The Bathosub, alternatively rendered Bath-O-Sub[1], was a fictional one-man midget submarine used by criminal leader, Ernst Stavro Blofeld. It was possibly constructed by Whyte Enterprises Inc.[2] The vessel appeared in the 1971 James Bond film, Diamonds Are Forever.
History[]
The Bathosub was a one-man midget submarine created at the behest of SPECTRE chief, Ernst Stavro Blofeld; possibly using the resources of Whyte Enterprises Inc.[2] The sleek, white vessel was equipped with self-contained oxygen generators, internal air scrubbers and a sub-to-control communications system.[2] It was housed on an Oil Platform off the coast of Baja California, ostensibly owned by Whyte Enterprises, and was used by Blofeld in his attempted escape from the authorities. As it was being lowered into the water, James Bond hijacked the crane controls and used the Bathosub as a wrecking-ball; smashing the rig's Diamond Satellite control center to pieces. It is presumed to have been either destroyed or impounded[2] by the U.S. authorities.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- The Bathosub prop was designed by Ken Adam and fabricated by Barris Kustom Industries[1], and constructed out of fibreglass at a cost of $30,000.[3][4] A second prop filled with concrete was used for the battering sequences.[4]
- Blofeld was originally planned to escape in the vessel; with Bond pursuing him, hanging from a weather balloon.[5] However, due to budget constraints, the film's conclusion had to be severely curtailed.
- The bow of the submarine is emblazoned with a SPECTRE logo; its only appearance in the film.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 George Barris Diamonds Are Forever Bath-o-Sub Design Documents. (En). Heritage Auctions (July 11, 2016). Retrieved on 2020-03-18.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Multiple authors. (1996). James Bond 007: The Ultimate Dossier (CD-ROM). Bathosub article; Mods: Eidos Interactive. ISBN 0-7928-3274-4.
- ↑ Lee Pfeiffer [1998] (2003). "GoldenEye", The Essential Bond: The Authorized Guide to the World of 007. Boxtree, 83. ISBN 0-7522-1562-0.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 David Naylor. (1971). Audio Commentary track: Diamonds Are Forever [Blu-ray]. 20th Century Fox. Event occurs at 01:50:55.
- ↑ Oil Rig Attack: Diamonds Are Forever Ultimate Edition, Disc 2 [DVD]. MGM Home Entertainment.