By Mark Cerulli
It’s
easy to lose track of time in the Bahamas – every day is sunny and beautiful
just like the day before it… and yet things DO change, especially in the almost
six decades since the EON film crew took the island by storm to shoot their
James Bond masterpiece, Thunderball. Back then it was a sleepy tropical island for the occasional cruise ship
and small numbers of tourists making the short hop from Miami. Aside from the port
city of Nassau, much of the island was undeveloped.
Today
the Bahamas is a thriving tourist destination attracting almost one million
visitors annually. On most days, Nassau
hosts multiple cruise ships disgorging thousands of passengers who storm the
downtown shops and restaurants. Although
the Thunderball era is long gone, there are still remnants of it
throughout the island. With just a
couple of days, no way could I have done the deep dive that Simon Firth did in
his definitive Filming James Bond in the Bahamas, but I could visit some
of the key destinations still around after 58 years.
Mention
James Bond and almost everyone you meet has a story – from encountering Sean
Connery to talking about Thunderball. “I used to work in that liquor store,” our airport driver said as we
rolled past a strip mall on the way to our hotel. “Mr. Connery would come in
and buy wine. He was always very nice.” As we passed a small plaza he pointed “And right there he’d have a
coffee and read a book most mornings.” It’s easy to see why Sir Sean settled in Nassau – the locals treated him
as just another resident, not the iconic film star he actually was. No autograph or photo requests, just the
famous Bahamian hospitality which gave him what all celebrities crave –
anonymity.
Still
bummed at missing the great fan-organized tours for one reason or another, this
was about as close as I was going to get…
LOVE
BEACH
In
Thunderball, the beach appeared remote and untouched, filled with palm
trees, most noticeably the one Bond spears Vargas to while delivering that
classic line, “I think he got the point.”
Today
Love Beach is still beautiful but now there are private homes where the lush
woods that Vargas strode through once were. I also read it took a hard hit from a hurricane some years back. The only easy access point is through a
surfside bar called Nirvana Beach which charges $5 per person for
admittance. I got the impression the
place was hopping at night, but during a weekday, there was hardly anyone. After a blazing hot walk on the beach trying
to find “THE” spot where the spear-gunning took place, I settled for a random
palm tree and my VERY patient wife took the obligatory photo before saying “I’m
f---ing melting here.” Further
exploration now out of the question, we made tracks back to the Nirvana bar for
a couple of ice-cold Kalik beers. I
mentioned that a Bond epic had been filmed at this lovely spot. “Oh, really?” was the female bartender’s
response, adding, “I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself.” Ok, so perhaps not
everyone is a rabid fan…
DOWNTOWN
NASSAU
We
managed only a quick trip in to pick up some souvenirs and were lucky that only
one mammoth cruise ship was in port. I went over to Rawson Square which, in our
favorite film, Bond and Paula are seen walking across heading for Pinder’s
staging area. Along with a busy market,
an old government building – Churchill House – is clearly visible. Sadly, Churchill House is no more – a parking
lot now sits where it once stood. As
Joni Mitchell sang, “They paved over paradise and put up a parking lot.”
THE
SEAWALL
In
1965 this breakwater was off a sleepy beach road on Paradise Island. Here Bond infiltrates the Spectre dive team
as they suit up to move their stolen nuclear bombs. Today it’s an architectural
relic located on Cabbage Beach, now part of the massive, 154-acre Atlantis
Resort. Few if any of the guests
enjoying the beach even know it’s there! Bond aside, there are tons of things to do and see in Atlantis so buying
a day pass ($190 for adults, $95 for kids) might be worth it. Along with pools, rides, restaurants you can
also walk up to the sea wall. I reached
out to the resort a few weeks out from my trip and their PR department graciously
responded, allowing me a visit and assigning me a very personable guide named
Kool Aid who knew everything about the resort and had an impressive knowledge
of the island’s Bond locales.
We
walked from the hotel lobby through Atlantis’ underground aquarium which
boasted a variety of marine life – from huge groupers to moray eels, sharks and
more, all living in crystal-clear water pumped in from the nearby ocean. As part of “The Blue Project”, Atlantis also
operates a coral nursery where they grow this vital organism (on lengths of PVC
pipe) to replenish ailing reefs. As ocean
temperatures rise, programs like this will become more and more important so
good on the resort for stepping up. And
then we walked over a causeway to Cabbage Beach. Fifty-eight storm seasons had taken a toll on
the concrete, but the seawall was still there and looked much as it did in the
film. To say I took some photos
would be an understatement.
On
the way out, Kool Aid asked if I wanted to see the location of the ORIGINAL
Café Martinique. Why, yes… yes I
would! We went back through the
lobby and he pointed to a take-out pizza restaurant in a pink tower which is
where the legendary restaurant once operated. Again, it was difficult to picture the elegant and romantic Café from
the film in light of the area’s total transformation. Perhaps in a nod to the
island’s history, the resort did create another Café Martinique nearby.
On
my next to last day, I got to see (for me) the Crown Jewel of Bahamian Bond
locations –Palmyra…
LARGO’S
HOUSE
For
many years it’s been owned by a prominent Bahamian family and its local name is
“Rock Point.” Most islanders know it as “The Bond House.” The owners kindly allowed me access to the grounds. (Unoccupied for a number of years, the house
itself is firmly boarded up and there is a 24-hour guard.) Yes, it’s run down, but here it was easy to
picture it from the film – the balcony where Largo and Fiona shot clay targets is
different from 1965 but still hints at the home’s grandeur – and the ocean view
is mind-blowing. The basement doors that
Connery used to access Palmyra actually lead to the pool’s pump room - the swinging
doors themselves are long gone, but the structure is still there.
The
huge swimming pool where Bond escapes hungry sharks is intact but filled with
brackish water. Even this rabid Thunderball fanatic didn’t want to do a
lap in it – although I couldn’t resist wearing my Orlebar Brown Thunderball camp
shirt! I also noticed the pool’s cement cutout where the controls for the metal
grating used to trap Bond underwater once were.
The
circular Shark Pool where the Golden Grotto sharks were kept is still there,
but part of the outer wall has collapsed allowing ocean water to flow in and
out. Still, it would be a relatively
easy fix to restore. The estate also boasts a gorgeous private beach. The owner’s son said the family was talking
over various plans to rehabilitate the property and bring it back to its former
glory. The bones are all there – the
house appears to be structurally sound, and a coat of paint would make it look
as it did when Terence Young’s cameras were rolling. In this writer’s mind, there’s no reason it
couldn’t become another GoldenEye type destination – or the best 00 bar this
side of Duke’s!
As
a bonus I managed to hit two more Bondian locations – The Four Seasons Resort Ocean
Club (formerly the One and Only Resort) seen in Casino Royale and
Solemar Restaurant – formerly known as Compass Point. This was a happy coincidence as we and our
friends just happened to go there for dinner. The restaurant was never in a Bond film but it was a favorite of Sean
and Micheline’s. Apparently, he used to like
their lamb chops so that’s what I had. Yesh, they were great!
Many
kind thanks to Simon Firth and Jaime Ciaccia for location tips and
pointers.
(All photos copyright Mark Cerullli. All rights reserved.)