Ken Adam, Designer of Bond Villain Lairs, Is Dead

March 11, 2016 7:58 AM

Sir Ken Adam, who designed those iconic sets for Bond films, as well as the car for the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, not to mention Dr. Strangelove's War Room, has passed away. He also won Academy Awards for Art Direction for Barry Lyndon and The Madness of King George.
posted by ogooglebar (23 comments total)

Slate's tribute to Ken Adam.
posted by ogooglebar at 8:00 AM on March 11, 2016

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posted by Melismata at 8:01 AM on March 11, 2016

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posted by Thorzdad at 8:02 AM on March 11, 2016

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(I want to start a rumor that the next throne of skulls someone designs contains Sir Ken's actual skull, which was a condition of his will.)
posted by Etrigan at 8:09 AM on March 11, 2016 [3 favorites]

. He created such amazing iconic images. I like the new Bonds but they really don't have the grandeur that the early ones had.

Also, Barry Lyndon might be the most beautiful film ever made.
posted by octothorpe at 8:14 AM on March 11, 2016 [5 favorites]

The thing I think Ken Adam had over other art directors is an innate understanding of the geometry of the film frame. He knew how to maximize visual impact by creating angles in his sets that gave depth and grandeur to a scene. And like all great art directors, he had exquisite taste.
posted by wabbittwax at 8:23 AM on March 11, 2016 [3 favorites]

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posted by radwolf76 at 8:26 AM on March 11, 2016

Damnit, now who will I commission to design my lair when I win the lottery?

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posted by Halloween Jack at 8:46 AM on March 11, 2016

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posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 8:53 AM on March 11, 2016

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I'm sure he was a regular person who had (or will have) a nice, dignified memorial service. But were I him, I'd have had it written into my will to have my remains dropped through the gap in a retractable floor into a pit of sharks. Possibly with lasers. That's me, though.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:54 AM on March 11, 2016 [7 favorites]

"Gentlemen, you can't fight in here, this is the War Room!"
posted by wuwei at 9:06 AM on March 11, 2016 [2 favorites]

🌋
posted by NordyneDefenceDynamics at 9:47 AM on March 11, 2016 [3 favorites]

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posted by valkane at 10:15 AM on March 11, 2016

●●7
posted by Gelatin at 10:24 AM on March 11, 2016

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posted by Canageek at 11:36 AM on March 11, 2016

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posted by buzzman at 5:11 PM on March 11, 2016

Huh, Stanley Kubrick helped him out on the set of The Spy Who Loved Me:

“I had some problems with the source lighting on one of the gigantic sets – the interior of the supertanker. I rang up Stanley and asked him to help me set up the practical lights. He was very reluctant – he didn’t want anyone to know that he had influenced me. I finally talked him into coming to the set on a Sunday morning and guaranteed that no one else would be there. He came to Pinewood. He spent three to four hours helping me.”

posted by migurski at 6:01 PM on March 11, 2016 [3 favorites]

Variety headline: "Ken Adam, Designer of James Bond Supervillain Lairs, Dies at 95"

My new goal is to have my obituary headline top that.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 6:31 PM on March 11, 2016 [3 favorites]

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posted by bryon at 1:59 AM on March 12, 2016

A wonderful man.
posted by srednivashtar at 3:30 AM on March 12, 2016

Even if he had done nothing but Barry Lyndon, he would still be one of the greats.
posted by Pouteria at 5:35 AM on March 12, 2016

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Thanks for all the amazing art Mr. Adam.
posted by -t at 6:34 PM on March 13, 2016

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posted by On the Corner at 1:40 AM on March 14, 2016