Was this sequence from the 1967 Italian spy movie Operation Kid Brother (aka OK Connery) filmed at what was Cortina d’Ampezzo airport?
This was basically a James Bond film without James Bond, but the lead character was played by Sean Connery’s younger brother Neil.
For: Connery’s archery buddies get out of a Shorts Skyvan flown by the Aeralpi and Cortina d’Ampezzo was one of the places they flew from.
Against: The structure with the three arched windows seen over the shoulder of the Italian actor Franco Giacobini. I cannot find this on Google Maps.
If this was not filmed at Cortina d’Ampezzo, then it could possibly be the Aosta Valley Airport formerly Corrado Gex Airport, which would fit in with location filming at the Fenis Castle, which is in the region.
If this was not filmed at Cortina d’Ampezzo, then it could possibly be the Aosta Valley Airport formerly Corrado Gex Airport, which would fit in with location filming at the Fenis Castle, which is in the region.
The sign on the tower building says " Kandersteg Flughafen = Kandersteg Airport " – could have been placed there for the movie only? However, Kandersteg is north of the Aosta Valley and about 10km further north (close to the street to Kandersteg) was a military field named Frutingen. Closed in 1997. It is an industrial zone today, but on Google Earth you still see 1/4 of the old runway.
nobbi
Thanks for coming back on this. I had a look on Google Maps, but have been unable to find a church/castle matching the one in the image I posted in the Kandersteg area. I think that the Kandersteg Airport sign is a prop, as all the aircraft in the film have Italian identification numbers and Kandersteg is in Switzerland,
You are right with the Italian regs. Just found an old picture of the Aosta airport tower – could it be the one in the movie?
source http://www.avda-aosta.it/storia.htm
nobbi
Thanks for coming back again. Looking at your image and the best shot I can get of the control tower from the film, which is from a different angle, I’d have to say yes, you’ve found it. Many thanks for that.
I do have a couple of other different airport filming locations from this film that I have been unable to identify, as I’m new here, I need to ask would it be appropiate to put them on this thread or should I start a new one?
New thread started 
Peter
Thanks for starting the new thread.
nobbi
Here we are this one from the correct angle, beyond any doubt now.
Here are some more images taken from the 1967 spy film Operation Kid Brother (aka OK Connery). Actress Lois Maxwell watches a light plane, a Ambrosini S.1001, coming into land and then the Studebaker behind her begins to move under remote control form the villain’s lair. Maxwell realises that something is wrong and drawing an automatic pistol she begins firing at the vehicle as it intercepts the taxiing aircraft and collides with it. There is an almighty explosion that wrecks both the car and the plane, although the actual impact appears to take place somewhere else within the confines of the airfield and not on the runway. This was followed by the arrival of the airport firefighters who retrieve the pilot, but then they inform Maxwell that he has been killed.
Once again I’m attempting to identify the actual location, which appears to be much further south from the Oaster Valley, as indicated by the palm trees in from the control tower building. In the movie this is supposed to be the Monte Carlo Aero Club, but there is no such place. I have searched around the Monte Carlo area in France and across the border around Sanremo in Italy for a small airport where the filming took place, but I have been unable to discover anywhere that looks like this. The film had location footage filmed in both Monte Carlo and Sanremo, plus publicity reports of the time announced that footage would also be undertaken in Turin, Italy and so I have checked the airports there, but again I have been unable to find a match. Further to this I have also looked at airports in the Tuscany region of Italy without success. As far as I know the Italian built Ambrosini S.1001 was only ever sold to the home market, so I am favouring Italy and to reinforce that the film was financed by the Italian Titanus company and the interiors were filmed in Rome.
The screengrab showing the car heading off across the grass towards the plane, has a large structure in the background, which I take (I could be wrong) to be a flour mill.
In the movie this is supposed to be the Monte Carlo Aero Club, but there is no such place. I have searched around the Monte Carlo area in France and across the border around Sanremo in Italy for a small airport where the filming took place, but I have been unable to discover anywhere that looks like this.
I don’t know an airfield which looks like that around Monaco either. Wikipedia states that the film was made in Tetuan, Morocco and in Spain. This could explain the palm trees, but leaves you with dozens of possible airfields…
what_next
Thanks for taking the time to give this a look. I have looked at Tetuan for locations for this film, but not specifically airport material and so this is something I will rectify when I have time. I could find nothing in Tetuan, but the establishing shot of Morroco is actually a panoramic shot over the city and the seafront in nearby Tangier. There is also a sequence where lettering on a building indicates Mallaga Airport, but I strongly doubt this was actually filmed there. I have screengrabs of this sequence and will post them presently. As the above sequence only featured Lois Maxwell of the main cast, I’m still mainly thinking Italy, but unfortunately none of the aircraft identification numbers are visible and so at this stage there is no way to confirm this.
