Hai Fat's residence, Bangkok / Dragon Garden, Hong Kong - part 1

In The Man with the golden gun, Bond is trying to locate Francisco Scaramanga, the hit man who killed the solar energy expert, Gibson, in Hong Kong. Bond assumes that who ever hired him could afford a million dollars and his interest is drawn to Hai Fat, the multimillionaire that Gibson worked for. He learns that Hai Fat lives outside of Bangkok on a mountainside surrounded by guards. Bond accompanies Lieutenant Hip to "Bangkok" where Hai Fat lives. They are scoping out his residence and Bond jumps the wall. Posing as Scaramanga himself he reveals his fake third nipple, supplied by Q, for Hai Fat who seems convinced that Bond is Scaramanga and invites him to dinner. 

The Dragon Garden in 2012

Even though the action is supposed to take place in Bangkok, the Hai Fat estate is located in the New Territories in Hong Kong, where the film team was based in April 1974. The estate is called The Dragon Garden and was built in the 1950's. It was designed by an industrialist and philantropist called Lee Iu Cheung and it once housed the largest private outdoor swimmingpool in Hong Kong (the pool where Chew Me is swimming). Notice part of the red Chinese gate behind the main building in the left picture. The gate is found just in front of the mausoleum where Hai Fat is talking to Scaramanga.

The lack of letterbox in the door indicates that it's not the main entrance

When Bond returns the same evening, dressed in black tie, we get to see the entrance. The red doors with the yellow balls are still the same and even the letterbox is visible earlier in the film when Bond is escorted out. The word ´Letters´ is briefly visible in the film. Sadly the original metal plate, seen in the left picture, has been replaced with a new one at the main door, carrying Chinese characters. Behind the main door is the path that Bond is walking down in the film, leading up to "Grizzlyland".

The name is Scaramanga, Mr Fat is expecting me.

Hip drops off Bond outside of Hai Fat.

In the film there are two doors next to each other. However, there is only one door at the main entrance today and it is not very likely that a second door was put up just for the film, so the surrounding wall has probably been changed since 1974. There are still two separate entrances, but they are much wider apart than in the film. It is possible, but very unlikely, that they recreated the doors in Pinewood but most likely has the high wall been changed.

Along the front side of the Dragon Garden runs the same wall that Bond and Hip are looking over in the first scene. They are probably standing at the very left part of the surrounding wall.

The exterior of Dragon Garden in 2012. The main entrance to the right.

The Dragon Garden is currently undergoing renovation and it is not easy to get in touch with anyone in charge. It appears to be a slow process, probably due to the lack of funds, but things are going in the right direction. So far, the front doors have been given new paint. The estate is still privately owned by the Cheung family and it is not accessible for the public. We have had the fortune of a quick tour of some parts of the garden but that will be covered later. The estate is guarded by dogs and a security guard, although not as heavily armed as the Hai Fat guards.

                
 "-Don't tell me you saw him?!
                   -He even invited me to dinner. He must have found me quite titillating!"
                                                    -Lt. Hip to Bond-

The Dragon Garden is located along Castle Peak Road in the New Territories. It's quite easy to find if you are driving along the Castle Peak Road but it is unlikely that the cab driver will know what you are talking about when you mention the Dragon Garden, so good luck getting there. The road running alongside the estate has been expanded quite a bit and probably rerouted since the 1970's and it is hard to know the exact spot where Hip parked his car.

Notice the still unpainted front door in early 2012. 

More information about the garden can be found on the website of the Dragon Garden trust. http://dragongarden.hk

North Africa / Villefranche-sur-mer

Domino is brought out to be sold in "North Africa"

The stupid semi-ending of Never say never again takes place at Largo's residence 'Palmyra', supposedly located in North Africa. Bond is kept prisoner and Domino is being sold in some kind of town square below Palmyra. Some Africans are riding in to bid for Domino but she is rescued by Bond on a horse just before the most stupid chase in the Bond history begins.

Villefranche-sur-mer in the summer of 2010

The scenes were filmed in the south of France, namely Villefranche-sur-mer, between Nice and Monaco where the film team was based for about two months in the fall of 1982. The exterior of Palmyra is La Citadelle, a fortress built in the 1550's, just by the water in Villefranche-sur-mer. Today it is a parking lot where the podium was placed in the film. The fortress was in use until 1965 and was partially opened for visits in 1981.

Bond escapes with Domino on horse back

A lot of the scenes filmed in Villefranche have been covered earlier. The exterior of Fort Carré in Antibes was also used as the exterior in a few shots when we see Palmyra for the first time. The location of the horse back chase is hard to determine but it is fairly safe to assume that Connery at least didn't ride up on the Citadel himself.

When Bond escapes from Largo's prison cell he hangs out the window opening and pulls out one of the guards in order to escape through the door. This part of Palmyra can be found just behind the parking lot. It is fairly accurate since Bond looks out the opening and can see Domino from the cell, but in reality the facade is facing the wrong way. In the picture to the left you can see the small window opening and the fact that it isn't any water beneath it. Like most of the action, dialogue and the rest of Never say never again, these final scenes are very stupid and it's a mystery how they could end up with action like this. Not much in the film makes sense and if it would have the honor to be compared with the rest of the official films in the series, it would definitely end up last on the list (even though it is a close call with Diamonds are forever). That said, the film has a few memorable scenes, like the tango between Bond and Domino in Monte Carlo. Connery also appears to be more dedicated here and is definitely better looking than he was in Diamonds 12 years earlier.

Bond hangs out the window opening and waits for the guard to arrive

You get a very brief glimpse of the Citadelle from Largo's yacht when Connery drops in for lunch and the steward brings him up on deck. When looking back towards the Citadel from the water, like in the picture below, you get an overall view of the location.

The wall with the gate was built for the film and it is in reality just an opening towards the water. Even though the scenes from the French riviera are the most enjoyable to watch, the Citadelle is a rather boring location. However it is almost impossible to miss and Villefranche-sur-mer is a classic filming location featured in both The Persuaders and Ronin that is well worth a visit!

La Citadelle (Palmyra) to the right and Port de la Darse (where Fatima Blush gets the last bullet) to the left.  Largos yacht, the flying Saucer is anchored in the bay. 

The Havelock bay - Kalami, Corfu

M/Y Triana anchored in the bay

In For your eyes only Bond catches up with Melina aboard the M/Y Triana in Corfu where her father's yacht is anchored. Sir Timothy Havelock, Melina's father, has been asked by the British government to locate the wreck of the British spy ship, the St. Georges, and is using the bay as a base for his secret research. The St. Georges is said to have sunk in the Ionian Sea off the Albanian coast, which is accurate since Corfu is situated right between Greece and Albania. A large part of Corfu extends above the Albanian territory.

Havelock has anchored the yacht in Kalami bay, approx. 30 km north of Corfu town. It is truly a beautiful drive along the coast and Corfu has a lot of memorable roads. When driving up the coastal road you should put on the appropriate music and enjoy the beautiful scenery because this is definitely a road to remember. In the very beginning we see Sir Timothy Havelock study some charts, marking a position in his daily log, and the charts on his desk show just this particular coastline of Corfu, including Kalami bay.

               
                 "Go back to the Triana and wait. I'll come strait to Corfu I promise..."
                                                              -Bond to Melina-

It is here that Gonzales kills Melina's parents aboard the Triana in the beginning of the film, just after dropping off Melina from his sea plane.

This small fishing village was home to the British novelist, travel writer and poet Lawrence Durrell, and his brother Gerald, who both lived here in the late 1930's. Their house is called "The white house" and is seen in the picture above, just by the water. The top floor, apparently where the Durrell brothers lived, is available for rent during the summer season. It can also be rented during the winter season on request. 

From Kalami bay you see straight over to Albania

Corfu provided a huge number of locations in For your eyes only and it is understandable why Sir Roger wanted to rush off to Corfu after his trip to Cortina d'Ampezzo. He probably wanted to warm up after all the snowy action in the Italian alps.

Even though Bond and Melina do some diving in Corfu all the underwater scenes were filmed in the Commonwealth of the Bahamas (apart from the close ups of Sir Roger and Carole that were filmed on a dry sound stage due to Carole's diving problems).

Our Lady of Smolensk

Finally after a too long Christmas vacation and some beach-combing it is time for the first post of 2013!
In GoldenEye, 1995, Natalya goes to meet Boris in a local church in St. Petersburg. Boris writes to Natalya online and suggests a meeting at the church 'Our Lady of Smolensk'. Like so many other sites from GoldenEye, this church can be found in London, England.

The interior scenes were filmed at St Sophia Church in Bayswater, London. It is actually not a Russian Orthodox church at all, but a Greek Orthodox cathedral. It is located where Moscow Road intersects with St. Petersburgh Place, a funny coincidence.

Our beautiful Izabella enters the church and walks underneath the cross suspended from the ceiling. When I visited the church there was a mass going on and I could not enter to get some proper pictures. Since I didn't want to disturb the mass I had to take some pictures discreetly, and the lighting is always a problem in churches, hence the rather poor quality. The Cathedral is probably one of the least interesting Bond locations in central London, but it is still very recognizable and has been mainly untouched since Izabella's visit in 1995.

Natalya enters the church underneath the suspended cross

The scene where Natalya approaches the church was shot at Brompton cemetery in Chelsea and not at all where the interior scenes were filmed. This cemetery was also seen in the first Sherlock Holmes movie with Robert Downey Jr, this time really being a London cemetery where Lord Blackwood is buried.

The real church on Moscow Road slightly resembles the exterior of the chapel in Brompton cemetery, and it is strange that they didn't use the real exterior for the film even though it is located in central London. Perhaps it was hard to get some good exterior shots of Natalya approaching the church at this location.

The  real exterior of "Our Lady of Smolensk" seen from Moscow Road in London   

I hope it has been a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year for all my dear readers!

The low road - Pagi village, part 1

"Take the low road! Not that low..." 

In For your eyes only Bond and Melina escapes from Gonzales' villa in her rented Citroën 2CV after Q's burglar protection has proven to be a little over efficient in Bond's Lotus. Gonzales' loyal guards takes pursuit in two black Peugeot 504 around the "Spanish" countryside. Like all the scenes "outside Madrid" the car chase was filmed in Corfu, Greece.

After a short chase through the curved roads they drive into a small village. This is one of Corfu's absolutely best kept secrets and a hidden gem when it comes to Bond locations. The small town of Pagi, situated in the north-western part of Corfu was the location for the delightful car stunt where Melina flips the Citroën over at the crossroad. The roads and the olive fields surrounding Pagi were used for the following car chase were one of the Peugeot cars finally ends up in a tree.

Bond and Melina are coming in from the east side of the village when meeting the bus on route for "Madrid" and Melina is forced to take the low road. This is again a proof of clever film making, since they enter the village from the west side in the first scene (passing the church pictured above) and then comes up on the low road from the east side. They are driving towards the part they have already passed.

Pagi has been practically untouched since 1981, apart from new paint on some of the houses. The low road is where Sir Roger left it 30 years ago and still do not have any railing. The entire road through the village is quite narrow and it is not completely unbelievable that you could overturn your car here if you would come at high speed. After Bond and Melina has crawled out of the battered car, the "Spanish villagers" help them to get back on track after a change of driver.
     
          "You don't mind if I drive, do you..?" 

        -Bond to Melina-

Very briefly they drive past a small restaurant with the name 'Helados' above the door, which means ice cream in Spanish.

The restaurant is still up and running and the owner is happy to show scenes from the film on his TV inside the restaurant. 'Helados' of course is the Spanish word for 'ice cream'. This is a perfect place to stop for lunch and some cold drinks. The owner is very nice and makes a good Greek salad. He definitively exploits the fact that Bond was here 30 years ago, with the sign "Helados 007" hanging on the marquis above the entrance and the movie poster from For your eyes only is printed on the menus. He also has a small collection of model cars from the films inside the restaurant.

If you spend some time on the veranda, having your lunch, you have a nice view over this classic location, an opportunity that should not be missed. Occasionally you can enjoy the spectacle when a big bus is passing through the village.

With this post I wish everybody a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! 

For me it is time for a little Christmas vacation and i hope to see you again next year.

James Bond Locations will return in 2013

Hotel Atlantic - Hamburg

"The PM would have my head if he knew we were investigating him."

In Tomorrow never dies, Bond is sent to Hamburg in order to investigate scrappy Media Mogul Elliot Carver. Carver is holding a party to celebrate the launch of his new satellite and Bond is posing as a banker. Appropriate to his assumed identity Bond is checked in to the Hotel Atlantic just by the lake Außenalster in central Hamburg. 

Bond is staying in the corner suite and after a visit from Dr. Kaufman he escapes through the window and up on the roof, observed from the other building by Stamper. Bond accesses the parking garage where his Ericsson remote controlled BMW is parked. The following car chase was not filmed on location in Germany but in Brent Cross shopping center in England and will be covered at a later date. The interior of Bonds hotel suite was actually filmed at a previous Bond location, namely the Stoke Park Country Club in Buckinghamshire seen in Goldfinger.

"Tomorrows news today..."

The hotel was opened in 1909 and has been considered to be the best hotel in Germany. Since 1957 it belongs to the international hotel chain Kempinski and the rate for a standard room is approx. € 250 per night. One of the Atlantic suites, probably similar to what Bond stayed in would cost about € 3,500 per night. 

Other famous guests, besides the banker James Bond, that have stayed in the hotel are among several others: Zarah Leander, Charles de Gaulle, Maria Callas, Michael Jackson and Willy Brandt.

"-Well, we know where you stand. You've made your bed.
          -I'm standing in your doorway..."
                   -Bond and Paris-

Hotel Splendide Sir...

In Casino Royale, Bond and Vesper are picked up at the Montenegro train station and driven to the Hotel Splendide in a Daimler limousine. The Daimler takes a somewhat unexpected way to the hotel.

Of course the Montenegro scenes were all filmed in the Czech Republic and especially around the spa town of Karlovy Vary, 2 hours west of Prague. The road the Daimler is traveling on is Tržiště in the southern part of the city. Tržiště divides in two and the right part, the one Bond is traveling down on turns into Lázeňská after the curve. Lázeňská is actually the road where the car is parked in the first scene at the train station, when Bond receives his envelope. Following Tržiště backwards you end up in front of Grandhotel Pupp, which of course played the part of Hotel Splendide in the film. So ultimately the car is going the wrong way, away from the hotel. At the time of our visit to Karlovy Vary the road was under renovation and it has probably been turned into a some kind of pedestrian street.

 After a drive around town they finally arrive at the Hotel Splendide from Goethova stezka. This road passes the Casino Royale building before going over the river and up to the hotel. On the way you pass the car park where Bond finds his Aston parked. The entire hotel complex covers almost two blocks and will be covered in detail later, as well as a night in one of the suites. But the small hotel parking lot, formed as a gun barrel, is still there with the parking spaces still recognizable. Unfortunately the streets were also being renovated outside the hotel so it was not accessible for parking.  

But the building is the same and very recognizable. Karlovy Vary is a beautiful city and especially the buildings around Grandhotel Pupp. CaféPupp on the corner of the hotel has been given a new Montenegrin name instead of "Kavárna Cukrárna" which translates to Café patisserie in Czech.