Friday, December 11, 2015
Five Golden Dragons - Bob Cummings (1967) - Aberdeen Harbour, Aberdeen
Following the Sea Palace we are treated to a chase scene across the various floating elements of the harbour - a familiar set piece to anyone who has also seen Double Impact or The Protector and, no doubt, many more I have yet to discover. But I guess being filmed in 1967, this movie can potentially lay claim to be one of the first.
Thursday, December 10, 2015
Five Golden Dragons - Bob Cummings (1967) - The Sea Palace Floating Restaurant, Aberdeen
Previously, whenever a film has ventured into Aberdeen - which they invariably do - the usual stars of the show tend to be either the Tai Pak or Jumbo (though strictly speaking the Tai Pak is now part of "Jumbo Kingdom"). In this film we actually get some nice footage of the Sea Palace in its former 1960's glory.
If you read my other blog, you'll know the Sea Palace's pontoon is still moored at the Shum Wan pontoon area.
Notice this was made before the Ap Lei Chau Power Station was built.
Real interior? I think so, yes.
The exterior seems to be even more ornate than the Tai Pak.
A Chinese stuntman doing what they do best.
If you read my other blog, you'll know the Sea Palace's pontoon is still moored at the Shum Wan pontoon area.
Five Golden Dragons - Bob Cummings (1967) - Shaw Brothers Movietown, Sai Kung
Back in the 60's, Movietown was the biggest studio lot in HK and so it's no surprise that many a foreign production would use their facilities - even when Shaws weren't directly involved in production, they rented out their studio space to anyone willing to pay for it.
The same street seen in the top picture is also re-used later as a stand-in for somewhere else, but the tree in the background is a bit of a giveaway, so I guess they could easily have filmed both scenes at the same time.
There's also another scene when the cops are looking at a helicopter arriving, supposedly at the airport, when in fact they are at the back of the Shaw house. The metal yellow posts held up a roof structure between the Shaw house and a building behind it and the zig zag concrete stair at the back went up the hill onto the Chinese town set seen above.
And so it is with the next scene where a cab driver is unceremoniously blown up by a bomb in his taxi. The explosion was quite big, so I guess doing it on a real HK street was not an option, so instead the famous Chinese town street on the Movietown back-lot served as a stand-in. To the average standard Shaw film fan the place should be immediately recognisable.
The same street seen in the top picture is also re-used later as a stand-in for somewhere else, but the tree in the background is a bit of a giveaway, so I guess they could easily have filmed both scenes at the same time.
There's also another scene when the cops are looking at a helicopter arriving, supposedly at the airport, when in fact they are at the back of the Shaw house. The metal yellow posts held up a roof structure between the Shaw house and a building behind it and the zig zag concrete stair at the back went up the hill onto the Chinese town set seen above.
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Five Golden Dragons - Bob Cummings (1967) - 11 Magazine Gap Road, Midlevels
As mentioned in the last post, the camera closes in on Rose Gardens giving the impression that the next scenes were shot there. But a closer look at the environment, and a quick glimpse of the front of the building shows us that we are at another location.
Here's where it gets a bit fuzzy and I have to rely on a little bit of guesswork. Rose Gardens' podium in quite obviously rectangular but the cars now arrive at a podium car park that has a curve.
There's no way to pinpoint the actual place from this screen grab, the landmarks are too far away. I'm hoping someone out there will recognise some of the following features and help confirm the identity. For example we get to see a quick glimpse of the ironwork that covers the glass in the front foyer doors as well as the lattice work in the concrete around the podium at the back.
Then there is also a brief scene inside the foyer where the actor waits for the lifts.
And then there is a reasonable look around the apartment he enters, and its balcony area.
I'm sure there must be someone out there that remembers this rather stunning view. The angle on the Hilton and City Hall building (lower left of the bottom picture) certainly supports my supposition that this building is actually #11 Magazine Gap Road, but it's the next picture that has gone someway to convince me I am right (but hey! I don't always get these things right the first time). It's the view of the podium from the upper floor. The curve in the road and the distant but discernible presence of the three drains on the opposite side of the kerb (at the left end of where the black part of the pavement ends) match with the road outside #11.
Sadly even a brief glimpse of the front facade - with its central hexagonal window openings - reveals no further confirmation.
The building now standing at #11 is a fairly new one (opened in 1995) called 'The Harbourview'. Anyway, until someone can confirm I shall keep my eye open for shots of the 1960's mid-levels to see if #11 was captured at a time when it can be compared - or until someone who lived there happens on by (or perhaps was even there for the filming!).
June 2020 Edit: I would like to thank James (see comments below) for giving this building a proper name: Harbour View Mansions. However, it seems as though the balcony implies a third building used for this sequence.
Here's where it gets a bit fuzzy and I have to rely on a little bit of guesswork. Rose Gardens' podium in quite obviously rectangular but the cars now arrive at a podium car park that has a curve.
There's no way to pinpoint the actual place from this screen grab, the landmarks are too far away. I'm hoping someone out there will recognise some of the following features and help confirm the identity. For example we get to see a quick glimpse of the ironwork that covers the glass in the front foyer doors as well as the lattice work in the concrete around the podium at the back.
Then there is also a brief scene inside the foyer where the actor waits for the lifts.
And then there is a reasonable look around the apartment he enters, and its balcony area.
I'm sure there must be someone out there that remembers this rather stunning view. The angle on the Hilton and City Hall building (lower left of the bottom picture) certainly supports my supposition that this building is actually #11 Magazine Gap Road, but it's the next picture that has gone someway to convince me I am right (but hey! I don't always get these things right the first time). It's the view of the podium from the upper floor. The curve in the road and the distant but discernible presence of the three drains on the opposite side of the kerb (at the left end of where the black part of the pavement ends) match with the road outside #11.
Sadly even a brief glimpse of the front facade - with its central hexagonal window openings - reveals no further confirmation.
The building now standing at #11 is a fairly new one (opened in 1995) called 'The Harbourview'. Anyway, until someone can confirm I shall keep my eye open for shots of the 1960's mid-levels to see if #11 was captured at a time when it can be compared - or until someone who lived there happens on by (or perhaps was even there for the filming!).
June 2020 Edit: I would like to thank James (see comments below) for giving this building a proper name: Harbour View Mansions. However, it seems as though the balcony implies a third building used for this sequence.
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Five Golden Dragons - Bob Cummings (1967) - 9 Magazine Gap Road, MidLevels
I was quite surprised to find out that one of the residential buildings seen on film is still around. It's at #9 Magazine Gap Road and is called 'Rose Gardens'. Built in 1964 it still looks pretty much the same now even at the grand old age of 50+.
The film makers want us to believe that this is the destination of the taxi and its passenger, but as you'll see in the next post they did a good old switcharoo at the last moment and seem to have opted for somewhere a bit taller. But in the mean time here is Rose Gardens as it appears on film. A reasonably new building at the time.
And courtesy of the new 3D imaging from GoogleEarth, here is the current rendition sporting a blue paint job and a distinctly greater amount of surrounding greenery.
Five Golden Dragons - Bob Cummings (1967) - May Road, Midlevels
More mid-levels and apologies for those finding these scenes a bit tedious but I just feel the need to show everyone how HK used to look before the high rises became ubiquitous.
This time we are back over to May Road at the base of where #1 May Road stands (the building I believe this shot was taken from). Once again there was a nice open view where it's now blocked by Grenville House (built 1971) and you can see the same buildings mentioned in the previous post I just linked to (including the same small snippet of the British Military Hospital).
For comparison, here is a rough equivalent view courtesy of the ever-reliable Streetview.
Five Golden Dragons - Bob Cummings (1967) - Peak Road, The Peak
Another section of road that can be seen (and recognised) is the rather precipitous corner of Peak Road just before the intersection with Magazine Gap Road.
The view isn't quite as clear as it used to be courtesy of some nice tree growth, but the corner at the bottom hasn't really changed much at all. You can even see the same drain in the road on the apex of the bend.
Five Golden Dragons - Bob Cummings (1967) - Old Peak Road, Midlevels
Next up we have the famous little elevated ramp that connects Old Peak Road to May Road. Despite being a Hong Kong ignoramus, even I am quite familiar with this little bit of road - I've been up here a few times at least.
The white building on the left of the second screen shot is the previous version of Queen's Garden. The name has been around a long time even if the buildings have been regularly changed. But look at that clear view through the bridge opening! Just for posterity, here is the modern Streetview for comparison - look what happened to that nice view!
Most shocking to me - and I suspect everyone else - will be the complete lack of high rise development in the area. It seems to me that the best time to live in the mid-levels has gone way past already and these days you may be lucky if your view doesn't include someone else's bathroom in a nearby block (or maybe some of you would consider that lucky anyway...).
The white building on the left of the second screen shot is the previous version of Queen's Garden. The name has been around a long time even if the buildings have been regularly changed. But look at that clear view through the bridge opening! Just for posterity, here is the modern Streetview for comparison - look what happened to that nice view!
Five Golden Dragons - Bob Cummings (1967) - Harbour view from Midlevels, Central
The next section of film takes place in and around the Central Mid-levels area - largely Magazine Gap Road and is worthy of a few posts. The first is a view from a mid-levels high rise (not identified, but judging from the angle on various buildings I would place the camera somewhere around #1 May Road).
The buildings with the yellow and white colour scheme look to be the predecessor to the "Regence Royale" development along Bowen Road. Actually, if you look carefully you can see a more distant brown building to the right of there. This is the former Bowen Rd Military Hospital - now the home of Carmel School. If you click on the location information at the bottom of the post, I have pinned the marker where the car is driving.
The view starts off looking directly down onto the banks before panning right and taking in the character's taxi as it makes its way along Magazine Gap Road.
The buildings with the yellow and white colour scheme look to be the predecessor to the "Regence Royale" development along Bowen Road. Actually, if you look carefully you can see a more distant brown building to the right of there. This is the former Bowen Rd Military Hospital - now the home of Carmel School. If you click on the location information at the bottom of the post, I have pinned the marker where the car is driving.
Monday, December 7, 2015
Five Golden Dragons - Bob Cummings (1967) - Central Vehicular Ferry Pier, Central
Of course, we can't discuss cross harbour ferries without seeing the pier on the Hong Kong side of the harbour. The strange thing about this one is that as we see our fellow's car come off the ferry, it looks as though the ferry he is leaving is actually a double decked type - so a bit of a continuity issue there I think. Look carefully at the top picture and you can see the position of the old vehicular pier in front of what was the Fire Station (the smaller cream building). The Hang Seng Bank HQ now occupies that same space and the One IFC tower pretty much covers the space once taken by the ferry pier.
And off, the white uprights are the supporting pillars for the upper deck vehicle entrance/exit. You can see the same structure on the bottom picture of this Yellowthread Street post.
Approaching the Central Vehicular Ferry Pier
Opening the lower ramp's gate
Look right and you can see we have just left an entireley different ferry!
And off, the white uprights are the supporting pillars for the upper deck vehicle entrance/exit. You can see the same structure on the bottom picture of this Yellowthread Street post.
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