On Her Majesty's Secret Service - Portugal - Draco's Birthday

In On Her Majesty's Secret Service, James Bond is invited to Marc Ange Draco's birthday party in order to spend some additional time with Tracy. Tracy, knowing that her father is up to something, forces her dad to disclose information about Blofeld to James. This than starts Bond running after her since she thinks he no longer has any use for him. The wonderful montage ensues. Dressed to kill, Bond wears a beautiful jacket that is seen during the bull fight and also throughout the montage.

No spy should be without one!

Sean Connery

Sean Connery standing next to the Aston Martin DB5 on the Furka Pass.

World War II Italian Auxiliary Ship Olterra and Thunderball's Disco Volante

Ian Fleming, a Naval Intelligence Commander in World War II, would constantly dream up plots to defeat the Nazis. Many of his efforts ended up in his "spy story to end all spy stories". When Fleming was writing Thunderball, he turned to a real life enemy operation in World War II as a way for the Disco Volante to operate. In world War II, an Italian Auxiliary ship off the coast of Gibraltar was said to be a staging area for Italian Frogmen acting as human torpedoes. The Olterra, to the plain eye, was just a civilian ship with civilian crew. Underneath, however, a trap door entering into the water would open and the Italians would swim and place limpet mines on Allied Ships undetected. The Olterra would also act as a observation post. In Thunderball the novel, Ian Fleming needed Emilio Largo to have a way for the Disco Volante to be docked so close the the Nassau harbour, yet a way to get the bombs to the USA undetected. The Olterra was the perfect fit so like all good fiction writers he nicked the idea and wrote about what he knew.

13 / 'My Name Is Emilio Largo' 'Same as you. There's at least half of that ship we didn't see. But then again there's a perfectly good answer to that. He may have got a stack of secret treasure-hunting gear down there he doesn't want anyone to see. Remember that merchant ship off Gibraltar during the war? The Italian frogmen used it as a base. Big sort of trapdoor affair cut in the hull below the waterline. I suppose he hasn't got something life the?' Bond looked sharply at Leiter. 'The Olterra. On the the blackest marks against Intelligence during the whole war.'

 14 / 'Sour Martinis' Now Bond's mind was made up. It was the hull of the ship he wanted to have a look at. Leiter's mention of the Olterra had been a long shot, but it just might pay off.

The Olterra

New SPECTRE Austria Photo's

Daniel Craig is back in action as Ian Fleming's Master Spy James Bond 007 in SPECTRE.  In this picture we can see Bond firing a 9mm which is probably the Walther P99 which as been used in Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough, Die Another Day, Casino Royale and now back in SPECTRE.  This doesn't mean that we won't be seeing the PPK but after a plane crash it seems 007 is about to fire his second favourite weapon the P99.

James Bond 007 - SPECTRE

Filming should be wrapping up in Austria today and then the SPECTRE cast and crew will move on to the next location.  As soon as this exact location becomes apparent I will inform the readers.  Possibly back to Pinewood or maybe off to Italy now.

Great to see Bond back in all black wearing a vest, long sleeve sweater, pants, boots and gloves.  You have to dress well if you are going to save the world.

Nassau 2015 - James Bond

Theme Party People

SPECTRE is coming.

22 Ebury Street - Ian Fleming

Between 1934 and 1945, Ian Fleming lived in London at 22b Ebury Street.  This would be the place that he stayed at whilst working during the war for Naval Intelligence.  22 Ebury Street consists of 4 different apartments and Fleming stayed at "B".

22 Ebury Street - Ian Fleming Flat

Ebury Street also gets a mention in Ian Fleming's Moonraker and it is the home of Sir Hugo Drax.  

"God, the man moves quickly, thought Bond, doing a racing change round the island in The Mall with Drax already passing the statue in front of the Palace.  He kept the Bentley in third and thundered in pursuit.  Buckingham Palace Gate.  So it looked like Ebury Street.  Keeping the white car just in view, Bond made hurried plans.  The lights at the corner of Lower Grosvenor Place were green for Drax and red for Bond.  Bond jumped them and was just in time to see Drax swing left into the beginning of Ebury Street.  Gambling on Drax making a stop at his house, Bond accelerated to the corner and pulled up just short of it.  As he jumped out of the Bentley, leaving he engine ticking over, and took the few steps towards Ebury Street, he heard two short blasts on the Mercedes' horn and as he carefully edged round the corner he was in time to see Krebs helping the muffled figure of a girl across the pavement.  Then the door of the Mercedes slammed and Drax was off again."  - Moonraker - Chapter 19 - Missing Person  

Blue Plaque Stating Ian Fleming Lived Here

James Brolin's - James Bond Screen Test - Octopussy

Here's a fun fact.  James Brolin conducted a few screen tests before the filming of Octopussy.  By the time Roger Moore made For Your Eyes Only, he was on contract to contract for playing 007.  Brolin tried out for the role but in the end Moore continue his reign of being 007 and went on to make Octopussy and then A View To A Kill.

This is Brolin's Screen test!

It's interesting to think back and wonder what could of been in the world of 007. A few short years after this, Pierce Brosnan conducted his screen tests for The Living Daylights.

SPECTRE - First Day Back!

After all the Christmas dinners and New Year's partying, the cast and crew of SPECTRE went back to work today.  As with Skyfall, SPECTRE will continue to post the clapper boards, teasing us where they are filming in the world.  Today's clapper board was from location in Austria at Lake Altaussee.

Austria - Lake Altaussee - SPECTRE

It has been said that James Bond will travel across this lake and spend some time at a log cabin in SPECTRE.  Perhaps he will enjoy some skiing in the area reminiscing about the time that Hannes Oberhauser thought him how.