Nobody does it better than me, dear! Promo shot of Roger Moore and Lois Chiles posing with pistols for 1979 Moonraker movie is among director Lewis Gilbert’s £150,000 personal archive heading to auction
- Gilbert died aged 97 in 2018 after stunning 50-year career during which he directed three James Bond films
- As well as photos, the collection includes scripts, letters and storyboards which Gilbert amassed
- Another photo shows Roger Moore’s predecessor as Bond, Sean Connery, on the set of You Only Live Twice
- Also included is a script from The Spy Who Loved Me and contact sheets (negatives) from 1966 film Alfie
It’s a sight that has struck fear into countless henchmen down the years: a suave James Bond pointing his gun right at you.
But, on this occasion, they needn’t have worried. The photo – a promotional shot from 1979 film Moonraker – shows Sir Roger Moore and co-star Lois Chiles aiming pistols as they pose with the film’s director Lewis Gilbert and producer Cubby Broccoli.
The image is one of many from the personal archive of Gilbert – who died aged 97 in 2018 – and his wife Hylda which is being sold off next month.
The stunning collection is tipped to sell for £150,000 and includes other images as well as scripts, letters and storyboards amassed by Gilbert during a 50-year career which saw him direct three Bond films – the others being You Only Live Twice and The Spy Who Loved Me.
One shot shows him posing on the set of the latter film in front of a trio of Royal Navy submarines, while another shows Sir Roger blowing out the candles on a ‘007’ birthday cake while seated next to Hylda.
Also in the archive is a shot of Gilbert and Sir Roger’s predecessor as Bond, Sean Connery, on the set of You Only Live Twice, along with a script from The Spy Who Loved Me.
Beyond items related to Bond, Gilbert’s archive includes lots related to his 1966 film Alfie – which launched the career of veteran English actor Michael Caine. Among them is a series of contact sheets showing images of Caine in his role.
An image of Gilbert embracing Julie Walters, the star of his 1983 classic Educating Rita, is also in the sale.
The archive is being sold via Bellman’s Fine Art Auctioneers on November 16 in Billingshurst, West Sussex.
It’s a sight that has struck fear into countless henchmen down the years: a suave James Bond pointing his gun right at you. But, on this occasion in 1979, they needn’t have worried. The photo – a promotional shot from 1979 film Moonraker – shows Roger Moore and co-star Lois Chiles aiming pistols as they pose with the film’s director Lewis Gilbert and producer Cubby Broccoli. The image is one of many from the personal archive of Gilbert – who died aged 98 in 2018 – and his wife Hylda which is being sold off next month
The stunning collection is tipped to sell for £150,000. One shot in the sale shows Sir Roger blowing out the candles on a ‘007’ birthday cake while seated next to Hylda
Born in London in 1920 into a poor stage family, Gilbert was forced at the age of just 7 to become the main breadwinner for his family when his father died of tuberculosis.
After getting his first job as a tea boy at the famous Denham studios, Gilbert worked his way up to become an assistant director under the legendary Alfred Hitchcock.
When the Second World War broke out in 1939, Gilbert was seconded to the U.S. Air Force after joining the RAF.
After being put into USAF’s film unit, Gilbert was placed under the command of well-known director Colonel William Keighley, who was shooting documentaries for the US Air Corps.
After the war, Gilbert produced a series of documentaries before making his cinematic debut with 1948 film The Little Ballerina.
In 1959, he directed war drama Sink the Bismarck! before he made Alfie in 1966. That was followed a year later by his first Bond film, You Only Live Twice.
An original typescript of the screenplay, which was written by children’s author Roald Dahl, is also in the sale. It is tipped to tell for between £3,000 and £5,000.
Vintage photographs taken on the set and during scouting trips to find good filming locations have sale estimates ranging between £200 and £500.
Another image shows Gilbert posing on the set of The Spy Who Loved Me in front of a trio of Royal Navy submarines
Also in the archive is a shot of Gilbert and Sir Roger’s predecessor as Bond, Sean Connery, on the set of You Only Live Twice
Gilbert and Sir Roger’s time together making Moonraker led to a firm friendship which lasted until the Bond star’s death in 2017. Above: A picture of the pair in later life. It is also up for sale
Lots related to Gilbert’s second Bond film, The Spy Who Loved Me, also include a series of scripts, one of which lays out an alternative ending to the production. It is tipped to sell for between £2,000 and £3,000.
A handwritten list of times and characters in the film, as well as a copy of a memo addressed to producer Albert Broccoli and a note about ski equipment needed for filming, is estimated to sell for between £2,500 and £3,500.
For his final Bond film Moonraker, which was released in 1979, the only other lot is its original script.
Along with the light-hearted image of Sir Roger, Chiles, Gilbert and Broccoli, it is tipped to sell for between £2,500 and £3,500.
Gilbert and Sir Roger’s time together making Moonraker led to a firm friendship which lasted until the Bond star’s death in 2017.
Beyond items related to Bond, Gilbert’s archive includes lots related to his 1966 film Alfie – which launched the career of veteran English actor Michael Caine. Among them is a series of contact sheets showing images of Caine in his role
The film was nominated for four academy awards, including a Best Actor nomination for Caine and Best Supporting Actress gong for co-star Vivien Merchant
An image of Gilbert embracing Julie Walters, the star of his 1983 classic Educating Rita, is also in the sale
After his Bond productions, Gilbert went on to make further films which included Educating Rita and Shirley Valentine.
The former, a comedy-drama, stars Walters alongside Caine, Michael Williams and Maureen Lipman.
Walters plays hairdresser Rita, who enrols on an Open University course, studying under Caine’s character Dr Frank Bryant.
Whilst he helps her to realise her academic potential, the alcoholic professor rediscovers his love of teaching.
Both Caine and Walters won BAFTA and Golden Globe awards for their performances, while the film itself was ranked as the 84th greatest of the twentieth century by the British Film Institute.
After 1989’s Shirley Valentine, Gilbert directed three further films: Stepping Out in 1991, Haunted in 1995 and Before You Go, in 2002.
Gilbert was married to wife Hylda for 53 years until her death in 2005.
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