Set Up:
Bond arrives back in London after his mission to Cuba. He picks up his Aston Martin V8 in a garage off Centaur Street and heads towards to Whitehall Court. He walks towards the Ministry of Defence building. We then cut to Bond walking down a hallway of sorts before being waved over to a security guard on reception. When he is asked his name he gives a rather rolled-eyed version of ‘Bond, James Bond.’
Shot in Senate House
This scene was not shot in Whitehall, in fact it was in Senate House, more precisely in the Macmillan Hall. I had not expected to gain access to Senate House, but luckily they had an open day for the University so people were allowed to come in and view the library.
Most people visit Senate House for the Library, not to see where they filmed a Bond scene. It’s is a national treasure and found on the 4th floor. Someone has even written a book on that library itself. Opposite the library on the same floor is a separate room where Tom Cruise pretended to be an Italian lawyer in Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning. It’s instantly recogniseable.
I never went into the library itself, as I was very pressed for time. Plus my priority was to locate where they filmed the ‘Bond, James Bond’ sequence. I was instructed by an employee to head back down to ground floor and find the Macmillan Hall.
When I asked the receptionist where that room she tentatively pointed down the corridor. ‘They are setting up an event in there, so I doubt they’ll let you in.’
I decided to take my chances and snuck off down the corridor. It was a short walk to the Macmillan Hall, and once inside the first thing I recognised was the stained glass windows that appear behind Bond as he delivers his Bond, James Bond line.
This was the place alright. Some staff that were assembling tables and coffee stations were looking at me quizzically but were not curious enough to ask why I was filming inside the hall. I also noticed the black lines on the wall lights that screen matched the ones seen when Bond first enters Senate House (doubling for the MOD building).
It was a real find.
Closest Bond Location: The Langham, Goldeneye (1C Portland Pl, W1B 1JA)
Closest Pint: Mikkeller Brewpub London, 37-39 Exmouth Market, London EC1R 4QL
