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007, Conservatorio di musica Benedetto Marcello, filming location, Italy, James Bond, James Bond location, Moonraker, movie location, Saint Mark's Square, St. Mark's Square, Venice
James Bond returned to Venice in 1978 in ‘Moonraker’ (15 years after ‘From Russia with Love’). 007 played by Roger Moore arrived by gondola to St. Mark’s Square.
He entered the museum-lobby of the Venini Glass Works that belonged to his main opponent – Hugo Drax. The scene was filmed in real Venini shop located at Piazzetta dei Leoncini next to Saint Mark’s Basilica.
The interior of glass museum was shot at Boulogne Studios in France, in a building that had been a Luftwaffe factory during World War II. The lady at the entrance was played by Irka Bochenko. You can read an interview with her in INTERVIEWS section: Interview with Irka Bochenko, who has played in ‘Moonraker’ with Roger Moore.
Venini shop was located at Piazzetta dei Leoncini until 2020. It was closed because of lack of customers during lockdown. It was replaced with Giobagnara shop.
Bond noticed Dr. Goodhead (Lois Chiles), space specialist working for Drax and followed her. They left the museum with rear exit. That scene was filmed in the courtyard of Conservatorio di musica Benedetto Marcello. Dr. Goodhed appeared in the door on the right side of the photo presented below and walked towards the place from which the picture was taken.
Next picture looks similar to the film shot. James Bond was standing behind the column and looking at Dr. Goodhead walking to the stairwell. The stairwell is clearly visible in next pictures taken from another side. It is worth noticing that the same courtyard was used as location in ‘Casino Royale’.
James Bond finished the fight with the villain Chang by throwing him through the clock face and onto the piano standing under the tower. It was a clock tower called the Torre dell’Orologio located at St Mark’s Square.
In the next scene James Bond pretended that he accidentally met Dr. Holly Goodhead. It was filmed at La Scuola nuova della Misericordia. After short conversation with Dr. Goodhead 007 jumped into the gondola. Bond was soon attacked and a chase began through the Venetian canals.
Chase sequence ended when James Bond arrived at St. Mark’s Square and converted the gondola into a land-capable hovercraft. The sequence with gondola leaving the water (see filming location in photos below) had to be repeated six times because the vehicle was not stable and Roger Moore was falling into water.
James Bond in the gondola converted into the hoovercraft was riding next to the Doge’s Palace (photo below) and then on St. Mark’s Square (next photos). Specially designed gondola with Ford chassis had a horn to worn surprised tourists. St. Mark’s Square could not be entirely closed so there was a lot of unaware people among actors and extras.
At night James Bond returned to the glass factory dressed as a gondolier. The scene was filmed at the Ponte dell’Accademia bridge with Santa Maria della Salute basilica in background. The place where 007 arrived in gondola is visible on the left side of the picture below).
He opened a padlock with a skeleton key and entered the courtyard that he visited earlier when he was following Dr. Goodhead. The passage between the Canal Grande and the courtyard of Conservatorio di musica Benedetto Marcello really exists. In picture below the sunlight brightens the place where Roger Moore was standing with the skeleton key. The passage to the Canal Grande is on the right from that place.
Next picture was taken from James Bond’s perspective. There is an entrance to the staircase visible on the right. He walked there a few seconds later. Dr. Holly Goodhead entered the same entrance after she left the glass museum.
Next two pictures were taken from the other side of the fence. There is an entrance to the staircase mentioned before on the right side of the second photo.
After visiting the laboratory and stealing a sample of deadly fluid, James Bond emerged from the stairwell (on the left in photo below). He was attacked between columns by Chang.
Next picture was taken from courtyard side. James Bond and Chang were fighting and slowly moving behind columns from right to left. 007 throwed his opponent against the wall and they both fell into the room full of glass through the door on the left. In the next scene they used the largest amount of breakaway sugar glass ever.
Meanwhile Dr. Holly Goodhead was relaxing in Hotel Danieli. James Bond joined her soon in her apartment. There was a flood during filming, so the film crew had to stop working several times to move power generators to upper floors.
James Bond will be back in Venice 28 years later in ‘Casino Royale’ with Daniel Craig as 007 – read the story: ‘Casino Royale’ in Venice.
Go to LOCATIONS GALLERY – ‘MOONRAKER’ to see locations photos compared with movie scenes.
Information sources:
– „James Bond. Szpieg którego kochamy” Michał Grzesiek, Wydawnictwo Bukowy Las 2011
– http://www.filmweb.pl
More photos from Venice:
On the red carpet there were several actors known from other James Bond movies, such as Ludger Pistor who appeared in “Casino Royale” as the Swiss banker Mendel.
Juergen Tarrach (in picture below together with his daughter) in “Casino Royale” was playing the role of Schultz, who was a hotel guest in the Ocean Club at Nassau. He asked James Bond to park his Range Rover, but 007 crashed the car to distract the security.
Clemens Schick played Kraft, who was Le Chiffre’s right-hand henchman in “Casino Royale”. It was difficult to recognize him in the movie, because Kraft was bold and not smiling like Schick in a picture below. Veruschka von Lehndorff (first from right in the same picture) played Grafin von Wallenstein taking part in the poker match in the same film.
About one hour before the film start Daniel Craig appeared on the red carpet together with the producer Barbara Broccoli, director Sam Mendes and actress Berenice Marlohe. Before standing in front of photographers Craig was signing autographs.
Producer Barbara Broccoli was interviewed.
Director Sam Mendes standing in front of photographers didn’t know yet that he would be back as director of next James Bond film “Spectre”.
Most expected person of the evening was Daniel Craig.
He was also posing together with Bond girl Severine played by Berenice Marlohe.
They were also posing all four together (from the left): Berenice Marlohe, Sam Mendes, Barbara Broccoli and Daniel Craig.
