The Scavengers - Vince Edwards (1958) - Magazine Gap Road, Midlevels

The next view is from in front of what is now the Harbourview at 11 Magazine Gap Road. The former development here was called Harbour View Mansions, but I'm not sure when it was constructed and whether it would have been there at the time of filming. I guess it's not relevant anyway. There is a large layby in front of the development where the road curves. These days it's concreted over but back in the 50s it looks like it was basically just a clearing with some great views down into the harbour area. I know the Blogger google marker will probably snap to the address I mentioned above, so here is a link to GoogleEarth showing the location now. Sadly the Google car didn't pull into the layby to provide us with a nice modern day comparison of the view.

Flight to Hong Kong - Rory Calhoun (1956) - Peak Road, Magazine Gap

Once the bad guys spot their car, a chase begins. This first shot shows the car driving down Peak Road towards Magazine Gap with 40 Peak Road just out of shot in the top right. Similar shots of the area from other films can be found here.

The Big Game - Brendan Boone (1973) - Grenville House, Central

The last post for this film is Atanga's apartment in Hong Kong which is located in Grenville House. Completed in 1971, this place was almost shiny and new when the movie was filmed there. HK-related film aficionados will know that France Nuyen, seen here, was the original Suzie Wong from Broadway and started filming The World of Suzie Wong with William Holden before being unceremoniously sacked, along with the original director, by the executive producer, Ray Stark, when she became ill at the start of Hong Kong location filming in January 1960.

The Big Game - Brendan Boone (1973) - Magazine Gap Road, Mid-levels

The bad guys have their eyes on Jim as he is in Atanga's flat. They are parked up in the layby outside on Magazine Gap Road. In the background behind their car is "View Point" that can also be seen in this post (they are the yellow-painted flats - although at the time I didn't know what they were called).

Blade in Hong Kong - Terry Lester (1985) - Magazine Gap Road, Mid-levels

There are a couple of scenes in the film when Blade answers his car phone. Coincidentally, both times this happens is when Blade is driving down Magazine Gap Road. The only difference is the jacket he is wearing, so I suspect these scenes were both filmed at the same time with the actor, Terry Lester, driving back up for a quick costume change before run number 2.

Asia-Pol Secret Service - Wang Yu (1966) - View over Central

After escaping their pursuer, the pair board the peak tram and it's here where they find they have something in common. The scene starts with a great view across Central from above the Peak Tram railway from what looks to be the May Road bridge looking down to the bridge at Magazine Gap Road/Bowen Road. There's lots to see such as the older version of Estoril Court (the kinked high rise on the left), Brewin Court (this side and left of the bridge) as well as the old Commodore's House at 5 Bowen Road (partially hidden by the trees on the right).

Love Circles - Michelle Siu (1985) - Rose Gardens, Magazine Gap Road

Actually, we have seen this place before in another Harry Alan Towers production, Five Golden Dragons, but in that film we only see it from a distance before the close up moves to a couple of other residential buildings.

In this film, it is supposed to be the location where Yo-yo's sister lives and we see her car driving up the sloped driveway to the podium car park level before she gets out of the car and looks up to wave to her sister. Actually, the close up of the same actress on the balcony (playing the sister) appears to have been filmed elsewhere given the different style of balcony, but I have yet to pinpoint that location.

Tokyo Gang vs Hong Kong Gang - Ken Takakura (1964) - Magazine Gap, The Peak

After leaving Tiger Balm Gardens, the pair are driving down peak Road through Magazine Gap onto magazine Gap Road when they are shot at by the Hong Kong gang members. In image 1 we can see the slope that formed part of the land that #40 Peak Road used to sit on, and in image 2 you can see Katoomba and in the background, Stonecutter island. There's a wider angle view of the exact same area in this post for Foxbat I did a few years ago. Obviously the geographical reality is that you wouldn't be here if you had just left Tai Hang.

Foxbat - Henry Silva (1977) - Magazine Gap, The Peak

About a year ago I put up this post for Black Cobra Woman and it was an establishing shot used in the film for the residence of Jack Palance and his brother (played by Gabriele Tinti). The bluray version of Foxbat has scene that I don't recall from the dvd release. It's a quick shot from almost the same angle/position as the Black Cobra Woman one as Henry Silva's car drives down Peak Road towards Magazine Gap Road.

The large property on the corner is/was #40 Peak Road and as the camera pans to the right towards the harbour we can also see Katoomba in the last three screencaps.

Hong Kong (series) - Rod Taylor (1960) - Magazine Gap Road, Mid-levels

In one of the driving scenes from episode 8, Colonel Cat, Evans (Taylor) is driving his signature car around one of the hairpin bends on Magazine Gap Road. The "driving up" part of the sequence was also reused for the last episode, The Runaway.

Hong Kong (series) - Rod Taylor (1960) - Garden Road, Central

There is a much longer garden Road sequence later in the show when the two main characters are being followed in their car by the bad guys. The first part of the sequence takes us past the former Murray Barracks building. This is its original location at the lower end of Garden Road before being packed away and semi-reassembled over in Stanley (no, it wasn't rebuilt brick by brick. A concrete core was poured and the external verandahs were reattached to make it appear it was rebuilt - typical Govt 'heritage' smoke screen). This spot is now occupied by the I.M Pei Bank of China Tower. 

There is then a shot of cars driving up what could be Garden Road, but actually, I can't confirm, so instead I'll end on this shot of the section where Garden Road turns abruptly up the hill and becomes magazine Gap Road. There was a very similar angle used previously in this show, but on subsequent examination you can see the angle is not the same as the previous post.

Hong Kong (series) - Rod Taylor (1960) - Garden Road, Central

Some nice old footage of Rod Taylor driving up Garden Road and then turning onto Magazine Gap Road just past the junction with Robinson Road. Obviously this is way before the flyover was built and the view was much more open.

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.