Report from The Ian Fleming Foundation 30th Anniversary event

By: Mark Cerulli

Published:
2022-09-17

Ian Fleming Foundation 30th Anniversary event

The Glitterati of Bond fandom were out in force on 10th September 2022 at The Ian Fleming Foundation’s (IFF) 30th anniversary celebration at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. Co-founder Michael VanBlaricum related how Danjaq publicist Saul Cooper offered him a submarine from For Your Eyes Only (1981) and VanBlaricum joined forces with Doug Redenius and John Cork (“the two biggest Bond fans I knew”) to buy it, saving it from the scrap yard. Since then, the IFF has preserved an astonishing 42 Bond vehicles, saving most from a date with a crusher.

Many of the IFF’s finds were on display in the Bond in Motion exhibit at the museum including the Mustang Fastback car from Diamonds Are Forever (1971), the Moonraker (1979) Bond kite, an Octopussy (1983) Tuc-Tuc taxi, the From Russia with Love (1963) chase copter and yes, the massive sub from For Your Eyes Only – most were tracked down by Redenius who has a knack for finding anything Bond-related.

Music was provided by The Jayme Palmer Band, featuring Max Benson, son of Bond continuation author Raymond Benson on bass and Max’s lovely wife Jayme on vocals. Bond conversations flowed as freely as the Vesper martinis served at the private bar. (Safety Tip: One VM is fine. Two had Blofeld’s angry cat clawing at my skull the following AM!)

The Jayme Palmer Band, The Ian Fleming Foundation 30th Anniversary event

The Jayme Palmer Band, The Ian Fleming Foundation 30th Anniversary event

The Jayme Palmer Band in action at The Ian Fleming Foundation 30th Anniversary event in Los Angeles.

A number of 00 celebs were in attendance – Thunderball (1965) icon Luciana Paluzzi and her husband Michael, Gloria Hendry from 1973's Live and Let Die (fresh off her triumphant jazz club appearance), famed Bond stuntmen BJ Worth and Jake Lombard, 00 visual effects and camera wizard Robin Browne, 3x Bond screenwriter Bruce Feirstein, former MGM Studio head Frank Mancuso and a genuine member of the Fleming family – Robert Laycock. Even Octopussy herself – ever-beautiful Maud Adams was there with her husband Skip. The Broccoli family were represented by Cubby’s son, Tony Broccoli. What a lineup!

Luciana Paluzzi, The Ian Fleming Foundation 30th Anniversary event

Luciana Paluzzi, The Ian Fleming Foundation 30th Anniversary event

Luciana Paluzzi at The Ian Fleming Foundation 30th Anniversary event in Los Angeles.

One of the guests was a distinguished older British gentleman I wasn’t familiar with, but Mike Ashley had a unique story to tell – he was the Aston Martin rep chosen to accompany the DB5 around the world on the Goldfinger (1964) publicity tour in 1964. He landed the job by telling Harry Saltzman “The car doesn’t talk, but I do!”

Matthew Field, member of IFF's board of directors, read out a personal message from George Lazenby, Sean Connery's successor as James Bond.

It was a great time to see old friends and make one last tour around the stunning Bond exhibit – anchored by the gleaming Aston Martin DB5 used so effectively in No Time To Die (2021). The Bond in Motion exhibit closes September 23rd to continue its tour at Saragota Automobile Museum in America and Brussels Expo in Belgium. If you’d like to help preserve Bond history, support the non-profit IFF organisation at www.ianflemingfoundation.org.

Mark Cerulli, The Ian Fleming Foundation 30th Anniversary event

Mark Cerulli, The Ian Fleming Foundation 30th Anniversary event

Yours truly at The Ian Fleming Foundation 30th Anniversary event in Los Angeles.

Exclusive photo slideshow video of the event from IFF board member Brad Frank and IFF member Ron Bonsack:

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Report from The Ian Fleming Foundation 30th Anniversary event

Exclusive photo slideshow video of the event from IFF board member Brad Frank and IFF member Ron Bonsack:

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