Trivia - The Spy Who Loved Me
Production
This is the only Eon Productions
James Bond movie to be made in the same order as its source novel
was written.
The Spy Who Loved Me was both the 10th official series James
Bond movie produced and the 10th Ian Fleming James Bond novel
written.
Harry Saltzman sold his interest in James Bond
during December 1975 while this movie was in pre-production. Though
the last James Bond movie which was co-produced by Harry Saltzman
and Albert R. Broccoli was "The Man with the Golden Gun" (1974),
the dissolution of the partnership did not occur until after
that film was released. Saltzman was actually involved with the
"The Spy Who Loved Me" (1977) during early pre-production of the
film, as was the original director Guy Hamilton.
A number of writers contributed to the script
during its development. These included directors John Landis
and original director Guy Hamilton; script writers Richard Maibaum, Stirling Silliphant, Cary Bates, Tom Mankiewicz and Anthony Barwick;
and authors 'Anthony Burgess', Ronald Hardy and Derek Marlowe.
In total, twelve scriptwriters worked on the script which went
through to fifteen drafts.
Screenwriter Richard Maibaum's original draft
of "The Spy Who Loved Me" (1977) featured an alliance of international
terrorists entering SPECTRE's headquarters and deposing Blofeld
before trying to destroy the world for themselves to make way
for a New World Order. This script was deemed too political by
producer Albert R. Broccoli.
Gerry Anderson (creator of "Thunderbirds" (1965))
threatened legal action against the producers as he felt the
film came too close to a story proposal he had offered the Bond
producers in the 1960s. The suit was dropped, though EON Productions
ended up purchasing the rights to Anderson's original proposal.
The delay in production of this movie was contributed
to by legal issues to do with the script. Thunderball (1965)
co-writer and producer Kevin McClory brought a suit against the
production stating that his script "Warhead" had been
allegedly plagiarized. This was due to the similarity in story-lines
involving nuclear submarines. The injunction was ultimately rejected
and EON productions could proceed. However, the original name
of the villain was changed from Stavros to Stromberg, due to
the similarity between Stavros and the middle name of Ernest
Stavro Blofeld, the use of this character legally belonging to
McClory. Interestingly, apparently in a very early version of
the script, it was intended to have Blofeld return as the villain.
Several scenes, including the one where Bond
and Anya meet each other in a Cairo bar, were written by an uncredited
Tom Mankiewicz. According to him, the scene originally made reference
to Tatiana Romanova, the Bond girl in "From Russia with Love" (1963),
but this was cut. If it had been left in, the film would have
included direct references to both the Sean Connery and George
Lazenby eras of the Bond series.
Product placements and promotional tie-ins seen
in the movie included BOAC, Lotus Cars, Bacardi, and Jetski Wetbikes.
Vehicles featured included a white Lotus Esprit
S1 turbo sports car adaptable Perry submarine-car, which was
also known by the production as Margie Nixon and Wet Nellie;
a Arctic Enterprises Wetbike hydrofoil water motorcycle; Jaw's
Telephone Service gray Sherpa Van; a yellow and black Kawasaki
Z900 motorbike with sidecar; Hovercraft Speedboat jettisoned
from Atlantis; a black and yellow Shark Hunter mini-submarine;
a black and yellow Bell 206 Jet Ranger helicopter; black Ford
Taunus car; the Liparus oil tanker which includes a Mini Moke;
Westland HH-3 Sea King and Westland Wessex HC Mk 2 helicopters;
1977 Ford Cortina 2.3 Ghia; USS Wayne and Russian Potemkin Submarines;
a Stromberg Enterprises company motorboat; a small bus and a
spherical underwater escape pod from Atlantis.
Introduced a spy sea scooter known as a "wetbike" (better
known now as a jet ski) to the world, sparking a new water-sport
industry. This gadget was commonly referred to as the motorbike
that rides on water.
In his audio-commentary, Roger Moore comments
on the opening parachute ski-jump that could have gone horribly
wrong for stuntman Rick Sylvester. After the jump, a disengaged
ski clipped the unopened chute as it was falling. The ski could
could easily have prevented the chute from opening. It can still
be seen in the final footage that the ski clips the about-to-open
parachute. Rick Sylvester was paid $30,000 for the skiing stunt
in the opening sequence.
An advertisement inspired the famous opening
skiing sequence. It was for Canadian Club Whisky and featured
Rick Sylvester jumping off Asgard in Greenland. The ad had actually
been staged elsewhere and had really been performed off the El
Capitain Peak, Yosemite Valley, California. The ad read: "If
you Space Ski Mount Asgard...before you hit the ground, hit the
silk!". Sylvester performed the stunt for the film which
famously ended with a parachute of the Union Jack opening. This
opening sequence was recently parodied in "Bridget Jones: The
Edge of Reason" (2004) and was imitated with the air balloon in
Octopussy (1983) and paid homage to in the Gustav Graves parachute
drop in "Die Another Day" (2002). Sylvester also did the Meteora
mountain fall in "For Your Eyes Only" (1981).
The famous Union Jack parachute ski jump stunt
during the film's pre-title sequence was (reportedly) originally
suggested by former Bond star George Lazenby to be used in "On
Her Majesty's
Secret Service" (1969), but the necessary equipment to film it
was not available then.
First James Bond movie to feature an actor playing
James Bond to appear as part of the opening titles sequence itself.
In "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" (1969), footage from previous
films including an actor playing James Bond was edited into the
opening sequence.
The Lotus submersible (the Lotus Esprit underwater
car or Lotus submarine car) was code named Esther Williams in
an early draft of the script and was also nicknamed by the crew
as Wet Nellie (after the mini-helicopter in "You Only Live Twice"
(1967)). It is called Wet Nellie in the novelization.
The chase sequence in Sardinia involving the
Lotus Esprit runs for seven minutes.
After the film's release, demand for white Lotus
Esprit cars surged to the point that new customers had to be
placed on a three-year waiting list.
The Aquapolis, the enormous Japanese floating
sea structure, was considered as an exterior set for the Stromberg
Marine Research Laboratory, Atlantis. It resembled an oil rig
(something which had already been used in "Diamonds Are Forever"
(1971)), had a gigantic three-tiered deck which was also a helicopter
pad measuring 100 m2, and was supported by about a dozen major
pillars. It cost 13 billion yen and had been built in Hiroshima
in 1975 then transported to Okinawa for the International Ocean
Exposition. Depending on weather conditions, it could partially
rise or submerge into the ocean, in a similar fashion to the
Atlantis setting of the movie's script. At the time of the location
scout, it was incomplete and after attempts to make the mega-structure
work, production designer Ken Adam felt that it lacked the right
creative elements for the nautical villain's lair. Disappointingly,
the floating sea city was rejected as an exterior location for
Atlantis and the filmmakers decided to go with a model. Sadly,
it was closed to tourist visits in 1993 and in 2000, after twenty-five
years, the real-life floating city in the ocean was sold for
scrap after the company that owned it went bankrupt.
During the Egyptian shoot, the catering didn't
arrive. Producer Albert R. Broccoli jumped into action and took
a jeep and some crew, went into town and got some tomatoes, pots,
pans and pasta was flown in from Cairo. Broccoli, well known
as an amateur chef at home, cooked up a feast for the cast and
crew, served by him and Roger Moore. A sign was painted in the
mess-room: "Trattoria Broccoli."
In one scene amongst the pyramids when Jaws is trailing a hiding agent 007, a still photograph of Roger Moore
was used when they needed to have him in the shot. Hardly anyone
noticed this during the film's release. Further, all the shots
of pyramids used were actually models.
The eyesight of cinematographer Claude Renoir
was failing at the time and he could not see to the end of the
massive supertanker set. As a result, he could not supervise
the lighting. Ken Adam turned to his friend Stanley Kubrick,
who under the condition of complete secrecy supervised the lighting.
$1 million of the $13.5 million budget was spent
by production designer Ken Adam on building the largest sound
stage in the world: 336'x139'x44'. The set was used for the interior
shots of Stromberg's supertanker. The tank had a capacity of
1.2 million gallons.
The set for Stromberg's supertanker was named "the
Jonah Set", in reference to the Biblical story of Jonah,
who is swallowed by a whale. In the film, the tanker swallows
submarines.
The date the new OO7 Stage was opened and christened
at Pinewood Studios was 5 December 1976, coinciding with the
production of this movie. Former English Prime Minister Harold
Wilson, Roger Moore and Barbara Bach partook in the opening ceremonies
for the stage which was first used for the production of this
movie.
The literal translations of some this film's
foreign language titles include The Spy That Loved Me (Spain,
Norway, France, Denmark); 007, My Beloved (Finland); The Spy
That I Loved (Portugal); Beloved Spy (Sweden); The Spy That Loves
Me (Poland) and 007, The Spy Who Loved Me (Brazil)
The title song "Nobody Does It Better" sung
by Carly Simon and composed by Marvin Hamlisch was a hit in both
the USA and UK. The song was so successful that the title "Nobody
Does It Better" has become part of James Bond universe phraseology.
It charted in the USA on 23 July 1977 and went to No. #2. It
stayed there for three weeks and was in the US charts for 25
consecutive weeks. It entered the charts in the UK on 6 August
1977 and peaked at the No. #7 position. The song in the USA also
achieved the classification of being a Gold Single. The soundtrack
album charted in the USA on 27 August 1977 and went to the No.
#40 rank.
A piece of music composed by Mozart inspired
the title song 'Nobody Does It Better" composed by Marvin
Hamlisch. Indeed, the film includes in its score a number of
pieces of classical music by such composers as Johann Sebastian
Bach (Air in Orchestral Suite No. 3, BWV 1068), Frédéric
Chopin (Nocturne No. 8 in D-Flat, Op. 27 No. 2), Camille Saint-Saëns
(The Aquarium from The Carnival of the Animals) and also by Wolfgang
Amadeus Mozart, the Andante second movement of Piano Concerto
No. 21 Elvira Madigan. These pieces of music however are not
on the movie's soundtrack album.
The movie received Three Academy Award Nominations
- the most ever received by a James Bond movie to date. These
were for Best Art Direction - Set Decoration, Best Score, and
Best Song - "Nobody Does It Better".
Albert R. Broccoli once named this film along
with "From Russia with Love" (1963) and "Goldfinger" (1964) as his
three favorite James Bond movies, according to an interview with
the Hollywood Reporter's Robert Osborne on 12 April 1982.
Cast & Characters
The name of the Bond Girl in the original Ian
Fleming "Spy Who Loved Me" novel was Vivienne Michel.
Her name was not used for the movie. Nor was Mr. Saguinetti,
the name of the villain's employer in the book, utilized for
the film.
Valerie Leon, who played the hotel receptionist
in Sardinia, also appeared in "Casino Royale" (1967) and as the
lady in Bahamas in "Never Say Never Again" (1983).
Producer Albert R. Broccoli wanted Lois Chiles to play the part of Russian agent Anya Amasova. Upon talking
to her agent, it was discovered that Chiles had retired temporarily,
upset by criticism she had received, and was taking acting lessons.
Chiles would become the next Bond girl in Moonraker after sharing
a seat next to director Lewis Gilbert.
Milton Reid, who plays the henchman Sandor had
unsuccessfully lobbied for the role of Oddjob in "Goldfinger" (1964).
Reid previously played one of the guards in Dr. No (1962) and
was also one of Mata Bond's attendants in "Casino Royale" (1967).
In order to simulate the character's metal teeth,
Richard Kiel's stunt double Martin Grace used pieces of orange
peel wrapped in tin foil.
The Carl Stromberg character in this film actually
has webbed hands. But they can go unnoticed by viewers on video
and DVD compared to when the movie was released in cinemas.
Michael G. Wilson makes a cameo as 'Man in
the Audience' at the Pyramid Theatre. He is sitting in the row
behind
Fekkesh
and
Agent Triple-X at the Pyramid Show.
Jaws was played by Richard Kiel, who played
an almost identical part a year earlier in "Silver Streak" (1976).
Jack O'Halloran was considered for the role of Jaws before Richard
Kiel got the part. O'Halloran would portray Non (a character
similar to Jaws) in the first two Superman films (Superman and
Superman II). Will Sampson, the Indian from "One Flew Over the
Cuckoo's Nest" (1975) was also considered for the Jaws part as
was David Prowse.
The character of Major Boothroyd is addressed
as such by Barbara Bach for one of the only times in the movie
series. Boothroyd (played by Desmond Llewelyn) is the head of
Q branch, but the name Q stuck to the character.
Jaws actor Richard Kiel could only keep the
metal teeth in his mouth for about half a minute at a time due
to the excessive pain and discomfort. He often had to show comic
expressions which was quite contradictory to the way he was feeling
wearing the extremely uncomfortable braces.
General Gogol's first appearance in the EON
Productions official James Bond series. His first name is heard
for the only time in the series when M refers to him as Alexis.
Gogol is played by Walter Gotell who had previously played Morzeny
in "From Russia With Love" (1963). He would appear a number of
times in the series as General Gogol.
According to Richard Kiel, the chain he bites
through as Jaws during the Pyramids sequence was made of licorice.
Character actor Shane Rimmer, who plays an American
submarine captain, makes his third appearance in a Bond movie,
after playing bit parts in "You Only Live Twice" (1967) and "Diamonds
Are Forever" (1971).
Michael Billington, who played Sergei Barsov,
Anya's lover in the KGB, was under consideration for 007 and
played him during the casting of the leading ladies.
Victor Tourjansky, uncredited as the man with
the bottle who wonders whether he's drunk at seeing the Lotus
Esprit drive out of the water, played the same man in the following
two movies: in Moonraker (1979) he is drinking in Venice when
Bond drives his gondola out of the water, and in For Your Eyes
Only (1981) he is a patron of the lodge that Bond skies off the
table at. He is better known as an assistant director.
One of the models seen during the opening credits
was named Penelope Smallbone. A character in "Octopussy" (1983)
would be given this name.
The original script called for Jaws to perish
after Bond used an industrial magnet aboard the Super Tanker
to drop him into the tanker's furnace. The scene was storyboarded
using Richard Kiel and Roger Moore as models, and apparently
rehearsed, but ultimately scrapped in favor of bringing Jaws
back for the next film. When the film was previewed, audiences
cheered when they saw Jaws swimming away in the end.
Christopher Wood's novelization of the film
(based on his screenplay) contains information not in the final
film. Jaws, for example, is revealed to be Polish and his real
name is Zbigniew Krycsiwiki.
The first appearance of recurring character
Defence Minister Frederick Gray (played by Geoffrey Keen). While
walking along the docks, Bond addresses him as "Freddy" for
the only time in the series (in all subsequent films, he uses
the more formal address "Minister").
Caroline Munro was dubbed by Barbara Jefford.
James Mason was considered for the part of villain
Karl Stromberg. His famous role as Jules Verne's Captain Nemo
in Walt Disney's "20000 Leagues Under the Sea" (1954) was a major
element in his consideration. He would also be considered as
main villain Hugo Drax in the next Bond movie Moonraker (1979).
Coincidentally, James Bond creator Ian Fleming based the villain
Drax on the Jules Vernes character Robur from the "Clipper
Of The Clouds", "Master of the World" and "Robur,
The Conqueror" stories. Sadly, Mason never got to play either
and never was a Bond villain in a Bond movie.
When James Bond drives the Lotus Esprit up onto
the beach, we can see a child pointing out to the car in the
water. This child is played by Richard George Kiel, son of actor
Richard Kiel who portrayed Jaws.
Story & Bond Lore
First James Bond movie to be filmed in Dolby
Stereo.
The original M's first name is heard for the
only time in the film series when Gogol refers to him as Myles
(in the books, his name was Admiral Sir Myles Messervy and was
only ever mentioned in the novel "The Man With The Golden
Gun"). In addition, Bernard Lee's M calls Bond by his first
name for only the second time in the series - the first time
was in "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" (1969). The last time
Q was
referred to by his real name (Major Geoffrey Boothroyd)
was
in
"Dr. No"
(1962) and From Russia with Love (1963).
James Bond and Anya Amasovas' aliases when they
first visited Atlantis were Mr and Mrs Robert Sterling - the alias R. Stirling is re-used in "Quantum of Solace" (2008).
First Bond film to make significant references
to Bond's past, including his recruitment to the British Secret
Service from the Royal Navy, his "many lady friends",
his marriage and the death of his wife, Tracy.
During the fight scene at the Pyramids between
Bond and two KGB agents, Bond at one point delivers a blow that
causes one of the men to, in reflex, cross his arms over his
chest, making him resemble a character in old Egyptian drawings.
The hull
number on the sail of the U.S. submarine USS Wayne in Stromberg's
supertanker is 593. This is the number
of the USS Thresher, lost in 1963 with all hands off the Massachusetts
coast.
The license plate number of the Lotus Esprit
was PPW 306R.
A Minolta logo appears on the microfilm capsule.
Anya's music box-transmitter plays Lara's Theme
from "Doctor Zhivago" (1965).
After the van breaks down, the theme from "Lawrence
of Arabia" (1962) plays when Bond and XXX walk across the desert.
Russian Agent Anya Amasova's code number was
XXX (i.e. as in Agent XXX). Anya's henchmen in Egypt were called
Ivan and Boris.
The name of Max Kalba's club in Cairo, Egypt
was the Mujaba Club.
A fight sequence was originally envisaged in
this movie for the Mummy Room of the Cairo Museum of Antiquities.
This was scrapped but the sequence resurface in the next Bond
movie Moonraker (1979) as the fight between Chang and Bond in
the Venini glass showroom.
The Lotus Esprit underwater spy car had the
following features and gadgets: A periscope; convertible dashboard-control
panel; oil release, harpoon and cement guns; retractable turning
wheels; hydroplanes; protective louvres; television monitor;
rudder and propulsion units; submarine activator; rocket missiles
and missile firing control.
The two stolen nuclear submarines were the American "USS
Wayne" and the Russian "Potemkin". The renaming
of them had them called Stromberg No. #1 and Stromberg No. #2.
The submarine eating tanker that captured them was called the
Liparus.
In the scene in which Bond and his compatriots
are looking at the tracing of the submarine's course, the first
few notes of the James Bond theme are played when the line
is drawn onto the map.
The warship that appears at the end is the HMS
Fearless.
As a nameless soldier is drowning
in the burning water during the fight between the escaped sub
crews and the evil henchmen, the dub mix uses the infamous "Wilhelm
Scream" stock sound effect.
The name of the champagne that James Bond and
Anya Amasova have in the escape capsule at the end of the movie
was a Dom Perignon '52.
The closing credits say, "James Bond will
return in For Your Eyes Only (1981)" but, because of the
successes of "Star Wars" (1977) and "Close Encounters of the Third
Kind" (1977), "Moonraker" (1979) was chosen.