JAMES BOND FACT FILES

After an absence of three years as a result of ongoing legal problems and the break-up of the producing partnership of Harry Saltzman & Albert R. Broccoli, The Spy Who Loved Me eventually reached cinema screens in July 1977. Author Ian Fleming had granted EON Productions permission to use the title of his controversial 1962 novel, but no part of the storyline could be adapted for the screen. This resulted in a completely original story which took the James Bond series, now produced solely by Albert R. ‘Cubby’ Broccoli, in a new direction. After the lukewarm box-office reception afforded The Man With The Golden Gun (1974), Broccoli took the risky strategy of going bigger and better with the 10th 007 adventure, even down to constructing the vast ‘007 Stage’ at Pinewood Studios to house Production Designer Ken Adam's functional set for the scenes inside Stromberg's Liparus super tanker at the climax of the film. Many aspects of The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) made for excellent marketing opportunities and EON Productions/DANJAQ naturally took full advantage.

JAMES BOND, THE SPY WHO LOVED ME written by Christopher Wood and based on the screenplay he co-wrote with Richard Maibaum, was the first new James Bond novel published in hardback by Jonathan Cape since COLONEL SUN by Kingsley Amis (writing as Robert Markham) in 1968. The hardback was only issued once in 1977, and featured a striking wraparound dust jacket with artwork by British illustrator, designer and artist Bill Botten (1935- ). A paperback edition was also published in July 1977 by Triad/Panther with a Roger Moore cover and an advertising campaign directly linked to tie-in with the release of The Spy Who Loved Me (1977). Granada Publishing and United Artists also jointly sponsored a competition open to booksellers and cinema managers, with two prizes of £100 awarded to the most original and eye-catching displays.

Although their products do not actually feature in The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), Braun Electric mounted a promotional campaign in support of its new battery shaver, the Braun Sprint. A central part of this activity was a consumer promotion built around The Spy Who Loved Me and entitled “James Bond's Closest Shave”. Competition entrants were invited to list in order of danger ‘Close Shaves’ experienced by James Bond in some of his past films, including his amazing ski escape over a 4,000 foot cliff in The Spy Who Loved Me.

In addition to a tie-in with Lotus car dealerships, the Exhibitors’ Campaign Book also announced that Mettoy Playcraft, the manufacturer of CORGI Toys had produced two models of the ingeniously adapted Lotus Esprit which James Bond drives on land and underwater in The Spy Who Loved Me. CORGI's die-cast scale model of the white Lotus Esprit, (their first new James Bond toy in five years), once again lent itself to the many gimmicks that could be incorporated into the model to match its on-screen counterpart. A smaller more affordable CORGI Junior version did not include working features, and was modelled in the car's submarine form. The Lotus Esprit featured on the cover of CORGI's Collectors Catalogue in 1977 [pictured above centre], and again in 1978 when a Stromberg Helicopter was released. CORGI's Lotus Esprit was an instant hit when it was delivered to toyshops to coincide with the release of The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), selling 660,000 units in the first six months, going on to become their biggest-selling model since 1973, selling in excess of 1.3-million units until its withdrawal in 1981. 

To celebrate their involvement with The Spy Who Loved Me, Seiko the world leaders in watch technology devised a newspaper competition (later extended to several film magazines and via leaflets available in cinemas) connected with the film featuring Seiko watches as prizes. Pictured above is a Seiko competition from the September 1977 issue of Film Review magazine.

Seiko also produced eye-catching point-of-sale display material consisting of full colour quad-crown posters and showcards which were ideal for window and/or in-store displays. Unfortunately none of the items were available for illustration purposes at the time the Exhibitors’ Campaign Book went to press. Seiko's promotional booklet detailing their national tie-up with The Spy Who Loved Me is illustrated above.

Japanese electronics manufacturer Casio teamed up with United Artists in conjunction with best-selling British magazine SHE, to launch their world exclusive Casio Computer Quartz CQ-1 Calculator. Although not featured in The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), Casio chose to launch their product as the kind of gadget that even James Bond would be proud to carry around on his international assignments!

Another competition jointly sponsored by United Artists and Magic of Sardinia Ltd. was open to travel agents and cinema managers with prizes of a holiday for two in Sardinia plus £50 spending money. The Costa Smerelda on the Island of Sardinia was used as the setting in The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) for the perilous chase sequence along the island's twisting costal roads, which introduced cinema audiences to James Bond's new super-car - a specially adapted Lotus Esprit, which replaces the now famous Aston Martin DB5. The Italian tourist board produced colour posters and a brochure for use as part of the promotion of the Island and its connection with The Spy Who Loved Me (1977). A similar competition open to record dealers and cinema managers, offered a £100 prize for the most effective and inventive window and/or in-store display; the other to the cinema manager who instigated the winning display.

To promote their involvement with the production of The Spy Who Loved Me, the Royal Navy were featured in the Exhibitors’ Campaign Book which announced that the Royal Charity Premiere of the film on July 7, 1977 would be attended by HRH The Princess Anne, and held in aid of The Variety Club of Great Britain and King George's Fund For Sailors. Now known as the Seafarers’ Charity, the benevolent society was established in 1917 to support the families of seafarers lost at sea during World War One, and today supports seafarers throughout their seafaring careers and beyond.

Accompanying Princess Anne (in place of her husband Captain Mark Phillips) at the premiere of The Spy Who Loved Me was her great-uncle The Earl Mountbatten of Burma - commonly known as Lord Mountbatten - who joined the Royal Navy during the First World War and was appointed Supreme Allied Commander, South East Asia Command, in the Second World War. Lord Louis Mountbatten (1900-1979) later served as the last Viceroy of India (1947-48) and briefly as the first Governor-General of the Dominion of India. In August 1979, Lord Mountbatten was assassinated by a bomb planted aboard his fishing boat in Mullaghmore, County Sligo, Ireland, by members of the Provisional Irish Republican Army.

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