For those interested in a bit of nostalgia about Singapore, you might want to check out your video shop over the holidays for a 1979 feature called SAINT JACK. It stars Ben Gazarra as an American ex-pat who runs a bordello in the city, first on his own, then for the US military [it's Viet Nam time]. However, the charm of this film is that it was shot on location around the former British Colony and you can get a look at the city that used to be. There was only one skyscraper office tower at the time on the banks of the Singapore River and the Fullerton Building was still the central Post Office not a luxury hotel. The major luxury hotels of the day were clustered at the north end of Orchard Road [the Hilton, the Shangri-la], and across the road from Raffles were rows of chop houses, not highrises. Lots of location exteriors, and anyone familiar enough with the city can pretty much identify streets and older remaining buildings even after 25-years. British character actor Denholm Elliott costars, along with a young Peter Bogdonovich, in one of his occasional appearances on the other side of the camera.

Made me want to join you all next month, but must be down in South Africa on my own film shoot. Enjoy.