24 replies to this topic

[DamnCoffee]

Production designer Sir Ken Adam, famous for his work on Dr Strangelove and seven James Bond films, has died at the age of 95.

 

He died on Thursday at his home in London after a short time in hospital. 

 

Sir Ken's famous sets include the triangular Pentagon War Room in Dr Strangelove and the villain's headquarters in the 1962 James Bond film Dr No.

He also designed the car in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. 

 

His death was confirmed by Sir Christopher Frayling, his biographer, who told the BBC: "As a person he was remarkable. Roger Moore once said about him that his life was a great deal more interesting than most of the films that he designed. 

 

"He was a brilliant visualiser of worlds we will never be able to visit ourselves - the War Room under the Pentagon in Dr Strangelove, the interior of Fort Knox in Goldfinger - all sorts of interiors which, as members of the public, we are never going to get to see, but he created an image of them that was more real than real itself."

an real itself."

 

Very upsetting news indeed. The best production designer of the series by far. RIP.  :(

Edited by DamnCoffee, 10 March 2016 - 08:13 PM.

[Toxteth_OGrady]

http://www.bbc.co.uk...t-arts-35780260

[Grard Bond]

Very sad news... he's one of my heroes. He was so great, what he did for the first ca twenty years of the James Bond movies.

 

His designs for For Knox, the rocket vulcano base, the gigant tanker and the Lotus submarine from TSWLM, the Moonraker spacestation.... the list is endless.

 

Thank you, Sir Ken Adam,

 

R.I.P.

[AMC Hornet]

I was blown away by the volcano rocket base the first time I saw YOLT, and no less awed by the interior of the Liparus in TSWLM. Later I learned to appreciate the impressive economy of Dr. No's control room and other relatively 'minor' sets.

 

I cheered when I saw he'd designed the sets for Addams Family Values.

 

Yes, RIP, sir. We miss your vision.

[Surrie]

Wow never knew he designed the sets for Addams Family Values. Could he have been any greater?? 

[Yellow Pinky]

Oh man!  What a week... Sir George Martin and now Sir Ken Adam.  They both lived long, highly productive lives and left us all richer for sharing their genius with our world.  Godspeed, Ken.  You were always my favorite of all the Bond designers!

[Dustin]

R.I.P.

[Turn]

Lost another great. I always enjoyed how enthusiastic he was to talk about the 007 series and his contributions to it. And I'm fortunate to own the two books dedicated to his work.

 

Always wished he, like John Barry, would come back to the series for one final hurrah. The work of both stand on their own and made unquestionable marks on the franchise we are still talking about to this day.

[DaveBond21]

RIP, Sad news. He was amazing at his job and had a really interesting life.

 

95 is a good age too. Many of the Bond people live a long time.

[RMc2]

RIP sir :(

[Guy Haines]

He was a great talent in the world of film set design, a real genius.

But don't forget he was also one of only three from his country to fly with the RAF during the Second World War and fight against the Nazis. Sir Ken's country of origin being Germany. As a Jewish refugee from Nazi Germany, it must have taken some courage to go into battle against the Nazis.

We had something called a "Cockpit-Fest" at Newark Air Museum a few years ago - an opportunity for those whose interest is a 'plane's cockpit to display examples. One of them was from a Hawker Typhoon, and the exterior was signed by Sir Ken Adam. I think it may have been part of the 'plane he flew.

RIP Sir Ken Adam. The volcano base, the supertanker set, Goldfinger's laser room, the war room from Dr Strangelove and so many other film sets - all his monuments.

[Simon]

Oh dear.

 

Of the initial army of seven rebels who worked a magic like never before, Cubby, Harry, Peter, John, Sean, Terence and of course, Ken, only Sean is left.

 

Bloody sobering.  But they all seem to have lived long and good lives...

 

RIP.

[sharpshooter]

Huge loss. 

[Professor Pi]

Man, I just finished posting on the George Martin R.I.P. thread.   I know he was 95, but still.  Those sets of his captured my imagination as a child.

[PrinceKamalKhan]

RIP  to the greatest Bond production designer of them all. My favorite of his Bond sets will always be the volcano rocket base in YOLT.

[dtuba]

Two great contributors to the world of Bond in one week. Very sad.

[thecasinoroyale]

A great legacy left behind - a timeless one. The man who helped make 007 as iconic as he is today.

 

RIP.

[Surrie]

http://www.007.com/sir-ken-adam/

[the villain's architect]

Very sad news indeed. Sir Ken Adam was one of my idols. The greatest production designer of all times imho.

[trevanian]

Nicholas Meyer wrote a nice bit about Adam's passing on his facebook page - it actually has some info I hadn't heard before, too.

[stromberg]

Now on the CBn main page:

 

Sir Ken Adam 1921 – 2016

[the other fellow]

RIP Sir Ken Adam

 

What a wonderful life

 

Pure genius

[FlemingBond]

Great man, a life of accomplishment.

Edited by FlemingBond, 18 March 2016 - 10:19 PM.

[Mendalla007]

One thing about Bond in the Connery through Moore eras was that even the bad movies looked fantastic. Ken Adam was responsible for a lot of that. A giant in the world of cinema. Didn't know about his war record before this thread, but that sounds amazing, too. RIP.

[glidrose]

As I said in the "Jim Clark" obit thread, "I think 2016 will be a very bumpy year for Bond fans and obituaries... hold onto your hats."