Bons Baisers de Hong Kong - Les Charlots (1975) - Ocean Terminal, Tsim Sha Tsui

Despite authentic footage of the airport entrance being used for the last post, when the film's main stars are waiting for a taxi in front of the 'airport' it's quite obvious the action has moved to the other side of Kowloon and the filmmakers are trying to convince us that Ocean Terminal is in fact part of the airport by sticking a small sign that says so in the background (picture 2).

Never mind, because there are some nice sights to see including the clock tower (when it was still part of the train station) and an advert for a Maxim's restaurant on the side of Star House (top picture, left hand side).

That taxi in the bottom picture is in much better shape than some of the death traps I've ridden in over the past 10 years.

The Chairman - Gregory Peck (1969) - More Harbour views

The last of the scenes from The Chairman (at least until I can get a street scene identified) showing various views taken from the harbour. I guess this was all Thompson (the director) could take without attracting unwanted attention from the authorities after being given the old heave ho.

The first shots shows one of the old HYF vehicular ferries plying the route between Central and Jordan Road by the looks of the way the boat is facing. In the background we can see Ocean Terminal with the Hongkong Hotel immediately behind it and Star House. Now, officially, the Hongkong Hotel didn't open until 1970 so I guess the filmmakers managed to capture it when it was still being fitted out - it certainly looks like the building was already completed. Star House and Ocean Terminal were fairly new at this time anyway.

Here's another angle of Ocean Terminal - probably taken from the Mandarin Oriental Hotel using a telephoto lens. The angle certainly matches the view we saw in the earlier post. In the closer shot below though we can see Yau Ma Tei Typhoon Shelter behind Ocean Terminal and the Ferry Point Estate at the far end of it on the left hand side of the lower picture.

Finally, in order the demonstrate how clear everything used to be, compared to today's smoggy and hazy harbour views, here is a nice shot from the harbour looking over to the centre of HK Island (towards Causeway Bay and North Point area).

Sunset - Paul Chin Pei (1971) - Ocean Terminal carpark, Tsim Sha Tsui

In Sunset, Zhongkang has arranged to meet his mum up here. He waits in the car and we see her car drive up with the Hongkong Hotel in the background, as well as Star House and the clocktower of the old KCR terminus in the background.

We are then treated to a shot of both cars leaving the car park by its Canton Road exit. Any visitors to modern day HK will recognise this place along Canton Rd where it's virtually impossible to cross the entrance to this place without the assistance of some guard with his whistle. What can I say, it's a popular car park and no one likes to give an inch.