Spy Game - Robert Redford (2001) - Central, Hong Kong

The final sequence is the one that sells us the lie that the HSBC building in Central is actually the US Consulate. In fact, not a single on-site shot was done here and all of David Hemmings' scenes were filmed back in London - at Lloyd's of London on Lime Street. The various shots of Hemmings in the external glass lift quite clearly reveal Leadenhall Street in the background and not downtown Hong Kong as we are supposed to think. On the plus side we do get brief glimpses at the former Prince of Wales building in HMS Tamar, the Furama Hotel and Ritz Carlton. Both these latter two have since given way to redevelopment.

Cracker: White Ghost - Robbie Coltrane (1996) - Ritz Carlton Hotel, Central

After being roped in to working on the HK Police's new murder case, Fitz wangles a deal to stay in what was once quite a swanky hotel near the Central waterfront. It was the Ritz Carlton - at the time a fairly new building - behind the HK Club sandwiched between Chater and Connaught Roads. In what must have been one of the shortest lifetimes of a building in HK the Ritz Carlton was opened in 1993 and demolished only 15 years later in 2008. An unbelievably short time even by HK standards.

Anyway, in case you don't remember what it looked like here are the screen grabs.

Notice the Furama Hotel next door on the right. Both buildings have been replaced, the Furama by the AIA building and the Ritz Carlton by the CCB Building (and this was at a time when the Govt was moaning about a shortage of hotel rooms...).

Soldier, Soldier (TV Series) - Robson Green (1992) - Harbourfront, Hong Kong

Another TV series for the blog and this time one that I missed when it was originally shown back in 1992 - I was grotty student in Leeds at the time spending most of my time listening to music rather than watching the box. Strictly speaking the episodes I am looking at are from series 2, when the so-called King's Fusiliers move to Hong Kong. The first two episodes of the series were still based back in the UK but the remaining 4 episodes were filmed in their entirety in Hong Kong.

One of the first scenes we are shown an army helicopter flying along the harbour front with a few sights to look at including the Shun Tak Centre in Sheung Wan (pic 1), the old vehicular ferry pier (pic 2 & 3) and finally the Bank of China and its surrounding buildings such as the Furama Hotel, the Ritz Carlton (both redeveloped), Hutchison House, Bank of America tower etc.