7 replies to this topic

[marktmurphy]

Visiting the excellent Barbican Bond exhibition this week I noticed something I'd not heard of before: they had many production concepts on display, among which were a few ideas for potential gadgets for Moonraker. One of these was an idea for a lighter for Bond, which when opened was revealed to conceal a remote control for his car. Buttons controlled the various functions and weaponry, and a slider controlled the steering.
I thought it was rather fascinating to see that the concept we're so familiar with from Tomorrow Never Dies and The World is Not Enough was invented for a much earlier film.

Anoth Moonraker gadget sketch shown depicts a briefcase for Bond which contains a life raft. The designers even write up a potential scenario for its use!

[Pussfeller]

That's too far-fetched. I'm glad they ultimately decided on a toned-down approach.

[Dustin]

Fascinating, I had no idea. The remote control is a gadget with a serious background in car bombs and terrorism. Gardner's LR shows Bond's car having a remote ignition to counter any explosives rigged to the car's machine. From there to a remote actually driving the vehicle and operating its defence is not such a big step.

[marktmurphy]

Gardner's LR shows Bond's car having a remote ignition to counter any explosives rigged to the car's machine. From there to a remote actually driving the vehicle and operating its defence is not such a big step.

And of course Benson had Bond's car fitted with colour changing paint. From which it's not a huge step to having it mimic its background, as in DAD.

[Dustin]

I wonder why this remote controlled car was dropped from MR? Probably because the previous film relied heavily on the submersible Lotus and they didn't want to become too generic with their elements. In this case however I would have preferred a gadget car to the gondola and even the Glastron boat.

Edited by Dustin, 01 September 2012 - 04:00 PM.

[marktmurphy]

I don't know if it was dropped as such; rather I think it was never part of it. From the sketches it seems like the production designers were coming up with ideas for gadgets which the writers would then consider putting in the story, which seems an odd way to do it (although we know that happened with the gadgets on the DB5; for example the door phone and nails which weren't even used in the movie).

[seawolfnyy]

I just don't think they wanted Moonraker to be OTT. I'm glad they went with a gritty realistic espionage tale.

[coco1997]

Anoth Moonraker gadget sketch shown depicts a briefcase for Bond which contains a life raft. The designers even write up a potential scenario for its use!

Do you remember what the scenario was?