(A special guest article for the JBIFC by Michael Preston)
“Point the gun at my groin.”
The fourth actor to play James Bond for EON only needed to be told once. He lowered his Walther PPK pistol and took careful aim.
Thankfully, the only subsequent shot came from the camera of David Gamble, an English artist now living in New Orleans, whose work resides in the National Portrait Gallery in London, and the Smithsonian. One click later, Timothy Dalton was immortalized in his portrayal of 007, while surrounded by a treasure trove of unmistakable props stretching back as far as the screen debut of the British Secret Service’s most notorious fictitious agent.
The photograph, commissioned by Life Magazine for their Special Film Edition at the time of The Living Daylights in 1987, was almost abandoned, despite an enthusiastic movie crew having scoured every dark corner of Pinewood Studios for props that were incredibly still lying around from multiple decades. In his portrayal of Bond, Dalton had sought to deliver a darker and more serious character than had been brought to the screen by his predecessor Roger Moore, one closer to the original grit imagined by 007 creator Ian Fleming. Gamble’s suggestion that Dalton should lie on the roof of the trademark Aston Martin car was at odds with the actor’s interpretation.
The eventual compromise, after both parties had tabled an option to walk away, was that Bond mark IV would instead emerge from the sunroof with a view to a kill and retain Bond’s revised persona. Gamble’s invitation to fire at the body part that had become synonymous with the philandering Bondlightened the mood and was essential because the pistol had previously been obscuring the actor’s face. Dalton took that lower aim and was captured for posterity.
Now, the photograph of Dalton’s 007 surrounded by a wonderous assortment of props from so many Bond movies is available as a limited edition. Measuring 12 x 16 inches, every numbered print meticulously produced on archival photographic paper is personally signed by photographer Gamble and is available at the exclusive price of only $250 per print, plus shipping.
“As a devoted fan of James Bond, I’m thrilled to offer fellow enthusiasts the opportunity to own a piece of Bond history with my favorite photograph,” said Gamble. “This particular image was captured on location at Pinewood Studios, just as filming wrapped up.”
Gamble isn’t kidding about his 007 devotion. With an almost encyclopedic knowledge, he recalled endless Bond scenes when identifying the props that were assembled for the unique photo.
“Cubby Broccoli wondered where it had all come from,” adds Gamble. “The crew found it all and without their help, the lighting guys, the riggers, the set painter who sprayed clouds rather than just have a plain back drop, this would never have come together. They even hung the tiny plane from Octopussy in the background.
“They’re not paid overtime to do this sort of thing, and still photographers can often be considered a nuisance on set, but they put extra work in and really didn’t have to help me or do any of this. I asked for help, and everyone just jumped on board.”
So, what’s in the photo?
Besides the obvious – the Bede BD-5J lightest jet aircraft in the world and Bond’s V8 Vantage Volante Aston Martin – there is the iconic Golden Gun, meticulously crafted with exquisite metalwork to resemble a genuine firearm, and the menacing presence of evil character Jaws’ teeth. There are Tarot cards from Live and Let Die, a space helmet Moonraker and the diver’s helmet and multiple underwater props from Thunderball.
“The Fabergé Egg from Octopussy, crafted by none other than the renowned jeweller to the Queen, Asprey’s of London, was brought out from their vault specifically for this shoot,” explains Gamble. “I think Cubby had something to do with that”.
“I once photographed Desmond Llewelyn, better known as Q, at his home and he had loads of great gadgets in his collection, including the infamous exploding pen and the attaché case with the protruding knife.”
There’s the crocodile submersible from Octopussy, the infamous ‘you’ve had your six’ Smith & Wesson from Dr No, numerous PPKs, and a rifle in a red case beside Samurai swords used in a fight during a scene in The Man with the Golden Gun. The mechanical black hand belonging to Dr No is there, along the digital bomb timer bomb diffused in Octopussy, and even the short-lived Mrs. Bond’s tombstone from For Your Eyes Only.
“Who keeps a tombstone?” wondered Gamble. “It’s wonderful that all these things from the obscure to the instantly recognizable survived, but I wonder where they are today. This was more than 35 years ago, so it would surely be impossible to recreate a scene like this now”.
“The props felt real. They were clearly made to look authentic, and I remember the Aston Martin was one of three on set, which was was used for the closeups. Another was written off during filming and the third had a small tank of fuel for stunt driving. I was offered a chance to buy that particular Aston for £14,000, but at the time that was out of my price range. If only I had!”
Gamble’s collectible Timothy Dalton as James Bond photograph is thankfully more affordable and can be purchased at www.jamesbondprint.com