50 years of Bond style
Roger Moore's white tuxedo, the golden pistol of Scaramanga, Q's gadgets and the Astin Martin DB5 have all come together for "Designing 007: Fifty Years of Bond Style," a unique exhibit showcasing more than 500 original items from the most famous spy's world. The exhibition for the 50th anniversary of the James Bond films, curated by the Barbican Center, London in partnership with EON Productions, is at the Grande Halle de la Villette in Paris from April 16 to September 4, 2016.
Here, a mannequin recreates the famous scene of the gold-painted body of Jill Masterson from the James Bond film "Goldfinger."
Sean Connery & Jill Masterson
Sean Connery and Jill Masterson in "Goldfinger." The villain Goldfinger covers a traitorous secretary, played by Masterson, with gold paint causing death by "skin suffocation" -- infamously known as the gold paint death scene.
"Octopussy"
The exhibit opens with a selection of James Bond movie posters, including this one from "Octopussy" (1983). The film was the sixth for Roger Moore in the lead role.
Aston Martin DB5
The 1964 Aston Martin DB5, seen here with Sean Connery, first appeared in the James Bond film "Goldfinger." With just 13 minutes of screen time "the most famous car in the world" made quite an impression with its host of gadgets. The car made a second appearance in "Thunderball."
The beautiful, but uber-practical Astin Martin came complete with bulletproof windows, radar screen, tire slashers, an ejector seat, and all-important revolving license plates.
Scaramanga's golden gun
For "The Man With the Golden Gun," Peter Lamont designed this gun based on the Colt Single Action Army pistol with which Ian Fleming armed Francisco Scaramanga in the novel.
The top toolmaker at Colibri, maker of luxury lighters and accessories, assembled the revolver. A pen served as a barrel, limited to one bullet. A "Moletric 88" lighter became its firing chamber. A cigarette case served as its handle and the trigger was a cufflink.
Colibri received a screen credit as the maker of the Golden Gun. Three further gold-plated guns were created by a silversmith for filming -- after Colibri's proved too fragile. Those were stolen, making this gun the only surviving one which appeared on screen.
"The Man With The Golden Gun" (1974)
Bond Art Department
Gold plated metal
Sean Connery tuxedo
The tailoring detail on Bond's tuxedo from "Dr. No" paid homage to Ian Fleming, who favored the style.
The bespoke tuxedo Anthony Sinclair produced for Connery's debut as 007 in "Dr. No," established a traditional formal attire which became known as the "Bond look."
In the film, director Terence Young teased the audience by prolonging the first sight of Agent 007. Before seeing Bond's face, viewers see his midnight blue evening jacket sleeve, with its silkfaced turn back cuffs, and silk-covered buttons. These details flashed on screen as Bond shuffles cards at the casino table.
"Dr. No" (1962)
The tuxedo was recreated by David Mason for the exhibition.
50 Years of Bond Style
What's Bond without a casino in the vicinity? From Les Ambassadeurs Club in London's Mayfair to Macau's Floating Dragon Casino, 007 has always appeared at ease amongst the opulence of a sophisticated gaming establishment.
The Casino Room of the exhibition shows off the high stakes glamour and fashion of 007's world.
Roger Moore tuxedo
Roger Moore's James Bond wore a white tuxedo in "Octopussy" as well as "A View to a Kill." A white dinner jacket was also worn by Sean Connery in "Goldfinger," and again by Daniel Craig's Bond in "Spectre."
French costume designer Jany Temime told Esquire magazine that there were actually 20 white tuxedos in five sizes for Daniel Craig and all of the stunt men on "Spectre." Temime was inspire by Humphrey Bogart in "Casablanca" in deciding to go back to the white tuxedo style.
BMW R1200 Motorbike
The moment in which the handcuffed spies commandeer this BMW R1200 C in "Tomorrow Never Dies," served as an advance promotional placement to launch the motorcycle.
The R1200 C -- once BMW's biggest motorbike -- was considered less than ideal for the stunt because of its weight. It was used because a lighter bike might have appeared less spectacular. Motorcycle expert Jean-Pierre Goy performed a spectacular wheelie across flat-roofed tenements in Bangkok, and on a composite of a Ho Chi Minh street constructed at Frogmore Studios. Seven thousand cardboard boxes cushioned his fall after he made a 20-foot jump on the bike over Carver's helicopter. "We practiced and rehearsed the stunt for two weeks," recalls Vic Armstrong.
"Tomorrow Never Dies" (1997)
Stunt vehicle
50 Years of Bond Style
Costumes used during the shooting of the most recent Bond movie "Spectre" are displayed at the Grande Halle de la Villette.
Jany Temime, who worked on "Skyfall," also created all the costumes for "Spectre," collaborating with designer Tom Ford.
50 Years of Bond Style
This weapon-laden briefcase protected James Bond as he battled villain Red Grant on board the Orient Express in "From Russia With Love." The special effects department working on the film equipped 007's case with its array of protective mechanisms (first described by Ian Fleming in the novel), including the flat throwing knife, displayed here. This is the original knife.
The briefcase -- by Swaine Adeney Brigg, the exclusive British maker of equestrian and luxury leather goods -- is currently equipped with a replacement knife. It was added to the briefcase for the Q-Branch scene in "Die Another Day," one of many Bond films in which 007 carries a briefcase.
"From Russia With Love" (1963)
Attaché case, Q's gadget
Bond Special Effects Department SFX Action Prop
Elektra King dress
When Elektra King (played by Sophie Marceau) and James Bond (who is assigned to protect her) meet at Zukovsky's casino in "The World is Not Enough," she is seductively dressed in red.
Oscar-winning costume designer Lindy Hemming, co-curator of the exhibition, highlighted the exoticism of this oil heiress of British and Azeri descent by adorning her in luxuriant textiles. Her wrap, for example, is made of velvet and sari silk. The asymmetric earrings were designed by Hemming to disguise Elektra's missing earlobe.
"The World is Not Enough" (1999)
Costume designer: Lindy Hemming
Q Boats
A Q Boat from the James Bond film "The World is Not Enough" is displayed.
James Bond's boats rival his automobiles for ingenuity. His handmade Venetian Bondola converted into a speedboat and hovercraft.
Ken Adam's Q Craft -- which catapulted Bond over Brazil's Iguazú Falls in an escape glider in "Moonraker" -- inspired Glastron, its maker, to introduce its award-winning Scimitar power boat in 1980.
Bond commandeered the mini Q Boat up the Thames and the Embankment before it was even complete.
"The World Is Not Enough" (1999)
Q Boat Miniature model
Bond Art Department Fibreglass, metal
50 Years of Bond Style
Q's Bag of Tricks appeared in "Licence to Kill," and contained toothpaste as well as an alarm clock, which both concealed explosives.
The bag is in a special section of Bond gadgets called the Q Branch at the Grande Halle de la Villette in Paris.
Ursula Andress
Another of the many fashions that were recreated for the exhibition is Ursula Andress' bikini worn when she appeared as Bond girl Honey Ryder, a shell diver, in the very first Bond film, "Dr. No."
Who could forget Andress rising out of the sea in a white bikini with a large diving knife resting on her hip?
Other swimwear fashions in the exhibit include Halle Berry's orange bikini in "Die Another Day," and Daniel Craig's sky blue trunks from "Casino Royale."
Jaws’ teeth
Interlocking wheels inspired the shape of Jaws' teeth, which can be found in the Villains and Enigmas room of the exhibit.
"They had to connect and look dangerous but could not be sharp," said Katharina Kubrick-Phelps.
She designed them for Richard Kiel to brandish in "The Spy Who Loved Me," in which he portrayed Jaws as a villain. "He had to remove them after every take," noted the film's director Lewis Gilbert. "They were uncomfortable for Richard."
Acclaim for Kiel's performance in "Spy" prompted his return in "Moonraker," by the end of which he had become Bond's ally.
"The Spy Who Loved Me" (1977)
50 Years of Bond Style
A miniature cable car for the 11th Bond film "Moonraker." The interiors of the cable car were filmed at Pinewood Studio in England.
When a stolen space shuttle is involved it's not surprising there would be high production costs to the tune of $34 million -- almost twice as much as the previous "The Spy Who Loved Me." Derek Meddings was nominated for an Oscar for Best Visual Effects for the film.
The Snow Room
Yes, there's a Snow Room for all of James Bond's wintertime escapades. The exhibit includes a model of the Ice Palace set from "Die Another Day," in which Bond hijacks the ice dragster, reaching its top speed of 324 mph, crashes it, then "parasurfs" to safety.
Moneypenny
The gold Amanda Wakeley dress which was worn by Naomie Harris as Eve Moneypenny in the 2012 film "Skyfall" in the Macau casino scene.
Naomie Harris - "Skyfall"
Naomie Harris wearing the gold Amanda Wakeley dress in "Skyfall."
The British actress also played Moneypenny in "Spectre" (2015).
Fabergé egg
This Tsar Imperial Easter egg, which Bond bets during backgammon, is the prop seen in "Octopussy."
It was reputed to be genuine and made by jeweller Peter Carl Fabergé. However, Asprey, who were once jeweller to Britain's Royal Family, actually produced it for the film. They adorned its translucent green enamel with faux embellishments including imitation blue sapphires, and a rhinestone encrusted floral motif. It contains a model of the Imperial State Coach.
"Octopussy" (1983)
Asprey Gold plate, gold, enamel
Swarovski crystals
Piton gun
A piton gun, one of many gadgets that are part of the Q Branch of the exhibition. It was used in "GoldenEye" (1995).
Solitaire's red dress
Tarot card-reading Bond Girl Soltaire was played by Jane Seymour in the 1973 "Live and Let Die."
Costume designer Julie Harris made Solitaire's gown from Indian cotton and silk velvet, purchased, respectively, at Liberty & Co and Harrods. Solitaire's boots are from H & M Rayne Ltd, once the Royal Family's preferred shoe shop.
The exhibition "Designing 007: Fifty Years of Bond Style" will be at the Grande Halle de la Villette in Paris through September 4, 2016.