BOND AND BEYOND EVENTS

Bond And Beyond has hosted, or participated in, several events in and around Edinburgh, Scotland. Here are some of our stories. If you would be interested in attending one of our events we can e-mail you with advance information. E-mail sales@bondandbeyond.com to be added to our information list.

HOME, JAMES

    Photos (C) Bond And Beyond, 2008

25 AUGUST, 2008 - Sir Sean Connery returned to his beloved home city of Edinburgh to celebrate his 78th birthday. He appeared at the Edinburgh International Book Festival today to launch his memoirs, Being A Scot. In front of a 300-strong crowd (the event sold out within minutes of the tickets going on sale) he discussed the book with his co-author Murray Grigor. Scotland's First Minister, Alex Salmond, attended. After the event there was a birthday party for Sir Sean at Bute House, the official residence of the First Minister. Other attendees included Sean's wife, Micheline and his brother Neil and his wife, Eleanor.

The previous evening Sean introduced a rare screening of his 1965 masterpiece The Hill at Edinburgh's Filmhouse Cinema.

Much to his delight, he was welcomed on stage with the audience singing Happy Birthday. He was interviewed by film writer, producer and director, Mark Cousins. His wife Micheline and son Jason were also in the audience. Sean was relaxed and in good humour as he shared his memories of making of the film as if it was yesterday.

In The Films Of Sean Connery (Citadel Press, 1993), authors Philip Lisa and Cinema Retro's Lee Pfeiffer describe The Hill as "arguably the greatest film of Sean Connery's career." Although not a commercial success, Sean's involvement grew out of his desire to move away from the James Bond image after the release of his third Bond movie, Goldfinger, in 1964.

"I was really trying to do something different," recalled Sean. "More testing and original for me. The Bonds were very limiting because they were badly planned and they ran over. So this was a very compact film."

Sean had never met director Sidney Lumet before and admitted to being "very reluctant because I didn't honestly believe an American would be able to handle the discipline of the British army. I was absolutely proved wrong." Sean is keen to point at that his relationship with Sidney Lumet is the longest he's had with any director, and cheekily added, "Nothing sexual, mind you!" They would later collaborate on The Anderson Tapes (1971), The Offence (1973), Murder On The Orient Express (1974) and Family Business (1989). "We've stayed very, very good friends," said Sean, "and my wife and I always see him when we're in New York."

The Hill is set in a British prison camp in the Libyan desert during World War II. is set in a British prison camp in the Libyan desert during World War II. Sean's character, Trooper Joe Roberts, is sent to the stockade for disobeying orders and assaulting a superior officer. However, recently arrived Staff Sergeant Williams (Ian Hendry) persecutes Roberts and his cellmates (played by Ossie Davis, Roy Kinnear, Alfred Lynch and Jack Watson) by running them up and down an artificial hill of sand and rock in the blazing sun until they collapse from heat exhaustion. When one of the men dies after a particularly arduous session on the hill, Roberts rebels and eventually gains the sympathy of another staff sergeant, played by Ian Bannen, and the medical officer played by Michael Redgrave. The film is unrelenting in its depiction of the brutality waged against these men. It is shot in black and white, the editing is minimal and there is no music score.

Sean recalled, "The concept was to shoot in black and white with a fantastic cameraman, Ossie Morris." He pointed out that being on set was very different to the finished film. "If you saw it being made in reality, and then you saw it on the screen, you would say it's not the same place." Oswald Morris let a lot of light into the camera to replicate, visually, the heat and glare of the desert sun. The film was shot in Spain, still in uncomfortably hot desert surroundings. Lumet's direction also called for the actors to climb the hill for real, and in one take. This removed the necessity of editing and the use of doubles. "Lumet had a cradle on the side of the hill with the arm on it and the camera was following us up and down the other side, recalled Sean. "We were all knackered."

"To be fair to [Sidney Lumet], because he goes for the difficult stuff, perhaps the sound suffers a bit, but you can't take away from the central core of what the movie is and how good all the actors are - including myself!"

This week the Edinburgh Filmhouse will also be screening Sean Connery in Sidney Lumet's The Offence (1973), John Huston's The Man Who Would Be King (1975) and Richard Lester's Robin And Marion (1976). 

Article and photograph (C) Bond And Beyond, 2008. All rights reserved.

URSULA STILL MAKING WAVES, BOND-STYLE

Photo: Dimitri Hamlin, Ursula Andress & Harry Hamlin and Bond's Aston Martin DB5 - (C) Bond And Beyond, 2006. All rights reserved.

18 MAY, 2006 - A 70th birthday party was thrown for Swiss-born Ursula Andress by the Swiss Government to mark the opening of Switzerland’s new Consulate-General in Scotland. It was one of a series of events being held to raise awareness of Switzerland in Scotland.

Approximately one hundred specially invited guests arrived on the red carpet, away from public gaze, in front of the Royal Yacht Britannia which is moored at Ocean Terminal in Leith, Edinburgh. Guests included Lauriane Gillieron (Miss Switzerland, 2005/2006), Swiss rock singer Natacha and European supermodel turned actress Michelle Hunziker.

Ursula was driven up the red carpet in James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5 (displaying its Swiss number plate), one of the actual gadget cars used to promote Goldfinger and Thunderball. Leaving the car she shouted back, “Thank you, James!” much to the delight of the waiting press photographers. Wearing a stunning haute couture evening dress from Dior Paris (designed by John Galliano) she was received on the red carpet by her former partner Harry Hamlin and their son Dimitri. As they walked up the gang plank to the Yacht, ‘007’ deployed the Aston Martin’s rear smoke screen to the star’s amusement.

Photo: Ursula and Lauriane cut the cake - (C) Torquil Cramer, 2006. Courtesy of Geronimo Communications. All rights reserved.

His Excellency the Swiss Ambassador, Alexsis P Lautenberg, received the guests for cocktails in the State Drawing Room of Britannia which remains decorated to the personal tastes of Queen Elizabeth II. Guests were entertained by the Britannia pianist on the grand piano, once a favourite spot for Princess Diana during her stays on the Royal Yacht.

A gala dinner was held at 8.30pm. Head Chef of the Britannia, Michael Soeder, created the three-course menu while the birthday cake was a creation of the Swiss star chef Anton Mosimann (Mosimann's Private Dining Club London). To the sound of Alpenhorns, the current Miss Switzerland 2005/2006, Lauriane Gillieron, appeared as an angel to lead the cake as a surprise into the State Dining Room of Britannia. The angel’s robe for Lauriane was an exclusive creation of the young Swiss couturier Thierry Dafflon, and was based on the famous bikini scene from Dr No. Ursula cut her birthday cake with the “original model” of her diver’s knife from Dr No.

After dinner the evening finished in the State Drawing Room. Swiss rock artist Natacha sang for Ursula and her guests, including a very personal interpretation of ‘Underneath The Mango Tree’ from Dr No.

A true film diva who is as enterprising as ever, Ursula Andress celebrated her 70th year with youthful freshness and vitality. Article (C) Bond And Beyond, 2006. All rights reserved.

BOND AND BEYOND EVENT - AN EVENING WITH RICHARD KIEL

Photo: Richard Kiel with host Brian J Smith - (C) Bond And Beyond, 2004. All rights reserved.

15 NOVEMBER, 2004 - Richard Kiel returned to Scotland to appear at 'An Evening With Richard Kiel' at the Bo'ness Motor Museum and Double-0 Bar. Richard took time out to speak to everyone and signed copies of his updated autobiography. Brian J Smith interviewed Richard for an hour during which the audience was treated to an in-depth insight into the world of movie-making and the 007 phenomenon as well as taking part in Q&As. Richard acknowledged the impact starring in a Bond movie had on his career: "I was a working actor for 17 years before playing Jaws in my first James Bond film. I suddenly became an overnight success. Even though I had been in popular and successful films like The Longest Yard and had appeared in nearly 100 television shows, it wasn't until the Bond films that I found myself transformed from a recognisable face to an internationally known movie star." Article (C) Bond And Beyond, 2004. All rights reserved.

BOND AND BEYOND EVENT - OCTOPUSSY 21st ANNIVERSARY

Photo: Maud Adams and Michael Billington at Edinburgh Castle - (C) Bond And Beyond, 2004. All rights reserved.

11 NOVEMBER, 2004 - To celebrate the 21st Anniversary of Octopussy, Bond And Beyond was privileged to welcome Maud Adams, Michael Billington and Gareth Owen to the Dominion Cinema, Edinburgh for a special screening of the film.

Michael Billington had appeared in The Spy Who Loved Me as Sergei Barsov, KGB agent and lover of Anya Amasova (Barbara Bach) who is killed by 007 during the pre-title sequence. He had previously screen-tested for the role of Bond and 'played Bond' during the screen tests for Octopussy's potential leading ladies. He provided a unque perspective on the casting process of Bond. Michael sadly passed away on 3 June, 2005 aged 63.

Gareth Owen is Roger Moore's Personal Assiatant and official biographer. He has also written many Bond-related books including The Pinewood Story, Albert J Luxford: The Gimmick Man and A Life Through The Lens, the biography of cinematographer Alan Hume (For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy and A View To A Kill).

Maud Adams, the only actress to play two Bond leading ladies, recounted many stories about her time on the sets of The Man With The Golden Gun and Octopussy. Her return to the series for Octopussy came as a major surprise for Maud, and allowed her to play a much stronger character. "I got a call out of the blue and was asked if I would fly to London to test with James Brolin, who they were considering as the new James Bond. I assumed that the only reason they asked me was because they needed someone that they liked, who was trustworthy and would show up and just be somebody for him to play against. I was very surprised and delighted to find that they were serious about using me. By that time Bond was huge and it was incredibly flattering to be asked to play the part."

As with all our events, audience participation is essential. The audience took part in a Q&A session and after the screening of the film they were able to meet our guests for autographs and photos. Article (C) Bond And Beyond, 2004. All rights reserved.

OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE BO'NESS MOTOR MUSEUM

Photo: Lotus Esprit from The Spy Who Loved Me and rocket launcher from Tomorrow Never Dies - (C) Bond And Beyond, 2004. All rights reserved.

3 APRIL, 2004 - The town of Bo'ness lies roughly halfway between Edinburgh and Glasgow on the Firth of Forth coast. The brain-child of local entrepreneur Colin Anderson, the Bo'ness Motor Museum boasts a fantastic collection of classic cars, including one of the Lotus Esprits used during the making of The Spy Who Loved Me. The 007 section also has a plethora of Bond props and memorabilia on display. Upstairs you can relax in the plush Double-0 Bar which has a vast array of original Bond movie posters and props, many of them signed by cast and crew members. The venue also has a cafe and The Little Monsters Fun Factory, a soft play area for the kids. The venue was officially opened on 3 April, 2004 by Caroline Munro and Shane Rimmer from The Spy Who Loved Me. Article (C) Bond And Beyond, 2004. All rights reserved.

Photo: Caroline Munro and Shane Rimmer open the museum for proprietors Colin and Fiona Anderson - (C) Bond And Beyond, 2004. All rights reserved.

BOND AND BEYOND EVENT - GOLDFINGER 40th ANNIVERSARY 

Photo: Shirley Eaton and host Brian J Smith with Aston Martin at the Dominion entrance - (C) Bond And Beyond, 2004. All rights reserved.

25 MARCH, 2004 - Goldfinger's 'Golden Girl', Shirley Eaton, was guest of honour to celebrate the film at Bond And Beyond's 40th Anniversary event at the Dominion Cinema, Edinburgh - Scotland's oldest independently owned cinema. An Aston Martin - on loan from the Bo'ness Motor Museum - was on the theatre steps which proved very popular with guests as they arrived. Prior to a screening of the movie, Shirley was interviewed about her stage and movie career and particularly her time during the making of Goldfinger. Afterwards she spent time with her fans, being photographed with them and signing autographs.

The evening was dedicated to the memory of Dana Broccoli, who passed away on 29 February, 2004. Mrs Broccoli was instrumental in the casting of Sean Connery as James Bond. Article (C) Bond And Beyond, 2004. All rights reserved.

BOND AND BEYOND EVENT - THE SPY WHO LOVED ME WITH JAWS

Richard Kiel meets one of his fans, Helen Poletyllo - (C) Bond And Beyond, 2003. All rights reserved.

2 DECEMBER, 2003 - Bond And Beyond's first event was a screening of The Spy Who Loved Me - with special guest Richard 'Jaws' Kiel - at the Filmhouse, located within Edinburgh's theatre district on Lothian Road. The sell-out audience was enthralled as Richard answered their questions and talked out his time as Jaws, the villain with the steel teeth in The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonnraker. There were also tributes for Richard sent in by his co-stars Caroline Munro, Shane Rimmer, Valerie Leon and Jeremy Bulloch as well as the film's second unit director John Glen and producer Michael G Wilson. After the screening Richard signed copies of his recently published autobiography, Making It BIG In The Movies, and happily chatted with fans and posing for photographs. Article (C) Bond And Beyond, 2003. All rights reserved.

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