Le Monocle Rit Jaune - Paul Meurisse (1964) - Chik Chuen Wai, Tai Wai

Also known as Tai Wai Village, Chik Chuen Wai (積存圍) is the original walled village on which Tai Wai is founded. It's such an obscure location for a foreign movie because it is hidden away, even today with all the subsequent development. Anyway, in the film the characters are still in Macau and are trying to get back to Hong Kong but are ambushed in the village by gun-wielding gangsters. You can see the aftermath in the final image. Surprisngly, or not, quite a few of the buildings on screen are still around as is the village gateway seen in the second image.

Le Monocle Rit Jaune - Paul Meurisse (1964) - Hiram's Highway, Sai Kung

Before I move on to a new film I still have another couple of "pandemic" finds from Le Monocle rit Jaune, courtesy of a revisit I did during those frustrating (and seemingly pointless) days of semi-captivity.

This one will be of particular interest to anyone who lives in Sai Kung because it shows the town-end of Hiram's Highway before the reclamation that the China Paint factories (and a few other developments) now sit on. In the film, I seem to remember the following scene - as Le Monocle (Paul Meurisse) catches a ride on the back of a tandem bike - was supposed to be in Macau.

Anyway, marvel at the open area in the background. If you are curious as to what the same place looks like now just click this link to GoogleEarth. The village in the low area in the first few frames is Fui Yiu Ha.

International Prostitution: Brigade criminelle - Jean-Louis Broust (1980) - Victoria Road Squatter Village

One of the main effects in Hong Kong of the turbulance in post-war Mainland China was the influx of refugees who, with nowhere to live, set themselves up in small shacks all over the territory's hillsides. These were gradually removed by the Govt by rehousing people in resettlement estates but there were some long holdouts including places such as Tiu Keng Leng (Remmie's Mill), Stanley and this area on the west coast of Hong Kong Island, below Victoria Road. These days the area is quite well known locally for elderly swimmers who use the area as a staging post for daily harbour swims around the Sulphur Channel, but as you can see in the shots below, the place was full of squatter huts. It's here in the film that Dega and Tazzi set a trap for Marcone. And with that we bid farewell to International Prostitution!

International Prostitution: Brigade criminelle - Jean-Louis Broust (1980) - Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter

It looks like the pair resort to enlisting the help of some local gangster in order to get their hands on Marcone. So they go to pay a visit to said bloke on his junk, moored in Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter.

International Prostitution: Brigade criminelle - Jean-Louis Broust (1980) - The Peak

Some rather empty looking views from the Peak by today's standards. You can barely see the harbour from here these days due to all the high rises.

International Prostitution: Brigade criminelle - Jean-Louis Broust (1980) - The Peak Tram

I recently went on here twice after a break of around 10 years. It was recently upgraded (along with the price) so I thought I would give it a revisit. Suffice to say it has lost its allure for me and a much more enjoyable ride, with equally marvellous views, can be had by catching the #15 bus instead (also cheaper). Anyway, Dega meets up with Tazzi here to discuss tactics for getting Marcone. I must admit that at this time of year in Hong Kong (winter, as I type), the views to be had from the peak tram are about the same quality as the ageing VHS scan I took the screen shots from. The pollution is now back at pre-Covid levels. Be warned, if you want a better chance of views, come between May and September.

International Prostitution: Brigade criminelle - Jean-Louis Broust (1980) - Hoover Theatre, Causeway Bay

One of the more regularly-appearing cinemas on this blog is the old Hoover Theatre that used to stand on the corner of Pennington Street and Yee Wo Street in Causeway Bay. In this film, it's where Dega finally loses sight of Marcone as the latter slips inside the cinema and blends with the crowd. Note the marquee showing the film Thirst (怪血), released in Hong Kong in 1979. In a nice coincidence for the blog, this was a movie that starred Henry Silva (Foxbat) and David Hemmings (The Heroin Busters, Harry's Hong Kong and Spy Game).

International Prostitution: Brigade criminelle - Jean-Louis Broust (1980) - Cornwall Avenue, Tsim Sha Tsui

The chase continues, this time down the now defunct Cornwall Avenue. I've mentioned it before but for newer followers, Cornwall Avenue fell victim to the redevelopment of TST to make way for the K11 Masterpiece skyscraper. A whole block was razed and the whole nature and vibe of the place was completely transformed. The space that was Cornwall Avenue still exists, more or less, but it is now a nameless, covered thoroughfare that runs diagonally along the southwest side of the aforementioned K11 building.

International Prostitution: Brigade criminelle - Jean-Louis Broust (1980) - Hanoi Road, Tsim Sha Tsui

Hanoi Road once again (a popular spot) as Dega continues his chase of the fleeing Marcone.

International Prostitution: Brigade criminelle - Jean-Louis Broust (1980) - Bowring Street, Kwun Chung

Dega manages to track down Marcone to a backstreet gambling den and a chase ensues. Unfortunately the poor quality of the print I viewed means much of the chase is unidentifable, to me at least, but here is one of the locales: Bowring Street in Kwun Chung. This is identifiable thanks to the presence of a sign for the Beautville Night Club.

International Prostitution: Brigade criminelle - Jean-Louis Broust (1980) - Aberdeen Harbour

It wouldn't be an international movie set in Hong Kong if it didn't have at least one scene of Aberdeen. In the images below we are initially looking at the old waterfront of Wu Nam Street prior to it being reclaimed. Quite a few of these buildings are still around, although the Rolex sign on topof the Kam Heung Building is no longer there. The lower images are from later in the film as Tazzi (Laura Gemser) lures Marcone (Gemser's then real-life husband, Tinti) into a trap set by Dega (Broust). 

International Prostitution: Brigade criminelle - Jean-Louis Broust (1980) - Lai Chi Kok Amusement Park

I know I just posted a Sung Dynasty Village location, but this is a shot from outside the park in and around the bus terminus. The park went the way of the dodo many years ago and even in its later operational days much of its former site had already been redeveloped into housing. However, the area you see below was one of the last places to go and now sits under tower 3 of the "Nob Hill" residential development (yes,it really is called that).

International Prostitution: Brigade criminelle - Jean-Louis Broust (1980) - Sung Dynasty Village, Lai Chi Kok

For reasons that are lost on me, Dega gets Tazzi (Laura Gemser) involved and together they go to visit what appears to be a training school for courtesans. This was filmed at the Sung Dynasty Village in the old Lai Chi Kok Amusement Park. The Wah Lai Estate now covers much of the area where the village was located.