Sutton Residence

Exterior shots of the Sutton residence, as seen in A View to a Kill (1985).

The Sutton residence was a fictional Edwardian mansion owned by the geologist Stacey Sutton and located in San Francisco, California, United States. Built in the neoclassical-revival architectural style, the house and its ample grounds were inherited from her oil tycoon forebears. The location appeared prominently in EON Productions' 1985 James Bond film A View to a Kill.

History

A View to a Kill (film)

Owned by geologist Stacey Sutton circa May 1985, the house had presumably been built around the turn of the century by her grandfather; a wealthy oil magnate and owner of the Sutton Oil company. He left the company and mansion to her father - who expected Stacey, as the only child, to take it over. Prior to the film's events, industrialist Max Zorin took over Sutton Oil in a rigged proxy fight. The heiress fought him in court and was left almost penniless and her home empty - selling most of the furniture to fund the legal battle. Forced to take a job as state geologist, she barely managed to hold on to the house and her shares. On 3rd May 1985, Zorin makes an out-of-court offer of five million dollars to end the lawsuits; later sending hired thugs to her home to offer further persuasion. Thanks to the timely intervention of British agent James Bond, they are driven off, and Sutton decides to tear up the cheque - stating that she would rather live in a tent than give up. The home is last seen as Sutton and 007 leave for San Francisco City Hall; not noticing that their CIA ally, Chuck Lee, has been murdered in his car by Zorin's assassin, May Day.

Behind the Scenes

Scenes of the Sutton residence were filmed at Dunsmuir House in Oakland, California, a 37-room colonial revival mansion surrounded by 40 acres of lush gardens. Purchased by the City of Oakland in the early 1960s, a non-profit organization was formed in 1971 to preserve and restore the estate for the public benefit. Production designer, Peter Lamont recalls how the owner was initially reluctant to hire the location to the filmmakers, noting that the mistrust possibly resulted from its prior use as a pornographic film location.

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