20 Things You Didn’t Know About GoldenEye (1995)

4. Forced To Cut Corners

GoldenEye was the first James Bond film to be shot in Russia. However, the filmmakers were told that each member of the production needed to have a bodyguard, creating an insurmountable risk and cost that the producers could not authorise, so they turned to Martin Campbell and production designer, Peter Lamont for a solution.

Ultimately, only essential crew members visited St. Petersburg, whilst the cast remained in the UK.

Lamont sourced British locations for Russian-set sequences, including the courtyard of Somerset House where CIA agent, Jack Wade (Joe Don Baker) repairs his Moskovich; the Queen’s Stand at Epsom Downs Racecourse for Pulkovo Airport; the Langham Hotel in Portland Place for the exterior of the Grand Hotel Europe; St. Sophia’s Greek Cathedral and Brompton Cemetery as Our Lady of Smolensk, and the Livery Hall of the Draper’s Company as the Russian Defence Council Chambers.

Moreover, whilst some of the tank chase was shot in St. Petersburg, Peter Lamont constructed a replica of the city streets at Leavesden Studios so that the majority of the chase could be filmed there.

Nevertheless, the Russian media and even the wife of St. Petersburg’s mayor complained that the filmmakers were destroying the historic city, resulting in the army being called out to halt filming on location. After a day of negotiations, the filmmakers convinced the authorities that they were only destroying features that they themselves had installed.

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I started writing for WhatCulture in July 2020. I have always enjoyed reading and writing. I have contributed to several short story competitions and I have occasionally been fortunate enough to have my work published. During the COVID-19 lockdown, I also started reviewing films on my Facebook page. Numerous friends and contacts suggested that I should start my own website for reviewing films, but I wanted something a bit more diverse - and so here I am! My interests focus on film and television mainly, but I also occasionally produce articles that venture into other areas as well. In particular, I am a fan of the under appreciated sequel (of which there are many), but I also like the classics and the mainstream too.