Professor Markovitz was a scientist associated to wealthy shipping magnate and criminal, Karl Stromberg. A minor antagonist portrayed by the late Polish-born English actor, Milo Sperber, he first appeared in the 1977 James Bond film, The Spy Who Loved Me, and was also seen in the film's accompanying novelisation, penned by Christopher Wood.
Biography[]
The Spy Who Loved Me (film)[]
Very little of Professor Markovitz's background is provided but as his title implies, he likely had a job in university teaching or research prior to falling in with Stromberg Shipping. What he is a professor of is never revealed, but given that Markovitz works with Dr. Bechmann to create Karl Stromberg's Submarine Tracking System, it is implied his professorship was in physics or one of the hard sciences.
After the successful capture of HMS Ranger and the Potemkin, Stromberg calls the two men into his office, saying he is pleased with the system and that Professor Markovitz and Dr. Bechmann are to be paid $10 million each for their efforts. Stromberg then reveals secrets of his have been compromised and takes an accusatory tone of voice. He tells that someone has been trying to sell the scaled-down photographic reproductions of submarine tracking system schematics to competing world powers. Ordering his assistant out of his office strongly suggests Professor Markovitz or Dr. Bechmann is guilty.
As the beautiful woman is standing in the elevator, Stromberg presses a button which makes the floor give way and she falls into a Shark Tank; the shark swims after her and eats her, which is viewed firsthand by Markovitz, and both he and Dr. Bechmann react with horror at this. Stromberg's tone changes to a pleased one, saying once again he congratulated the scientific pair for their system.
Markovitz is last seen boarding a helicopter flying away from Atlantis, and shaking hands with his partner over their success. Shortly into the flight Stromberg blows up their helicopter, killing the two scientists. Stromberg then orders that Professor Markovitz's next of kin be informed that a "tragic accident has taken his life, and the funeral was at sea".
Alternate continuities[]
James Bond, The Spy Who Loved Me[]
Markovitz also appears in the novelisation, where he does not die. He instead presumably lives to enjoy his payment.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Asked to ghostwrite the screenplay of The Spy Who Loved Me, Tom Mankiewicz subtly named Markovitz after himself.[1]
- Markovitz was the fourth (after R.J. Dent in Dr. No, Ladislav Kutze in Thunderball and Metz in Diamonds Are Forever) and most recent character in the franchise to be a professor.
References[]
- ↑ Field, Matthew; Ajay Chowdhury (2018). "Chapter 15 - Some kind of magic - The spy who loved me (1977)", Some Kind of Hero: The Remarkable Story of the James Bond Films (Paperback), 2018 Edition (in En), The History Press, pp.297. ISBN 978075096977. “Tom Mankiewicz: interview by Dharmesh Chauhan, 20.10.2006”