20 Things You Didn’t Know About The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
16. “Hurry Commander! I’ve Not Been Known For My Patience!”
In the film, the US Navy cooperates in the joint Anglo-Soviet effort to find their missing submarines by allowing Commander James Bond and Major Anya Amasova to shadow The Liparus aboard the USS Wayne.
There has never been a US Navy submarine of that name. However, art director Peter Lamont recounted that the filmmakers received a letter from a navy enthusiast shortly after the film was released informing them that the decision to give the Wayne the pennant number of 593 was in very poor taste.
This was because that pennant number belonged to the submarine, USS Thresher, which had sunk in deep water off the coast of Massachusetts in April 1963 during sea trials. Even though Lamont had taken great pains to ensure that the pennant number was not registered to an actual vessel, he felt terrible about the discovery.
The role of the Wayne’s captain, Commander Carter afforded Canadian actor, Shane Rimmer the opportunity to bow out of the Bond franchise with his largest appearance yet: he had previously played small roles in You Only Live Twice and Diamonds Are Forever (1971), and had voice-dubbed Robert Dix in Live And Let Die.