A View to a Kill 25th Anniversary: From Chantilly with Love

By: Marie-France Vienne

Published:
2010-10-23

Chantilly – its whipped cream, its horse races, its castle, its forest, its history… and James Bond. And it’s not just any Bond film, it’s A View to a Kill (1985), Roger Moore’s last James Bond film and Dolph Lundgren's first film.

A page turns, a chapter closes for a generation of Bond fans. Some of the most glamourous and romantic scenes in A View to a Kill took place in this elegant place surrounded by a huge forest and located some 30 kilometers north of Paris.

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Club James Bond France’s plannings to celebrate the film’s 25th anniversary took several months. The Club had invited fans from France and abroad (Dutch, Belgium and British fans were present) to this special event on September 18th, taking advantage of the nation’s European Heritage Days.

Prestigious guests came along and shared their memories from shooting the movie. Director John Glen and his wife Janine, Car Stunt Coordinator Rémy Julienne and France Production Manager Serge Touboul presented the film in front of 1200 people.

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The day started with the visit of the gas station where Tibbett (played by Patrick McNee) is murdered by May Day (played by Grace Jones) in his Rolls-Royce. The gas station has been modernized but the place is totally recognizable and fans had no trouble imagining May Day’s threatening silhouette appearing in the car wash.

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The group had lunch in a nearby restaurant where all napkins bore Jamed Bond movie quotations. John Glen made his grand entrance during the apéritif. The five-time Bond director was greeted like a hero. After the meal, there was a signing session with him.

Locations from the scene where the group stopped include:

• The small drawbridge which 007 hangs on to go back to his bedroom.
• The way to Zorin’s office (the office itself was a Pinewood set)
• The magnificent gardens and bridge from the outdoor party scene
• The staircase where Bond tells Jenny Flex: “I’m an early riser myself”
• The spot of the Rolls’ arrival
• The spot where Tibbett washed the car
• The stables seen at the beginning of the sequence

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Of course, some of the fans could not resist taking photos at the exact spot where the actors stood. The weather was fantastic and it made for a fabulous afternoon.

As the sun set, the group went to the nearby racetracks where the best was still to come – the outdoor screening of A VIEW TO A KILL on a 250 square metro giant screen. Behind it, the lit château and stables were a marvelous sight for the 1200 people attending the event.

John Glen, Serge Touboul and Rémy Julienne paid tribute to the city which allowed them to shoot in the best possible conditions. And the icing on the cake was the movie’s end credits rolling with spectacular fireworks above Chantilly. A great way to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Roger Moore’s last Bond.

This has been Club James Bond France’s biggest event ever thanks to an excellent partnership with the city of Chantilly.

Currently the world’s most dynamic Bond fan club it is setting up a James Bond film festival in Paris on December 11 and 12.

Written by Marie-France Vienne and translated by Laurent Perriot exclusively for From Sweden With Love.

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A View to a Kill 25th Anniversary: From Chantilly with Love

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