Scarpine: The Ruthless Enforcer Behind Max Zorin’s Dark Empire
Scarpine is the formidable enforcer and chief of security for the nefarious ventures of billionaire industrialist, Max Zorin. Brought to life by Belgian actor, Patrick Bauchau, Scarpine emerged as a primary henchman in the world of James Bond.
Making his appearance in the 1985 film, A View to a Kill, Scarpine is a no-nonsense villain that makes life extremely difficult for 007, and he has become an unforgettable figure in Bond history.
Scarpine
Scarpine first appears overseeing security checks during Max Zorin‘s thoroughbred horse sales at his French residence, the Château de Chantilly. British secret agent Sir Godfrey Tibbett secures an invitation for his colleague, James Bond, who attends undercover as wealthy businessman, James St. John Smythe.
Scarpine takes 007 to the main stables to see the presentation. Later, he is seen with an aide spying on the guests’ bugged rooms. Later that ecening, Scarpine goes to a reception in the chateau gardens. There, Bond questions the guests, so Zorin instructs Scarpine and his mistress May Day to have security watch him.
During the night, 007 and Tibbett investigate a secret laboratory under the stables, and discover Zorin’s illegal activities. Scarpine accompanies Zorin and Dr. Mortner to the lab, confirming the break-in.
The following morning, Scarpine brings Bond to Zorin’s office. Unaware that his cover is blown, Bond participates in a deadly steeplechase race against Zorin, which Scarpine starts.
Bond escapes the circuit and finds his ally, Sir Godfrey Tibbett‘s car, only to find May Day, who has murdered Tibbett, driving it. Scarpine knocks Bond out and puts him in the back with Tibbett’s corpse, and May Day drives the car into the lake, expecting Bond to drown.
Scarpine then collects Zorin and May Day after they dump the car in a lake. Later, he reinforces Zorin during a surprise meeting with his former KGB superior, General Gogol.
Scarpine travels to San Francisco, colluding in Zorin’s plan to cause a double-earthquake to submerge Silicon Valley and allow Zorin Industries to gain a monopoly in microchip production.
Scarpine oversees security at Zorin’s San Francisco Bay oil pumping station. And when 007 accidentally sabotages one of the intake pumps, Scarpine’s security men uncover additional KGB spies.
Later, Scarpine accompanies Zorin to City Hall, where they torch the building, trapping Bond and Stacey Sutton inside, and framing them for the murder of Zorin’s associate, W.G. Howe.
Later, at an abandoned mine beneath the lakes along the Hayward and San Andreas faults, Scarpine assists in moving 50lb sacks of ANFO and secretly plants a detonator in one of the mine-shafts. Zorin detonates it, and during the flooding, Scarpine and Zorin shoot and kill the fleeing miners.
Taking refuge on an airship, Scarpine, Zorin, and Mortner await the upcoming cataclysm, but Bond and May Day thwart their plans. They kidnap Stacey Sutton and take to the air in the airship, but Bond manages to get onto the airship’s mooring ropes, leading to a showdown atop the Golden Gate Bridge.
After Bond sends Zorin falling to his death, Mortner attempts to kill Bond with some dynamite. But Bond cuts the mooring rope, causing the airship to jerk violently away. Mortner drops the explosives, and as he and Scarpine fumble to grab it, it detonates, blowing the airship up and killing Scarpine and Mortner.
Patrick Bauchau
Born on December 6, 1938, Belgian actor Patrick Bauchau spent his childhood in Belgium, Switzerland, and England before attending Oxford University.
He began his acting career in French New Wave cinema and New German Cinema, later gaining recognition in American television and movies, such as A View to a Kill, The Pretender, and Panic Room.
Bauchau often provides the French dubbing for his characters and has guest-starred on popular shows like House and 24. Married to Mijanou Bardot, he resides in Los Angeles.
