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A Dreamlike Occurrence

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Experiencing unusual dreams

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Daniel Craig was officially announced as the sixth Daniel Craig was officially announced as the sixth actor to play James Bond during a press event on the banks of the River Thames on October 14, 2005.

The location was specifically chosen so Craig could arrive in front of the press in a military speedboat. The new James Bond, a speedboat, a dramatic entrance - it seemed like the perfect idea, but there was unexpected fallout from it.

Because he was being driven by Royal Marines in the speedboat, military protocol required Craig to wear a life jacket - not exactly the image they wanted to present for this new gritty 007. Plus, he looked awkward and uncomfortable during the water ride. ALSO, the press spotted him chewing gum, which made him look even more nervous and unsophisticated. To the press' eyes this new blonde actor looked very 'un-Bond-like'.

And then the fallout began. The press had a field day mocking Craig's entrance and his casting. Headlines like, 'James Blonde', 'The Daring New 007 Arrives Scared and in a Life Jacket', 'The Name's Bland...James Bland'. Internet message boards filled with fans upset about Craig's selection. Remember that website, CraigIsNotBond that was made specifically to boycott the choice of Craig and to boycott his 007. 

Of course, the backlash eventually settled down (at least most of it) and Craig was applauded when Casino Royale was released and audiences got to see his performance and this new direction the Bond films were heading into.

But it all started out rather shaky from that first announcement. Craig later said that speedboat press event was a "fucking train wreck". 

I'm not sure how or when they'll announce the new James Bond, but I think it's highly unlikely they'll make him wear a life jacket the first time he steps in front of the world's press.
When Roger Moore was cast as James Bond in 1972, i When Roger Moore was cast as James Bond in 1972, inevitably he was asked by reporters how did he think he would do as the new 007. 

He said, "I think that I've got an even-money chance to make it. After all, I've been around a long time in this business. I did The Saint on television for seven years."

Moore would end playing James Bond in seven films. 

Moore had been considered to play 007 earlier. Thanks to his role as The Saint, Bond producers approached him about taking on the role from Sean Connery in 1967 and then again in 1969. But since Moore was busy working on television he was unable to.

In 1971, Moore was starring in the show The Persuaders with Tony Curtis. A year later the show was cancelled and the timing was perfect for Moore to step into the role of 007 which was again vacant after Connery's second departure.

Looking back on his tenure as 007, Moore said his favorite Bond movie he did was The Spy Who Loved Me.

"I think The Spy Who Loved Me was the best, or rather the one I enjoyed doing the most. It had great locations. And I was exceedingly happy working with Lewis Gilbert, the director. We share the same sense of humor. I think it had the right balance of fun and suspense." 

As for his least liked Bond film he made, he voted for A View to a Kill. Moore was unhappy with the violence in the film and felt he was to old to be playing James Bond. He said, "I was only about 400 years too old for the part!" 

Unlike Connery, who wanted to distance himself from the role of 007, Moore embraced his connection to the character. "I don't mind being branded as James Bond. It means some people are seeing what you're doing. You know, I did an awful lot of things that you haven't mentioned because you don't remember them, you see?"
A press junket was held at the London Hilton Hotel A press junket was held at the London Hilton Hotel Roof Restaurant on October 13, 1968. About a week before filming of On Her Majesty's Secret Service was to begin filming, the new James Bond George Lazenby met with the press and was joined by co-star Diana Rigg.

Rigg was excited about moving from her television work on The Avengers to being part of a major blockbuster motion picture, which was one of the main reason she accepted the part of Tracy.

At one point Rigg made a sarcastic comment about the press event and the announcement to the media of @georgelazenbyofficial being the new 007. "Not a movie, a car showroom."

She also jokingly asked Lazenby, "You can act, can't you?"

The newspaper headlines immediately set the tone of the media scrutiny that followed the production and laid the groundwork for all the on-set feud rumors that persisted through filming and ultimately became part of the film's legacy. You know, like the famous 'garlic' story.

Some of the newspaper headlines for the event were - 'Emma Peel Meets the New James Bond', '007 and His New Lady', 'The Untried Bond", 'Can the New Bond Act?"

Filming for On Her Majesty's Secret Service would begin filming in Switzerland on October 21, 1968.
What do you have in your James Bond toy collection What do you have in your James Bond toy collection?

I figure almost every Bond fan has a some kind of Aston Martin DB5 toy somewhere around. It's one of the quintessential images associated with 007 and has appeared in a lot of the films. The car is beautiful, most of us would never be able to afford a real one, so the next best thing is to have a little toy of it to put on a shelf. 

How many types of DB5 toys have been made? The most famous is the classic 1965 Corgi Aston Martin DB5. Released during the height of Bond-mania, it was a toy every kid wanted. The ejector-seat feature allowed even more play value out of it. That Corgi DB5 became one of the best selling die-cast toy cars ever made. 

Since then there's been so many die-cast DB5's made. Hot Wheels, Matchbox, Mini GT, Johnny Lightning, Micro Machines, Lego.....So many different scales, 1:64, 1:24, 1:18....there's no shortage of choices of picking out a DB5 to put on your shelf or desk. 

I have my own 007 die-cast car collection. I stick with 1:64 scale cars since they're small, so they don't take up much space, they're not that expensive and they can look nice on a shelf. 

Johnny Lightning had a very cool line of Bond die-cast cars in the late 1990s and into 2000's to mark the series 40th anniversary. It was a nice selection of vehicles from the films. The DB5 pictured is from Johnny Lightning line. But, I mix and match different toy Bond vehicles from any manufacturer as long as it's 1:64 scale.

I do hope Amazon eventually makes some new Bond merch and does an extensive and well made 1:64 die-cast car line of vehicles from the films. There's a lot of Bond vehicles from the films I've never seen given the toy treatment that I would like to add to my 007 vehicle collection.

I was curious from any die-cast car Bond collectors, I imagine you have some kind of die-cast DB5, so which do you have and what do you consider the best detailed DB5 die cast that has been made? What's your favorite toy version of Bond's ride? What's the DB5 that's sitting on your shelf?
Frankenstein, 1931. After the huge success of Dra Frankenstein, 1931.

After the huge success of Dracula, Universal Studios immediately wanted to shift to making more horror films. 

Director James Whale had recently signed a contract with Universal and scored a big success with Waterloo Bridge. He was given the choice of what film he wanted to make next - and he choose Frankenstein.

Initially, Frankenstein was being developed with director Robert Florey and star Bela Lugosi. After executives watched test footage they had second thoughts about the film. Whale in a way resurrected the film and took over the project.

He choose his new cast, which included an unknown Boris Karloff. 

Legendary makeup man Jack Pierce was already the head of Universal's makeup department. He spent three to four hours a day turning Karloff into the monster, building the creature's face over Karloff's skin. Karloff also removed his dental bridge to help make his cheek look more sunken.

Pierce's creature has become one of the most iconic images in horror. When you think of Frankenstein's monster you think of Karloff and Pierce's work. 

Pierce once explained why he gave the creature his distinctive flat head -
"I did not give the monster a flat head just to make him look scary. I reasoned that Dr. Frankenstein was a scientist, not a modern neurosurgeon. He wouldn’t have the tools to delicately open a skull. He would take the easy way: cut the top of the skull straight across like a lid, hinge it back, pop the brain in, and clamp it shut. That is why the head is flat and has a scar running all the way around."
Sigourney Weaver in Aliens, 1986. Sigourney Weave Sigourney Weaver in Aliens, 1986.

Sigourney Weaver was hesitant to return for a sequel to Alien, but after reading James Cameron's script she reconsidered. She was impressed by it and loved the mother-daughter bond between Ripley and Newt, so she signed on. 

A major point of friction between Weaver and Cameron was over Ripley using weapons in the film. Weaver, an advocate for gun control, told Cameron she didn't want Ripley to use any guns and felt a flamethrower would be enough weaponry for her to use in the story.

To rewrite the script and drop all the firearms was impossible. Cameron suggested they make Ripley a person who hates violence, but uses the weapons out of absolute necessity. That was enough for Weaver. 

Weaver has said she loved that Aliens gave audiences a chance to understand Ripley on a deeper level than in Alien. It was the character's evolution in Aliens that really propelled Ripley into becoming one of cinema's greatest action heroes. 

However, Weaver has said she never viewed the character that way. "What I loved about Ripley...was that I didn't really feel like a badass heroine ever. What I felt was like you or me in this situation, wondering what the fuck you were going to do. It was an everyman character that could be any of us."

Weaver would receive an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for her performance of Ripley in Aliens. 

Of course, Weaver returned to play Ripley in Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection. She has said Aliens is her favorite Alien film, specifically because of Cameron's script and the satisfying story for the character. 

"The best-constructed story for the character to tell was in Aliens, just because Jim has such an amazing sense of structure of story. To take this character out of hyper-sleep, have no one believe her, have her be exiled into this limbo land where no one believes her and her family's dead... and then what she ends up doing and finding this new family by the end. The whole structure of that story, to me, was gold."
George Lazenby was officially announced as the new George Lazenby was officially announced as the new James Bond, succeeding Sean Connery, on October 7, 1968. The announcement was made at a press conference held at the Dorchester Hotel in London. 

Of course there was massive press attention over this new 007. @georgelazenbyofficial told reporters, "I haven't a clue why they chose me. They never told me. It's probably because bascially they want a person who will work with them, who hasn't got his own ideas."

When Connery decided he wanted to move on from James Bond, producers Cubby Broccoli and Harry Saltzman had the task of finding 'a new James Bond'. Over 400 possible actors were considered. From established actors like, Terence Stamp, Oliver Reed and Adam West to uknowns. 

Lazenby famously bluffed his way into a meeting with Saltzman. With no acting experience, he claimed to be an established actor in Australia and had acted in European films and TV. Today, they could have easily doublechecked his resume, but back then the Bond producers bought everything Lazenby said. 

After some screen tests and with director Peter Hunt being on his side, Lazenby landed the role and would star in On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

Lazenby said, "I'm not exactly Laurence Oliver. But Sean Connery's acting experience was limited when he became 007. I'm doing what he did - placing myself in the hands of the highly successful team that moulded Bond into a cinema figure."

"So, whatever happens - whether I'm James Bond now and forever, whether I'm a flop, but I'm going to work for success - I'm grateful for the chance. And believe me, I'm ready for it."
Britt Ekland as Mary Goodnight in The Man with the Britt Ekland as Mary Goodnight in The Man with the Golden Gun.

Ekland sought out to land the role a Bond girl in The Man with the Golden Gun.

"I so wanted to be a Bond Girl after seeing Ursula Andress in Dr. No and those beautiful locations, that I read the book “The Man with The Golden Gun” and called Cubby Broccoli’s office to see him. I was already an established actress then."

"I had dressed as a secretary in a plain skirt, a white blouse and my hair in twist. Cubby said that the script wasn’t finished yet and they based the story more on the title. As I was leaving, Roger More came in and said hello. Very handsome. I had to go to the States to do a movie for 6 weeks and on the plane back to Britain, I read that another Swedish girl had been cast in the new Bond film. I was devastated!"

"As soon as I got home my agent called and said Cubby Broccoli wanted to see me, I naively thought he was going to apologize for me not getting the part. As I waited in his office he suddenly walked in and said you are “Mary Goodnight!” I asked about that other Swedish girl and he said that is Christopher Lee’s girlfriend. I couldn’t have been happier meeting and working with Maud Adams, we have been the closest of friends ever since."
The Spy Who Loved Me, the filming of the Lotus Esp The Spy Who Loved Me, the filming of the Lotus Esprit coming out of the sea in Sardinia.

As much as Bond fans would have liked to believe that Bond's Lotus could really turn into a submersible - it wasn't. 

When Cubby Broccoli saw the new 1976 Lotus Esprit S1 (also known as the Lotus Type 79) immediately wanted to use it for the film. Second unit director Ernie Day and art director Peter Lamont immediately realized the sleek streamlined design look similar to a submarine. 

Inspiration!

Because it was so new, Lotus could only give the production two functioning road cars. The special effects department used several shells of the car to perform various effects that was needed for the film.

Filming of the Loutus emerging from the sea was filmed at Capriccioli Beach in Sardinia. The scene used two Esprits. One was a dummy car shell that was pulled out of the ocean by a cable hidden under the sand. Then cut to Bond driving onto dry sand and doing the fish gag.

I've seen some Bond fans have made visits there. I would guess they took the chance to be one of the bewildered beachgoers watching Bond drive past them nonchalantly. Maybe they even did a drunk guy double take if they had a bottle of wine handy.

The Esprit being featured in the film was a great exposure for Lotus. After The Spy Who Loved Me was released, there was three-year waiting list for the car.

The DB5 belonged to Sean Connery's James Bond and Roger Moore's 007 had his Lotus Esprit.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNy63FbgqhQ
haphazardstuff HaphazardStuff @haphazardstuff ·
7 Oct

George Lazenby was officially announced as the new James Bond, succeeding Sean Connery, on October 7, 1968. The announcement was made at a press conference held at the Dorchester Hotel in London. He was selected to star in On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

Reply on Twitter 2107745751019266379 Retweet on Twitter 2107745751019266379 7 Like on Twitter 2107745751019266379 56 Twitter 2107745751019266379
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haphazardstuff HaphazardStuff @haphazardstuff ·
7 Oct

George Lazenby was officially announced as the new James Bond, succeeding Sean Connery, on October 7, 1968. The announcement was made at a press conference held at the Dorchester Hotel in London. He was selected to star in On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

Reply on Twitter 2107745751019266379 Retweet on Twitter 2107745751019266379 7 Like on Twitter 2107745751019266379 56 Twitter 2107745751019266379
Load More
Daniel Craig was officially announced as the sixth Daniel Craig was officially announced as the sixth actor to play James Bond during a press event on the banks of the River Thames on October 14, 2005.

The location was specifically chosen so Craig could arrive in front of the press in a military speedboat. The new James Bond, a speedboat, a dramatic entrance - it seemed like the perfect idea, but there was unexpected fallout from it.

Because he was being driven by Royal Marines in the speedboat, military protocol required Craig to wear a life jacket - not exactly the image they wanted to present for this new gritty 007. Plus, he looked awkward and uncomfortable during the water ride. ALSO, the press spotted him chewing gum, which made him look even more nervous and unsophisticated. To the press' eyes this new blonde actor looked very 'un-Bond-like'.

And then the fallout began. The press had a field day mocking Craig's entrance and his casting. Headlines like, 'James Blonde', 'The Daring New 007 Arrives Scared and in a Life Jacket', 'The Name's Bland...James Bland'. Internet message boards filled with fans upset about Craig's selection. Remember that website, CraigIsNotBond that was made specifically to boycott the choice of Craig and to boycott his 007. 

Of course, the backlash eventually settled down (at least most of it) and Craig was applauded when Casino Royale was released and audiences got to see his performance and this new direction the Bond films were heading into.

But it all started out rather shaky from that first announcement. Craig later said that speedboat press event was a "fucking train wreck". 

I'm not sure how or when they'll announce the new James Bond, but I think it's highly unlikely they'll make him wear a life jacket the first time he steps in front of the world's press.
When Roger Moore was cast as James Bond in 1972, i When Roger Moore was cast as James Bond in 1972, inevitably he was asked by reporters how did he think he would do as the new 007. 

He said, "I think that I've got an even-money chance to make it. After all, I've been around a long time in this business. I did The Saint on television for seven years."

Moore would end playing James Bond in seven films. 

Moore had been considered to play 007 earlier. Thanks to his role as The Saint, Bond producers approached him about taking on the role from Sean Connery in 1967 and then again in 1969. But since Moore was busy working on television he was unable to.

In 1971, Moore was starring in the show The Persuaders with Tony Curtis. A year later the show was cancelled and the timing was perfect for Moore to step into the role of 007 which was again vacant after Connery's second departure.

Looking back on his tenure as 007, Moore said his favorite Bond movie he did was The Spy Who Loved Me.

"I think The Spy Who Loved Me was the best, or rather the one I enjoyed doing the most. It had great locations. And I was exceedingly happy working with Lewis Gilbert, the director. We share the same sense of humor. I think it had the right balance of fun and suspense." 

As for his least liked Bond film he made, he voted for A View to a Kill. Moore was unhappy with the violence in the film and felt he was to old to be playing James Bond. He said, "I was only about 400 years too old for the part!" 

Unlike Connery, who wanted to distance himself from the role of 007, Moore embraced his connection to the character. "I don't mind being branded as James Bond. It means some people are seeing what you're doing. You know, I did an awful lot of things that you haven't mentioned because you don't remember them, you see?"
A press junket was held at the London Hilton Hotel A press junket was held at the London Hilton Hotel Roof Restaurant on October 13, 1968. About a week before filming of On Her Majesty's Secret Service was to begin filming, the new James Bond George Lazenby met with the press and was joined by co-star Diana Rigg.

Rigg was excited about moving from her television work on The Avengers to being part of a major blockbuster motion picture, which was one of the main reason she accepted the part of Tracy.

At one point Rigg made a sarcastic comment about the press event and the announcement to the media of @georgelazenbyofficial being the new 007. "Not a movie, a car showroom."

She also jokingly asked Lazenby, "You can act, can't you?"

The newspaper headlines immediately set the tone of the media scrutiny that followed the production and laid the groundwork for all the on-set feud rumors that persisted through filming and ultimately became part of the film's legacy. You know, like the famous 'garlic' story.

Some of the newspaper headlines for the event were - 'Emma Peel Meets the New James Bond', '007 and His New Lady', 'The Untried Bond", 'Can the New Bond Act?"

Filming for On Her Majesty's Secret Service would begin filming in Switzerland on October 21, 1968.
What do you have in your James Bond toy collection What do you have in your James Bond toy collection?

I figure almost every Bond fan has a some kind of Aston Martin DB5 toy somewhere around. It's one of the quintessential images associated with 007 and has appeared in a lot of the films. The car is beautiful, most of us would never be able to afford a real one, so the next best thing is to have a little toy of it to put on a shelf. 

How many types of DB5 toys have been made? The most famous is the classic 1965 Corgi Aston Martin DB5. Released during the height of Bond-mania, it was a toy every kid wanted. The ejector-seat feature allowed even more play value out of it. That Corgi DB5 became one of the best selling die-cast toy cars ever made. 

Since then there's been so many die-cast DB5's made. Hot Wheels, Matchbox, Mini GT, Johnny Lightning, Micro Machines, Lego.....So many different scales, 1:64, 1:24, 1:18....there's no shortage of choices of picking out a DB5 to put on your shelf or desk. 

I have my own 007 die-cast car collection. I stick with 1:64 scale cars since they're small, so they don't take up much space, they're not that expensive and they can look nice on a shelf. 

Johnny Lightning had a very cool line of Bond die-cast cars in the late 1990s and into 2000's to mark the series 40th anniversary. It was a nice selection of vehicles from the films. The DB5 pictured is from Johnny Lightning line. But, I mix and match different toy Bond vehicles from any manufacturer as long as it's 1:64 scale.

I do hope Amazon eventually makes some new Bond merch and does an extensive and well made 1:64 die-cast car line of vehicles from the films. There's a lot of Bond vehicles from the films I've never seen given the toy treatment that I would like to add to my 007 vehicle collection.

I was curious from any die-cast car Bond collectors, I imagine you have some kind of die-cast DB5, so which do you have and what do you consider the best detailed DB5 die cast that has been made? What's your favorite toy version of Bond's ride? What's the DB5 that's sitting on your shelf?
Frankenstein, 1931. After the huge success of Dra Frankenstein, 1931.

After the huge success of Dracula, Universal Studios immediately wanted to shift to making more horror films. 

Director James Whale had recently signed a contract with Universal and scored a big success with Waterloo Bridge. He was given the choice of what film he wanted to make next - and he choose Frankenstein.

Initially, Frankenstein was being developed with director Robert Florey and star Bela Lugosi. After executives watched test footage they had second thoughts about the film. Whale in a way resurrected the film and took over the project.

He choose his new cast, which included an unknown Boris Karloff. 

Legendary makeup man Jack Pierce was already the head of Universal's makeup department. He spent three to four hours a day turning Karloff into the monster, building the creature's face over Karloff's skin. Karloff also removed his dental bridge to help make his cheek look more sunken.

Pierce's creature has become one of the most iconic images in horror. When you think of Frankenstein's monster you think of Karloff and Pierce's work. 

Pierce once explained why he gave the creature his distinctive flat head -
"I did not give the monster a flat head just to make him look scary. I reasoned that Dr. Frankenstein was a scientist, not a modern neurosurgeon. He wouldn’t have the tools to delicately open a skull. He would take the easy way: cut the top of the skull straight across like a lid, hinge it back, pop the brain in, and clamp it shut. That is why the head is flat and has a scar running all the way around."
Sigourney Weaver in Aliens, 1986. Sigourney Weave Sigourney Weaver in Aliens, 1986.

Sigourney Weaver was hesitant to return for a sequel to Alien, but after reading James Cameron's script she reconsidered. She was impressed by it and loved the mother-daughter bond between Ripley and Newt, so she signed on. 

A major point of friction between Weaver and Cameron was over Ripley using weapons in the film. Weaver, an advocate for gun control, told Cameron she didn't want Ripley to use any guns and felt a flamethrower would be enough weaponry for her to use in the story.

To rewrite the script and drop all the firearms was impossible. Cameron suggested they make Ripley a person who hates violence, but uses the weapons out of absolute necessity. That was enough for Weaver. 

Weaver has said she loved that Aliens gave audiences a chance to understand Ripley on a deeper level than in Alien. It was the character's evolution in Aliens that really propelled Ripley into becoming one of cinema's greatest action heroes. 

However, Weaver has said she never viewed the character that way. "What I loved about Ripley...was that I didn't really feel like a badass heroine ever. What I felt was like you or me in this situation, wondering what the fuck you were going to do. It was an everyman character that could be any of us."

Weaver would receive an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for her performance of Ripley in Aliens. 

Of course, Weaver returned to play Ripley in Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection. She has said Aliens is her favorite Alien film, specifically because of Cameron's script and the satisfying story for the character. 

"The best-constructed story for the character to tell was in Aliens, just because Jim has such an amazing sense of structure of story. To take this character out of hyper-sleep, have no one believe her, have her be exiled into this limbo land where no one believes her and her family's dead... and then what she ends up doing and finding this new family by the end. The whole structure of that story, to me, was gold."
George Lazenby was officially announced as the new George Lazenby was officially announced as the new James Bond, succeeding Sean Connery, on October 7, 1968. The announcement was made at a press conference held at the Dorchester Hotel in London. 

Of course there was massive press attention over this new 007. @georgelazenbyofficial told reporters, "I haven't a clue why they chose me. They never told me. It's probably because bascially they want a person who will work with them, who hasn't got his own ideas."

When Connery decided he wanted to move on from James Bond, producers Cubby Broccoli and Harry Saltzman had the task of finding 'a new James Bond'. Over 400 possible actors were considered. From established actors like, Terence Stamp, Oliver Reed and Adam West to uknowns. 

Lazenby famously bluffed his way into a meeting with Saltzman. With no acting experience, he claimed to be an established actor in Australia and had acted in European films and TV. Today, they could have easily doublechecked his resume, but back then the Bond producers bought everything Lazenby said. 

After some screen tests and with director Peter Hunt being on his side, Lazenby landed the role and would star in On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

Lazenby said, "I'm not exactly Laurence Oliver. But Sean Connery's acting experience was limited when he became 007. I'm doing what he did - placing myself in the hands of the highly successful team that moulded Bond into a cinema figure."

"So, whatever happens - whether I'm James Bond now and forever, whether I'm a flop, but I'm going to work for success - I'm grateful for the chance. And believe me, I'm ready for it."
Britt Ekland as Mary Goodnight in The Man with the Britt Ekland as Mary Goodnight in The Man with the Golden Gun.

Ekland sought out to land the role a Bond girl in The Man with the Golden Gun.

"I so wanted to be a Bond Girl after seeing Ursula Andress in Dr. No and those beautiful locations, that I read the book “The Man with The Golden Gun” and called Cubby Broccoli’s office to see him. I was already an established actress then."

"I had dressed as a secretary in a plain skirt, a white blouse and my hair in twist. Cubby said that the script wasn’t finished yet and they based the story more on the title. As I was leaving, Roger More came in and said hello. Very handsome. I had to go to the States to do a movie for 6 weeks and on the plane back to Britain, I read that another Swedish girl had been cast in the new Bond film. I was devastated!"

"As soon as I got home my agent called and said Cubby Broccoli wanted to see me, I naively thought he was going to apologize for me not getting the part. As I waited in his office he suddenly walked in and said you are “Mary Goodnight!” I asked about that other Swedish girl and he said that is Christopher Lee’s girlfriend. I couldn’t have been happier meeting and working with Maud Adams, we have been the closest of friends ever since."
The Spy Who Loved Me, the filming of the Lotus Esp The Spy Who Loved Me, the filming of the Lotus Esprit coming out of the sea in Sardinia.

As much as Bond fans would have liked to believe that Bond's Lotus could really turn into a submersible - it wasn't. 

When Cubby Broccoli saw the new 1976 Lotus Esprit S1 (also known as the Lotus Type 79) immediately wanted to use it for the film. Second unit director Ernie Day and art director Peter Lamont immediately realized the sleek streamlined design look similar to a submarine. 

Inspiration!

Because it was so new, Lotus could only give the production two functioning road cars. The special effects department used several shells of the car to perform various effects that was needed for the film.

Filming of the Loutus emerging from the sea was filmed at Capriccioli Beach in Sardinia. The scene used two Esprits. One was a dummy car shell that was pulled out of the ocean by a cable hidden under the sand. Then cut to Bond driving onto dry sand and doing the fish gag.

I've seen some Bond fans have made visits there. I would guess they took the chance to be one of the bewildered beachgoers watching Bond drive past them nonchalantly. Maybe they even did a drunk guy double take if they had a bottle of wine handy.

The Esprit being featured in the film was a great exposure for Lotus. After The Spy Who Loved Me was released, there was three-year waiting list for the car.

The DB5 belonged to Sean Connery's James Bond and Roger Moore's 007 had his Lotus Esprit.
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