Tag Archives: London

‘Spectre’ – MI6 Safe House in London

09 Saturday Apr 2016

Posted by in London, Spectre

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James Bond (Daniel Craig) and Madeleine Swann (Lea Seydoux) escaped from burning headquarters of Franz Oberhauser. (It is worth to notice that the scene filmed on June 28, 2015 in Erfoud, Morocco with supervision of Special Effects and Miniature Effects Supervisor Chris Corbould has been awarded a Guinness World Records™ title for the Largest Film Stunt Explosion. 8418 litres of fuel and 33kg of explosives has been used.) In the next scene, the film moved from the sun-drenched desert to London by night. M (Ralph Fiennes) opened the door with „Hildebrand Prints and Rarities” written on it. Together with Bill Tanner (Rory Kinnear) and Q (Ben Whishaw) he climbed external stairs and entered small room on top of the building where James Bond and Madeleine Swann waited for him. After short discussion they left the room. MI6 team drove off and Madeleine Swann walked away alone. After a few steps she stopped and looked back at an empty street.

Admiralty Arch in London
– Admiralty Arch seen from The Mall.

The scene was filmed on May 31, 2015 at Spring Gardens near Trafalgar Square. Going from Buckingham Palace along the Mall after a few minutes walk you can see impressive Admiralty Arch. T-shaped Spring Gardens street is right behind it. Turn right before the Admiralty Arch to see the place where Madeleine Swann was walking alone. If you want to see the entrance to the safe house you have to walk straight ahead.

There is a small square behind the Admiralty Arch, from which you can already see Trafalgar Square with Nelson’s Column (photo below). On the right side of the photo there is a Drummonds Bank building with “Spring Gardens” street name on it.

Trafalgar Square in London

After a few meters on the left you will see the entrance to the safe house, however you will not find any „Hildebrand Prints and Rarities” sign on the door. The store name was inspired by the title of the Ian Fleming story. The book entitled „For Your Eyes Only” with short stories: „From A View to A Kill”, „For Your Eyes Only”, „Quantum Of Solace”, „Risico” and „The Hildebrand Rarity” was published in 1960. In the next photo you can see similar frame as the one in the film with Madeleine Swann saying good bye to James Bond.

Spring Gardens, London
– Door on the left doubled for the entrance to the MI6 Safe House.
Spring Gardens, London

Spring Gardens, London
Spring Gardens, London


Madeleine Swann looking back at empty street was filmed at Admiralty Pl.

Admiralty Pl, London
– Admiralty Pl

Visit LOCATIONS GALLERY on top of the page to see locations photos compared with movie scenes.

Sources:
– http://www.007.com
– http://www.007.info
– http://www.ianfleming.com

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“Spectre” in Rules restaurant in London

20 Sunday Mar 2016

Posted by in London, Spectre

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In “Spectre” James Bond was traveling to Mexico, Italy, Austria and Marocco. While he was in a train with Madeleine Swann (Lea Seydoux) in North Africa, three members of MI6 met in Rules restaurant in London. Miss Moneypenny (Naomie Harris) and Q (Ben Whishaw) informed M (Ralph Finnes) that they had found where James Bond was heading to. Their boss didn’t believe it was possible to help 007. He went out from the restaurant in the rain stream. The audience could see dissapointed faces of Miss Moneypenny and Q behind the window with the restaurant logo.

Rules restaurant in London

Rules restaurant in LondonThe sequence was filmed at Rules restaurant at Maiden Lane, Covent Garden. The restaurant established by Thomas Rule in 1798 is the oldest one in London.Rules restaurant in LondonThe scene was filmed on May 22nd 2015. The Rules, which is usually open seven days a week, was closed also the day before shooting. The restaurant published on its website rather mysterious note that it would be closed due to “essential work being carried out in the kitchen”.

For the scene, metal-framed structure with lights was put up above the narrow street. To create heavy rain, water sprinklers were used. Cameraman had to sit under umbrella.

Rules restaurant in LondonRules restaurant in London

The discussion between the three characters was filmed at the table located in front of the main entrance to the restaurant (photo below).Rules restaurant in London

It is worth to add that Ralph Finnes has been involved in filming at Rules restaurant over a dozen years before, when he played Maurice Bendrix in “The End of the Affair”. The restaurant has been also filming location of a few scenes in “Downton Abbey” TV series.

Sources:
– http://rules.co.uk/
– http://www.007.info/dine-another-day-spectre-films-at-famous-restaurant/
– http://downtonabbey.wikia.com/wiki/Rules_Restaurant

 

Old War Office Building as MI6 HQ

09 Saturday Jan 2016

Posted by in A View to a Kill, License to Kill, London, Octopussy, Skyfall, UK

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In three James Bond films the MI6 headquarters, where M’s office was located, was portrayed by the Old War Office Building in Whitehall, London.

Old War Office in London

The Old War Office – Whitehall, London

For the first time the building featured in an establishing shot in “Octopussy”. We can see Whitehall with the Trafalgar Square in background and the Old War Office on the right. Inside the office there were Miss Moneypenny (Lois Maxwell) with her assistant – Penelope Smallbone (Michaela Clavell). The producers were looking for someone to replace Lois Maxwell who was playing Miss Moneypenny from the first James Bond film. They could not find anyone for replacement so they decided to introduce the assistant.

In “A View to a Kill” James Bond reported in the MI6 office right after opening credits with Duran Duran song (read more in Duran Duran in “A View to a Kill”). Camera briefly followed one of a horse guard on the other side of Whitehall and turned over to the Old War Office. Inside the office there were 007 and Moneypenny played for the last time by Lois Maxwell. She was the same age as Roger Moore (both born in 1927), who also played in James Bond film for the last time. Lois Maxwell was Miss Moneypenny for 23 years in 14 James Bond films.

For the third time the Old War Office building was presented as MI6 headquarters in establishing shot in “Licence to Kill”, similar to the shot from “Octopussy”. The scene inside the office was filmed in a studio in Mexico.

In all three sequencies there were red double-deckers on the street. They are still present on the Whitehall.Red double-decker in fron of The Old War Office - Whitehall, LondonThe Old War Office building or actually its domed towers (one of them in picture below) returned to James Bond film in “Skyfall”.The Old War Office - Whitehall, London

At the end of the film James Bond was standing on a top of a building looking at London panorama. The scene was filmed on the roof of Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DECC). The building can be seen as first from left in a photo below and in background in the next photo. There is also the Union Flag between domed towers on the roof of the Old War Office as it was seen in “Skyfall”.

The Old War Office - Whitehall, LondonThe Old War Office - Whitehall, LondonStanding on the roof James Bond was looking at the Big Ben in background (it can be seen also from the street as presented in photo below). There were two domed towers on the Old War Office on the right.The Old War Office with Big Ben in background - Whitehall, London

Shortly Moneypenny joined Bond standing on the roof. In the next scene they were both talking in MI6 office. The headquarters at Vauxhall Cross (that is real headquarters of British Secret Intelligence Service) was destroyed at the beginning of the filmed so the office returned to Whitehall, but it was not clear to which building.

Sources:
–  A View to a Kill Audio Commentary, A View to a Kill Special Edition, Danjaq, LLC and United Artists Corporation, 2006
– „James Bond. Szpieg którego kochamy” Michał Grzesiek, Wydawnictwo Bukowy Las 2011
–  Octopussy Audio Commentary, Octopussy Special Edition, Danjaq, LLC and United Artists Corporation, 2006
–   http://www.filmweb.pl
–   http://www.mi6-hq.com