This scene is somewhere at the mid-levels somewhere very close to and a bit east of Eastern Street. I could not make up how high up was the roof top, but I guess it could be as high up as Park RoadWe coiud see two streets opening up in the foreground.
The one by the right was very likely the Eastern Street where the one by the left with a big opening along the shore appeared to be the Centre Street. The shop house at the corner of Centre & Des Voeux is the sole survivor of the whole block today.
It's Park Road or Lyttleton Road then. More likely Park Road as the domes were very close. The domes were most likely the towers of the then Euston. There were no big churches with domes in that area. HKU has some domed buildings, but not like this, not along this line of sight.
Might have to take a look at some old picures of the Euston to double check though.
The street on the right doesn't quite fit Eastern Street for me. That should run in a straight line to the sea, but in this photo it runs off to the right, but the block nearest the sea is angled to the left.
Could it be one of the roads further east? eg Hillier or Cleverly as Phil suggested?
The domes look to be the secret, but I can't find anything suitable from a quick skim. Here's a photo of Euston - but that goes for angular turrets rather than domes, so probably isn't our hotel building.
I came across a photo from the Tom Jackson albums taken from Park Road with the Euston in the background. There didn't seem to be any domes there. Would that be from some othre manor hourses instead?
Yes, I think it should be one of the other old mid-levels houses. I tried looking at this photo, which is a similar date but looking back from the sea. I couldn't spot anything though.
Hey Phil - any chance this is shot above 41 Conduit Road - famous of course for Love is a Many Splendored Thing and now Realty Gardens? Just a thought but have a look at the photos compiled here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/49694825@N08/4808368557/sizes/l/
Being "Hollywood" it is certainly within the realms of possibility that the film makers mocked-up the rooftop on part of the Mok Residence itself - especially when you consider it is the panorama that seems to be the intended star of that particular scene. This would also explain why the frontal shot seems to be a studio-shot back projection (to hide whatever would have been behind had they done it on locale).
I guess the owners at the home were used to having William Holden walking all over their pad (I don't know much about William Holden, but what I do know is that he schmoozed with lots of HK glitterati).
But anyway I am getting a head of myself a bit. The ones on the drawing (the central domes) seem to be too far apart perhaps? Also, I wonder if there is a close up anywhere to check how smooth the domes were. The domes in the shot above seem to be slightly angular rather than smoothly curved. Phil
Excellent find David. It certainly looks like it could be the right building. Is this the part of Ladder St that is close to the junction with Hollywood Rd?
Looks like Hollywood Road at the end of the visible part of Ladder St. That looks like the old post box outside the Man Mo Temple if you look very closely.
It may just be the perspective of course, but on the Ladder St photo it very much looks as though the building is sited south of Man Mo Temple (assuming that the postbox Adam mentioned is the one next to the temple). Would the building have been on Bridges St then, or perhaps Wing Lee St?
Couple of identification marks visible. It appears you can see Man Mo Temple to the right of the double-domed building, with the temple displaying twin, shark fin like rooftops. The buildings sloping up from there would line Hollywood Road. That should help pinpoint the domed building.
The bombed area to the south of Hollywood Road probably includes Central School; certainly that area was partially destroyed during the war. Bridges Street Market and the former Police Married Quarters were built around 1951 out of the ruins.
Not sure what the tall building on the front is. It's now Kai Tak Commercial Building, 317 Des Voeux Road.
It may be my wonky eyesight, but it looks as though the double domed building has a larger and flatter done behind it - perhaps covering the main ceiling/roof of the building. Can anyone else see that?
Many thanks Herostratus, you've solved a 6 yr old mystery. Given this new information it looks as though the film crew probably did use the roof of the building seen on film...i.e the corner of Hollywood Rd and Ladder St.
The angles don't quite match up for the scene to be filmed form a building on Ladder street. Drawing a line from Hillier Street through the right (East) side tower of the Central Theatre leads to a building on Hollywood where today's Centre Stage is.
Below is an aerial shot from 1963. I have circled the building the movie scene was shot from. Central Theatre can be seen below the red circle. Click on the picture for a zoomable version
Detail of Hollywood Road in Feb 1963 Showing Central Theatre, by HK Government Mapping Service
okay I see now, yes, this looks like the one. Well spotted. In fact, just in front of that rooftop (bottom left of circle) is a small line is thin roofs that were also captured on film, see below.
Didn't William Holden build a home on the headland below the corner of Respusle Bay rd as it drop down to Repulse Bay from the DeepWater Bay turn off?. The place has/had a wonderful south facing sea view
Comments
Re: Also looked like somere in the Mid levels atop Eastern St.
Hi there,
This scene is somewhere at the mid-levels somewhere very close to and a bit east of Eastern Street. I could not make up how high up was the roof top, but I guess it could be as high up as Park RoadWe coiud see two streets opening up in the foreground.
The one by the right was very likely the Eastern Street where the one by the left with a big opening along the shore appeared to be the Centre Street. The shop house at the corner of Centre & Des Voeux is the sole survivor of the whole block today.
Best Regards,
T
double domes
Do you recognise the domes that can be seen at the bottom of the shot? This might nail the exact location.
Re: Very likely the Euston
Hi there,
It's Park Road or Lyttleton Road then. More likely Park Road as the domes were very close. The domes were most likely the towers of the then Euston. There were no big churches with domes in that area. HKU has some domed buildings, but not like this, not along this line of sight.
Might have to take a look at some old picures of the Euston to double check though.
Best Regards,
T
re: Hotel rooftop
The street on the right doesn't quite fit Eastern Street for me. That should run in a straight line to the sea, but in this photo it runs off to the right, but the block nearest the sea is angled to the left.
Could it be one of the roads further east? eg Hillier or Cleverly as Phil suggested?
The domes look to be the secret, but I can't find anything suitable from a quick skim. Here's a photo of Euston - but that goes for angular turrets rather than domes, so probably isn't our hotel building.
Probably the domes were not of the Euston....
Hi there,
I came across a photo from the Tom Jackson albums taken from Park Road with the Euston in the background. There didn't seem to be any domes there. Would that be from some othre manor hourses instead?
Best Regards,
T
Re: not Euston
Hi T,
Yes, I think it should be one of the other old mid-levels houses. I tried looking at this photo, which is a similar date but looking back from the sea. I couldn't spot anything though.
Regards, David
re: Conduit Road/Suzie Wong
Hey Phil - any chance this is shot above 41 Conduit Road - famous of course for Love is a Many Splendored Thing and now Realty Gardens? Just a thought but have a look at the photos compiled here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/49694825@N08/4808368557/sizes/l/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/49694825@N08/4807361177/in/photostream/
Mok Residence?
I would never rule it out, but the one in Suzie has two domes. Did Conduit Road have two domes as well? I can only see one on the photo.
re: Suzie Wong
Seems to have a few domes from the drawing in the middle here, and seems to match but couldn't say for sure
http://www.flickr.com/photos/49694825@N08/4834739740/sizes/l/in/set-72157624575854826/
Domes
80sKid, you might be right.
Being "Hollywood" it is certainly within the realms of possibility that the film makers mocked-up the rooftop on part of the Mok Residence itself - especially when you consider it is the panorama that seems to be the intended star of that particular scene. This would also explain why the frontal shot seems to be a studio-shot back projection (to hide whatever would have been behind had they done it on locale).
I guess the owners at the home were used to having William Holden walking all over their pad (I don't know much about William Holden, but what I do know is that he schmoozed with lots of HK glitterati).
But anyway I am getting a head of myself a bit. The ones on the drawing (the central domes) seem to be too far apart perhaps? Also, I wonder if there is a close up anywhere to check how smooth the domes were. The domes in the shot above seem to be slightly angular rather than smoothly curved. Phil
Those double domes
Here's a view down Ladder Street. Note the two domes on right of steps, which look like they could be the building we're looking for:
Ladder Street
Excellent find David. It certainly looks like it could be the right building. Is this the part of Ladder St that is close to the junction with Hollywood Rd?
I wonder what the building was though...?
Looks like Hollywood Road at
Looks like Hollywood Road at the end of the visible part of Ladder St. That looks like the old post box outside the Man Mo Temple if you look very closely.
Blow-up photos
A better view of both photos from September 1945 showing the domes:
http://images.google.com/hosted/life/f?q=1945+hong+kong+source:life&pre…
http://images.google.com/hosted/life/f?q=1945+hong+kong+source:life&pre…
Thanks to IDJ and Moddsey for
Thanks to IDJ and Moddsey for the extra photos. I think that confirms it as the roof we were looking for.
Ladder Street
It may just be the perspective of course, but on the Ladder St photo it very much looks as though the building is sited south of Man Mo Temple (assuming that the postbox Adam mentioned is the one next to the temple). Would the building have been on Bridges St then, or perhaps Wing Lee St?
1920s Ladder St Comparison View
Re: Double Domes
The domes can be seen clearly in this 1945 photo:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/peterball/103818960/sizes/l/in/photostream/
Spectacular
That's a really spectacular photo, Moddsey. I wonder what the odd-looking seven-storey building to the left of Western Market was.
re: Peter Ball photo
Couple of identification marks visible. It appears you can see Man Mo Temple to the right of the double-domed building, with the temple displaying twin, shark fin like rooftops. The buildings sloping up from there would line Hollywood Road. That should help pinpoint the domed building.
The bombed area to the south of Hollywood Road probably includes Central School; certainly that area was partially destroyed during the war. Bridges Street Market and the former Police Married Quarters were built around 1951 out of the ruins.
Not sure what the tall building on the front is. It's now Kai Tak Commercial Building, 317 Des Voeux Road.
another dome
It may be my wonky eyesight, but it looks as though the double domed building has a larger and flatter done behind it - perhaps covering the main ceiling/roof of the building. Can anyone else see that?
The domed building is the
The domed building is the Central Theatre, 280 Queens Road Central. There is a place here:http://gwulo.com/node/29285
Central theatre
Many thanks Herostratus, you've solved a 6 yr old mystery. Given this new information it looks as though the film crew probably did use the roof of the building seen on film...i.e the corner of Hollywood Rd and Ladder St.
cheers, Phil
The angles don't quite match
The angles don't quite match up for the scene to be filmed form a building on Ladder street. Drawing a line from Hillier Street through the right (East) side tower of the Central Theatre leads to a building on Hollywood where today's Centre Stage is.
Aerial Image of Area
Below is an aerial shot from 1963. I have circled the building the movie scene was shot from. Central Theatre can be seen below the red circle. Click on the picture for a zoomable version
Same Building:
Rooftop
okay I see now, yes, this looks like the one. Well spotted. In fact, just in front of that rooftop (bottom left of circle) is a small line is thin roofs that were also captured on film, see below.
Didn't William Holden build a
Didn't William Holden build a home on the headland below the corner of Respusle Bay rd as it drop down to Repulse Bay from the DeepWater Bay turn off?. The place has/had a wonderful south facing sea view