And here are the last photos of the PENINSULA HOTEL THEN & NOWs .... before we move on to more HONG KONG sites.
THEN on the left ... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NOW on the right ...
Looks like that same red taxi with the white roof is still waiting in the corner of the driveway 40 years later ... (love this photo) !!
As with Kelly & Scotty, there are lots of cabs of different colors all around, but many today are red & white.
It also seems that sometime in the past 40 years, they have reversed
the direction of traffic in the PENINSULA's circular driveway.
Traffic and taxis and double-decker buses are all still part of the hustle and bustle that
make Hong Kong so exciting, especially by the entrance to the Peninsula.
Even this bus, specially painted for this year's auspicious YEAR OF THE RAT!
What I have found
most interesting in doing these THEN & NOW I SPY location comparisons - in different places around the world - is the savvy and efficiency of Fouad Said and the production staff in scouting/setting up locations AND their camera equipment.
When they found a perfect location, they set-up shop and then
used the 360 degree panorama that surrounded them. They didn't waste time or energy constantly moving camera equipment from place to place (which became even more efficient and stream-lined as Fouad developed his Cinemobile).
So what I have found in my I SPY travels - if you find a great location where lots of scenes were shot, stay put, and just turn around ... and you will find many other backdrops used in other scenes. This is how I discovered lots of I SPY sites in Taxco and Mexico City and Sevilla and here in Hong Kong.
HONG KONG - 1960s - Harbor Area
The red box shows the famous Hong Kong CLOCK TOWER that I will highlight next time. In the middle of this THEN photo, you will find the PENINSULA HOTEL. Their cameras were definitely set up in this harbor/warehouse area across from the hotel, because this is where the outside shots of the Peninsula had to be taken, especially the "Walking on the LEDGE" scenes. The area right across the street from the Peninsula (then) is where the "Runnin' on the Rooftops" scenes from "So Long Patrick Henry" took place - on top of the warehouses that surrounded the harbor area then. To the left of the Clock Tower (not in this photo) you'll find the Kowloon side of the STAR FERRY TERMINAL, which is still there, and the warehouses and wharves from "Cup of Kindness" and "No Exchange on Damaged Merchandise." And at the Clock Tower (then) was the station where Kelly and Scotty left to find the train that had disappeared in "Affair in T'sein Cha." ALL of this was going on right here - ALL those scenes were shot in this area a few blocks wide. Very efficient, very exciting, very exotic, and always entertaining!!
Here is the area directly across from the PENINSULA Hotel. It was once filled with warehouses, the perfect "Runnin' on the Rooftops" backdrop. NOW this area is home to many museums and an open-air walkway/promenade along the water called the "Avenue of the Stars" - patterned after Hollywood's "Walk of Stars." The big dome is part of their Space Museum.
THEN ... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NOW ...
Along the Harbor --- warehouses THEN - and - NOW crosswalks over traffic leading to the Avenue of the Stars Promenade.
THEN warehouses - NOW the Space Museum Dome
More on the CLOCK TOWER and all those other wonderful locations coming next.
As always,
Tatia
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