The Spy Who Loved Me
  • The Spy Who Loved Me

The Spy Who Loved Me

Synopsis

After British and Russian submarines carrying nuclear warheads vanish, James Bond travels to Egypt, where illicit microfilm plans for a submarine tracking system are being offered for sale. In Cairo he meets KGB agent Major Anya Amasova, who is on the same mission. After their contact is murdered, they fight Jaws, a steel-toothed villain in the pay of industrialist Karl Stromberg. MI6 and the KGB order Bond and Amasova to work together. In Sardinia, they encounter Stromberg and suspect that he is behind the submarine disappearances. After being chased by Jaws and Stromberg’s henchmen, they escape underwater in Bond’s amphibious Lotus Esprit. Onboard a US submarine, the spies learn more about Stromberg’s underwater base, Atlantis, and about the supertanker The Liparus. When their sub is captured by The Liparus, a huge vessel, that “swallows” submarines, Bond discovers Stromberg’s plan to trigger a nuclear war. Bond leads the captured sailors against The Liparus’ crew and defeats Stromberg. Atlantis sinks but Jaws escapes. 

Cast

Roger Moore, Barbara Bach, Curt Jurgens, Richard Kiel, Caroline Munro, Walter Gotell, Geoffrey Keen, George Baker, Michael Billington, Olga Bisera, Edward De Souza, Bernard Lee, Desmond Llewelyn, Lois Maxwell

Producer

Albert R. Broccoli

Director

Lewis Gilbert

Release Date

7 July 1977 (UK)
13 July 1977 (USA)

World Premiere

7 July 1977, Odeon Leicester Square, London

Locations

Egypt; Sardinia; Canada; Malta; Scotland; Okinawa; Switzerland and Pinewood Studios, England. Underwater sequence filmed in Nassau, Bahamas

Music

“Nobody Does It Better” – performed by Carly Simon, lyrics by Carole Bayer Sager, composed by Marvin Hamlisch

Vehicles

Lotus Esprit S1; The Liparus tanker; Wet bike; Rocket-firing motorcycle; Stromberg’s helicopter; Jaws’ van; Hovercar/speedboat; Mini-submarine; Stromberg’s escape pod, Bond’s wet bike

Gadgets/Weapons/Technology

  • Walther PPK 7.65mm
  • Jaws’ metal teeth
  • Beretta 950 automatic
  • Micro-film viewer assembled from a cigarette case and lighter
  • Ski pole gun capable of firing .30 calibre round from a four-shot magazine in the handle
  • Seiko 0674 telex watch
  • Knockout cigarette
  • Wet Nellie – a Lotus Esprit that transforms into a submarine includes front mounted underwater rockets, an underwater smoke/ink screen, a limpet mine dispenser and radar-guided surface-to-air missiles. On land armed with a rear cement blaster.
  • Linear induction craft
  • Sea launched ballistic missiles (SBLMs)
  • High explosive detonator
  • Atlantis sea base
  • Waterproof helipad
  • Surveillance monitor
  • Trick elevators with trap doors
  • Dinner table gun
  • Retracting paintings
  • Escape pods

Trivia

The second time we see James Bond on skis – this time played by Roger Moore

In July 1976 John Glen directed a skeleton crew and stunt performer Rick Sylvester at the remote location of the Asgard Peak, a 3,000ft cliff on Baffin Island, Canada for the Union Jack parachute jump for the pre-title sequence. After waiting weeks for good filming weather conditions, it took three minutes and three cameras to successfully put this opening stunt in the can on the first and only take

The production team could only get to the summit of Mount Asgard by helicopter but you can’t fly helicopters all the way from Frobisher Bay. They had to dismantle the helicopters, pack the parts in crates, fly the crates to the take-off point in the area, then reassemble them

Glen was reunited with champion skier cameraman Willy Bogner Jr. to complete the opening ski sequence on location in St. Moritz, Switzerland

Filming in St. Moritz had to be abandoned when bad weather descended. Visiting press photographers were evacuated first. The weather deteriorated and – with the exception of Glen, Bogner and stunt skier Ed Lincoln – the remaining crew were forced to stay put and survived the blizzard by building a snow house

Bond’s ski pole gun used in the opening sequence is on display at 007 Elements

The Spy Who Loved Me is the first time a James Bond actor (Roger Moore) has appeared in the main title sequence

Producer Michael G. Wilson took many of the underwater film stills which feature on several of the posters for The Spy Who Loved Me

Trailer