I’ve just discovered this website, and wish I had done so some time ago.
So this is my first topic, and it may well be in an inappropriate location of this Talkback section. But here goes anyway.
Back in 1997, I had been living and working in Singapore for 2 years at that stage. I was browsing through an article in the Straits Times around early April, regarding a movie that had been filmed entirely on location in Singapore in 1978 – Saint Jack – but was subsequently banned there. However, the film was allowed a single screening at the 1997 Singapore International Film Festival, at the Majestic Cinema, which is why the article was written.
Although I didn’t see the film (I think the screening date had just passed), I did, LUCKILY, keep the article…..
At the time, I asked my mother, back in Australia, to see if she could find this movie for sale anywhere – but it proved too difficult a task. The internet, even only 12 years ago, was not nearly as extensive as it is today. I filed the article away somewhere…
In 2002, I left Singapore after 8 years, having originally intended to stay for 12-18 months. Ironically, it was only after leaving that I started to gain a considerable interest in Singapore’s immediate past, and slowly started acquiring my collection of books- mostly photographical – that document Singapore’s past, particularly over the past 45 years or so.
I also remembered about that film – Saint Jack – and managed to find the 1997 article. To my pleasant surprise, it was easily (and cheaply) available on DVD, and probably had been for a couple of years at that stage. I must admit to being quite taken aback by the film upon finally watching it, and I have re-watched it probably another 30 times since then.
I managed to photocopy an article from The Straits Times – 24 Jan 1980 – in which the banning of the film is explained. I’d like to add here that it is damn easy (and free) to research old newspapers here in Adelaide – at the State Library, they have kept the majority of the world’s major newspapers from the past 50 years (in many cases much longer) – and in the case of The Straits Times , they are not on microfilm, but in their original hard copy format. I’m not sure in Singapore the availability of the Straits Times going back three decades or more.
Years ago, I also managed to track down that Playboy article (I actually bought the whole magazine). I’ll have to re-read it, but don’t recall it being a “bitchy, self congratulatory piece” – but anyway, I don’t think it would be appropriate to post it here, considering some of the photos might be considered offensive.
A few years ago, a guy called Ben Slater wrote a book called “Kinda Hot”. It is about the making of Saint Jack. I have met Ben once before, and contributed some information at the time he was doing his research – so I’m glad he finished the project and had the book published. I’d encourage anyone interested in Saint Jack, or in Singapore’s past, to give it a read.
I’d like to thank Victor Koo for his considerable blogs comparing location scenes from Saint Jack (1978) to what they look like today. Due to my now very infrequent visits to Singapore, whenever I’m there it is very difficult to have the time to track down many of the locations used in the film.
A couple of queries about the film – if anyone knows. The first has always intriuged me. Where on earth is that brothel on Lorong J Telok Kurau? Not that I’d intend on visiting it! But I have always wondered, which house did they film that in. I have walked along that street on my last 2 visits to Singapore, and been shocked (but not surprised) that the vast majority of houses along there have either been demolished and re-built, or renovated beyond recognition. So it appears nothing like it probably would have in the late 1970′s. The only clue I had was from the film – a taxi is shown parking on a street that is perpendicular to the Lorong that the brothel is on. At the end of the scene, the two gangsters are shown walking on a laneway or sidestreet footpath that is also perpendicular to the brothel. So the brothel was either on the corner of a T-junction or cross junction. Interestingly, “Kinda Hot” describes similar quirks. It also mentions that in all of the documents that Ben obtained from the US about the film, the actual address at Lorong J was conspicuously absent.
The other scene precedes the murder of “Bob” – who was the employee at Prince’s Hotel Garni. Jack and William are shown going for a walk around the back streets, when they turn the corner it is at the back of Prince’s Hotel (a rear service door with the words “Prince’s – No Parking” painted on it can be seen). So, assuming the scene was continuous – that is, there were no cuts in it – then Jack and William must be walking in alleys that were more or less behind where Prince’s Hotel Garni (now the Crown Prince Hotel on Orchard Road) used to be. So, even in 1978, it is just difficult to comprehend (remember this is coming from a foreigner here) that these types of dwellings used to be present in this location (bounded by Orchard, Bideford and Cairnhill Roads). I was wondering whether anyone could provide any more information on this?
Lastly, around the time of acquiring the Saint Jack DVD, I managed to also get a couple of other “films” that were made on location in Singapore in the 1970′s. The first is called “GI Executioner” – which was filmed in 1971 but was only released in about 1984. Now, this is an applingly bad film, but it does contain a suprisingly good amount of footage on location scenes from 1971 (eg Raffles Hotel, War Memorial Park, Clifford Pier, CBD from Singapore Harbour near Clifford Pier, Clarke Quay (actually North Boat Quay), Bugis Street, backstreets around Clarke Quay, and a large elaborate temple which is in a semi-rural area – which I can’t work out where).
The second, is actually a 2 part episode of Hawaii Five O, that was filmed in Singapore in 1978. The episodes are called “The Year of the Horse”. Also some great on location scenes in this, but it has been years since I’ve watched it. In particular, scenes at the Mandarin Hotel and Mount Faber (aboard the cable car) are featured.
Now that I’ve finally purchased a DVD recorder, I’m in the process of converting all of my extensive collection of VHS videos over to digital format. (Vic) please PM me if you don’t have the titles that I’ve mentioned, and I’d be happy to send them to you FOC.
Cheers,
Malcolm
11 Responses
Thanks for writing that extensive post about Saint Jack. Also, about GI Executioner. My goodness, what a title, no wonder they took so long to release it.
Saint Jack is definitely something to watch, just for everything in the background. I was young when the real Bugis Street was still in existence, so it was an eye-opener to see it rather than to just hear about it. And many other places too, which no longer exist or have changed beyond recognition.
Sorry, I can’t help you out with your queries on Lorong J Telok Kurau and the area behind Prince’s Hotel Garni.
Oh, and Straits Times is available at Singapore’s National Library on microfilm. Definitely goes further back than 30 years. More recent issues have been archived electronically.
Posted on March 13th, 2009 at 4:06 pm
At the Lee Kong Chiang Reference Library, 11th floor National Library Building, there is a collection of Singapore newspapers both The Straits Times and the Chinese newspapers dated from early 1800 and are available in micro films.
Posted on March 13th, 2009 at 9:36 pm
I am quite sure there was no brothel at Lorong J Telok Kurau. But, at Lorong H Telok Kurau between Still Road and Telok Kurau Road, there were brothels on both sides of the lorong. The landscape in this lorong is now beyond recognition.
Posted on March 13th, 2009 at 9:51 pm
Malcolmyoung91, thank you for this fascinating piece about Saint Jack complete with all the relevant newspaper articles on the movie.
Singapore in the 1970s was a very different time from what it is now. Although the sex industry was not very different regardless of what the authorities tell you then or now.
Yes, that was a different time in more ways than one. I noticed the article “GM expected to double workforce” in your newspapers. Now GM’s workforce is not doubled but troubled.
The authorities are now more forgiving and open. They are no longer in denial mode. This website which is sponsored by our main print media even documents the gangland activities of yesteryear so vividly.
I am definitely interested in your very kind offer of free movies. I am still trying to figure out how I could PM you. Alternatively, I can be contacted at koo.victor@gmail.com. I hope to hear from you and not the Board of File Censor soon. :p
Posted on March 14th, 2009 at 1:21 am
Two simple comments” I saw the file St. Jack when it was screened as a past-midnight movie over a Hong Kong station, back in 80′s. i watch it when I was in Guangzhou, our hotel managed to receive HKG signal.
I believe actual brothels were in Lorong G (not sure about Lorong H), I was staying in Still Road, near Lorong J. So if there is a T junction in Lorong J, there could either be terrace house row of 5 or 6, or stand alone 2 story bunglow.
Posted on March 14th, 2009 at 5:12 pm
It’s great to have such positive feedback.
Philip/Acroamatic,
Thanks for the info regarding the Straits Times on microfilm. I vaguely remember visiting the old National Library on Stamford Road about 10 years ago, and finding the Straits Times of the day on microfilm. I wasn’t aware that records back to the early 1800′s are available – but am presently surprised that they are.
Nostalgia/alex,
Thanks for your recollections of what Telok Kurau used to be like in the 1970′s. I think it leads to 2 questions: (1) Was the house that was used in the film actually a brothel?; and (2) Irrespective of this, what house along Lorong J was used for the film?
“Kinda Hot” has an interesting paragraph which I can’t phrase better myself, so I’ll quote it here: “Looking for the house where Bridgit and Lily do their act along Lorong J Telok Kurau is no east task. It’s a long street with many tributaries all called Lorong J, and a lot of the houses on the corners such as the one in the film have been extravagantly redesigned. It’s enough to just walk around there, and imagine that the owners don’t have a clue that a film, let alone that scene from Saint Jack, was shot in their bedroom”.
Several years ago, I noticed that on the outside shot of the house – taken from the street – what appears to be the house number on the fence is shown on the left hand side of the screen. I paused the DVD and managed to zoom in on the image. Unfortunately, the shot is too dark and the image is too blurred to even decipher one number of the house address.
Vic,
I wasn’t aware that PM’s can’t be sent via this website – I had just assumed that it was possible. I will send you an email shortly.
Malcolm.
Posted on March 16th, 2009 at 8:16 am
Yes, this just in – http://newspapers.nl.sg/ Straits Times (1845-1982) is searchable online. Unfortunately, they only allow retrieval and printing of the digital copy if you are at the library.
Posted on March 17th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
acroamatic, Thanks for posting that link. I gave it a try and the search function was quite good. Like you mentioned though, only the heading and start of the article’s text can be viewed online. However, this will be of great assistance when researching old Straits Times, as we can pinpoint the date of the article, which will also result in significant time savings when flicking through the pages.
Posted on March 19th, 2009 at 1:31 pm
Saint Jack to celebrate its 30th year
The only American film to be shot entirely on location in Singapore, Saint Jack was completed in secrecy in 1978 and then swiftly banned for nearly three decades.”
Screening plus conducted tour of movie sites in November.
http://www.nationalmuseum.sg/nms/nms…sp?film_id=944
VenueGallery Theatre, Basement
DateTHU 26 NOV 2009 7:30pm & FRI 27 NOV 2009 1:00pm
Dir: Peter Bogdanovich
1979 | USA | 114 min | 35mm | M18
Consumer advice: Nudity
The only American film to be shot entirely on location in Singapore, Saint Jack was completed in secrecy in 1978 and then swiftly banned for nearly three decades. It
Posted on November 12th, 2009 at 8:10 pm
Thanks, Xcetera!
Xcetera’s link to the National Museum page is broken, so here’s a truncated link leading to the same page: http://snipurl.com/t7n25
Posted on November 13th, 2009 at 4:03 pm
Hi Malcolm, thanks for the news clip! That was an excellent read! I am currently doing some research on Saint Jack for my dissertation and would like to know more about the interview of the crews in Playboy. May I know what issue is the article in? Would you mind let me know how can I get a copy of the articles? As Playboy is banned in Singapore here…if I am not wrong. Thanks!
Posted on August 11th, 2011 at 11:57 pm
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