The Scavengers - Vince Edwards (1958) - Stubbs Road Lookout

We've had several productions film up around here over the years but I think 1958 may be the earliest yet. This is where Allison arranges to meet his wife in an attempt to get her away from the hotel so O'Hara (Vic Diaz) can try to search her hotel room for the stolen bonds. Rather than the concreted terrace that the lookout now is, back in the 50s (and as late as the 60s according to these screencaps) the lookout was more like a natural grassy clearance with some trees dotted around. Remember, in Hong Kong the solution to most problems that don't exist, is to pour more concrete.

I've also managed to stitch some of these frames together (with the help of Autostitch) for a nice view that gives a better sense of the area. Click in the image for a closer view.

Hafen der Düfte - Veronica Ferres (2013) - View across Wanchai - Day v Night

This film has many nice shots of the Hong Kong harbour and skyline. Here's one that took some time because it shows the view across Wanchai, with the Hopewell Centre on the left, from day through to night. The film crew obviously liked this view because it's used in three or four places throughout the film. The first view shows us a relative close up of the Hopewell Centre. The last two images are from a time lapse sequence that changes from night back to day with a much wider angle but, looking at the relative positions of the various buildings, it was shot from the exact same location: Stubbs Road Lookout. 

If you want to see how much the view has changed over the years then look back at my Forced Vengeance post that showed views from the same place from circa 1982.

Felicity - Glory Annen (1978) - View from Stubbs Road Lookout, Wanchai

Here's a view that has been seen quite a few times on this blog, although what is visible has changed rather a lot over the years. It's the vista from the Stubbs Road Lookout. This was 1978 though and the Hopewell centre, although apparently underway, had yet to be built high enough to appear in the view (it was completed in 1980).

Casse-tête chinois pour le Judoka - Marc Briand (1967) - Stubbs Road, The Peak

After having his new friend kidnapped from Tiger Balm Gardens, Marc gives chase in his car. The first spot we see is Stubbs Road next to the turn off #51 Stubbs Road. Following that is the approach from the west towards Stubbs Road Lookout. You can see the lookout area on the right of the lower image, showing it's former open, and tree filled incarnation. In true Hong Kong style, the area is now just mainly concrete structures built to cope with the thousands of people that now go up there to see the views.

Soldier, Soldier - Robson Green (1992) - Stubbs Road Lookout, Wanchai

Only a few shorts posts ago did we see the very same place in the final scenes of Codename:Wildgeese. Here we are a few years later for a brief scene between Pereira and Butler.

Codename: Wildgeese - Lewis Collins (1984) - Stubbs Road Lookout, Wanchai

In a shot supposed to be part of the cemetery, we get a glimpse of the HK skyline from the vantage point of Stubbs Road Lookout.

The film finished with a nice unspoilt view across the skyline from the same place. Starting from the area around Happy Valley and finishing pointing back to the sunset towards the Hopewell Centre.

Forced Vengeance - Chuck Norris (1982) - Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong

I must admit, it took me a long time to like Chuck Norris. In my young eyes he was always the overly hirsute ugly dude who fights Bruce Lee at the end of Way of the Dragon and star of many a below-par film and series back in the US. However, after a recent re-familiarisation with Forced Vengeance (well, and a re-viewing of Firewalker with Lou Gosset Jr), I've seen him in a new light and actually think he is a pretty good actor after all.

Anyway, in 1982, Chuck came back to Hong Kong to star in a film about him as an-ex paratrooper who helps looks after the business dealings of a casino owner in HK. Cue lots of pretty good locales, many of which I have yet to see being used in other foreign-produced movies.

But what better way to kick it off than with a rather excellent early 80's panorama of the harbour shown during the opening credits.

Click on the picture for a better view, but in case you wanted them, the constituent shots are below.

The cylindrical Hopewell Centre on the right 

 Views over Wanchai District

 Looking towards Kowloon Peninsula

 The black building is the Sun Hung Kai Centre (built 1980)

The last picture shows us looking over towards Kowloon Peak on the right and Lion Rock on the left. Bottom of the screen is the AIA building on Stubbs Road. Speaking of Stubbs Road, if I was a betting man (which I'm not, by the way) I would put my money on this scene being shot from the Stubbs Road lookout.