JAMES BOND, ‘THE SPY WHO LOVED ME’, 1977 – PHOTOGRAPH

A large black and white portrait photograph of Lewis Gilbert on the set of The Spy Who Loved Me, the verso with handwritten label attached inscribed in an unknown hand Martin Godwin / Guardian Picture Desk…[see also Lot 520] - 29.2 x 36.8 cm.

 The famous set Gilbert is pictured on was known as the “Jonah Set” built specifically for The Spy Who Loved Me to house Ken Adam’s astonishing design for the interior of the villain, Karl Stromberg’s, super tanker the Liparus.  It was the largest soundstage and studio water tank in the world. Adam’s shimmering set contained three five-eighths-scale nuclear attack submarines, seen behind Gilbert in the photograph; also an armoured control room, catwalks, a monorail, assembly and weapons rooms. $1 million dollars of the film’s $13.5 million budget was spent on building this set which became one of the most celebrated motion picture interiors of all time.

Sold Without Copyright

Condition Report: Some light rubbing to edges and corners, some light surface wear; overall very good

Bellmans is grateful to Wallace and Hodgson for their assistance with cataloguing the Lewis Gilbert Film Script and Production Archive.