rather gruesome murder scene (actually, you don't see what happens, but the manner of Julius' death is explained to him before it happens) was filmed on the southern end of the promontory where there is a much larger stony beach. This particular section has been very popular with all manner of foreign and local movie makers over the years. It still looks pretty much like this (although with added plastic flotsam these days) as you can see from my own picture. You can reach it these days by just waking to the far side of the equestrian centre.

Black Cobra Woman - Laura Gemser (1976) - Hebe Haven, Sai Kung

After arriving at their destination, Eva lures Julius out to an uninhabited island so she can put her revenge plan into action. These shots were all filmed in Hebe Haven in Sai Kung.

Black Cobra Woman - Laura Gemser (1976) - Ocean Terminal, Tsim Sha Tsui

Having walk enough to make their legs fall off, the two friends wind up on top of Ocean terminal in TST. What a shame this shot didn't start a little further to the left because it would then have captured the old KCR terminus. Although closed by then it wasn't demolished until 1978.

Black Cobra Woman - Laura Gemser (1976) - Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter

After their very long walk past Aberdeen and then through the Zoological and Botanical Gardens, the girls then go on a trip around Causeway Bay typhoon shelter. I think we are supposed to believe that they have just crossed the harbour but the fact is they just got on and off on the same side. The weird structure in the background of the top image (for those who don't know) is the entrance to the cross harbour tunnel.

Black Cobra Woman - Laura Gemser (1976) - Botanical Gardens, Central

After wandering past the harbour front in Aberdeen, the girls find themselves walking up the steps to the fountain at the botanical gardens.

Black Cobra Woman - Laura Gemser (1976) - Aberdeen, Hong Kong

While out and about together the girls go for a walk past the harbour front in Aberdeen. This looks to me like the section of the praya just before you get to town but lack of any wider background means I can't be 100% sure.

Black Cobra Woman - Laura Gemser (1976) - Magazine Heights, Mid-Levels

Despite initially thinking that Palance's rather palatial abode was supposed to be 40 Peak Road, some later scenes in the film (when the ambulance comes to take away Julias' girlfriend after she is bitten by one of the snakes) show the driveway the vehicle is parked on is actually that of Magazine Heights - one of the older high rises on Magazine Gap Road. This is also true when Eva returns from her vacation in a taxi and alights at the same place. I guess the filmmakers didn't have permission to film at #40 and this was a compromise.

The later scene gives us a nice view over Central from the building's curved driveway.

Black Cobra Woman - Laura Gemser (1976) - Talk of the Town, Excelsior Hotel

This last week or so witnessed the closure of the Excelsior Hotel for redevelopment (in fact, for the record, it closed on the 31 March 2019). So I thought it was quite serendipitous that one of the locations from Black Cobra Woman should be the former open rooftop restaurant and bar, "Talk of the Town". This is the "club" where Eva is employed as an exotic dancer and where she later goes for lunch with her new girlfriend, Gerr. The image below shows the view looking across Happy Valley towards Braemar Hill where you can see the (then) new high rises of Evelyn Towers.

It looks as though this roof top terrace was later blocked in by windows because the roof top now appears to be enclosed, perhaps to make it more weather friendly.

Black Cobra Woman - Laura Gemser (1976) - Lockhart Road, Causeway Bay

Here's an interesting look at what used to be at the very end of Lockhart Road where it meets East Point Road. This is where Eva is driving Gerri home, and she stops and chucks away her plane ticket.

The first image is looking back up along Lockhart Road from the end. That whole block of buildings on the right hand side is still there. The next image shows them stopping outside the "Excelsior Shopping Centre" which was in the Chee On Building, which is still there today. The next shot shows the camera looking up East Point Road towards the junction with Yee Wo Street.

Black Cobra Woman - Laura Gemser (1976) - Tin Hau Temple, Repulse Bay

Judas' brother introduces Eva to one of his girlfriend, Gerri, and they immediately strike up a rapport. The venue for this meetup is the Tin Hau Temple at Repulse Bay where Eva is having a bit of a swim in the bay.

Black Cobra Woman - Laura Gemser (1976) - Edinburgh Place, Central

There is a quick scene filmed around Edinburgh Place when Eva and another of her girlfriends are being taken by rickshaw past the old Star Ferry terminal. In the background of the first image is the General Post Office still under a bit of scaffolding. It opened in 1976 so this ties nicely in with the filming. Actually, I believe it's about to undergo redevelopment. There's been a bit of a murmur from the built heritage activists but, in my opinion, there are far more nicer and older buildings that warrant protection before this one.

Black Cobra Woman - Laura Gemser (1976) - Lockhart Road, Wanchai

Once in her new car, Eva (that's the character's name) takes it for a spin and the next shot was taken looking along Lockhart Road at the junction with Fenwick Street. There are some familiar bar and restaurant names here including the Diamond Steakhouse, Neptune and Magpie bars, and I believe the large one on the corner of Fenwick Street must be the Back Door Club. The one in the last image with the curves above the columns was the Pussy Cat Bar. All these old buildings have been redeveloped.

We also see the same area a bit later in the film but this time from the pavement as Eva and her new found friend are walking around and hanging out.

Black Cobra Woman - Laura Gemser (1976) - Magazine Gap, Wanchai

Jack Palance's character in this film, Judas, is supposedly immensely wealthy and one of the establishing shots used to show where he lives is a pan of the area in the vicinity of Magazine Gap. We start with a view across to Central before panning left, past Katoomba (image two) before finally settling on a building that no longer exists but stands at what would have been today's 40 Peak Road.

Katoomba on the left

40 Peak Road

Black Cobra Woman - Laura Gemser (1976) - Leighton Road, Causeway Bay

As a treat for his new charge, Judas (Jack Palance) buys her a car - a brand new Mercedes convertible - and the brother, Julius, takes her out for a spin in it. When we first see the car it is parked on Sun Wui Road right where it meets Leighton Road. The angular building on the other side of the road is Bonaventure House and it's still there with its angular corner. I am guessing that the Mercedes dealership used to be in there because there looks to be a large Merc symbol stuck to the side of the building behind the lamppost. Just behind that you can just make out the original Lee Theatre building with its roof dome - the current version of the building (opened in 1991) has tried to pay homage to the original by including a roof top dome but you really have to crane your next to see it given the current building's height.

Black Cobra Woman - Laura Gemser (1976) - Yee Wo Street, Causeway Bay

The first street shot from this film is a view looking east along Yee Wo Street. It's unrecognisable compared to today but look carefully in the far left background and you can see a building with horizontal ledges along its front. This is the "V Causeway Bay" building long before it was modernised. In fact you can see the same building in this post from That Man Bolt, it's the one in the top image there.

Anyway, our tough exotic dancer friend gets out of that cab and heads into the restaurant next to Maria's Cake House.

Black Cobra Woman - Laura Gemser (1976) - Views across the harbour, Hong Kong

Coupled with the initial Kai Tak landing sequence, the opening scenes from Black Cobra Woman also show a little bit of the Hong Kong Island waterfront. Some familiar views here, even if many of the buildings no longer exist. Just in the top image you can see the Furama Hotel, Sutherland House (with the circular BAYER advert), the Hong Kong Club, the Hilton Hotel behind them all and the older HSBC building which have all gone the way of the dodo.