Blade in Hong Kong - Terry Lester (1985) - Club Volvo, Tsim Sha Tsui

I've featured this club on the blog previously under its later name of Club BBoss. But originally it was called Club Volvo. What happened? I believe Volvo found out about the club name and threatened to sue the club owners for trademark infringement. The SCMP did an article on the place a while back and I was contacted back then by the writer asking if she could pinch a couple of my screen caps for the piece, so, if you can get past the paywall (or read a re-print here) you might see that they used some screencaps from the Chris Evans movie, Push, provided by yours truly.

Anyway, in Blade in Hong Kong this is the location where Krista has been told to meet the kidnappers to discuss the ransom. Blade goes in her place and meets up with the kidnapper, played by Antony Newly.

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.

Blade in Hong Kong - Terry Lester (1985) - Sheraton Hotel, Tsim Sha Tsui

The Sheraton Hotel pops up quite a few times in this film throughout, largely because it is the location where Blade's love interest, Krista (Ellen Regan), is staying. So we have an initial establishing shot (top image below) as well as what might possibly be a real shot of one of the rooms (I suspect it is one of the hotel's rooms and not a studio interior - this was a TV movie after all). 

Later in the film Blade goes to meet Krista and her boss Mr Tam (James Hong) to discuss the ransom demand and he pulls his car into the hotel forecourt (third image) and finally at the end of the film as Krista and Blade bid each other a temporary goodbye in a scene that must have been shot in the top floors of the Sheraton, given the view in the background.

Blade in Hong Kong - Terry Lester (1985) - Salisbury Road Garden, East Tsim Sha Tsui

Blade is interrupted at the fundraiser by Half-time, who has turned up with some information for him, so the pair go for a walk in Salisbury Road Garden in East TST. This is the same place filmed at around the same time for Police Story. Although the maps seem to disagree on whether it's called Mody Road Garden or Salisbury Road Garden.

Blade in Hong Kong - Terry Lester (1985) - The Regent Hotel, Tsim Sha Tsui

Blade goes to fund raiser at, what was, The Regent Hotel. It later became the Intercontinental Hotel but is now due to be renamed back to The Regent following that hotel group's sale to the Intercontinental Group.

Blade in Hong Kong - Terry Lester (1985) - Yuen Yuen Institute, Tsuen Wan

The luxurious home of Blade and his adopted father is protrayed by the Yuen Yuen Institute in Tsuen Wan. This has been used previously in one of the films I've covered in the blog- Vanishing Son.

Blade in Hong Kong - Terry Lester (1985) - Ladder Street, Sheung Wan

After a tour bus chase (a location I haven't been able to identify yet), the bad guys run into the antique emporium on the corner of Hollywood Road and Ladder Street. The sequence starts with a view of the junction of Ladder/Square Streets as Blade loses sight of the baddies. He asks a young passerby - "Half-time" - and after some haggling learns they had entered the shop. This same location also features at the very end of the film as Blade goes back to see Half-time in front of the Man Mo Temple.

So we see Square Street, Ladder Street, Hollywood Road and Man Mo Temple. The first five images are from the initial chase scene, and the lower ones in front of Man Mo Temple are from the end of the film. 

Blades runs onto Ladder Street from Square Street

Back onto Square Street after failing to catch the bad guys inside the shop 

Kam Ho Mansion in the background is still around

Blade in Hong Kong - Terry Lester (1985) - Cannon Street, Causeway Bay

Following the attempt on his father's life at the restaurant, Blade chases the culprits outside and they run onto Cannon Street in Causeway Bay.

Blade in Hong Kong - Terry Lester (1985) - Jumbo Floating Restaurant, Aberdeen

It's a pity I did my RTHK stint on the Jumbo before I had watched this film, otherwise I would have known to include it in my radio chat on films where the Jumbo featured. Anyway, the now sunken (somewhere in the South China Sea) restaurant was used twice in this film. The first time, we see the interior as Blade's adoptive father (played by Keye Luke) is thrown a celebration for his retirement but becomes the target of a bomb. The top two images are from that scene and, yes, that IS Leslie Nielsen.

The second time we see the Jumbo is later in the film as a ransom demand leads Blade to help a local businessman (played by James Hong) with the ransom exchange on the top deck of the restaurant.

Blade in Hong Kong - Terry Lester (1985) - Shun Tak Centre, Sheung Wan

Starting the film properly, our first introduction to Joe Blade (Terry Lester) is on the top of a building under construction as he chats with a client. I haven't yet identified the establishing shot for this scene, however, it looks as though the main part was recorded on the top of the China Merchant's Tower of the Shun Tak Centre.

Blade in Hong Kong - Terry Lester (1985) - Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui

The last image from the opening montage is a shot looking up Nathan Road from close to its start at Salisbury Road in Tsim Sha Tsui. If you have good eyesight you can see the angled windows of the Imperial Hotel on the very right hand side which means the next building up with all the lights on it is Chungking Mansions. The Toshiba sign on the left was, I believe, attached the side of the Hyatt Hotel- since replaced by iSquare.

Blade in Hong Kong - Terry Lester (1985) - London Theatre, Austin Road

Next up is a shot of the London Theatre (倫敦大戲院) that used to stand on the northwest corner of the junction between Austin and Nathan Roads. It was closed in 1988 and a newer version, the London Classic Cinema, opened a couple of years later. On the site now is a mixed mall/office complex called Chuang's London Plaza. Another example of building names paying homage to older venues on the same site. I think this may be a library shot because, as you can see, the advert on the outside is for Rocky 2 (released 1979).

Blade in Hong Kong - Terry Lester (1985) - Aberdeen Harbour

Slowly but surely getting through these opening montage shots, just a few left including this brief glimpse of Aberdeen Harbour with the relatively new (at the time) Ap Lei Chau Estate in the background.

Blade in Hong Kong - Terry Lester (1985) - The Peak Tram

There are some views of the Peak Tram track in the opening montage as well. Funnily enough, the tram has only just reopened after closing for an upgrade earlier in 2022. New trams have been introduced which means these green ones seen below are now two tram generations ago. The lower image shows the view from Findlay Path next to Lion Pavilion.

Blade in Hong Kong - Terry Lester (1985) - Noon Day Gun, Causeway Bay

Here's a piece of Hong Kong history that we haven't seen on the blog since I covered Soldier Soldier several years ago (back in 2015).