BOAC - Keeping the British end up

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"James Bond, his stomach queasy from the BOAC version of an English country house breakfast. It was just 10 a.m. on a blue and golden late September morning and the BOAC Monarch Flight 505 from London had landed at Idlewild...'' -Ian Fleming- ''James Bond in New York''

The British airline BOAC (British Overseas Airways Cooperation) has played a relatively small part in the Bond films considering it was a British state airline, and perhaps even a cultural icon that stood at its height in the 50's and 60's. It was also Fleming's specific choice for Bond in the short story 'James Bond in New York'. Fleming also mentioned BOAC in e.g. 'Goldfinger'. It would have been the natural choice for Bond traveling to the colonies in the early films. Their luxury 'Monarch service' that Fleming wrote about in the "New York novel" was introduced by BOAC in 1951 and offered sleeper accommodation across the Atlantic. This service was introduced  for example between London and NY in their Stratocruiser, which must have been the airplane Fleming referred to. The Stratocruiser had been retired from passenger service already in 1959 and with the arrival of the new 'jet age', the Boeing 707 was the obvious choice in Dr No.

Help yourself...

But even though Pan Am was the airline of Bond's choice in Dr. NO, the BOAC logo featured in the film. Bond is offering his taxi to two stewardesses from BOAC and the name can also be seen in the terminal. Could this be a nod to some of the old Fleming novels? The man taking Bond's bags to Mr Jones' car has a BWIA (British West Indian Airways) overall, which also was a subsidiary of BOAC at the time.

Except the bridal suite...

BOAC is visible again in From Russia with love, but this time in Istanbul at Bond's hotel. A desk stand with the logo is briefly seen at the reception desk. Under the logo you can read the advertising slogan "World leader in air travel" (only visible in Blu-ray). After that rather quick appearance it would take another 14 years until the name would be seen again. For some reason Q is carrying a cabin bag from BOAC when meeting Bond in Sardinia in The spy who loved me, 1977. By this time BOAC hade merged with BEA (British European Airways) and formed a new airline, today's British Airways. (In the novel 'Dr No' Bond is traveling with BEA to Jamaica.)

Q, have I ever let you down?

Since the merger took place already in 1974 and BOAC had ceased operations, Q's bag is not likely a product placement. Does anyone know why that bag was used?

Frequently!

The earlier films was not that meticulously planned when it comes to accessories and props as it is today, so I suppose it is possible that the bag was something that they just got hold of during filming. Either way this is the last time, to my knowledge, that BOAC is visible in the series. But already in Moonraker, British Airways would be seen - covered in the earlier post.

BOAC was the first airline to carry the Queen, when she came back to England from East Africa, following the death of her father, King George VI in 1952. A few months earlier, in 1951, the first royal flight by BOAC took place when they transported the then Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh to Montreal in a Stratocruiser. A Royal airline, fitting for Bond...


In loving memory of Marvin Hamlish who passed away on Monday 6 August. Nobody does it better.