Bond references in Spectre - part 3

In Spectre, almost all the previous Bond films are referenced in more or less conspicuous ways. The references to the first sixteen films have been covered in two previous posts, here and here, and below I list the references to the last seven films in the series, GoldenEye trough Skyfall.

GoldenEye

Pevsner Commerzbank, GmbH

In Spectre, Q is staying at a hotel called 'The Pevsner' in the Austrian alps. Bond and Dr Swan are meeting Q in room 12. The reference to Pevsner was previously made in GoldenEye when a bank called Pevsner Commerzbank was seen on one of Alec Trevelyan's computers. Pevsner is a name that is well connected to the Bond series. Tom Pevsner worked as an associate and then executive producer on every James Bond film from For Your Eyes Only to GoldenEye. He died in 2014.

Q is staying at The Pevsner, room 12

Further, in GoldenEye, Bond changes the timer from six minutes to three during the pre-title sequence when 006 is captured by the Russians. As a favor later in the film, Alec gives Bond three minutes to escape from the missile train before it explodes.

Just as in GoldenEye, Blofeld gives Bond three minutes in Spectre to find Dr Swan and escape from Mi6 before it explodes.

Tomorrow Never Dies 

I have not yet found any obvious references to Tomorrow in Spectre, other than the fact that Monica Belluci originally was considered for the role of Paris Carver, but was turned down by the producers, called "those fools", by Brosnan.

The World is Not Enough 

The Worlds is Not Enough is referenced on several occasions in Spectre, I list two below. 

When Bond is trying to kill Renard he is protected by bullet proof glass in the elevator in The World is Not Enough.  

In the same way, Bond is trying to shoot Blofeld but the bullet is stopped as Blofeld is hiding behind bullet proof glass.

A boat chase on the Thames, past the Houses of Parliament, is not something new to the Bond series either. Already in 1999, in The World is Not Enough, we saw Bond riding down the Thames in Q's boat in pursuit of the Cigar girl, similar to the scene in Spectre. 

Bond chasing the 'Cigar girl' in The World is Not Enough

Die Another Day

There are no obvious references to Die Another Day in Spectre other than the fact that Die Another Day, as the 40th anniversary film, also referenced the previous Bond films. 

Casino Royale 

Obviously, all the Craig Bond films are more or less referenced as Spectre shows that Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, and Skyfall are threaded more closely together than suspected. Images of familiar faces like Vepser Lynd, Silva and Le Chiffre pop up at Mi6. However, a few conspicuous references can also be spotted. 

In the pre-title sequence of Casino Royale Bond is waiting for the section chief in Prague, Dryden, to assassinate him as part of becoming a 00 agent. When Dryden tries to shoot Bond first, Bond has removed the clip from the gun. 

The bullet-removal bluff is repeated in Spectre when M is facing C. 

Another reference is the smart blood injected by Q in Bond's arm. This scene in Spectre is practically identical to the scene in Casino Royale where M has a microchip implanted in Bond's arm.

Quantum of Solace

Just as in Quantum of Solace, we find Bond in yet another boat chase in Spectre, this time also involving the leading lady who also is given the wheel. 

Skyfall

M's death in Skyfall is referenced in Spectre with her making a cameo from the grave, in a prerecorded message to Bond, giving him one final assignment - to kill Sciarra. Jack the bulldog, M's desk ornament which ultimately is left to Bond in M's will, also make a reappearance in Spectre when it is seen in Bond's living room on the table. This reference was known already before the release of the film as the first teaser picture released by the filmmakers was a picture of Jack and a movie clapper stating the shooting of the very first take in the film.

Hôtel de Paris - Monte Carlo

GoldenEye

In Goldeneye during Bond's visit to Casino Monte Carlo, the magnificent Hôtel de Paris is visible in the background as Bond drives up to the casino. The hotel was also briefly visible in Never Say Never Again twelve years earlier as Connery walks into what is called "Casino Royale" in the film. Bond has however never actually stayed in that hotel. The Hôtel de Paris is located in the heart of Monte Carlo, right next to the casino at the convenient address Place du Casino.

Hôtel de Paris was opened in 1863 but is today undergoing a total renovation that is scheduled to continue until 2018. During this renovation, the entire south section of the hotel (the round part of the building as seen in Goldeneye) has been demolished, which is apparent in the picture above.

The Persuaders! 

Although Bond himself has never stayed at the Hôtel de Paris, it was nevertheless the destination for Lord Brett Sinclair and Danny Wilde in the first episode of The Persuaders!. After the iconic car chase from Nice airport where Brett and Danny are speeding along the coastal road, they end up in front of the Hôtel de Paris, just like the invitation from Judge Fulton had stated.

"Please be my guest it's going to be a ball!!!"

Only one actual scene was shot inside the hotel, and that was Roger Moore's entrance when he walks through the lobby. Everything else, sadly, appear to have been shot in studio. The hotel lobby is amazingly beautiful and well worth a visit even if you are not staying in the hotel. Anyway, Le Bar American and the restaurant Le Louis XVI located inside the hotel on each side of the lobby, are probably two of the best establishments in Monaco. A drink in the bar is simply a must.

Roger Moore as Lord Sinclair makes an entrance. 

Monte Carlo Harbour - Port Hercule

The warship is located along Quai des Etas-Unis in Port Hercule

In GoldenEye, James Bond goes to Monte Carlo for the first time in the official series. Bond had actually visited Monaco and the French Riviera already in 1983 in the unofficial Never Say Never Again, more on that visit here. The Yacht Manticore is anchored close to the pier of what was then the Monte Carlo Yacht Club, YCM. The warship with the Tiger Helicopter is moored along Quai des Etas-Unis on the other side of the harbour.

In the film, Bond is following Xenia from the casino and finds out that she is spending the night at the yacht Manticore which is anchored in Monte Carlo Harbour called Port Hercule. Bond is watching the yacht from Fort Antoine in the evening and in the morning after, we get a nice panoramic view over the entire harbour. It becomes obvious that there were considerably less boats in Port Hercule in 1995 when you compare it to the harbour 20 years later (see the two pictures above).

You have the best view, and the same view as in the film from the Rampe de la Major, a walking path that leads up to the Prince's Palace which is the home of the Grimaldi family. Originally built as a fortification, the Palace is located on the big rock in the middle of Monaco which offers stunning views from three sides over the principality.

Notice that the right pier in Port Hercule has been expanded since 1995 in order to accommodate larger cruise ships. This construction and the large expansion of the port took place in 2001. As of 2014, the Monaco Yacht Club is no longer located in the old location on the south side of the harbour along Quai Antoine 1er. Instead the new Yacht Club has been relocated across the harbour to the north side. Thus, the original location where Xenia parks the Ferrari does not belong to the Yacht Club anymore.

The Persuaders! - Èze viaduct and car chase

In the beginning of the first episode of The Persuaders!, starring Tony Curtis and Roger Moore from the early seventies, the two playboys are racing each other between Nice airport and Hotel de Paris in Monte Carlo. One of the more notable locations that featured prominently during this iconic car chase is the viaduct of Èze close to one of the most beautiful villages on the Rivera.

This viaduct featured in the episode is the 'Corniche Viaduct' and is located along the Moyenne Corniche, when driving into Èze from the Nice direction. The viaduct can be found just before you drive into this small village beautifully situated high up in the mountains with a stunning view over the Mediterranean. From L'église d'Èze and the adjacent cemetery you have a nice view over the beautiful construction spanning over a deep ravine.

Lord Brett Sinclair (Sir Roger) is driving a Bahama yellow Aston Martin DBS and Danny Wilde (Curtis) is driving a red Ferrari Dino across the coastal roads of the Riviera. As Brett is dropping off three girls at Nice Côte d'Azur Airport and Wilde is arriving from the States, the two protagonists encounter each other at a stop light just outside the airport. The easygoing tone of the series is set just as they are speeding off and the brilliant song by Tony Hatch and Jackie Trent begins.

The surrounding landscape has obviously not changed notably since 1971. 

Eze is definitely the most spectacular village along the Nice-Monaco route and probably one of the most beautifully situated villages on the French Riviera. It is renowned for the view of the sea from its hill top. The Èze commune, extends from the Mediterranean Sea (Èze-sur-Mer) to the hilltop and its medieval village (Èze-Village).

In a previous scene, we actually see the two cars speeding through a curve outside of Èze. This curve is actually located outside of the village, on the opposite side from the viaduct of Èze. This means that the cars first would have had to drive across the bridge, before driving into this curve. The car chase actually has a few of these bloopers, but I do not find it particularly disturbing since the car chase nonetheless is one of the most enjoyable scenes in the entire series.

The song played in during the car chase is the masterpiece by Tony Hatch and Jackie Trent called "Gotta get away".

In GoldenEye, Bond is holidaying on the French Riviera, driving around his Aston Martin DB5 when Xenia is driving up behind him in her Ferrari 355. They are racing around the mountain roads above Monaco in a car chase that particularly resembles the Persuaders car chase. It is obvious that The Persuaders! has influenced director Campbell for the car chase in GoldenEye. Sadly, the GoldenEye car chase is partly ruined by the composer Eric Serra, who has made the worst soundtrack in the entire Bond series. As an example I have edited the car chase from GoldenEye slightly, and if you are a Persuades fan you will not be disappointed!

Once again the pleasure is all mine.

Casino de Monte Carlo - Salle Médecin

Ever since Dr. No, Bond has been synonymous with gambling, casinos and luxury, and there is probably no other place that is more associated with casinos than Monaco. Nevertheless, it would take over 30 years before Bond visited the famous Casino de Monte Carlo in the official series. Connery had actually visited Casino de Monte Carlo in the unofficial Never Say Never Again already in 1983, but in that film the casino was called "Casino Royale in Monte Carlo", but more on that below.

Thus, GoldenEye was the first real Bond film that took Bond to Monaco. After racing around the roads of Alpes-Maritimes with Xenia in her Ferrari, seducing Caroline above Monaco, that location covered earlier, Bond arrives at the casino later that evening, dressed in black tie. He notices Xenia's Ferrari 355 parked in front of the casino as he walks in.

In a brief scene, Brosnan is walking through the lavish gambling halls, which was filmed on location inside the Casino. For regular visitors, photography is otherwise prohibited.

Bond is coming in from the doors on the above left picture, walks across the room and through the doors on the above right picture. The large wall painting in the left picture above is easily recognised from the film. The room Bond i walking through is called la Salle Touzet Nord, one of two similar rooms that lie parallel to each other, in the eastern wing of the casino.

After walking through la Salle Touzet Nord, Bond is entering an even bigger gambling room, that appears to be the room where he will find his Baccarat table. This gambling hall is perhaps the most luxurious in the casino and it is located at the end of the building in the most eastern part.

This iconic private room of the Casino de Monte-Carlo is called the Salle Médecin and was built in 1910 by Monacan architect François Médecin. The large notable mirrors makes this location easily recognisable. It also has a panoramic veranda-lounge facing the Bay of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin and a bar. At certain times of the year, there is a pop-up restaurant in the neighbouring room. This room is not open off season.

As the gambling halls that Bond walks through are located in the "salon privé" and high stakes area of the casino, you need to pay an extra fee of €10 (on top of the standard entrance fee of €10) to gain access. Please be properly dressed, although black tie is not necessary. The rest of the casino scenes were however filmed in studio, nonetheless brilliantly created by production designer Peter Lamont as seen in the picture below.

Part of the scenes filmed in studio and not on location in Monaco

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Never Say Never Again

This brings us back to the unofficial Bond film Never Say Never Again, Connery's comeback as 007 twelve years after his last film, Diamonds Are Forever. Produced by Kevin McClory in 1983, whose legal actions against Ian Fleming might very well have contributed to his heart attack and untimely demise in 1964, Never brought 007 to the South of France and Casino de Monte Carlo for the first time. It is somewhat strange that the official Bond series had not taken Bond to Monaco before Never. 

Connery enters in 1983

But, interestingly enough, the gambling hall that Bond enters in Never is the same hall, Salle Médecin, as Brosnan enters in GoldenEye. This is apparent both from the large mirrors and windows on the far wall, but also from the big wooden column seen to the right.

Brosnan walks past in 1995

Connery and Brosnan are actually passing the same spot in the casino in their respective film, although Connery is coming in from a door on the left and Brosnan is entering from the Salle Touzet Nord as mentioned above.

It is easy to understand why this hall was used in both films, since it is located in the farthest section of the casino that can easily be closed for visitors during filming, allowing for the rest of the casino to stay open without the regular tourists knowing. Naturally, Casino de Monte Carlo is a must visit for everyone, not only for Bond fans, and a very personal favourite of mine.

Celebrating my birthday in October 2015