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Never Say Never Again
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This article is about the film. For the song by the Bee Gees, see Never Say Never Again (Bee Gees song).
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Never Say Never Again
A poster at the top of which are the words "SEAN CONNERY as JAMES BOND in". Below this is a head and shoulders image of man in a dinner suit. Inset either side of him, are smaller scale depictions of two women, one blonde and one brunette. Underneath the picture are the words "NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN"
British cinema poster for Never Say Never Again, illustrated by Renato Casaro
 
Directed by
Irvin Kershner
Produced by
Jack Schwartzman
Screenplay by
Lorenzo Semple Jr.
Uncredited:
Dick Clement
Ian La Frenais
Story by
Kevin McClory
Jack Whittingham
Ian Fleming
Based on
Thunderball by
Ian Fleming
Starring
Sean Connery
Klaus Maria Brandauer
Max von Sydow
Barbara Carrera
Kim Basinger
Bernie Casey
Alec McCowen
Edward Fox
Music by
Michel Legrand
Cinematography
Douglas Slocombe
Edited by
Ian Crafford
Production
   company
Taliafilm
Producers Sales Organization
Distributed by
Warner Bros.
Release date(s)
7 October 1983
 
Running time
134 minutes
Country
United Kingdom
Language
English
Budget
$36 million
Box office
$160 million
Never Say Never Again is a 1983 spy film based on the James Bond novel Thunderball, which was previously adapted in 1965 under that name. Unlike the majority of Bond films, Never Say Never Again was not produced by Eon Productions, but by an independent production company, one of whose members was Kevin McClory, one of the original writers of the Thunderball storyline with Ian Fleming and Jack Whittingham. McClory retained the filming rights of the novel following a long legal battle dating from the 1960s.
The film was directed by Irvin Kershner and, like Thunderball, stars Sean Connery as British Secret Service agent James Bond, 007, marking his return to the role twelve years after Diamonds Are Forever. The film's title is a reference to Connery's reported declaration in 1971 that he would "never again" play that role. As Connery was 52 at the time of filming, the storyline features an ageing Bond, who is brought back into action to investigate the theft of two nuclear weapons by SPECTRE. Filming locations included France, Spain, the Bahamas and Elstree Studios in England.
Never Say Never Again was released by Warner Bros. in the autumn of 1983. It opened to positive critical reviews and was a commercial success, grossing $160 million at the box office, although this was less overall than the Eon-produced Bond film released in June of the same year, Octopussy. In 1997 the distribution rights of Never Say Never Again were purchased by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, which distributes Eon's Bond films, and the company has handled subsequent home video releases of the film.


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Production 3.1 Cast and crew
3.2 Filming
3.3 Music
4 Release and reception 4.1 Contemporary reviews
4.2 Reflective reviews
5 Legacy
6 See also
7 References
8 Bibliography
9 External links

Plot[edit]
After MI6 agent James Bond, 007, fails a routine training exercise, his superior, M, orders Bond to a health clinic outside London to get back into shape. While there, Bond witnesses a mysterious nurse named Fatima Blush giving a sadomasochistic beating to a patient in a nearby room. The man's face is bandaged and after Blush finishes her beating, Bond sees the patient using a machine which scans his eye. Bond is seen by Blush and an attempt is subsequently made to kill him in the clinic gym, but Bond manages to defeat the assassin.
Blush and her charge, a United States Air Force pilot named Jack Petachi, are operatives of SPECTRE, a criminal organisation run by Ernst Stavro Blofeld. Petachi has undergone an operation on his right eye to make it match the retinal pattern of the US President, which he uses to circumvent iris recognition security at an American military base in England. While doing so, he replaces the dummy warheads in two cruise missiles with live nuclear warheads; SPECTRE then obtains the warheads to extort billions of dollars from NATO governments. Blush subsequently murders Petachi.
Under orders from the Prime Minister, M reluctantly reactivates the double-0 section and Bond is assigned the task of tracking down the missing weapons. He meets Domino Petachi, the pilot's sister, and her wealthy lover, Maximillian Largo, a SPECTRE agent. Bond follows Largo and his yacht to the Bahamas, where he spars with Blush and Largo.
Bond is informed by Nigel Small-Fawcett of the British Consulate that Largo's yacht is now heading for Nice, France. There, Bond joins forces with his CIA counterpart, Felix Leiter. Bond goes to a beauty salon where he poses as an employee and, whilst giving Domino a massage, is informed by her that Largo is hosting an event at a casino that evening. At the charity event, Largo and Bond play a 3-D video game called Domination, the loser having to take an electric shock of higher intensity or pay a corresponding cash bet, which Bond ultimately wins; Bond then informs Domino of her brother's death. Bond returns to his villa to find Nicole, his French contact, dead, having been killed by Blush. After a vehicle chase on his motorbike, Blush captures Bond. Forced to write his memoirs putting her as his "Number One" sexual partner, Bond uses his Q-branch-issue fountain pen to shoot Blush.
Bond and Felix then attempt to board Largo's motor yacht, the Flying Saucer, in search of the missing nuclear warheads. Bond becomes trapped and is taken, with Domino, to Palmyra, Largo's base of operations in North Africa. Largo punishes Domino for betraying him by auctioning her off to some passing Arabs. Bond subsequently escapes and rescues Domino.
After her rescue, Domino and Bond reunite with Felix on a US Navy submarine and track Largo to a location known as the Tears of Allah, below a desert oasis. Bond and Leiter infiltrate the underground facility and a gun battle erupts between Felix's team and Largo's men in the temple. In the confusion Largo makes a getaway with one of the warheads. Bond catches and fights Largo underwater. Just as Largo tries to detonate the last bomb, he is killed by Domino, taking revenge for her brother's death. Bond then returns to the Bahamas with Domino.
Cast[edit]
Sean Connery as James Bond, MI6 agent 007.
Kim Basinger as Domino Petachi, sister of Jack Petachi and mistress of Maximillian Largo.
Klaus Maria Brandauer as Maximillian Largo; based on the character Emilio Largo, a senior member of SPECTRE.
Barbara Carrera as Fatima Blush; based on Fiona Volpe and a member of SPECTRE.
Bernie Casey as Felix Leiter, Bond's CIA contact and friend.
Max von Sydow as Ernst Stavro Blofeld, the head of SPECTRE.
Edward Fox as M, Bond's superior at MI6.
Rowan Atkinson as Nigel Small-Fawcett, Foreign Office representative in the Bahamas.
Gavan O'Herlihy as Jack Petachi, a pilot used by SPECTRE to steal the nuclear missiles. He is Domino Petachi's brother.
Alec McCowen as Q (also known as Algy)
Pamela Salem as Miss Moneypenny, M's secretary
Saskia Cohen Tanugi as Nicole, Bond's MI6 contact in France
Prunella Gee as Patricia Fearing, a physiotherapist at the clinic
Valerie Leon as "Lady in Bahamas", a tourist in the Bahamas and Bond girl.
John Stephen Hill as Communications Officer
Milow Kirek as Kovacs
Pat Roach as Lippe
Anthony Sharp as Lord Ambrose
Production[edit]
Never Say Never Again had its origins in the early 1960s following the controversy over the 1961 Thunderball novel.[1] Fleming, along with independent producer Kevin McClory and scriptwriter Jack Whittingham had worked together on a script for a potential Bond film, to be called Longitude 78 West,[2] which was subsequently abandoned because of the costs involved.[3] Fleming, "always reluctant to let a good idea lie idle",[3] turned this into the novel Thunderball which did not credit either McClory or Whittingham;[4] McClory then took Fleming to the High Court in London for breach of copyright[5] and the matter was settled in 1963.[2] After Eon Productions started producing the Bond films, they subsequently made a deal with McClory, who would produce Thunderball, and then not make any further version of the novel for a period of ten years following the release of the Eon-produced version in 1965.[6]
In the mid-1970s McClory again started working on a project to bring a Thunderball adaptation to production and, with the working title Warhead, he brought writer Len Deighton together with Sean Connery to work on a script.[7] The script ran into difficulties after accusations from Eon Productions that the project had gone beyond copyright restrictions, which confined McClory to a film based on the Thunderball novel only, and once again the project was deferred.[6]
Towards the end of the 1970s developments were reported on the project under the name James Bond of the Secret Service,[6] but when producer Jack Schwartzman became involved and cleared a number of the legal issues that still surrounded the project[1] he brought on board scriptwriter Lorenzo Semple Jr[8] to work on the screenplay. Connery was unhappy with some aspects of the work and asked Tom Mankiewicz who had rewritten Diamonds are Forever to work on the script; however Mankiewicz declined as he felt he was under a moral obligation to Cubby Broccoli.[9] Connery then hired British television writers Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais[10] to undertake re-writes, although they went uncredited for their efforts because of a restriction by the Writers Guild of America.[11]
The film underwent one final change in title: after Connery had finished filming Diamonds Are Forever he had pledged that he would "never" play Bond again.[7] Connery's wife, Micheline, suggested the title Never Say Never Again, referring to her husband's vow[12] and the producers acknowledged her contribution by listing on the end credits "Title "Never Say Never Again" by: Micheline Connery". A final attempt by Fleming's trustees to block the film was made in the High Courts in London in the spring of 1983, but these were thrown out by the court and Never Say Never Again was permitted to proceed.[13]
Cast and crew[edit]
When producer Kevin McClory had first planned the film in 1964 he held initial talks with Richard Burton for the part of Bond,[14] although the project came to nothing because of the legal issues involved. When the Warhead project was launched in the late 1970s, a number of actors were mentioned in the trade press, including Orson Welles for the part of Blofeld, Trevor Howard to play M and Richard Attenborough as director.[7]
In 1978 the working title James Bond of the Secret Service was being used and Connery was in the frame once again, potentially going head-to-head with the next Eon Bond film, Moonraker.[15] By 1980, with legal issues again causing the project to flounder,[16] Connery thought himself unlikely to play the role, as he stated in an interview in the Sunday Express "when I first worked on the script with Len I had no thought of actually being in the film".[17] When producer Jack Schwartzman became involved, he asked Connery to play Bond: Connery agreed, asking (and getting) a fee of $3 million, ($7 million in 2014 dollars[18]) a percentage of the profits, as well as casting and script approval.[19] Subsequent to Connery reprising the role, the script has several references to Bond's advancing years – playing on Connery being 52 at the time of filming[19] – and academic Jeremy Black has pointed out that there are other aspects of age and disillusionment in the film, such as the Shrubland's porter referring to Bond's car ("they don't make them like that any more"), the new M having no use for the 00 section and Q with his reduced budgets.[20]
For the main villain in the film, Maximillian Largo, Connery suggested Klaus Maria Brandauer, the lead of the 1981 Academy Award-winning Hungarian film Mephisto.[21] Through the same route came Max von Sydow as Ernst Stavro Blofeld,[22] although he still retained his Eon-originated white cat in the film.[23] For the femme fatale, Director Irvin Kershner selected former model and Playboy cover girl Barbara Carrera to play Fatima Blush – the name coming from one of the early scripts of Thunderball.[11] Carrera's performance as Fatima Blush earned her a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress,[24] which she lost to Cher for her role in Silkwood.[25] Micheline Connery, Sean's wife, had met up-and-coming actress Kim Basinger at a hotel in London and suggested her to Connery, which he agreed upon.[11] For the role of Felix Leiter, Connery spoke with Bernie Casey, saying that as the Leiter role was never remembered by audiences, using a black Leiter may make him more memorable.[21] Others cast included comedian Rowan Atkinson, who would later parody Bond in his role of Johnny English.[26]
Former Eon Productions' editor and director of On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Peter R. Hunt, was approached to direct the film but declined due to his previous work with Eon.[27] Irvin Kershner, who had achieved success in 1980 with The Empire Strikes Back was then hired. A number of the crew from the 1981 film Raiders of the Lost Ark were also appointed, including first assistant director David Tomblin; director of photography Douglas Slocombe and production designers Philip Harrison and Stephen Grimes.[21][28]
Filming[edit]

The outlines of row upon row of "007 007 007 007 007" fill the screen. A view of countryside, heavily obstructed can be seen in through the gaps.

 This 007 motif takes the place of Eon's gun barrel sequence.
A large, sleek ship is moored at a quayside

 The Kingdom 5KR which acted as Largo's ship, the Flying Saucer
Filming for Never Say Never Again began on 27 September 1982 on the French Riviera for two months[11] before moving to Nassau, the Bahamas in mid-November[8] where filming took place at Clifton Pier, which was also one of the locations used in Thunderball.[29] The Spanish city of Almería was also used as a location.[30] Largo's Palmyran fortress was actually historic Fort Carré in Antibes.[31] For Largo's ship, the Flying Saucer, the yacht Nabila, owned by Saudi billionaire, Adnan Khashoggi, was used. The boat, now owned by Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, has subsequently been renamed the Kingdom 5KR.[32] Principal photography finished at Elstree Studios where interior shots were filmed.[29] Elstree also housed the Tears of Allah underwater cavern, which took three months to construct.[29] Most of the filming was completed in the spring of 1983, although there was some additional shooting during the summer of 1983.[8]
Production on the film was troubled[33] with Connery taking on many of the production duties with assistant director David Tomblin.[29] Director Irvin Kershner was critical of producer Jack Schwartzman, saying that whilst he was a good businessman "he didn't have the experience of a film producer".[29] After the production ran out of money, Schwartzman had to fund further production out of his own pocket and later admitted he had underestimated the amount the film would cost to make.[33]
Many of the elements of the Eon-produced Bond films were not present in Never Say Never Again for legal reasons. These included the gun barrel sequence, where a screen full of 007 symbols appeared instead, and similarly there was no "James Bond Theme" to use, although no effort was made to supplement another tune.[8] Never Say Never Again did not use a pre-credits sequence, which was filmed but not used;[34] instead the film opens with the credits run over the top of the opening sequence of Bond on a training mission.[29]
Music[edit]
The music for Never Say Never Again was written by Michel Legrand, who composed a score similar to his work as a jazz pianist.[35] The score has been criticised as "anachronistic and misjudged",[29] "bizzarely intermittent"[28] and "the most disappointing feature of the film".[21] Legrand also wrote the main theme "Never Say Never Again", which featured lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman—who had also worked with Legrand in the Academy Award winning song "The Windmills of Your Mind"[36]—and was performed by Lani Hall[21] after Bonnie Tyler, who disliked the song, had reluctantly declined.[37]
Phyllis Hyman also recorded a potential theme song, written by Stephen Forsyth and Jim Ryan, but the song—an unsolicited submission—was passed over given Legrand's contractual obligations with the music.[38]
Release and reception[edit]
Never Say Never Again premiered in New York on 7 October 1983,[29] grossing $9.72 million ($23 million in 2014 dollars[18]) on its first weekend,[39] which was reported to be "the best opening record of any James Bond film"[39] up to that point and surpassing Octopussy's $8.9 million ($21 million in 2014 dollars[18]) from June that year.[40] The film went on general release in the US in 1,500 cinemas on 14 October 1983[39] and had its UK premiere at the Warner West End cinema in Leicester Square on 14 December 1983.[29] Worldwide, Never Say Never Again grossed $160 million[41] in box office returns, which was a solid return on the budget of $36 million.[41]
Warner Bros. released Never Say Never Again on VHS and Betamax in 1984,[42] and on laserdisc in 1995.[43] After Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer purchased the distribution rights in 1997 (see Legacy, below), the company has released the film on both VHS and DVD in 2001,[44] and on Blu-ray in 2009.[45]
Contemporary reviews[edit]
Never Say Never Again was broadly welcomed and praised by the critics: Ian Christie, writing in the Daily Express, said that Never Say Never Again was "one of the better Bonds",[46] finding the film "superbly witty and entertaining, ... the dialogue is crisp and the fight scenes imaginative."[46] Christie also thought that "Connery has lost none of his charm and, if anything, is more appealing than ever as the stylish resolute hero."[46] David Robinson, writing in The Times also concentrated on Connery, saying that: "Connery ... is back, looking hardly a day older or thicker, and still outclassing every other exponent of the role, in the goodnatured throwaway with which he parries all the sex and violence on the way".[47] For Robinson, the presence of Connery and Klaus Maria Brandauer as Maximillian Largo "very nearly make it all worthwhile."[47] The reviewer for Time Out summed up Never Say Never Again saying "The action's good, the photography excellent, the sets decent; but the real clincher is the fact that Bond is once more played by a man with the right stuff."[48]
Derek Malcolm in The Guardian showed himself to be a fan of Connery's Bond, saying the film contains "the best Bond in the business",[49] but nevertheless did not find Never Say Never Again any more enjoyable than the recently released Octopussy (starring Roger Moore), or "that either of them came very near to matching Dr. No or From Russia with Love."[49] Malcolm's main issue with the film was that he had a "feeling that a constant struggle was going on between a desire to make a huge box-office success and the effort to make character as important as stunts."[49] Malcolm summed up that "the mix remains obstinately the same-up to scratch but not surpassing it."[49] Writing in The Guardian's sister paper, The Observer, Philip French noted that "this curiously muted film ends up making no contribution of its own and inviting damaging comparisons with the original, hyper-confident Thunderball".[50] French concluded that "like an hour-glass full of damp sand, the picture moves with increasing slowness as it approaches a confused climax in the Persian Gulf."[50]
Writing for Newsweek, critic Jack Kroll thought the early part of the film was handled "with wit and style",[51] although he went on to say that the director was "hamstrung by Lorenzo Semple's script".[51] Richard Schickel, writing in Time magazine praised the film and its cast. He wrote that Klaus Maria Brandauer's character was "played with silky, neurotic charm",[52] whilst Barbara Carrera, playing Fatima Blush, "deftly parodies all the fatal femmes who have slithered through Bond's career".[52] Schickel's highest praise was saved for the return of Connery, observing "it is good to see Connery's grave stylishness in this role again. It makes Bond's cynicism and opportunism seem the product of genuine worldliness (and world weariness) as opposed to Roger Moore's mere twirpishness."[52]
Janet Maslin, writing in The New York Times, was broadly praising of the film, saying she thought that Never Say Never Again "has noticeably more humor and character than the Bond films usually provide. It has a marvelous villain in Largo."[53] Maslin also thought highly of Connery in the role, observing that "in Never Say Never Again, the formula is broadened to accommodate an older, seasoned man of much greater stature, and Mr. Connery expertly fills the bill."[53] Writing in The Washington Post, Gary Arnold was fulsome in his praise, saying that Never Say Never Again is "one of the best James Bond adventure thrillers ever made",[54] going on to say that "this picture is likely to remain a cherished, savory example of commercial filmmaking at its most astute and accomplished."[54] Arnold went further, saying that "Never Say Never Again is the best acted Bond picture ever made, because it clearly surpasses any predecessors in the area of inventive and clever character delineation".[54]
The critic for The Globe and Mail, Jay Scott, also praised the film, saying that Never Say Never Again "may be the only instalment of the long-running series that has been helmed by a first-rate director".[55] According to Scott, the director, with high quality support cast, resulted in the "classiest of all the Bonds".[55] Roger Ebert gave the film 3½ out of 4 stars, and wrote that Never Say Never Again, while consisting of a basic "Bond plot", was different from other Bond films: "For one thing, there's more of a human element in the movie, and it comes from Klaus Maria Brandauer, as Largo."[56] Ebert went on to add, "there was never a Beatles reunion ... but here, by God, is Sean Connery as Sir James Bond. Good work, 007."[56]
Reflective reviews[edit]
Because Never Say Never Again is not an Eon-produced film, it has not been included in a number of subsequent reviews. Norman Wilner of MSN said that 1967's Casino Royale and Never Say Never Again "exist outside the 'official' continuity, [and] are excluded from this list, just as they're absent from MGM's megabox. But take my word for it; they're both pretty awful".[57] Of the more recent reviews, opinion on Never Say Never Again is still mixed: film review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes lists the film with a 60% rating from 40 reviews.[58] The score is still more positive than some of the Eon films, with Rotten Tomatoes ranking Never Say Never Again 16th among all Bond films in 2008.[59] Empire gives the film three of a possible five stars, observing that "Connery was perhaps wise to call it quits the first time round".[60] IGN gave Never Say Never Again a score of 5 out of ten, claiming that the film "is more miss than hit".[61] The review also thought that the film was "marred with too many clunky exposition scenes and not enough moments of Bond being Bond".[61]
In 1995 Michael Sauter of Entertainment Weekly rated Never Say Never Again as the ninth best Bond film to that point, after seventeen films had been released. Sauter thought the film "is successful only as a portrait of an over-the-hill superhero."[62] He did admit, however that "even past his prime, Connery proves that nobody does it better".[62] James Berardinelli, in his review of Never Say Never Again, thinks the re-writing of the Thunderball story has led to a film which has "a hokey, jokey feel, [it] is possibly the worst-written Bond script of all".[63] Berardinelli concludes that "it's a major disappointment that, having lured back the original 007, the film makers couldn't offer him something better than this drawn-out, hackneyed story."[63] Critic Danny Peary wrote that "it was great to see Sean Connery return as James Bond after a dozen years".[64] He also thought the supporting cast was good, saying that Klaus Maria Brandauer's Largo was "neurotic, vulnerable ... one of the most complex of Bond's foes"[64] and that Barbara Carrera and Kim Basinger "make lasting impressions."[64] Peary also wrote that the "film is exotic, well acted, and stylishly directed ... It would be one of the best Bond films if the finale weren't disappointing. When will filmmakers realize that underwater fight scenes don't work because viewers usually can't tell the hero and villain apart and they know doubles are being used?"[64]
Legacy[edit]
In the 1990s, McClory announced plans to make another adaptation of the Thunderball story, Warhead 2000 AD, with Timothy Dalton in the lead role, but this was eventually scrapped.[65] In 1997 the Sony Corporation acquired all or some of McClory's rights in an undisclosed deal,[2] and subsequently announced that it intended to make a series of Bond films, as the company also held the rights to Casino Royale.[66] This move prompted a round of litigation from MGM, which was settled in an out-of-court settlement in which Sony gave up all claims on Bond, although McClory still claimed he would proceed with another Bond film,[67] and continued his case against MGM and Danjaq;[68] on 27 August 2001 the court rejected McClory's suit.[68] McClory died in 2006.[65]
On 4 December 1997, MGM announced that the company had purchased the rights to Never Say Never Again from Schwartzman's company Taliafilm.[69][70] The company has since handled the release of both the DVD and Blu-ray editions of the film.[71][45]
See also[edit]

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References[edit]
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61.^ Jump up to: a b Pirrello, Phil (26 March 2009). "Never Say Never Again Blu-ray Review". IGN. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
62.^ Jump up to: a b Sauter, Michael (1 July 2008). "Playing The Bond Market". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
63.^ Jump up to: a b Berardinelli, James (1996). "Never Say Never Again". ReelViews. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
64.^ Jump up to: a b c d Peary 1986, p. 296.
65.^ Jump up to: a b Rye, Graham (7 December 2006). "Kevin McClory". The Independent. Retrieved 5 September 2011.
66.Jump up ^ Elliott, Christopher (23 October 1997). "Never say never again when James Bond is involved". The Guardian. p. 10.
67.Jump up ^ Shprintz, Janet (29 March 1999). "Big Bond-holder". Variety. Retrieved 5 September 2011.
68.^ Jump up to: a b Cork, John; Scivally, Bruce (11 November 2002). "Reeling through the years". Variety. p. A15.
69.Jump up ^ "Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. announces acquisition of Never Say Never Again James Bond assets" (Press release). Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. 4 December 1997. Archived from the original on 5 May 2008. Retrieved 16 March 2008.
70.Jump up ^ DiOrio, Carl (4 December 1997). "Mgm, 007 Say 'never' Again". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 5 September 2011.
71.Jump up ^ Pratt 2005, p. 851.
Bibliography[edit]
Barnes, Alan; Hearn, Marcus (2001). Kiss Kiss Bang! Bang!: the Unofficial James Bond Film Companion. Batsford Books. ISBN 978-0-7134-8182-2.
Benson, Raymond (1988). The James Bond Bedside Companion. London: Boxtree Ltd. ISBN 1-85283-234-7.
Black, Jeremy (2004). Britain Since the Seventies: Politics and Society in the Consumer Age. Guilford: Biddles Ltd. ISBN 978-1-86189-201-0.
Black, Jeremy (2005). The Politics of James Bond: from Fleming's Novel to the Big Screen. University of Nebraska Press. ISBN 978-0-8032-6240-9.
Burlingame, Jon (2012). The Music of James Bond. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-986330-3.
Chancellor, Henry (2005). James Bond: The Man and His World. London: John Murray. ISBN 978-0-7195-6815-2.
Chapman, James (2009). Licence to Thrill: A Cultural History of the James Bond Films. New York: I.B. Tauris. ISBN 978-1-84511-515-9.
Lindner, Christoph (2003). The James Bond Phenomenon: a Critical Reader. Manchester University Press. ISBN 978-0-7190-6541-5.
Macintyre, Ben (2008). For Yours Eyes Only. London: Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7475-9527-4.
Mankiewicz, Tom; Crane, Robert (2012). My Life as a Mankiewicz. Lexington, KY: University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 978-0-8131-3605-9.
Peary, Danny (1986). Guide for the Film Fanatic. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-0-671-61081-4.
Pfeiffer, Lee; Worrall, Dave (1998). The Essential Bond. London: Boxtree Ltd. ISBN 978-0-7522-2477-0.
Pratt, Douglas (2005). Doug Pratt's DVD: Movies, Television, Music, Art, Adult, and More!. London: UNET 2 Corporation. ISBN 978-1-932916-01-0.
Reeves, Tony (2001). The Worldwide Guide to Movie Locations. Chicago: A Cappella. ISBN 978-1-55652-432-5.
Smith, Jim (2002). Bond Films. London: Virgin Books. ISBN 978-0-7535-0709-4.
External links[edit]
 Wikiquote has quotations related to: Never Say Never Again
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Never Say Never Again at Rotten Tomatoes
Never Say Never Again at Box Office Mojo
Never Say Never Again at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer


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Casino Royale (1967 film)
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Casino Royale
Casino Royale 1 – UK cinema poster.jpg
British cinema poster for Casino Royale, illustrated by Robert McGinnis
 
Directed by
Ken Hughes
John Huston
Joseph McGrath
Robert Parrish
Val Guest
Richard Talmadge (uncredited)
Produced by
Charles K. Feldman
Jerry Bresler
Screenplay by
Wolf Mankowitz
 John Law
 Michael Sayers
Based on
Casino Royale
 by Ian Fleming
Starring
Peter Sellers
Ursula Andress
David Niven
Woody Allen
Joanna Pettet
Orson Welles
Daliah Lavi
Music by
Burt Bacharach
Cinematography
Jack Hildyard, BSC
Nicolas Roeg, BSC
 John Wilcox, BSC
Edited by
Bill Lenny
Distributed by
Columbia Pictures
Release date(s)
13 April 1967
 
Running time
131 minutes
Country
United Kingdom
Language
English
Budget
$12 million
Box office
$41.7 million
Casino Royale is a 1967 spy comedy film originally produced by Columbia Pictures starring an ensemble cast of directors and actors. It is loosely based on Ian Fleming's first James Bond novel. The film stars David Niven as the "original" Bond, Sir James Bond 007. Forced out of retirement to investigate the deaths and disappearances of international spies, he soon battles the mysterious Dr. Noah and SMERSH.The film's slogan: "Casino Royale is too much... for one James Bond!" refers to Bond's ruse to mislead SMERSH in which six other agents are pretending to be "James Bond", namely, Baccarat master Evelyn Tremble (Peter Sellers); millionaire spy Vesper Lynd (Ursula Andress); Bond's secretary Miss Moneypenny (Barbara Bouchet); Bond's daughter with Mata Hari, Mata Bond (Joanna Pettet); and British agents "Coop" (Terence Cooper) and "The Detainer" (Daliah Lavi).
Charles K. Feldman, the producer, had acquired the film rights in 1960 and had attempted to get Casino Royale made as an Eon Productions Bond film; however, Feldman and the producers of the Eon series, Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman, failed to come to terms. Believing that he could not compete with the Eon series, Feldman resolved to produce the film as a satire. The budget escalated as various directors and writers got involved in the production, and actors expressed dissatisfaction with the project. Casino Royale was released on 13 April 1967, two months prior to Eon's fifth Bond movie, You Only Live Twice. The film was a financial success, grossing over $41.7 million worldwide, and Burt Bacharach's musical score was praised, earning him an Academy Award nomination for the song "The Look of Love". But Casino Royale has had a generally negative reception among critics, some of whom regard it as a baffling, disorganised affair. Since 1999, the film's rights are held by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, distributors of the official Bond movies by Eon Productions.


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot 1.1 Overview
1.2 Opening sequence
1.3 Plot summary
2 Cast 2.1 Uncredited cast
3 Production 3.1 Development
3.2 Writing
3.3 Budget
3.4 Filming
3.5 Missing footage
4 Music
5 Release and reception 5.1 Box office and marketing
5.2 Critical reception
5.3 Home video and film rights
6 See also
7 Notes
8 References
9 External links

Plot[edit]
Overview[edit]
The story of Casino Royale is told in an episodic format. Val Guest oversaw the assembly of the sections, although he turned down the credit of "co-ordinating director".[1]
Opening sequence[edit]
Evelyn Tremble/James Bond 007 (Peter Sellers) and Inspector Mathis meet in a pissoir, where Mathis presents his credentials—in a shot suggesting a display of Mathis' genitals, and setting the tone of the film by satirising the dramatic opening sequences in the Eon Bond films.
Plot summary[edit]
Sir James Bond 007, a legendary British spy who retired from the secret service 20 years previously, is visited by the head of British MI6, M, CIA representative Ransome, KGB representative Smernov, and Deuxième Bureau representative Le Grand. All implore Bond to come out of retirement to deal with SMERSH who have been eliminating agents: Bond spurns all their pleas. When Bond continues to stand firm, his mansion is destroyed by a mortar attack at the orders of M, who is, however, killed in the explosion.
Bond travels to Scotland to return M's remains to the grieving widow, Lady Fiona McTarry. However, the real Lady Fiona has been replaced by SMERSH's Agent Mimi. The rest of the household have been likewise replaced, with SMERSH’s aim to discredit Bond by destroying his "celibate image". Attempts by a bevy of beauties to seduce Bond fail, but Mimi/Lady Fiona becomes so impressed with Bond that she changes loyalties and helps Bond to foil the plot against him. On his way back to London, Bond survives another attempt on his life.

 

David Niven as Bond and Barbara Bouchet as Miss Moneypenny
Bond is promoted to the head of MI6. He learns that many British agents around the world have been eliminated by enemy spies because of their inability to resist sex. Bond is also told that the 'sex maniac' who was given the name of 'James Bond' when the original Bond retired has gone to work in television. He then orders that all remaining MI6 agents will be named "James Bond 007", to confuse SMERSH. He also creates a rigorous programme to train male agents to ignore the charms of women. Moneypenny recruits "Coop", a karate expert who begins training to resist seductive women: he also meets an exotic agent known as the Detainer.
Bond then hires Vesper Lynd, a retired agent turned millionaire, to recruit baccarat expert Evelyn Tremble, whom he intends to use to beat SMERSH agent Le Chiffre. Having embezzled SMERSH's money, Le Chiffre is desperate for money to cover up his theft before he is executed.
Following up a clue from agent Mimi, Bond persuades his estranged daughter Mata Bond to travel to East Berlin to infiltrate International Mothers' Help, a school for spies that is a SMERSH cover operation. Mata uncovers a plan to sell compromising photographs of military leaders from the US, USSR, China and Great Britain at an "art auction", another scheme Le Chiffre hopes to use to raise money: Mata destroys the photos. Le Chiffre's only remaining option is to raise the money by playing baccarat.
Tremble arrives at the Casino Royale accompanied by Lynd, who foils an attempt to disable him by seductive SMERSH agent Miss Goodthighs. Later that night, Tremble observes Le Chiffre playing at the casino and realises that he is using infrared sunglasses to cheat. Lynd steals the sunglasses, allowing Evelyn to eventually beat Le Chiffre in a game of baccarat. Lynd is apparently abducted outside the casino, and Tremble is also kidnapped while pursuing her. Le Chiffre, desperate for the winning cheque, hallucinogenically tortures Tremble. Lynd rescues Tremble, only to subsequently kill him. Meanwhile, SMERSH agents raid Le Chiffre's base and kill him for his failure.
In London, Mata Bond is kidnapped by SMERSH in a giant flying saucer, and Sir James and Moneypenny travel to Casino Royale to rescue her. They discover that the casino is located atop a giant underground headquarters run by the evil Dr. Noah, who turns out to be Sir James's nephew Jimmy Bond. Jimmy Bond secretly leaves the MI6 to defect to SMERSH to take a new role of killing spies. Jimmy reveals that he plans to use biological warfare to make all women beautiful and kill all men over 4-foot-6-inch (1.37 m) tall, leaving him as the "big man" who gets all the girls. Jimmy has already captured The Detainer, and he tries to convince her to be his partner; she agrees, but only to dupe him into swallowing one of his "atomic time pills", turning him into a "walking atomic bomb".
Sir James, Moneypenny, Mata and Coop manage to escape from their cell and fight their way back to the Casino Director's office where Sir James establishes Lynd is a double agent. The casino is then overrun by secret agents and a battle ensues. American and French support arrive, but just add to the chaos. Eventually, Jimmy's atomic pill explodes, destroying Casino Royale with everyone inside. Sir James and all of his agents then appear in heaven, and Jimmy Bond is shown descending to hell.
Cast[edit]

 

Peter Sellers as Evelyn TrembleDavid Niven as Sir James Bond – A legendary British secret agent forced out of retirement to fight SMERSH.
Peter Sellers as Evelyn Tremble/James Bond 007 – A baccarat master recruited by Vesper Lynd to challenge Le Chiffre at Casino Royale.
Ursula Andress as Vesper Lynd/007 – A retired British secret agent forced back into service in exchange for writing off her tax arrears.
Orson Welles as Le Chiffre – SMERSH's financial agent, desperate to win at baccarat to repay the money he has embezzled from the organisation.
Woody Allen as Dr. Noah/Jimmy Bond – Bond's nephew and head of SMERSH.
Barbara Bouchet as Miss Moneypenny – The beautiful daughter of Bond's original Miss Moneypenny. She works for the service in the same position her mother had years before.
Deborah Kerr as Agent Mimi/Lady Fiona McTarry – A SMERSH agent who masquerades as the widow of M but cannot help falling in love with Bond. Kerr was 46 when she played the role and was the oldest Bond Girl in any of the James Bond films.
Jacqueline Bisset (credited as Jacky Bisset) as Giovanna Goodthighs – A SMERSH agent who attempts to kill Evelyn Tremble at Casino Royale.
 Also, as an extra who stands behind Le Chiffre at the casino.[2]
Joanna Pettet as Mata Bond – Bond's daughter, born of his love affair with Mata Hari.
Daliah Lavi as The Detainer – A British secret agent who successfully poisons Dr. Noah with his own atomic pill.
Terence Cooper as Coop – A British secret agent specifically chosen, and trained for this mission to resist the charms of women.
Bernard Cribbins as Carlton Towers – A British Foreign Office official who drives Mata Bond all the way from London to Berlin in his taxi.
Ronnie Corbett as Polo – A SMERSH agent at the International Mothers' Help who was in love with Mata Hari and expresses the same feelings for Mata Bond.
Anna Quayle as Frau Hoffner – Frau Hoffner is Mata Hari's teacher, portrayed as a parody of Cesare in the German Expressionist film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (her school is modelled on the film's expressionist decor).
John Huston as M/McTarry – Head of MI6 who dies from an explosion caused by his own bombardment of Bond's estate.
William Holden as Ransome – A CIA agent who accompanies M to persuade Bond out of retirement, then reappears in the final climactic fight scene.
Charles Boyer as LeGrand – A Deuxième Bureau agent who accompanies M and Ransom to see Bond.
Casino Royale also takes credit for the greatest number of actors in a Bond film either to have appeared or to go on to appear in the rest of the Eon series – besides Ursula Andress in Dr. No, Vladek Sheybal appeared as Kronsteen in From Russia with Love, Burt Kwouk featured as Mr. Ling in Goldfinger and an unnamed SPECTRE operative in You Only Live Twice, Jeanne Roland plays a masseuse in You Only Live Twice, and Angela Scoular appeared as Ruby Bartlett in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Jack Gwillim, who had a tiny role as a British army officer, played a Royal Navy officer in Thunderball. Caroline Munro, who can be seen very briefly as one of Dr Noah's gun-toting guards, received the role of Naomi in The Spy Who Loved Me. Milton Reid, who appears in a bit part as the temple guard, opening the door to Mata Bond's hall, played one of Dr. No's guards and Stromberg's underling, Sandor, in The Spy Who Loved Me. John Hollis, who plays the temple priest in Mata Bond's hall, went on to play the unnamed figure clearly intended to be Blofeld in the pre-credits sequence of For Your Eyes Only. John Wells, Q's assistant, appeared in For Your Eyes Only as Denis Thatcher. Hal Galili, who appears briefly as a US army officer at the auction, had earlier played gangster Jack Strap in Goldfinger.
Major stars like George Raft and Jean Paul Belmondo were given top billing in the film's promotion and screen trailers despite the fact that they only appeared for a few minutes in the final scene.[3]
Uncredited cast[edit]
Well established stars like Peter O'Toole and sporting legends like Stirling Moss were prepared to take uncredited parts in the film just to be able to work with the other members of the cast.[3] Stunt director Richard Talmadge employed Geraldine Chaplin to appear in a brief Keystone Cops insert. The film also proved to be young Anjelica Huston's first experience in the film industry as she was called upon by her father, John Huston, to cover the screen shots of Deborah Kerr's hands.[3] The film also marks the debut of Dave Prowse, later the physical form of Darth Vader in the Star Wars series, as Frankenstein's monster, a role he would later play again in the Hammer films The Horror of Frankenstein and Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell. John Le Mesurier also features in the early scenes of the film as M's driver,[4] in 1968 he joined the cast of Dad's Army playing Sergeant Arthur Wilson.
Production[edit]
Development[edit]
In March 1955 Ian Fleming sold the film rights of his novel Casino Royale, the first book featuring the character of James Bond, to producer Gregory Ratoff for $6,000[5] ($52,822 in 2014 dollars).[6] In 1956 Ratoff set up a production company with Michael Garrison to produce a film adaptation, but wound up not finding financial backers until his death in December 1960.[7] After Ratoff's death, producer Charles K. Feldman represented Ratoff's widow and obtained the Casino Royale rights.[8] Albert R. Broccoli, who had a long time interest in adapting James Bond, offered to purchase the Casino Royale rights from Feldman, but he declined.[9] Feldman and his director friend Howard Hawks had an interest in adapting Casino Royale, considering Leigh Brackett as a writer and Cary Grant as James Bond. They eventually gave up once they saw 1962's Dr. No, the first Bond adaptation made by Broccoli and partner Harry Saltzman through company Eon Productions.[10]
By 1964, with Feldman having invested nearly $550,000 of his own money into pre-production of Casino Royale, he decided to try a deal with Eon Productions and its distributor United Artists. The attempt at a co-production eventually fell through as Feldman frequently argued with Broccoli and Saltzman, specially regarding the profit divisions and when the Casino Royale adaptation would start production. Feldman eventually decided to offer his project to Columbia Pictures through a script written by Ben Hecht, and the studio accepted. Given Eon's series led to a spy film craze at the time, Feldman opted to make his film a spoof of the Bond series instead of a straightforward adaptation.[11]
Writing[edit]
Ben Hecht's contribution to the project, if not the final result, was in fact substantial. The Oscar-winning writer was recruited by Feldman to produce a screenplay for the film and wrote several drafts, with various evolutions of the story incorporating different scenes and characters. All of his treatments were "straight" adaptations, far closer to the original source novel than the spoof which the final production became. A draft from 1957 discovered in Hecht's papers – but which does not identify the screenwriter – is a direct adaptation of the novel, albeit with the Bond character absent, instead being replaced by a poker-playing American gangster.[7]
Later drafts see vice made central to the plot, with the Le Chiffre character becoming head of a network of brothels (as he is in the novel) whose patrons are then blackmailed by Le Chiffre to fund Spectre (an invention of the screenwriter). The racy plot elements opened up by this change of background include a chase scene through Hamburg's red light district that results in Bond escaping whilst disguised as a female mud wrestler. New characters appear such as Lili Wing, a brothel madam and former lover of Bond whose ultimate fate is to be crushed in the back of a garbage truck, and Gita, wife of Le Chiffre. The beautiful Gita, whose face and throat are hideously disfigured as a result of Bond using her as a shield during a gunfight in the same sequence which sees Wing meet her fate, goes on to become the prime protagonist in the torture scene that features in the book, a role originally Le Chiffre's.[7]
Hecht never produced his final script though, dying of a heart attack two days before he was due to present it to Feldman in April 1964. Time reported in 1966 that the script had been completely re-written by Billy Wilder, and by the time the film reached production almost nothing of Hecht's screenplay remained. The one thing that did endure, and indeed became a key plot device of the finished film, was the idea of the name "James Bond" being given to a number of other agents. In the case of Hecht's version, this occurs after the demise of the original James Bond (an event which happened prior to the beginning of his story) which, as Hecht's M puts it “not only perpetuates his memory, but confuses the opposition."[7]
Peter Sellers hired Terry Southern to write his dialogue (and not the rest of the script) to "outshine" Orson Welles and Woody Allen.[12]
Budget[edit]
The studio approved the film's production budget of $6 million, already quite a large budget in 1966. However, during filming the project ran into several problems and the shoot ran months over schedule, with the costs also running well over. When the film was finally completed it had run twice over its original budget. The final production budget of $12 million made it one of the most expensive films that had been made to that point. The previous Eon Bond film, Thunderball, had a budget of $11 million while You Only Live Twice, which was released the same year as Casino Royale, had a budget of $9.5 million.[13] The extremely high budget of Casino Royale led to comparisons to a previous awry production, being referred as "a runaway mini-Cleopatra".[14] Columbia at first announced the film was due to be released in time for Christmas 1966. The problems postponed the launch until April 1967.[11]
Filming[edit]
The principal filming was carried out at Pinewood Studios, Shepperton Studios and Twickenham Studios in London. Extensive sequences also featured London, notably Trafalgar Square and the exterior of 10 Downing Street. Mereworth Castle in Kent was used as the home of Sir James Bond, which is blown up at the start of the film.[15] Much of the filming for M's Scottish castle was actually done on location in County Meath, Ireland, with Killeen Castle, Dunsany, as the focus.[16] However the car chase sequences where Bond leaves the castle were shot in the Perthshire village of Killin.[17]
The production proved to be rather troubled, with five different directors helming different segments of the film, with stunt co-ordinator Richard Talmadge co-directing the final sequence. In addition to the credited writers, Woody Allen, Peter Sellers, Val Guest, Ben Hecht, Joseph Heller, Terry Southern, and Billy Wilder are all believed to have contributed to the screenplay to varying degrees. Val Guest was given the responsibility of splicing the various "chapters" together, and was offered the unique title of "Co-ordinating Director" but declined, claiming the chaotic plot would not reflect well on him if he were so credited. His extra credit was labelled "Additional Sequences" instead.[1]
The film is notable for the legendary behind-the-scenes drama involving the filming of the segments with Peter Sellers. Screenwriter Wolf Mankowitz declared that Sellers felt intimidated by Orson Welles to the extent that, except for a couple of shots, neither was in the studio simultaneously. Other versions of the legend depict the drama stemming from Sellers being slighted, in favour of Welles, by Princess Margaret (whom Sellers knew) during her visit to the set. Welles also insisted on performing magic tricks as Le Chiffre, and the director obliged. Director Val Guest wrote that Welles did not think much of Sellers, and had refused to work with "that amateur". Director Joseph McGrath, a personal friend of Sellers, got punched by the actor when he complained about Sellers' behavior on the set.[18]
Some biographies of Sellers suggest that he took the role of Bond to heart, and was annoyed at the decision to make Casino Royale a comedy as he wanted to play Bond straight. This is illustrated in somewhat fictionalised form in the film The Life and Death of Peter Sellers, based upon a biography by Roger Lewis, who claims that Sellers kept re-writing and improvising scenes himself to make them play seriously. This story is in agreement with the observation that the only parts of the film close to the book are the ones featuring Sellers and Welles.[19] In the end, Sellers' involvement with the film was cut abruptly short.
Jean-Paul Belmondo and George Raft received major billing, even though both actors appear only briefly. Both appear during the climactic brawl at the end, Raft flipping his trademark coin and promptly shooting himself dead with a backwards-firing pistol, while Belmondo appears wearing a fake moustache as the French Foreign Legion officer who requires an English phrase book to translate 'merde!' into 'ooch!' during his fistfight.[3] Raft's coin flip, which originally appeared in Scarface (1932), had been spoofed a few years earlier in Some Like It Hot (1959).
At the Intercon science fiction convention held in Slough in 1978, David Prowse commented on his part in this film, apparently his big-screen debut. He claimed that he was originally asked to play "Super Pooh", a giant Winnie The Pooh in a superhero costume who attacks Tremble during the Torture of The Mind sequence. This idea, as with many others in the film's script, was rapidly dropped, and Prowse was re-cast as a Frankenstein-type Monster for the closing scenes. The final sequence was principally directed by former actor and stuntman Richard Talmadge.[11]
Director credits
Val Guest (additional sequences; scenes with Woody Allen and additional scenes with David Niven)
Ken Hughes (Berlin scenes)
 John Huston (scenes at Sir James Bond's house and scenes at Scottish castle)
Joseph McGrath (scenes with Peter Sellers, Ursula Andress and Orson Welles)
Robert Parrish (some casino scenes with Peter Sellers and Orson Welles)
 Richard Talmadge (uncredited as co-director of the final sequence)
Missing footage[edit]
Sellers left the production before all his scenes were shot, which is why Tremble is so abruptly captured in the film. Whether he was fired or simply walked off is unclear. Given that he often went absent for days at a time and was involved in conflicts with Welles, either explanation is plausible.[19] Regardless, Sellers was unavailable for the filming of an ending and of linking footage to explain the details, leaving the filmmakers to devise a way to make the existing footage work without him. The framing device of a beginning and ending with David Niven was invented to salvage the footage.[11] Val Guest indicated that he was given the task of creating a narrative thread which would link all segments of the film. He chose to use the original Bond and Vesper as linking characters to tie the story together. Guest states that in the originally released versions of the film, a cardboard cutout of Sellers in the background was used for the final scenes. In later versions, this cardboard cutout image was replaced by a sequence showing Sellers in highland dress, inserted by "trick photography".
Signs of missing footage from the Sellers segments are evident at various points. Evelyn Tremble is not captured on camera; an outtake of Sellers entering a racing car was substituted. In this outtake, Sellers calls for the car, à la Pink Panther, to chase down Vesper and her kidnappers; the next thing that is shown is Tremble being tortured. Out-takes of Sellers were also used for Tremble's dream sequence (pretending to play the piano on Ursula Andress' torso), in the finale (blowing out the candles whilst in highland dress) and at the end of the film when all the various "James Bond doubles" are together. In the kidnap sequence, Tremble's death is also very abruptly inserted; it consists of pre-existing footage of Sellers being rescued by Vesper, followed by a later-filmed shot of her abruptly deciding to shoot Tremble, followed by a freeze-frame over some of the previous footage of her surrounded by bodies (noticeably a zoom-in on the previous shot).[11]
As well as this, an entire sequence involving Tremble going to the front for the underground James Bond Training School (which turns out to be under Harrods, of which the training area was the lowst level) was never shot, thus creating an abrupt cut from Vesper announcing that Tremble will be James Bond to Tremble exiting the elevator into the Training School.
So many sequences from the film ended on the cutting room floor that several well-known actors were cut from the film altogether, including Ian Hendry (as 006, the agent whose body is briefly seen being disposed of by Vesper), Mona Washbourne, and Arthur Mullard.[11]
Music[edit]

Casino Royale
 
Soundtrack album by Burt Bacharach, Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass and Dusty Springfield

Released
1967
Recorded
1967
Length
34:27
Label
Colgems
For the music, Feldman decided to bring Burt Bacharach, who had done the score for his previous production What's New Pussycat?. Bacharach worked over two years writing for Casino Royale, in the meantime composing the After the Fox score and being forced to decline participation in Luv. Lyricist Hal David contributed with various songs, many of which appeared in just instrumental versions.[20] Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass performed some of the songs with Mike Redway singing the lyrics to the title song as the end credits rolled (a version of the song was also sung by Peter Sellers). The title theme was Alpert's second number one on the Easy Listening chart where it spent two weeks at the top in June 1967 and peaked at number twenty-seven on the Billboard Hot 100.[21]
The 4th chapter of the film features the song "The Look of Love" performed by Dusty Springfield. It is played in the scene of Vesper Lynd recruiting Evelyn Tremble, seen through a man-size aquarium in a seductive walk.[22] "The Look of Love" was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Song. The song was a Top 10 radio hit at the KGB and KHJ radio stations. A year later a version by Sérgio Mendes and Brasil '66 reached No. 4 of Billboard Hot 100. Springfield's version was heard again in the first Austin Powers film, which was to a degree inspired by Casino Royale. The German version of the film, however, features a German adaptation of "The Look of Love" sung by Mireille Mathieu. To make room for her credit in the film titles, the credit for Jean-Paul Belmondo was removed in the German-language version.
A brief snippet of John Barry's song "Born Free" was also used in the film. At the time, Barry was the main composer for the Eon Bond series.
The original album cover art was done by Robert McGinnis, based on the film poster and the original stereo vinyl release of the soundtrack (Colgems #COSO-5005) is still highly sought after by audiophiles. It has been regarded by some music critics as the finest-sounding LP of all time.[23][24] The original LP was later issued by Varèse Sarabande in the same track order as shown below:
Soundtrack listing
1."Casino Royale Theme" – Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass
2."The Look of Love" – Dusty Springfield
3."Money Penny Goes for Broke"
4."Le Chiffre's Torture of the Mind"
5."Home James, Don't Spare the Horses"
6."Sir James' Trip to Find Mata"
7."The Look of Love" (Instrumental)
8."Hi There Miss Goodthighs"
9."Little French Boy"
10."Flying Saucer" – First Stop Berlin
11."The Venerable Sir James Bond"
12."Dream on James, You're Winning"
13."The Big Cowboys and Indians Fight at Casino Royale" / "Casino Royale Theme" (reprise)
Track 5, "Home James...", heard in the film during the brawl at the military auction and Carlton Towers's and Mata Bond's subsequent escape, was re-arranged as "Bond Street", appearing on Bacharach's album Reach Out and on a 45. "Bond Street" itself has since appeared on the early-1990s easy listening compilation CD, This Is... Easy.
One cut conspicuously absent from the earlier film soundtrack issues is the vocal version of the title song, heard over the film's end credits and sung by Mike Redway.[25] The album merely replays the instrumental opening theme in the last track.
However, in 2010, Kritzerland Records issued a remastered version of the soundtrack. This limited edition of 1,000 units presented the original album tracks in two parts. The first part used what survived of the original album masters (as they had suffered wear over the intervening decades, and the remainder of the score was unavailable for use on the reissue), was digitally and sonically restored using current technology, and was re-edited so as the music is presented in the order they appeared in the film. Some previously unreleased brief cues were added to this mix, including the aforementioned vocal version of the end title music. The second part was presented in the original LP order, and to address the issue of the sound quality of vinyl, part two was remastered directly from pristine vinyl copies of the LP.
Then, two years later, Quartet Records issued a new 2-CD version of the soundtrack, with one disc presenting, for the first time, the complete score in sequential order (as taken from the original mono music stems archived at MGM), followed on the second disc by a newly remastered version of the album presentation as taken from first-generation masters provided by Sony Music.
Release and reception[edit]
Casino Royale had its world premiere in London's Odeon Leicester Square on April 13, 1967, breaking many opening records in the theatre's history.[26] Its American premiere was held in New York on April 28, at the Capitol and Cinema I theatres.[27] It opened two months prior to the fifth Bond film by Eon Productions, You Only Live Twice.[11]
Box office and marketing[edit]
Despite the lukewarm nature of the contemporary reviews, the pull of the James Bond name was sufficient to make it the thirteenth highest grossing film in North America in 1967 with a gross of $22.7 million and a worldwide total of $41.7 million[28] ($295 million in 2014 dollars[6]).[a] Orson Welles attributed the success of the film to a marketing strategy that featured a naked tattooed lady on the film's posters and print ads.[3] The campaign also included a series of commercials featuring British model Twiggy.[30]
Critical reception[edit]
No advance press screenings of Casino Royale were held, leading reviews to only appear after the premiere.[26] The "chaotic" nature of the production was featured heavily in contemporary reviews, while later reviewers have sometimes been kinder towards this. Roger Ebert said "This is possibly the most indulgent film ever made,"[31] Time described Casino Royale as "an incoherent and vulgar vaudeville",[32] and Variety declared the film to be "a conglomeration of frenzied situations, ‘in’ gags and special effects, lacking discipline and cohesion."[33] Bosley Crowther of The New York Times had some positive statements about the film, considering Casino Royale had "more of the talent agent than the secret agent" and praising the "fast start" and the scenes up to the baccarat game between Bond and Le Chiffre. Afterwards Crowther felt the script became tiresome, repetitive and filled with clichés due to "wild and haphazard injections of 'in' jokes and outlandish gags", leading to an excessive length that made the film a "reckless, disconnected nonsense that could be telescoped or stopped at any point".[34]
Since its release the film has been widely criticised by a number of people. The film currently holds a 27% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 33 reviews with the consensus stating: "A goofy, dated parody of spy movie cliches, Casino Royale squanders its all-star cast on a meandering, mostly laugh-free script."[35] For instance, Simon Winder called Casino Royale "a pitiful spoof",[36] while Robert Druce described it as "an abstraction of real life".[37] In his review of the film, Leonard Maltin remarked, "Money, money everywhere, but [the] film is terribly uneven – sometimes funny, often not."[38]
Some later reviewers have been more impressed by the film. Andrea LeVasseur, in the AllMovie review, called it "the original ultimate spy spoof", and opined that the "nearly impossible to follow" plot made it "a satire to the highest degree". Further describing it as a "hideous, zany disaster" LeVasseur concluded that it was "a psychedelic, absurd masterpiece".[39] Cinema historian Robert von Dassanowsky has written an article on the artistic merits of the film and says "like Casablanca, Casino Royale is a film of momentary vision, collaboration, adaption, pastiche, and accident. It is the anti-auteur work of all time, a film shaped by the very zeitgeist it took on."[14] Romano Tozzi complimented the acting and humour, although he also mentioned that the film has several dull stretches.[40]
Writing in 1986, Danny Peary noted, "It's hard to believe that in 1967 we actually waited in anticipation for this so-called James Bond spoof. It was a disappointment then; it's a curio today, but just as hard to get through." Peary described the film as being "disjointed and stylistically erratic" and "a testament to wastefulness in the bigger-is-better cinema," before adding, "It would have been a good idea to cut the picture drastically, perhaps down to the scenes featuring Peter Sellers and Woody Allen. In fact, I recommend you see it on television when it's in a two-hour (including commercials) slot. Then you won't expect it to make any sense."[41]
Home video and film rights[edit]
Columbia Pictures released Casino Royale on VHS in 1989,[42] and on Laserdisc in 1994.[43] In 1997, following the Columbia/MGM/Kevin McClory lawsuit on ownership of the Bond film series, the rights to the film reverted to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (whose sister company United Artists co-owns the Bond film franchise) as a condition of the settlement.[44] MGM then issued the first DVD release of Casino Royale in 2002,[45] followed by a 40th anniversary special edition in 2008.[46]
Years later, as a result of the Sony/Comcast acquisition of MGM, Columbia would once again become responsible for the co-distribution of this 1967 version as well as the entire Eon Bond series, including the 2006 adaptation of Casino Royale. However, MGM Home Entertainment changed its distributor to 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment in May 2006. Though Sony initially released the 2006 adaptation on home video, MGM and 20th Century Fox released new versions of both this film and the 2006 adaptation on Blu-ray Disc in 2012 with Danjaq LLC, Eon's holding company, shown as one of its present copyright owners.[47]
Alongside six other MGM-owned films, the studio posted Casino Royale on YouTube.[48]
See also[edit]

Portal icon James Bond portal
Outline of James Bond
Notes[edit]
a.Jump up ^ Variety put its North American rentals for 1967 at $10.2 million. These figures refer to rentals accruing to the distributors.[29]
References[edit]
1.^ Jump up to: a b Guest, Val. So you want to be in Pictures, Reynolds & Hearn, 2001, ISBN 1-903111-15-3
2.Jump up ^ DVD audio commentary, Region 1, with film historians Steven Jay Rubin and John Cork. Bisset, after playing the casino extra in early footage, was cast again as Miss Goodthighs.
3.^ Jump up to: a b c d e "The Girls of Casino Royale". Playboy., February 1967
4.Jump up ^ McFarlane, Brian (2005). The Encyclopedia of British Film. Methuen Publishing. p. 412. ISBN 978-0-413-77526-9.
5.Jump up ^ Benson 1988, p. 11.
6.^ Jump up to: a b Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–2014. Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
7.^ Jump up to: a b c d Duns, Jeremy (2 March 2011). "Casino Royale: discovering the lost script". The Daily Telegraph (London). Retrieved 9 March 2012.
8.Jump up ^ Barnes & Hearn 2001, p. 56.
9.Jump up ^ Broccoli, Albert R.; Zec, Donald (1998). When the Snow Melts: The Autobiography of Cubby Broccoli. Boxtree. p. 199. ISBN 0752211625.
10.Jump up ^ McCarthy, Todd (2007). Howard Hawks: The Grey Fox of Hollywood. Grove Press. pp. 595, 629. ISBN 0802196403.
11.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g Bassinger, Stuart. "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Royale". Retrieved 13 September 2007.
12.Jump up ^ Gerber, Gail & Lisanti, Tom. Trippin' with Terry Southern: What I Think I Remember, McFarland, p. 48.
13.Jump up ^ Debrug, Peter (June 15, 2012). "Review: ‘Revisiting 1967’s ‘Casino Royale’’". Variety. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
14.^ Jump up to: a b von Dassanowsky, Robert (31 March 2010). "Casino Royale at 33: The Postmodern Epic in Spite of Itself". Bright Lights Film Journal. Retrieved 19 September 2010.
15.Jump up ^ Kent Film Office. "Kent Film Office Casino Royal Film Focus".
16.Jump up ^ http://www.british-film-locations.com/Casino-Royale-1967
17.Jump up ^ http://www.scotlandthemovie.com/movies/caskill.html
18.Jump up ^ Sikov, Ed. Mr Strangelove: A Biography of Peter Sellers. Pan Macmillan, 2011. ISBN 1447207149. pp. 310-3
19.^ Jump up to: a b Lewis, Roger. The Life and Death of Peter Sellers, Applause Books, 2000, ISBN 1-55783-248-X
20.Jump up ^ Burlingame, Jon (2012). "5: Casino Royale (1967)". The Music of James Bond. Oxford University Press. pp. 60–70. ISBN 0199986762.
21.Jump up ^ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–2001. Record Research. p. 19.
22.Jump up ^ Casino Royale (1967) (synopsis). IMDb.
23.Jump up ^ Stachler, Joe. "Joe Stachler on Casino Royale's Great Soundtrack". Retrieved 22 December 2006.
24.Jump up ^ Panek, Richard (28 July 1991). "'Casino Royale' Is an LP Bond with a Gilt Edge". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 December 2006.
25.Jump up ^ Mackenzie, Sir Compton; Stone, Christopher. Gramophone, Volume 45, General Gramophone, 1967
26.^ Jump up to: a b Fox, Julian (1996). Woody: movies from Manhattan. B.T. Batsford. p. 39. ISBN 0713480297.
27.Jump up ^ "'Casino Royale' Kicks Off Today All Over Country". Film Daily. 28 April 1967.
28.Jump up ^ "Casino Royale – Box Office Data, Movie News, Cast Information". The numbers. Retrieved 5 September 2007.
29.Jump up ^ "Big Rental Films of 1967", Variety, 3 January 1968 p 25.
30.Jump up ^ Pelegrine, Louis (27 April 1967). "Twiggy Plays Role In 'Casino' Campaign". Film Daily.
31.Jump up ^ Ebert, Roger (1 May 1967). "Casino Royale". The Chicago Sun-Times (review). Retrieved 29 May 2007.}.
32.Jump up ^ "Keystone Cop-Out". Time. May 12, 1967.
33.Jump up ^ "Casino Royale". Variety (review). May 1967. Retrieved 29 May 2007..
34.Jump up ^ Crowther, Bosley (April 29, 1967). "Casino Royale (1967)". The New York Times. Retrieved 2014-08-12.
35.Jump up ^ "Casino Royale (1967)". = Rotten Tomatoes.
36.Jump up ^ The Man Who Saved Britain: A.... Books. Google. 2007. ISBN 978-0-312-42666-8. Retrieved 19 September 2010.
37.Jump up ^ This day our daily fictions: an.... Books. Google. 21 March 2007. ISBN 978-90-5183-401-7. Retrieved 19 September 2010.
38.Jump up ^ Maltin, Leonard (2008). 2009 Movie Guide. Plume. p. 219
39.Jump up ^ Blaise, Judd. "Casino Royale > Overview". AllMovie. Retrieved 19 September 2010.
40.Jump up ^ Books. Google. 1971. p. 130.
41.Jump up ^ Peary, Danny (1986). Guide for the Film Fanatic. Simon & Schuster. p. 84.
42.Jump up ^ Bowker's Complete Video Directory 1994. New York: R.R. Bowker. 1994. p. 248. ISBN 978-0-8352-3391-0.
43.Jump up ^ "Casino Royale (1967)". Laserdisc Database. Retrieved 2014-07-29.
44.Jump up ^ Sterngold, James (30 March 1999). "Sony Pictures, in an accord with MGM, drops its plan to produce new James Bond movies". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 September 2007.
45.Jump up ^ Jacobson, Colin (2009-03-11). "Casino Royale (1967)". DVD Movie Guide. Retrieved 2014-07-29.
46.Jump up ^ McCutcheon, David (2008-07-25). "CASINO ROYALE SPOOFS UP DVD". IGN. Retrieved 2014-07-29.
47.Jump up ^ "Casino Royale". Blu-ray.
48.Jump up ^ "YouTube to stream Hollywood films". BBC. 17 April 2009. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
Benson, Raymond (1988). The James Bond Bedside Companion. London: Boxtree Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85283-233-9.
Barnes, Alan; Hearn, Marcus (2001). Kiss Kiss Bang! Bang!: the Unofficial James Bond Film Companion. London: Batsford Books. ISBN 978-0-7134-8182-2.
External links[edit]
 Wikimedia Commons has media related to Casino Royale (1967 film).
Casino Royale at the Internet Movie Database
Casino Royale at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
"Casino royale" (complete dialogue).
"Casino royale, 1967". Agony booth (film recap).
"Literature on Casino Royale". Film. Virtual history.

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Licence to Kill
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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For other uses, see Licence to Kill (disambiguation).
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Licence to Kill
In the left of the picture stands a man dressed in black pointing a pistol towards the viewer. An inset picture shows two women looking out of the poster above another man and a few images depicting vehicles and explosions. The name '007' appears in the top right whilst in the centre at the bottom are the words "LICENCE TO KILL"
British cinema poster for Licence to Kill, designed by Robin Behling
 
Directed by
John Glen
Produced by
Albert R. Broccoli
Michael G. Wilson
Written by
Michael G. Wilson
Richard Maibaum
Based on
James Bond
 by Ian Fleming
Starring
Timothy Dalton
Carey Lowell
Robert Davi
Talisa Soto
Music by
Michael Kamen
Cinematography
Alec Mills
Edited by
John Grover
Production
   company
Eon Productions
Distributed by
MGM/UA Communications Co.
United International Pictures (UK)
Release date(s)
13 June 1989 (London, premiere)
 
Running time
133 minutes
Country
United Kingdom
Language
English
Budget
$32 million
Box office
$156,167,015
Licence to Kill, released in 1989, is the sixteenth entry in the James Bond film series by Eon Productions, and the first one not to use the title of an Ian Fleming story. It is the fifth consecutive and final film to be directed by John Glen. It also marks Timothy Dalton's second and final performance in the role of James Bond. The story has elements of two Ian Fleming short stories and a novel, interwoven with aspects from Japanese Rōnin tales. The film sees Bond being suspended from MI6 as he pursues drugs lord Franz Sanchez, who has attacked his CIA friend Felix Leiter and murdered Felix's wife during their honeymoon. Originally titled Licence Revoked in line with the plot, the name was changed during post-production.
Budgetary reasons made Licence to Kill the first Bond not to be shot in the United Kingdom, with locations in both Florida and Mexico. The film earned over $156 million worldwide, and enjoyed a generally positive critical reception, with ample praise for the stunts, but some criticism on Dalton's interpretation of Bond and the fact that the film was significantly darker and more violent than its predecessors.
After the release of Licence to Kill, legal wrangling over control of the series and the James Bond character resulted in a six-year long delay in production of the next Bond film which resulted in Dalton deciding not to return. It is also the final Bond film for actors Robert Brown (as M) and Caroline Bliss (as Moneypenny), screenwriter Richard Maibaum, title designer Maurice Binder, editor John Grover, cinematographer Alec Mills, director and former Bond film editor John Glen, and producer Albert R. Broccoli, although he would later act as a consulting producer for GoldenEye before his death.


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Production 3.1 Writing and themes
3.2 Casting
3.3 Filming
3.4 Music
4 Release and reception 4.1 Contemporary reviews
4.2 Reflective reviews
5 Appearances in other media
6 Awards and nominations
7 See also
8 References
9 Bibliography
10 External links

Plot[edit]
DEA agents collect James Bond—MI6 agent 007—and his friend, now DEA agent Felix Leiter, on their way to Leiter's wedding in Key West, to have them assist in capturing drugs lord Franz Sanchez. Bond and Leiter capture Sanchez by attaching a hook and cord to Sanchez's plane in flight near The Bahamas and pulling it out of the air with a Coast Guard helicopter. Afterwards, Bond and Leiter parachute down to the church in time for the ceremony.
Sanchez bribes DEA agent Ed Killifer and escapes. Meanwhile, Sanchez's henchman Dario and his crew ambush Leiter and his wife Della. Leiter is maimed by a great white shark and Della is raped and killed.[1] When Bond learns Sanchez has escaped, he returns to Leiter's house to find Della dead and Felix alive, but seriously wounded; Bond swears revenge on Sanchez. As the DEA refuses to help because Sanchez is out of its jurisdiction, Bond, with Leiter's friend Sharkey, start their own investigation into what happened to their friend. The pair discover a marine research centre run by Milton Krest, one of Sanchez's henchmen, where Sanchez has hidden cocaine and a submarine for smuggling.
After Bond kills Killifer by pushing him into the tank at the centre with the shark that maimed Leiter, M meets Bond in Key West's Hemingway House and orders him to an assignment in Istanbul, Turkey. Bond resigns after turning down the assignment, but M suspends Bond instead and immediately revokes his licence to kill. Bond flees from MI6 custody and becomes a rogue agent, bereft of official backing but later surreptitiously helped by MI6 armourer Q.
Bond boards the Wavekrest—a ship run by Milton Krest—and foils Sanchez's latest drug shipment, stealing five million dollars in the process, but discovers that Sharkey had been killed by Sanchez's henchmen. Bond recruits Pam Bouvier, an ex-CIA agent and pilot whom he rescues from Dario at a Bimini bar, and journeys with her to the Republic of Isthmus. In Isthmus City, Bond is met by Q. He finds his way into Sanchez's employment by posing as an assassin looking for work. Two Hong Kong Narcotics Bureau officers foil Bond's attempt to assassinate Sanchez and take him to an abandoned warehouse. They are joined by Fallon, an MI6 agent who was sent by M to apprehend Bond, dead or alive. Bond is about to be sedated via injection and sent back to the United Kingdom in disgrace when Sanchez's men rescue him and kill the officers, believing them to be the assassins. Later, with the aid of Bouvier, Q, and Sanchez's girlfriend Lupe Lamora, Bond frames Krest by placing the $5 million he had stolen into the hyperbaric chamber on board the Wavekrest. An infuriated Sanchez then traps Krest in the chamber and decompresses the pressurised chamber with an axe, explosively killing him. Meanwhile, Sanchez admits Bond into his inner circle.
Sanchez takes Bond to his base, which is disguised as a meditation retreat. Bond learns that Sanchez's scientists can dissolve cocaine in petrol and then sell it disguised as fuel to Asian drug dealers. The buying and selling are conducted via the televangelist Professor Joe Butcher, working under orders from Sanchez's business manager Truman-Lodge. The re-integration process will be available to those underworld clients who can pay Sanchez's price. During Sanchez's presentation to potential Asian customers, Dario discovers Bond and betrays him to Sanchez. Bond starts a fire in the laboratory and attempts to flee, but is captured again and placed on the conveyor belt that drops the brick-cocaine into a giant shredder. Bouvier arrives and distracts Dario, allowing Bond to pull Dario into the shredder, killing him.
Sanchez flees as fire consumes his base, taking with him four articulated tankers full of the cocaine and petrol mixture. Bond pursues them by plane, with Bouvier at the controls. During the course of a stunt-filled chase through the desert, three of the four tankers are destroyed and Bond kills many of Sanchez's men. Sanchez attacks Bond with a machete aboard the final remaining tanker, which loses control and crashes down a hill side. Soaked in petrol from the leaking tanker, Sanchez attempts to kill Bond with his machete. Bond then reveals his cigarette lighter – the Leiters' gift for being the best man at their wedding – and sets Sanchez on fire. Sanchez stumbles into the wrecked tanker, blowing it up and killing himself. Bouvier, driving the tractor from one of the destroyed tankers, arrives and rescues Bond.
Later, a party is held at Sanchez's former residence. Bond receives a call from Leiter telling him that M is offering him his job back. He then rejects Lupe's advances and romances Bouvier instead.
Cast[edit]
Timothy Dalton as James Bond, an MI6 agent who resigns to take his revenge on drug lord Franz Sanchez
Carey Lowell as Pam Bouvier, an ex-Army pilot and CIA informant
Robert Davi as Franz Sanchez, the most powerful drug lord in Latin America, mentioned as having been wanted by the DEA for years.
Talisa Soto as Lupe Lamora, Sanchez's girlfriend who has romantic feelings for Bond
Anthony Zerbe as Milton Krest, Sanchez's henchman who operates Wavekrest Marine Research, and whom Bond sets up in order to turn Sanchez against him
Frank McRae as Sharkey, a friend of Felix Leiter who owns a boat charter business
Everett McGill as Ed Killifer, a corrupt DEA official who frees Sanchez from custody
Wayne Newton as Professor Joe Butcher, Sanchez's middleman and TV evangelist for Olimpatec Meditation Institute
Benicio del Toro as Dario, Sanchez's personal henchman
Anthony Starke as Truman-Lodge, Sanchez's financial advisor
Pedro Armendáriz, Jr. as President Hector Lopez, the president of Isthmus
Desmond Llewelyn as Q, Bond's ally who supplies Bond with various gadgets and helps him on the field
David Hedison as Felix Leiter, a former CIA agent now with DEA and a close friend of James Bond
Priscilla Barnes as Della Churchill, Felix Leiter's bride
Robert Brown as M, the head of MI6
Caroline Bliss as Miss Moneypenny, M's personal secretary
Don Stroud as Colonel Heller, Sanchez's head of security
Grand L. Bush as Hawkins, a DEA Agent who opposes Bond's vendetta
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa as Kwang, a Hong Kong Police Narcotics agent sent to infiltrate Sanchez's heart of operations
Christopher Neame as Fallon, an MI6 agent sent by M to arrest Bond, dead or alive
Diana Lee Hsu as Loti, a female Hong Kong Narcotics agent working with Kwang
Production[edit]
Shortly after The Living Daylights was released, producer Albert R. Broccoli and writers Michael G. Wilson and Richard Maibaum started discussing its successor. The film would retain a realistic style, as well as showing the "darker edge" of the Bond character. For the primary location, the producers wanted a place where the series had not yet visited.[2] While China was visited after an invitation by its government, the idea fell through partly because the 1987 film The Last Emperor had removed some of the novelty from filming in China.[3] By this stage the writers had already talked about a chase sequence along the Great Wall, as well as a fight scene amongst the Terracotta Army.[4] Wilson also wrote two plot outlines about a drug lord in the Golden Triangle before the plans fell through.[4] The writers eventually decided on a setting in a tropical country while Broccoli negotiated to film in Mexico,[2] at the Estudios Churubusco in Mexico City.[4] In 1985, the Films Act was passed, removing the Eady Levy, resulting in foreign artists being taxed more heavily.[3] The associated rising costs to Eon Productions meant no part of Licence to Kill was filmed in the UK,[5] the first Bond film not to do so.[3] Pinewood Studios, used in every previous Bond film, housed only the post-production and sound re-recording.[6]
Writing and themes[edit]
The initial outline of what would become Licence to Kill was drawn up by Wilson and Maibaum.[3] Before the pair could develop the script, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) went on strike and Maibaum was unable to continue writing, leaving Wilson to work on the script on his own.[7] Although both the main plot and title of Licence to Kill owe nothing to any of the Fleming novels, there are elements from the books that are used in the storyline, including a number of aspects of the short story "The Hildebrand Rarity", such as the character Milton Krest.[2][8] The novel Live and Let Die provided the material surrounding Felix Leiter's mauling by a shark,[3] whilst the film version of the book provided the close similarity between the main villain, Kananga, and Licence to Kill's main villain Sanchez.[9] The screenplay was not ready by the time casting had begun, with Carey Lowell being auditioned with lines from A View to a Kill.[2]
The script—initially called Licence Revoked—was written with Dalton's characterisation of Bond in mind,[3] and the obsession with which Bond pursues Sanchez on behalf of Leiter and his dead wife is seen as being because "of his own brutally cut-short marriage."[10] Dalton's darker portrayal of Bond led to the violence being increased and more graphic.[8] Wilson compared the script to Akira Kurosawa's Yojimbo, where a samurai "without any attacking of the villain or its cohorts, only sowing the seeds of distrust, he manages to have the villain bring himself down".[2] Wilson freely admitted that the idea of the destruction-from-within aspect of the plot came more from the cinema versions of the Japanese Rōnin tales by Kurosawa or Sergio Leone than from Fleming's use of that plot device from The Man with the Golden Gun.[9] For the location Wilson created the Republic of Isthmus, a banana republic based on Panama, with the pock-marked Sanchez bearing similarities to General Manuel Noriega.[9] The parallels between the two figures were based on Noriega's political use of drug trafficking and money laundering to provide revenues for Panama.[11] Robert Davi suggested the line "loyalty is more important than money", which he felt was fitting to the character of Franz Sanchez, whose actions were noticed by Davi to be concerned with betrayal and retaliation.[6]
The United Artists press kits referred to the film's background as being "Torn straight from the headlines of today's newspapers"[12] and the backdrop of Panama was connected to "the Medellín Cartel in Colombia and corruption of government officials in Mexico thrown in for good measure."[13] This use of the cocaine-smuggling backdrop put Licence to Kill alongside other cinema blockbusters, such as the 1987 films Lethal Weapon, Beverly Hills Cop II and RoboCop, and Bond was seen to be "poaching on their turf" with the drug-related revenge story.[14]
Casting[edit]
After Carey Lowell was chosen to play Pam Bouvier, she watched many of the films in the series for inspiration. Lowell had described becoming a Bond girl as "huge shoes to fill", as she did not see herself as a "glamour girl", even coming to audition in jeans and a leather jacket. While Lowell wore a wig for the scenes set in the United States, a scene where Bouvier cuts her hair was added so Lowell's natural short hair could be used.[15]
Robert Davi was cast following a suggestion by Broccoli's daughter Tina,[2] and screenwriter Richard Maibaum, who had seen Davi in the television film Terrorist on Trial: The United States vs. Salim Ajami.[16] For the role of drugs baron Franz Sanchez, Davi researched on the Colombian drug cartels and how to do a Colombian accent,[6] and since he was method acting, he would stay in character off-set. After Davi read Casino Royale for preparation, he decided to turn Sanchez into a "mirror image" of James Bond, based on Ian Fleming's description of the villain Le Chiffre.[2] The actor also learned scuba diving for the scene where Sanchez is rescued from the sunken armoured car.[6]
Davi later helped out on the casting of Sanchez's mistress, Lupe, by playing Bond in the audition,[4] with Talisa Soto being picked from twelve candidates because Davi expressed he "would kill for her".[2] David Hedison returned to play Felix Leiter, sixteen years after being the agent in Live and Let Die. Hedison did not expect to return to the role, saying "I was sure that [Live and Let Die] would be my first – and last"[17] and Glen was reluctant to cast the 61-year old actor, since the role even had a scene parachuting. Hedison was the only actor to play Leiter twice,[18] until Jeffrey Wright appeared in both Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace.[19]
Up-and-coming actor Benicio del Toro was chosen to play Sanchez's henchman, Dario for being "laid back while menacing in a quirky sort of way", according to Glen.[2] Wayne Newton got a role after sending a letter to the producers expressing interest in a cameo because he always wanted to be in a Bond film.[4] The President of Isthmus was played by Pedro Armendáriz, Jr., the son of Pedro Armendáriz, who played Kerim Bey in the second James Bond film, 1963's From Russia with Love.[20]
Filming[edit]

A large stone building with a forest in the background.

Centro Cultural Otomi, designed as a place for the Otomi people to congregate and celebrate their culture.
Principal photography ran from 18 July to 18 November 1988. Shooting began in Mexico, which mostly doubled for the fictional Republic of Isthmus:[2] locations in Mexico City included the Biblioteca del Banco de Mexico for the exterior of El Presidente Hotel and the Casino Español for the interior of Casino de Isthmus whilst the Teatro de la Ciudad was used for its exterior. Villa Arabesque in Acapulco was used for Sanchez's lavish villa, and the La Rumorosa Mountain Pass in Tecate was used as the filming site for the tanker chase during the climax of the film. Sanchez's Olympiatec Meditation Institute was shot at the Otomi Ceremonial Center in Temoaya.[21] Other underwater sequences were shot at the Isla Mujeres near Cancún.[22]
In August 1988, production moved to the Florida Keys, notably Key West.[2] Seven Mile Bridge towards Pigeon Key was used for the sequence in which the armoured truck transporting Sanchez, following his arrest, is driven off the edge. Other locations there included Ernest Hemingway House, Key West International Airport, Mallory Square, St. Mary's Star of the Sea Church for Leiter's wedding and Stephano's House 707 South Street for his house and patio. The US Coast Guard Pier was used to film Isthmus City harbour.[21] As production moved back to Mexico, Broccoli became ill, leading to Michael G. Wilson becoming co-producer, a position he subsequently retained.[2]

A view of a long bridge over water: a number of cars are visible in the left hand lane

Seven Mile Bridge
The scene where Sanchez's plane is hijacked was filmed on location in Florida, with stuntman Jake Lombard jumping from a helicopter to a plane and Dalton himself being filmed atop the aircraft. The plane towed by the helicopter was a life-sized model created by special effects supervisor John Richardson. After filming wide shots of David Hedison and Dalton parachuting, closer shots were made near the church location.[2] During one of the takes, a malfunction of the harness equipment caused Hedison to fall on the pavement. The injury made him limp for the remainder of filming.[17] The aquatic battle between Bond and the henchmen required two separate units, a surface one led by Arthur Wooster which used Dalton himself, and an underwater one which involved experienced divers. The barefoot waterskiing was done by world champion Dave Reinhart, with some close-ups using Dalton on a special rig.[2] Milton Krest's death used a prostethic head which was created by John Richardson's team based on a mold of Anthony Zerbe's face.[23] The result was so gruesome that it was shortened and toned down to avoid censorship problems.[8]
For the climactic tanker chase, the producers used an entire section of a highway near Mexicali, which had been closed for safety reasons. Sixteen eighteen-wheeler tankers were used,[2] some with modifications made by manufacturer Kenworth at the request of driving stunts arranger Rémy Julienne. Most were given improvements to their engines to run faster, while one model had an extra steering wheel on the back of the cabin so a hidden stuntman could drive while Carey Lowell was in the front and another received extra suspension on its back so it could lift its front wheels.[2][24] Although a rig was constructed to help a rig tilt onto its side, it was not necessary as Julienne was able to pull off the stunt without the aid of camera trickery.[2][25]
Music[edit]
Main article: Licence to Kill (soundtrack)
Initially Vic Flick, who had played lead guitar on Monty Norman's original 007 theme, and Eric Clapton were asked to write and perform the theme song to Licence to Kill and they produced a theme to match Dalton's gritty performance, but the producers turned it down[26] and instead Gladys Knight's song and performance was chosen. The song (one of the longest to ever be used in a Bond film) was based on the "horn line" from Goldfinger, seen as an homage to the film of the same name,[26] which required royalty payments to the original writers.[27] The song gave Knight her first British top-ten hit since 1977.[28] The end credits feature the Top 10 R&B hit "If You Asked Me To", sung by Patti LaBelle.[29]
John Barry was not available at the time due to throat surgery, so the soundtrack's score was composed and conducted by Michael Kamen, who was known for scoring many action films at the time, such as Lethal Weapon and Die Hard.[30] Glen said he picked Kamen, feeling he could give "the closest thing to John Barry."[6]
Release and reception[edit]
Film ratings organisations had objections against the excessive and realistic violence, with both the Motion Picture Association of America and the British Board of Film Classification requesting content adaptations,[31] with the BBFC in particular demanding the cut of 36 seconds of film.[22] The 2006 Ultimate Edition DVD of Licence to Kill marked the first release of the film without cuts.[32]
Licence to Kill premiered at the Odeon Leicester Square in London on 13 June 1989,[33] raising £200,000 (£434,143 in 2014 pounds[34]) for The Prince's Trust on the night.[33] The film grossed a total of £7.5 million (£16 million in 2014 pounds[34]) in the United Kingdom,[35] making it the seventh most successful film of the year,[36] despite the 15 certificate which cut down audience numbers.[37] Worldwide numbers were also positive, with $156 million,[38] making it the twelfth biggest box-office draw of the year.[39] The US cinema returns were $34.6 million,[38] making Licence to Kill the least financially successful James Bond film in the US, when accounting for inflation.[40] A factor suggested for the poor takings were fierce competition at the cinema, with Licence to Kill released alongside Lethal Weapon 2; Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (starring former Bond, Sean Connery) and Batman.[28]
There were also issues with the promotion of the film: promotional material in the form of teaser posters created by Bob Peak, based on the Licence Revoked title and commissioned by Albert Broccoli, had been produced, but MGM decided against using them[41] after American test screenings showed 'Licence Revoked' to be a common American phrase for the withdrawal of a driving licence.[5] The delayed, corrected advertising by Steven Chorney, in the traditional style, limited the film's pre-release screenings.[2] MGM also discarded a campaign created by advertising executive Don Smolen – who had worked in the publicity campaign for eight Bond films before – emphasising the rougher content of the movie.[42][43]
Contemporary reviews[edit]
Derek Malcolm in The Guardian was broadly approving of Licence to Kill, liking the "harder edge of the earlier Bonds" that the film emulated, but wishing that "it was written and directed with a bit more flair."[44] Malcolm praised the way the film attempted "to tell a story rather than use one for the decorative purposes of endless spectacular tropes."[44] Writing in The Guardian's sister paper, The Observer, Philip French noted that "despite the playful sparkle in his eyes, Timothy Dalton's Bond is ... serious here."[45] Overall French called Licence to Kill "an entertaining, untaxing film".[45] Ian Christie in the Daily Express excoriated the film, saying that the plot was "absurd but fundamentally dull",[46] a further problem being that as "there isn't a coherent storyline to link [the stunts], they eventually become tiresome."[46]
Hilary Mantel in The Spectator dismissed the film. "It is a very noisy film. There is a weary and repetitive note to the frenzy. The sex is low key and off-screen but there is a smirking perverse undertow which makes the film more disagreeable than a slasher movie."[47]
David Robinson, writing in The Times observed that Licence to Kill "will probably neither disappoint nor surprise the great, faithful audience",[48] but bemoaned the fact that "over the years the plots have become less ambitious".[48] Robinson thought that Dalton's Bond "has more class"[48] than the previous Bonds and was "a warmer personality".[48] Iain Johnstone of The Sunday Times pointed out that "any vestiges of the gentleman spy ... by Ian Fleming" have now gone,[49] and in its place is a Bond that is "remarkably close both in deed and action to the eponymous hero of the Batman film"[49] that was released at the same time as Licence to Kill.
Adam Mars-Jones of The Independent gave the film a mixed review, pointing out that it took out some of the more dated ideas from the Fleming novels, such as imperialism; he wrote that the writers were "trying in effect to reproduce the recipe while leaving out ingredients that would now seem distasteful".[50] Overall Mars-Jones thought that "James Bond is more like a low-tar cigarette than anything else – less stimulating than the throat-curdling gaspers of yesteryear, but still naggingly implicated in unhealthiness, a feeble bad habit without the kick of a vice."[50]
For the Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail, Rick Groen wrote that in Licence to Kill "they've excised Bond from the Bond flicks; they've turned James into Jimmy, strong and silent and (roll over, Britannia) downright American",[51] resulting in a Bond film that is "essentially Bond-less".[51] Summing up, Groen thought "Actually, that dialogue ... ain't bad. The silence looks good on Timothy Dalton".[51]
Gary Arnold of The Washington Times wrote that a number of factors "fail to prevent the finished product from jamming and misfiring with disillusioning frequency".[52] Arnold opined that "demanding that he [Dalton] play Bond's wrathfulness in a transparently seething and hotheaded manner"[52] means that Dalton "seems to waste away on this second outing as Bond."[52] Overall Arnold sees that there is a "failure to recognize that Bond productions are simply too extravagant to permit an uncompromised return to first principles."[52] The critic for The New York Times, Caryn James, thought Dalton was "the first James Bond with angst, a moody spy for the fin de siecle",[53] and that Licence to Kill "retains its familiar, effective mix of despicably powerful villains, suspiciously tantalizing women and ever-wilder special effects",[53] but was impressed that "Dalton's glowering presence adds a darker tone".[53] James concluded that "for all its clever updatings, stylish action and witty escapism, Licence to Kill ... is still a little too much by the book."[53]
Roger Ebert for the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film 3½ stars out of 4, saying "the stunts all look convincing, and the effect of the closing sequence is exhilarating ... Licence to Kill is one of the best of the recent Bonds."[54] Jack Kroll, writing in Newsweek described Licence to Kill as "a pure, rousingly entertaining action movie".[55] Kroll was mixed in his appraisal of Dalton, calling him "a fine actor who hasn't yet stamped Bond with his own personality",[55] observing "Director John Glen is the Busby Berkeley of action flicks, and his chorus line is the legendary team of Bond stunt-persons who are at their death-defying best here".[55] For Time magazine, Richard Corliss bemoaned that although the truck stunts were good, it was "a pity nobody – not writers Michael G. Wilson, and Richard Maibaum nor director John Glen – thought to give the humans anything very clever to do."[56] Corliss found Dalton "misused" in the film, adding that "for every plausible reason, he looks as bored in his second Bond film as Sean Connery did in his sixth."[56]
Reflective reviews[edit]
Opinion on Licence to Kill has not changed with the passing of time and the reviews are still mixed: though film review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes lists the film with a positive 74% "fresh" rating from 39 reviews.[57] Tom Hibbert of Empire gives the film only two of a possible five stars, observing that "Dalton ... is really quite hopeless".[58] Hibbert concluded that "he may look the part, but Timothy Dalton fails the boots, the scuba gear, or the automobiles left him by Moore and Connery."[58] In 2006, IGN ranked Licence to Kill fifteenth out of the then 21 Bond films, claiming it is "too grim and had strayed too far from the Bond formula."[59] That same year, Benjamin Svetkey and Joshua Rich of Entertainment Weekly ranked the film as second worst in the series, questioning Wayne Newton's cameo, and considering that "not even Benicio Del Toro in an early role as a henchman is enough to pep up the action."[60] The magazine also listed Pam Bouvier seventh on their list of worst Bond girls, saying Carey Lowell "fumbled this attempt at giving 007 a modern, independent counterpart by turning her into a nagging pest."[61]
Norman Wilner of MSN considered Licence to Kill the second worst Bond film, above only A View to a Kill, but defended Dalton, saying he "got a raw deal. The actor who could have been the definitive 007 ... had the bad luck to inherit the role just as the series was at its weakest, struggling to cope with its general creative decline and the end of the Cold War".[62] In October 2008 Time Out re-issued a review of Licence to Kill and also thought that Dalton was unfortunate, saying "one has to feel for Dalton, who was never given a fair shake by either of the films in which he appeared".[63] On a more positive note, Chuck O'Leary of Fantastica Daily remarked that it was a rare entry in the Bond series where the danger seems real.[64]
Some critics, such as James Berardinelli, saw a fundamental weakness in the film: the "overemphasis on story may be a mistake, because there are times when Licence to Kill's narrative bogs down."[65] Berardinelli gave the film three out of a possible four stars, adding "Licence to Kill may be taut and gripping, but it's not traditional Bond, and that, as much as any other reason, may explain the public's rejection of this reasonably well-constructed picture."[65] Raymond Benson, the author of nine Bond novels, said of the film: "It boggles my mind that Licence to Kill is so controversial. There's really more of a true Ian Fleming story in that script than in most of the post-60s Bond movies."[66] John Glen has said Licence to Kill "is among my best Bond films, if not the best".[2]
Appearances in other media[edit]

A book cover showing a man holding a pistol. He is wearing a white dress shirt with untied bow tie. The words "JAMES BOND IS BACK" are in the top right hand corner. In the bottom right hand corner are the words "LICENCE TO KILL JOHN GARDNER".

 1989 British Coronet Books paperback edition.
The Licence to Kill screenplay was written into a novel by the then-novelist of the Bond series John Gardner. It was the first of those novels since Moonraker in 1979.[67]
Licence to Kill was also adapted as a forty-four page, colour graphic novel, by writer and artist Mike Grell (also author of original-story Bond comic books), published by Eclipse Comics and ACME Press in hardcover and trade editions in 1989.[68] The adaptation closely follows the film story, although the ending is briefer, and James Bond is not drawn to resemble Timothy Dalton after Dalton refused to allow his likeness to be licenced.[69] Domark also published a video game adaptation, 007: Licence to Kill, to various personal computers.[70]
Awards and nominations[edit]
1990 Edgar Allan Poe Award - Best Motion Picture - nomination for Michael G. Wilson and Richard Maibaum [71]
1989 MPSE Golden Reel - Outstanding Sound Mixing - nomination for Graham Hartstone[72]
See also[edit]

Portal icon James Bond portal
List of drug films
Outline of James Bond
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Black 2005, p. 152.
2.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Cork, John (1999). Inside Licence to Kill (DVD). Licence to Kill: Ultimate Edition: MGM.
3.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Barnes & Hearn 2001, p. 176.
4.^ Jump up to: a b c d e Cork & Stutz 2007, p. 300.
5.^ Jump up to: a b Smith 2002, p. 239.
6.^ Jump up to: a b c d e Robert Davi (1999). Audio commentary (DVD). Licence to Kill: Ultimate Edition: MGM.
7.Jump up ^ Smith 2002, p. 234.
8.^ Jump up to: a b c John Cork (1999). Audio commentary (DVD). Licence to Kill: Ultimate Edition: MGM.
9.^ Jump up to: a b c Smith 2002, p. 235.
10.Jump up ^ Smith 2002, p. 225.
11.Jump up ^ Smith 2002, p. 236.
12.Jump up ^ Harmetz, Aljean (9 July 1989). "Creating a Thriller, Their Words Are Their Bond". The New York Times.
13.Jump up ^ Johnston, Sheila (16 June 1989). "A cleaner, harder 007". The Independent.
14.Jump up ^ Smith 2002, p. 236-7.
15.Jump up ^ Carey Lowell (1999). Audio commentary (DVD). Licence to Kill: Ultimate Edition: MGM.
16.Jump up ^ Paul 2007, p. 58.
17.^ Jump up to: a b "David Hedison Interview". Mi6-HQ.com. 24 June 2005. Retrieved 28 August 2011.
18.Jump up ^ Barnes & Hearn 2001, p. 178.
19.Jump up ^ Siegel, Tatiana; Meza, Ed (2 January 2008). "'Bell' man takes on Bond". Variety.com. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
20.Jump up ^ Cork, John (1999). Inside From Russia with Love (DVD). From Russia with Love: Ultimate Edition: MGM.
21.^ Jump up to: a b Cork, John (1999). Exotic Locations (DVD). Licence to Kill: Ultimate Edition: MGM.
22.^ Jump up to: a b Barnes & Hearn 2001, p. 185.
23.Jump up ^ John Richardson (1999). Audio commentary (DVD). Licence to Kill: Ultimate Edition: MGM.
24.Jump up ^ Cork, John (2006). Kenworth Stunt Trucks (DVD). Licence to Kill: Ultimate Edition: MGM.
25.Jump up ^ Cork, John (2006). On Set with John Glen (DVD). Licence to Kill: Ultimate Edition: MGM.
26.^ Jump up to: a b Rogers, Jude (31 October 2008). "Film & Music: Music: For your ears only". The Guardian.
27.Jump up ^ Walden, Narada Michael (2006). James Bond's Greatest Hits (Television). UK: North One Television.
28.^ Jump up to: a b Barnes & Hearn 2001, p. 179.
29.Jump up ^ Dingwall, John (12 July 2002). "DVD Reviews". Daily Record.
30.Jump up ^ Smith 2002, p. 231-2.
31.Jump up ^ Chapman 1999, p. 245.
32.Jump up ^ "Licence To Kill Uncut". Mi6-HQ.com. 16 May 2006. Retrieved 28 August 2011.
33.^ Jump up to: a b Leask, Annie (14 June 1989). "Bond's night on the town". Daily Express.
34.^ Jump up to: a b UK CPI inflation numbers based on data available from Gregory Clark (2014), "What Were the British Earnings and Prices Then? (New Series)" MeasuringWorth.
35.Jump up ^ Wickham & Mettler 2005, p. 25.
36.Jump up ^ "1989 Rank". British Film Institute. the25thframe. Retrieved 29 August 2011.
37.Jump up ^ Smith 2002, p. 238.
38.^ Jump up to: a b "License to Kill". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved 24 August 2011.
39.Jump up ^ "1989 Yearly Box office result". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 29 August 2011.
40.Jump up ^ "Franchises: James Bond". Box Office Mojo. IMDb.com, Inc. Retrieved 4 April 2012.
41.Jump up ^ Pfeiffer & Worrall 1998, p. 167.
42.Jump up ^ "Selling Bond". Cinefantastique 19 (5): 126. July 1989. Archived from the original on 10 April 2005.
43.Jump up ^ Don Smolen (1999). Audio commentary (DVD). Licence to Kill: Ultimate Edition: MGM.
44.^ Jump up to: a b Malcolm, Derek (15 June 1989). "James the Sixteenth: Bond is back.". The Guardian.
45.^ Jump up to: a b French, Philip (18 June 1989). "Bond number comes up: CINEMA". The Observer.
46.^ Jump up to: a b Christie, Ian (14 June 1989). "Grim Tim is just no joke as James". Daily Express.
47.Jump up ^ Mantel, Hilary (1989). The Spectator. As quoted in McKay, Sinclair. The Man With the Golden Touch: How The Bond Films Conquered the World (2010). London: Penguin. p.285. ISBN 9781468303087.
48.^ Jump up to: a b c d Robinson, David (15 June 1989). "Business as usual; Cinema". The Times.
49.^ Jump up to: a b Johnstone, Iain (18 June 1989). "Bond flies in like a bat out of hell; Arts". The Sunday Times.
50.^ Jump up to: a b Mars-Jones, Adam (15 June 1989). "Low-tar espionage: Licence to Kill". The Independent.
51.^ Jump up to: a b c Groen, Rick (14 July 1989). "Licence to Kill". The Globe and Mail.
52.^ Jump up to: a b c d Arnold, Gary (14 July 1989). "Let Dalton play Bond as debonair but dangerous!". The Washington Times.
53.^ Jump up to: a b c d James, Caryn (14 July 1989). "Dalton as a Brooding Bond In 'License to Kill'". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
54.Jump up ^ Ebert, Roger (14 July 1989). "Licence To Kill". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 24 August 2011.
55.^ Jump up to: a b c Kroll, Jack (17 July 1989). "Ka-boom, Ka-bam, Ka-Bond". Newsweek.
56.^ Jump up to: a b Corliss, Richard (24 July 1989). "Cinema: We Don't Need Another Heroid". Time. Retrieved 23 August 2011.
57.Jump up ^ "Licence to Kill". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
58.^ Jump up to: a b Hibbert, Tom. "Licence to Kill". Empire. Retrieved 23 August 2011.
59.Jump up ^ "James Bond's Top 20". IGN. 17 November 2006. Retrieved 23 August 2011.
60.Jump up ^ Benjamin Svetkey, Joshua Rich (16 November 2006). "Countdown: Ranking the Bond Films". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 5 February 2008.
61.Jump up ^ Rich, Joshua (13 November 2006). "The 10 Worst Bond Girls". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 23 August 2011.
62.Jump up ^ Norman Wilner. "Rating the Spy Game". MSN. Archived from the original on 19 January 2008. Retrieved 23 August 2011.
63.Jump up ^ Lee Davies, Adam. "Licence to Kill revisited". Time Out. Retrieved 23 August 2011.
64.Jump up ^ "Licence To Kill (1989)". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
65.^ Jump up to: a b Berardinelli, James (1996). "Licence to Kill". ReelViews. Retrieved 23 August 2011.
66.Jump up ^ Cox, John. "The Raymond Benson CBn Interview (Part I)". The Raymond Benson CBn Interview. CommanderBond.net. Retrieved 23 August 2011.
67.Jump up ^ Pukas, Anna (6 July 2002). "Writer who took on the Bond mission". Daily Express.
68.Jump up ^ Conroy 2004, p. 293.
69.Jump up ^ "Bond Violence Gets Artistic 'Licence'". The Palm Beach Post. 28 July 1989.
70.Jump up ^ Lindner 2009, p. 317.
71.Jump up ^ Cozy-Mystery.Com. "Edgar Award: Best Motion Picture". Cozy-Mystery.Com. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
72.Jump up ^ "Directory: Graham V. Hartstone". The Association of Motion Picture Sound. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
Bibliography[edit]
Barnes, Alan; Hearn, Marcus (2001). Kiss Kiss Bang! Bang!: the Unofficial James Bond Film Companion. Batsford Books. ISBN 978-0-7134-8182-2.
Black, Jeremy (2005). The Politics of James Bond: from Fleming's Novel to the Big Screen. University of Nebraska Press. ISBN 978-0-8032-6240-9.
Chapman, James (1999). Licence To Thrill: A Cultural History of the James Bond Films. London/New York City: I.B. Tauris. ISBN 978-1-84511-515-9.
Conroy, Mike (2004). 500 Great Comicbook Action Heroes. London: Chrysalis Books Group. ISBN 978-1-84411-004-9.
Cork, John; Stutz, Collin (2007). James Bond Encyclopedia. London: Dorling Kindersley. ISBN 978-1-4053-3427-3.
Lindner, Christoph (2009). The James Bond Phenomenon: a Critical Reader (2 ed.). Manchester University Press. ISBN 978-0-7190-8095-1.
Paul, Louis (2007). Tales from the cult film trenches: interviews with 36 actors from horror, science fiction and exploitation cinema. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. ISBN 978-0-7864-2994-3.
Pfeiffer, Lee; Worrall, Dave (1998). The Essential Bond. London: Boxtree Ltd. ISBN 978-0-7522-2477-0.
Smith, Jim (2002). Bond Films. London: Virgin Books. ISBN 978-0-7535-0709-4.
Wickham, Phil; Mettler, Erinna (2005). Back to the Future: the fall and rise of the British Film Industry in the 1980s. London: BFI Information Services. ISBN 1-84457-108-4.
External links[edit]
 Wikiquote has quotations related to: Licence to Kill
Licence to Kill at the Internet Movie Database
Licence to Kill at AllMovie
Licence to Kill at Rotten Tomatoes
Licence to Kill at Box Office Mojo
MGM's official Licence to Kill website


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The Living Daylights
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This article is about the film. For the idiom, see The living daylights (idiom). For other uses, see The Living Daylights (disambiguation).

The Living Daylights
The Living Daylights - UK cinema poster.jpg
British cinema poster for The Living Daylights, illustrated by Brian Bysouth
 
Directed by
John Glen
Produced by
Albert R. Broccoli
Michael G. Wilson
Screenplay by
Richard Maibaum
 Michael G. Wilson
Based on
James Bond
 by Ian Fleming
Starring
Timothy Dalton
Maryam d'Abo
Joe Don Baker
Art Malik
John Rhys-Davies
Jeroen Krabbé
Music by
John Barry
Cinematography
Alec Mills
Edited by
John Grover
 Peter Davies
Production
   company
Eon Productions
Distributed by
MGM/UA Communications Co.
Release date(s)
27 June 1987 (London, premiere)
 
Running time
131 minutes
Country
United Kingdom
Language
English
Budget
$40 million
Box office
$191.2 million
The Living Daylights (1987) is the fifteenth entry in the James Bond film series and the first to star Timothy Dalton as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. The film's title is taken from Ian Fleming's short story, "The Living Daylights". It was the last film to use the title of an Ian Fleming story until the 2006 instalment Casino Royale.
The beginning of the film resembles the short story, in which Bond acts as a counter-sniper to protect a Soviet defector, Georgi Koskov. He tells Bond that General Pushkin, head of the KGB, is systematically killing British and American agents. When Koskov is seemingly snatched back, Bond follows him across Europe, Morocco and Afghanistan.
The film was produced by Albert R. Broccoli, his stepson, Michael G. Wilson and his daughter, Barbara Broccoli. The Living Daylights was generally well received by most critics and was also a financial success, grossing $191.2 million worldwide.


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Production 3.1 Casting
3.2 Filming 3.2.1 The return of Aston Martin
3.3 Music
4 Release and reception
5 See also
6 References
7 Bibliography
8 External links

Plot[edit]

 

Necros, Brad Whitaker and General Georgi Koskov in Tangier.
James Bond—Agent 007—is assigned to aid the defection of a KGB officer, General Georgi Koskov, covering his escape from a concert hall in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia during the orchestra's intermission. During the mission, Bond notices that the KGB sniper assigned to prevent Koskov's escape is a female cellist from the orchestra. Disobeying his orders to kill the sniper, he instead shoots the rifle from her hands, then uses the Trans-Siberian Pipeline to smuggle Koskov across the border into Austria and then on to Britain.
In his post-defection debriefing, Koskov informs MI6 that the KGB's old policy of Smiert Spionom, meaning Death to Spies, has been revived by General Leonid Pushkin, the new head of the KGB. Koskov is later abducted from the safe-house and assumed to have been taken back to Moscow. Bond is directed to track down Pushkin in Tangier and kill him in order to forestall further killings of agents and escalation of tensions between the Soviet Union and the West. Although Bond's prior knowledge of Pushkin initially leads him to doubt Koskov's claims, he agrees to carry out the mission when he learns that the assassin who killed 004 (as depicted in the pre-title sequence) left a note bearing the same message, "Smiert Spionom."
Bond returns to Bratislava to track down the cellist, Kara Milovy. He determines that Koskov's entire defection was staged, and that Milovy is actually Koskov's girlfriend. Bond convinces Milovy that he is a friend of Koskov's and persuades her to accompany him to Vienna, supposedly to be reunited with him. Meanwhile, Pushkin meets with arms dealer Brad Whitaker in Tangier, informing him that the KGB is cancelling an arms deal previously arranged between Koskov and Whitaker.
During his brief tryst with Milovy in Vienna, Bond meets his MI6 ally, Saunders, who discovers a history of financial dealings between Koskov and Whitaker. As he leaves their meeting, Saunders is killed by Necros (Koskov and Whitaker's henchman), who again leaves the message "Smiert Spionom."
Bond and Milovy promptly leave for Tangier, where Bond confronts Pushkin. Pushkin disavows any knowledge of "Smiert Spionom", and reveals that Koskov is evading arrest for embezzlement of government funds. Bond and Pushkin then join forces and Bond fakes Pushkin's assassination, inducing Whitaker and Koskov to progress with their scheme. Meanwhile, Milovy contacts Koskov, who tells her that Bond is actually a KGB agent and convinces her to drug him so he can be captured.
Koskov, Necros, Milovy, and the captive Bond fly to a Soviet air base in Afghanistan—part of the Soviet war in Afghanistan—where Koskov betrays Milovy and imprisons her along with Bond. The pair escape and in doing so free a condemned prisoner, Kamran Shah, leader of the local Mujahideen. Bond and Milovy discover that Koskov is using Soviet funds to buy a massive shipment of opium from the Mujahideen, intending to keep the profits with enough left over to supply the Soviets with their arms.
With the Mujahideen's help, Bond plants a bomb aboard the cargo plane carrying the opium, but is spotted and has no choice but to barricade himself in the plane. Meanwhile the Mujahideen attack the air base on horseback and engage the Soviets in a gun battle. During the battle, Milovy drives a jeep into the back of the plane as Bond takes off, and Necros also leaps aboard at the last second. After a struggle, Bond throws Necros to his death and deactivates the bomb. Bond then notices Shah and his men being pursued by Soviet forces. He re-activates the bomb and drops it out of the plane and onto a bridge, blowing it up and helping Shah and his men gain an important victory over the Soviets. Bond returns to Tangier to kill Whitaker, as Pushkin arrests Koskov, sending him back to Moscow.
Some time later, Milovy is the lead cellist in a known London performance, her music career solidified by newfound cooperation between the British government and the Soviets providing Kara with travel expenses and allowing her to perform in both countries. After her performance, Bond surprises her in her dressing room and they romantically share their mutual success together.
Cast[edit]
Timothy Dalton as James Bond: an MI6 agent assigned to look into the deaths of and conspiracies against several of his allies.
Maryam d'Abo as Kara Milovy: Koskov's girlfriend and later Bond's love interest.
Joe Don Baker as Brad Whitaker: An American arms dealer and self-styled general. Baker called his character "a nut" who "thought he was Napoleon".[1]
Art Malik as Kamran Shah: a leader in the Afghan Mujahideen.
John Rhys-Davies as General Leonid Pushkin: The new head of the KGB, replacing General Gogol.
Jeroen Krabbé as General Georgi Koskov: Whitaker's ally and a renegade Soviet general.
Andreas Wisniewski as Necros: Koskov's henchman, who poses repeated threats to Bond.
Thomas Wheatley as Saunders: Bond's ally.
Robert Brown as M: The head of MI6.
Desmond Llewelyn as Q: MI6's "quartermaster", who supplies Bond with multi-purpose vehicles and gadgets useful in the latter's mission.
Geoffrey Keen as Frederick Gray: The British Minister of Defence
Caroline Bliss as Miss Moneypenny: M's secretary.
John Terry as Felix Leiter: A CIA agent and ally to Bond.
Walter Gotell as General Gogol: The retired head of the KGB, now a diplomat shown in a cameo at the end of the film.
Virginia Hey as Rubavitch: General Leonid Pushkin's mistress in Morocco
Julie T. Wallace as Rosika Miklos: James Bond's contact in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia who works at the TransSiberian Pipeline.
Nadim Sawalha cameos as a police chief in Tangiers. Sawalha also appeared in a previous 007 film, The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), as Aziz Fekkesh.
Production[edit]
Originally the film was proposed to be a prequel in the series, an idea that eventually resurfaced with the reboot of the series in 2006. SMERSH's acronym from Fleming's novel's "Smiert Shpionam" – "Death to spies" – formed the storyline.[2]
Casting[edit]
In Autumn 1985, following the financial[3] and critical disappointment of A View to a Kill, work began on scripts for the next Bond film, with the intention that Roger Moore would not reprise the role of James Bond.[3] Moore, who by the time of the release of The Living Daylights would have been 59 years old, claims he chose to retire from the role after 12 years and 7 films. Albert Broccoli, however, claimed that he let Moore go from the role.[3] A significant search for a new actor to play Bond saw a number of actors, including Sam Neill,[2] Pierce Brosnan and Timothy Dalton audition for the role in 1986. Bond co-producer Michael G. Wilson, director John Glen, Dana and Barbara Broccoli "were impressed with Sam Neill and very much wanted to use him." However, Albert Broccoli was not sold on the actor.[4]

 

 The official car, the Aston Martin V8 Vantage (Series 2), at a James Bond convention.
The producers eventually offered the role to Brosnan after a three-day screen-test.[5] At the time, he was contracted to the television show Remington Steele which had been cancelled by the NBC network due to falling ratings. The announcement that he would be chosen to play James Bond caused a surge in interest in the series, which led to NBC exercising (on the very last day) a 60-day option in Brosnan's contract to make a further season of the show. NBC's action caused drastic repercussions, as a result of which Albert Broccoli withdrew the offer given to Brosnan, citing that he did not want the character associated with a contemporary TV series. This led to a drop in interest in Remington Steele, and only five new episodes were filmed before the show was finally cancelled.[6] The edict from Broccoli was that "Remington Steele will not be James Bond."[7]
Dana Broccoli suggested Timothy Dalton. Albert Broccoli was initially reluctant given Dalton's public lack of interest in the role, but at his wife's urging agreed to meet the actor.[4] However Dalton would soon begin filming Brenda Starr and so would be unavailable.[8] In the intervening period, having completed Brenda Starr,[dubious – discuss] Dalton was offered the role once again, which he accepted.[9] For a period, the filmmakers had Dalton, but he had not signed a contract. A casting director persuaded Robert Bathurst, an actor who would become known for his roles in Joking Apart and Cold Feet, to audition for Bond. Bathurst believes that his "ludicrous audition" was only "an arm-twisting exercise" because the producers wanted to persuade Dalton to take the role by telling him they were still auditioning other actors.[10]
Maryam d'Abo, a former model, was cast as the Czechoslovakian cellist Kara Milovy. In 1984, d'Abo had attended auditions for the role of Pola Ivanova in A View To a Kill. Barbara Broccoli included d'Abo in the audition for playing Kara, which she later passed.[11]
Originally, the KGB general set up by Koskov was to be General Gogol; however, Walter Gotell was too sick to handle the major role, and the character of Leonid Pushkin replaced Gogol, who appears briefly at the end of the film, having transferred to the Soviet diplomatic service. This was Gogol's final appearance in a James Bond film. Morten Harket, the lead vocalist of the rock group A-ha (which performed the film's title song), was offered a small role as a villain's henchman in the film, but declined, because of lack of time and because he felt they wanted to cast him due to his popularity rather than his acting.
Director John Glen decided to include the macaw from For Your Eyes Only. It was seen chirping in the kitchen of Blayden House when Necros attacks MI6's officers.
Other actors considered for the role of James Bond included Mel Gibson, Mark Greenstreet, Lambert Wilson, Antony Hamilton, Christopher Lambert, Finlay Light, and Andrew Clarke.
Filming[edit]
The film was shot at Pinewood Studios at its 007 Stage in the UK, as well as Weissensee in Austria. The pre-title sequence was filmed on the Rock of Gibraltar and although the sequence shows a hijacked Land Rover careering down various sections of road for several minutes before bursting through a wall towards the sea, the location mostly used the same short stretch of road at the very top of the Rock, shot from numerous different angles. The beach defences seen at the foot of the Rock in the initial shot were also added solely for the film, to an otherwise non-military area. The action involving the Land Rover switched from Gibraltar to Beachy Head in the UK for the shot showing the vehicle actually getting airborne. Trial runs of the stunt with the Land Rover, during which Bond escapes by parachute from the tumbling vehicle, were filmed in the Mojave Desert,[12] although the final cut of the film uses a shot achieved using a dummy. Other locations included Germany, the United States, and Italy, while the desert scenes were shot in Ouarzazate and Morocco. The conclusion of the film was shot at the Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna and Elveden Hall, Suffolk.

 

Stonor House
Principal photography commenced at Gibraltar on 17 September 1986. Aerial stuntmen B.J. Worth and Jake Lombard performed the pre-credits parachute jump.[13] Both the terrain and wind were unfavourable. Consideration was given to the stunt being done using cranes but aerial stunts arranger B.J. Worth stuck to skydiving and completed the scenes in a day.[14] The aircraft used for the jump was a C-130 Hercules, which in the film had M's office installed in the aircraft cabin. The initial point of view for the scene shows M in what appears to be his usual London office, but the camera then zooms out to reveal that it is, in fact, inside an aircraft. Although marked as a Royal Air Force aircraft, the one in shot belonged to the Spanish Air Force and was used again later in the film for the Afghanistan sequences this time in "Russian" markings. During this later chapter, a fight breaks out on the open ramp of the aircraft in flight between Bond and Necros, before Necros falls to his death. Although the plot and preceding shots suggest the aircraft is a C-130, the shot of Necros falling away from the aircraft show a twin engine cargo plane, a C-123 Provider. Worth and Lombard also doubled for Bond and Necros in the scenes where they are hanging on a bag in a plane's open cargo door.[15]
The press would not meet Dalton and d'Abo until 5 October 1986, when the main unit travelled to Vienna.[16] Almost two weeks after the second unit filming on Gibraltar, the first unit started shooting with Andreas Wisniewski and stunt man Bill Weston.[8] During the course of the three days it took to film this fight, Weston fractured a finger and Wisniewski knocked him out once.[17] The next day found the crew on location at Stonor House, doubling for Bladen's Safe House, the first scene Jeroen Krabbé filmed.[18]
The return of Aston Martin[edit]

Question book-new.svg
 This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2013)
The film reunites Bond with British car maker Aston Martin. Following Bond's use of the Aston Martin DBS in On Her Majesty's Secret Service, the filmmakers then turned to the brand new Lotus Esprit in 1977s The Spy Who Loved Me, which reappeared four years later in For Your Eyes Only. Despite the iconic status of the submersible Lotus however, Bond's Aston Martin DB5 is recognised as the most famous of his vehicles. As a consequence, Aston Martin returned with their V8 Vantage.
Two different Aston Martin models were used in filming - a V8 Volante convertible, and later for the Czechoslovakia scenes, a hard-top non-Volante V8 saloon badged to look like the Volante. The Volante was a production model owned by Aston Martin Lagonda chairman, Victor Gauntlett.
Music[edit]
Main article: The Living Daylights (soundtrack)
The Living Daylights was the final Bond film to be scored by composer John Barry. The soundtrack is notable for its introduction of sequenced electronic rhythm tracks overdubbed with the orchestra—at the time, a relatively new innovation.
The title song of the film, "The Living Daylights", was co-written with Paul Waaktaar-Savoy of the Norwegian pop-music group A-ha and recorded by the band. The group and Barry did not collaborate well, resulting in two versions of the theme song.[19] Barry's film mix is heard on the soundtrack (and on A-ha's later greatest hits album Headlines and Deadlines). The version preferred by the band can be heard on the 1988 A-ha album Stay on These Roads. However, in 2006 Pal Waaktaar-Savoy complimented Barry's contributions "I loved the stuff he added to the track, I mean it gave it this really cool string arrangement. That's when for me it started to sound like a Bond thing".[19] The title song is one of the few 007 title songs that is not performed or written by a British or American performer.
In a departure from previous Bond films, The Living Daylights was the first to use different songs over the opening and end credits. The song heard over the end credits, "If There Was A Man", was one of two songs performed for the film by Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders. The other song, "Where Has Everybody Gone", is heard from Necros's Walkman in the film. The Pretenders were originally considered to perform Daylights' title song. However, the producers had been pleased with the commercial success of Duran Duran's "A View to a Kill", and felt that A-ha would be more likely to make an impact in the charts.[20]
The original soundtrack release was released on LP and CD by Warner Bros. and featured only 12 tracks. Later re-releases by Rykodisc and EMI added nine additional tracks, including alternate instrumental end credits music. Rykodisc's version included the gunbarrel and opening sequence of the film as well as the jailbreak sequence, and the bombing of the bridge.[21]
Additionally, the film featured a number of pieces of classical music, as the main Bond girl, Kara Milovy, is a cellist. Mozart's 40th Symphony in G minor (1st movement) is performed by the orchestra at the Conservatoire in Bratislava when Koskov flees.[22] As Moneypenny tells Bond, Kara is next to perform Alexander Borodin's String Quartet in D major,[23] and the finale to Act II of Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro (in Vienna) also features.[24] Before Bond is drugged by Kara, Kara is practicing the Cello solo from the first movement of Dvořák's cello concerto in B minor.[25] At the end of the film, Kara and an orchestra (conducted onscreen by John Barry) perform Tchaikovsky's Rococo Variations to rapturous applause.
Release and reception[edit]
The Prince and Princess of Wales attended the film's premiere on 27 June 1987 at the Odeon Leicester Square in London.[26] The Living Daylights grossed the equivalent of $191.2 million worldwide.[27] In the United States it earned $51,185,000,[28] including an opening weekend of $11,051,284,[29] surpassing the $5 million grossed by The Lost Boys that was released on the same day.[30]
In the film, Koskov and Whitaker repeatedly use vehicles and drug packets marked with the Red Cross. This action angered a number of Red Cross Societies, which sent letters of protest regarding the film. In addition, the British Red Cross attempted to prosecute the filmmakers and distributors. However, no legal action was taken.[31][32] As a result, a disclaimer was added at the start of the film and some DVD releases.
The Living Daylights has a "Fresh" score of 75% on Rotten Tomatoes.[33] IGN lauded the film for bringing back realism and espionage to the film series, and showing James Bond's dark side.[34] Many, including John J. Puccio and Chuck O'Leary, praised Timothy Dalton's performance and his performing most of the stunts himself.[35] The Washington Post even said Dalton developed "the best Bond ever."[36] Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times criticised the lack of humour in the protagonist, however,[37] while Jay Scott of The Globe and Mail wrote of Dalton's Bond that "you get the feeling that on his off nights, he might curl up with the Reader's Digest and catch an episode of Moonlighting".[38]
See also[edit]

Portal icon James Bond portal
Outline of James Bond
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Joe Don Baker. Inside The Living Daylights (DVD). MGM Home Entertainment.
2.^ Jump up to: a b Michael G. Wilson. Inside The Living Daylights (DVD).
3.^ Jump up to: a b c Broccoli & Zec 1998, p. 276.
4.^ Jump up to: a b Broccoli & Zec 1998, p. 281.
5.Jump up ^ John Glen. Inside The Living Daylights (DVD).
6.Jump up ^ Last, Kimberly (1996). "Pierce Brosnan's Long and Winding Road To Bond". Retrieved 22 February 2007.
7.Jump up ^ Peter Lamont. Inside The Living Daylights (DVD).
8.^ Jump up to: a b Patrick Macnee. Inside The Living Daylights (DVD).
9.Jump up ^ Maryam d'Abo. Inside The Living Daylights (DVD).
10.Jump up ^ McCaffrey, Julie (22 February 2003). "Bathurst's cure for cold feet". Edinburgh Evening News. Retrieved 8 February 2009.
11.Jump up ^ "The Living Daylights". MI6-HQ.com. Retrieved 11 October 2007.
12.Jump up ^ John Richardson. Inside The Living Daylights.
13.Jump up ^ Jake Lombard. Inside The Living Daylights (DVD).
14.Jump up ^ B.J. Worth, Jake Lombard, Arthur Wooster. Inside The Living Daylights.
15.Jump up ^ Double-O Stuntmen. The Man with the Golden Gun Ultimate Edition, Disk 2: MGM Home Entertainment.
16.Jump up ^ "Production Notes (The Living Daylights)". MI6-HQ.com. Retrieved 16 October 2007.
17.Jump up ^ Andreas Wisniewski. Inside The Living Daylights (DVD).
18.Jump up ^ Jeroen Krabbé. Inside The Living Daylights.
19.^ Jump up to: a b James Bond's Greatest Hits (Television). UK: North One Television. 2006.
20.Jump up ^ "The Living Daylights". Fastrac Publications. Retrieved 11 October 2007.
21.Jump up ^ "The Living Daylights". SoundtrackNet. Retrieved 7 October 2007.
22.Jump up ^ Mozart: Popular Music from Film Disc: 2
23.Jump up ^ Classics at the Movies II CD 2 Catalogue Number: 4765940
24.Jump up ^ Campbell, Margaret, The Great Cellists (North Pomfret, Vermont: Trafalger Square Publishing, 1988).
25.Jump up ^ The Living Daylights (1987) – Soundtracks
26.Jump up ^ Smith, Duncan J. D. (2008) [30 April 2005]. "007 IN VIENNA". Only In Vienna: A Guide to Hidden Corners, Little-known Places and Unusual Objects. Christian Brandstätter Verlag. ISBN 3-85498-413-8.
27.Jump up ^ "Box Office History for James Bond Movies". The-numbers.com. Retrieved 6 October 2007.
28.Jump up ^ "The Living Daylights". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 6 October 2007.
29.Jump up ^ "The Living Daylights: Weekend collections". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 6 October 2007.
30.Jump up ^ "1987 Domestic Grosses". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 6 October 2007.
31.Jump up ^ "Protecting the Emblems in peacetime: the experiences of the British Red Cross Society". Retrieved 7 October 2007.
32.Jump up ^ "Protection of the red cross and red crescent emblems and the repression of misuse". Icrc.org. 31 October 1989. Retrieved 1 May 2010.
33.Jump up ^ "The Living Daylights". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 13 October 2007.
34.Jump up ^ "James Bond's Top 20 – Movies feature – at IGN". Movies.ign.com. Retrieved 1 May 2010.
35.Jump up ^ "MSN rate the James Bond films from best to worst !!!! Awesome !!!! – Forums". Rottentomatoes.com. 30 November 2007. Retrieved 1 May 2010.
36.Jump up ^ "'The Living Daylights' (PG)". The Washington Post. 31 July 1987. Retrieved 1 May 2010.
37.Jump up ^ Roger Ebert (31 July 1987). "The Living Daylights Movie Review". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
38.Jump up ^ Scott, Jay (3 August 1987). "The Living Daylights: Dalton serves up lethargic James Bond. A licence to bore?". The Globe and Mail. p. C.7.
Bibliography[edit]
Broccoli, Albert R; Zec, Donald (1998). When the Snow Melts:The Autobiography of Cubby Broccoli. London: Boxtree. ISBN 978-0-7522-1162-6.
External links[edit]
 Wikiquote has quotations related to: The Living Daylights
The Living Daylights at the Internet Movie Database
The Living Daylights at AllMovie
The Living Daylights at Rotten Tomatoes
The Living Daylights at Box Office Mojo
MGM's official The Living Daylights website
The Living Daylights review in 007 Magazine
Inside The Living Daylights Documentary


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A View to a Kill
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search

This article is about the 1985 James Bond film. For other uses, see A View to a Kill (disambiguation).
This is a good article. Click here for more information.

A View to a Kill
A View to a Kill - UK cinema poster.jpg
British cinema poster for A View to a Kill, illustrated by Dan Gouzee
 
Directed by
John Glen
Produced by
Albert R. Broccoli
Michael G. Wilson
Screenplay by
Michael G. Wilson
Richard Maibaum
Based on
James Bond
 by Ian Fleming
Starring
Roger Moore
Tanya Roberts
Grace Jones
Patrick Macnee
Christopher Walken
Music by
John Barry
Cinematography
Alan Hume
Edited by
Peter Davies
Production
   company
Eon Productions
Distributed by
MGM/UA Entertainment Company (US)[1]
UIP (Europe)
Release date(s)
22 May 1985 (San Francisco, premiere)
13 June 1985 (United Kingdom)
 
Running time
131 minutes
Country
United Kingdom
Language
English
Budget
$30 million
Box office
$152.4 million
A View to a Kill (1985) is the fourteenth spy film of the James Bond series, and the seventh and last to star Roger Moore as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. Although the title is adapted from Ian Fleming's short story "From a View to a Kill", the film is the fourth Bond film after The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker and Octopussy to have an entirely original screenplay. In A View to a Kill, Bond is pitted against Max Zorin, who plans to destroy California's Silicon Valley.
The film was produced by Albert R. Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, who also wrote the screenplay with Richard Maibaum. It was the third James Bond film to be directed by John Glen, and the last to feature Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny.
Despite being a commercial success, with the Duran Duran theme song "A View to a Kill" performing well in the charts and earning a Golden Globe nomination for Best Song, the film received a mixed reception by critics and was disliked by Roger Moore. Christopher Walken, however, was praised for portraying a "classic Bond villain".[2]


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Production 3.1 Casting
3.2 Filming
3.3 Music
4 Release and reception
5 Appearances in other media
6 See also
7 References
8 External links

Plot[edit]
James Bond is sent to Siberia to locate the body of 003 and recover a microchip originating from the Soviet Union. Upon his return Q analyses the microchip, establishing it to be a copy of one designed to withstand an electromagnetic pulse and made by government contractor Zorin Industries.
Bond visits Ascot Racecourse to observe the company's owner, Max Zorin. Zorin's horse wins a race but proves hard to control. Sir Godfrey Tibbett, a racehorse trainer and MI6 agent, believes Zorin's horse was drugged, although tests proved negative. Through Tibbett, Bond meets French private detective Achille Aubergine who informs Bond that Zorin is holding a horse sale later in the month. During their dinner at the Eiffel Tower, Aubergine is assassinated by Zorin's bodyguard May Day, who subsequently escapes, despite being chased by Bond.
Bond and Tibbett travel to Zorin's estate for the horse sale. Bond is puzzled by a woman who rebuffs him and finds out that Zorin has written her a cheque for five million dollars. At night, Bond and Tibbett break into Zorin's laboratory learning that he is implanting adrenaline-releasing devices in his horses. Zorin identifies Bond as an agent, has May Day assassinate Tibbett and attempts to have Bond killed too.
General Gogol of the KGB confronts Zorin for killing Bond without permission revealing that Zorin was initially trained and financed by the KGB, but has now gone rogue. Later, Zorin unveils to a group of investors his plan to destroy Silicon Valley which will give him—and the potential investors—a monopoly over microchip manufacture.
Bond goes to San Francisco where he learns from CIA agent Chuck Lee that Zorin could be the product of medical experimentation with steroids performed by a Nazi scientist, now Zorin's physician Dr. Carl Mortner. He then investigates a nearby oil rig owned by Zorin and while there finds KGB agent Pola Ivanova recording conversations and her partner placing explosives on the rig. Ivanova's partner is caught and killed, but Ivanova and Bond escape. Later Ivanova takes the recording, but finds that Bond had switched tapes, leaving her with a recording of Japanese music. Bond tracks down the woman Zorin attempted to pay off, State Geologist Stacey Sutton, and discovers that Zorin is trying to buy her family oil business.
The two travel to San Francisco City Hall to check Zorin's submitted plans. However, Zorin is alerted to their presence and arrives, killing the Chief Geologist with Bond's gun and setting fire to the building in order to both frame Bond for the murder and kill him at the same time. Bond and Sutton escape from the fire, but when the police try to arrest Bond, they escape in a fire engine.
Bond and Sutton infiltrate Zorin's mine, discovering his plot to detonate explosives beneath the lakes along the Hayward and San Andreas faults, which will cause them to flood, resulting in Silicon Valley and everything within to be submerged underwater forever. A larger bomb is also in the mine to destroy a "geological lock" that prevents the two faults from moving at the same time. Once in place, Zorin and his security chief Scarpine flood the mines and kill the mine workers. Sutton escapes while Bond fights May Day; when she realises Zorin abandoned her, she helps Bond remove the larger bomb, putting the device onto a handcar and pushing it out of the mine, where it explodes, killing her.
Zorin, who had escaped in his airship with Scarpine and Mortner, abducts Sutton as Bond grabs hold of the airships mooring rope. Zorin tries to kill Bond, but he manages to moor the airship to the framework of the Golden Gate Bridge. Sutton attacks Zorin and in the fracas, Mortner and Scarpine are temporarily knocked out. Sutton flees and joins Bond out on the bridge, but Zorin follows them out with an axe. The ensuing fight culminates with Zorin falling to his death, whereupon Mortner attacks Bond using sticks of dynamite, but drops a stick in the cabin, blowing up the airship and killing himself and Scarpine.
Meanwhile, in MI6, General Gogol awards Bond the Order of Lenin for having foiled Zorin's scheme, being the first non-Soviet citizen to receive said award (actually the first real foreign recipient was Luigi Longo). M orders Q to seek Bond and using his system of surveillance he finds 007 bathing with Stacy while they spend a romantic moment.
Cast[edit]
Roger Moore as James Bond, MI6 agent 007.
Christopher Walken as Max Zorin: A psychopathic microchip industrialist planning to destroy the Silicon Valley in an earthquake and gain a monopoly in the market.
Tanya Roberts as Stacey Sutton: The granddaughter of an oil tycoon whose company is taken over by Zorin.
Grace Jones as May Day: Zorin's lover and chief henchwoman. She also possesses superhuman strength.
Patrick Macnee as Sir Godfrey Tibbett: Bond's ally who helps him enter Zorin's villa and stable.
Patrick Bauchau as Scarpine: Zorin's loyal associate.
David Yip as Chuck Lee, a CIA agent who assists Bond and Sutton.
Willoughby Gray as Dr. Carl Mortner: A former Nazi scientist who designs Zorin's microchips for carrying narcotic drugs (in the German release version, he is a Polish communist).
Fiona Fullerton as Pola Ivanova; a KGB agent sent by Gogol to spy on Zorin.
Manning Redwood as Bob Conley: Max Zorin's chief mining engineer who handles Zorin's oil interests on the East Bay.
Alison Doody as Jenny Flex: One of May Day's assistants who is often seen with Pan Ho.
Robert Brown as M: The head of MI6
Desmond Llewelyn as Q: An MI6 officer in charge of the research and development branch. He supplies 007 with his equipment for his mission.
Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny: M's secretary, in Maxwell's final appearance in the role.
Geoffrey Keen as Fredrick Gray: The British Minister of Defence.
Walter Gotell as General Gogol: The head of the KGB.
Papillon Soo Soo as Pan Ho: One of May Day's assistants.
Daniel Benzali as W. G. Howe: A city official working at San Francisco City Hall.
Dolph Lundgren in an early, minor role as Venz, one of General Gogol's KGB Henchmen.
Jean Rougerie as French private detective Achille Aubergine.
Maud Adams is said to be visible as an extra in one of the Fisherman's Wharf scenes. In the DVD documentary Inside A View to a Kill, Adams explains that she was visiting her friend Moore on location and ended up in the crowd, but admits she is unable to actually see herself in the film; in the same documentary, director John Glen confirms that Adams appears as an extra, but does not specify where she is visible.[3] The appearance remained a mystery for years until she was identified as standing in the background during one of the Fisherman's Wharf scenes.[4] As a result, Adams is confirmed to have appeared in three Bond films, The Man with the Golden Gun in 1974 and in Octopussy in 1983.
Production[edit]
A View to a Kill was produced by Albert R. Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson. Wilson also co-authored the screenplay along with Richard Maibaum. At the end of Octopussy during the "James Bond Will Return" sequence, it listed the next film as "From a View to a Kill", the name of the original short story; however, the title was later changed.[5] When a company with a name similar to Zorin (the Zoran Corporation) was discovered in the United States, a disclaimer was added to the start of the film affirming that Zorin was not related to any real-life company. This is the first Bond film to have a disclaimer (The Living Daylights had a disclaimer about the use of the Red Cross.)[6]
Casting[edit]
Early publicity for the film in 1984 included an announcement that David Bowie would play Zorin. He turned it down, saying, "I didn't want to spend five months watching my stunt double fall off cliffs." The role was offered to Sting and finally to Christopher Walken.[7]
Dolph Lundgren has a brief appearance as one of General Gogol's KGB agents. Lundgren, who was Grace Jones's boyfriend, was visiting her on set when one day an extra was missing so the director John Glen then asked him if he wanted to get a shot at it. Lundgren appears during the confrontation between Gogol and Zorin at the racetrack, standing several steps below Gogol.[8]
Filming[edit]
The film was shot at Pinewood Studios in London, Iceland, Switzerland, France and the United States. Several French landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, its Jules Verne Restaurant and the Château de Chantilly were filmed. The rest of the major filming was done at Fisherman's Wharf and the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. The Lefty O'Doul Bridge was featured in the fire engine chase scene. The horse racing scenes were shot at Ascot Racecourse.[9]
Production of the film began on 23 June 1984 in Iceland, where the second unit filmed the pre-title sequence.[10] On 27 June 1984, several leftover canisters of petrol used during filming of Ridley Scott's Legend caused Pinewood Studios' "007 Stage" to burn to the ground. The stage was rebuilt, and reopened in January 1985[11] (renamed as "Albert R. Broccoli's 007 Stage") for filming of A View to a Kill. Work had continued on other stages at Pinewood when Roger Moore rejoined the main unit there on 1 August 1984. The crew then departed for shooting the horse-racing scenes at Royal Ascot Racecourse. The scene in which Bond and Sutton enter the mineshaft was then filmed in a waterlogged quarry near Staines and the Amberley Chalk Pits Museum in West Sussex.[12]

 

 Tanya Roberts, Roger Moore and Grace Jones in a promotional still.
On 6 October 1984, the fourth unit, headed by special effects supervisor John Richardson, began its work on the climactic fight sequence. At first, only a few plates constructed to resemble the Golden Gate Bridge were used. Later that night, shooting of the burning San Francisco City Hall commenced. The first actual scenes atop the bridge were filmed on 7 October 1984.[13]
In Paris it was planned that two stunt men, B.J. Worth and Don Caldvedt, would help film two takes of a parachute drop off a (clearly visible) platform that extended from a top edge of the Eiffel Tower. However, sufficient footage was obtained from Worth's jump, so Caldvedt was told he would not be performing his own jump. Caldvedt, unhappy at not being able to perform the jump, parachuted off the tower without authorisation from the City of Paris. He was subsequently sacked by the production team for jeopardising the continuation of filming in the city.[3]
Airship Industries managed a major marketing coup with the inclusion of their Skyship 500 series airship in the film. At the time Airship Industries were producing a fleet of ships which were recognisable over many capitals of the world offering tours, or advertising sponsorship deals. As all Bond films have included the most current technology, this included the lighter than air interest.[14]
The ship used in the climax was a Skyship 500, then on a promotional tour of Los Angeles after its participation in the opening ceremony of the 1984 Olympic Games. At that time, it had "WELCOME" painted across the side of the hull, but the word was replaced by "ZORIN INDUSTRIES" for the film. During the 1984 season, the ship was painted green and red as a part of Fujifilm's blimp fleet; it was subsequently coloured white. In real life, inflating it would take up to 24 hours, but during the film it was shown to take two minutes.[14]
Music[edit]
Main article: A View to a Kill (soundtrack)
The soundtrack was composed by John Barry, and published by EMI/Capitol.[15] The theme song, "A View to a Kill", was written by Barry and Duran Duran, and performed by the band. "May Day Jumps" is the only track that uses the James Bond theme. Barry's composition On Her Majesty's Secret Service was modified for use in the songs "Snow Job", "He's Dangerous" and "Golden Gate Fight" of A View to a Kill.[16] "A View to a Kill" was second in the British charts and first in the American charts, thus becoming the peak song in the James Bond series.[17]
Duran Duran was chosen to do the song after bassist John Taylor (a lifelong Bond fan) approached producer Cubby Broccoli at a party, and somewhat drunkenly asked "When are you going to get someone decent to do one of your theme songs?"[18][19]
During the opening sequence, a cover version of the 1965 Beach Boys song "California Girls", performed by Gidea Park with Adrian Baker (a tribute band), is used during a chase in which Bond snowboards; it has been suggested that this teaser sequence helped initiate interest in snowboarding.[20]
Release and reception[edit]
This was the first Bond film with a premiere outside the UK, opening on 22 May 1985 at San Francisco’s Palace of Fine Arts.[21] The British premiere was held on 12 June 1985 at the Odeon Leicester Square Cinema in London.[10] The film was first broadcast on British television on 31 January 1990. It achieved a box office collection of US$152.4 million worldwide with $50.3 million in the United States alone.[22][23] On its opening weekend in the US it earned $10.6 million.[23] Although its box office reception was excellent, the film's critical response was mostly negative. Rotten Tomatoes currently gives A View to a Kill a 36% "Rotten" rating,[24] which is the lowest rating for the Eon-produced Bond films on the website.[25]
One of the most common criticisms was that Roger Moore was 57 at the time of filming – and had visibly aged in the two years that had passed since Octopussy. The Washington Post critic said "Moore isn't just long in the tooth – he's got tusks, and what looks like an eye job has given him the pie-eyed blankness of a zombie. He's not believable anymore in the action sequences, even less so in the romantic scenes – it's like watching women fall all over Gabby Hayes."[26] Sean Connery declared that "Bond should be played by an actor 35, 33 years old. I'm too old. Roger's too old, too!"[27] In a December 2007 interview, Roger Moore remarked, "I was only about four hundred years too old for the part."[28]
Moore also stated that, at the time, A View to a Kill was his least favourite film, and mentioned that he was mortified to find out that he was older than his female co-star's mother. He was quoted saying "I was horrified on the last Bond I did. Whole slews of sequences where Christopher Walken was machine-gunning hundreds of people. I said 'That wasn't Bond, those weren't Bond films.' It stopped being what they were all about. You didn't dwell on the blood and the brains spewing all over the place".[29]
Pauline Kael of The New Yorker said "The James Bond series has had its bummers, but nothing before in the class of A View to a Kill. You go to a Bond picture expecting some style or, at least, some flash, some lift; you don't expect the dumb police-car crashes you get here. You do see some ingenious daredevil feats, but they're crowded together and, the way they're set up, they don't give you the irresponsible, giddy tingle you're hoping for." Kael also singled out the dispirited direction and the hopeless script. "Director John Glen stages the slaughter scenes so apathetically that the picture itself seems dissociated. (I don't think I've ever seen another movie in which race horses were mistreated and the director failed to work up any indignation. If Glen has any emotions about what he puts on the screen, he keeps them to himself.)"[30]
Lawrence O'Toole of Maclean's believed it was one of the series' best entries. "Of all the modern formulas in the movie industry, the James Bond series is among the most pleasurable and durable. Lavish with their budgets, the producers also bring a great deal of craft, wit and a sense of fun to the films. Agent 007 is like an old friend whom an audience meets for drinks every two years or so; he regales them with tall tales, winking all the time. The 15th and newest Bond epic, A View to a Kill, is an especially satisfying encounter. Opening with a breathtaking ski chase in Siberia, A View to a Kill is the fastest Bond picture yet. Its pace has the precision of a Swiss watch and the momentum of a greyhound on the track. There is a spectacular chase up and down the Eiffel Tower and through Paris streets, which Bond finishes in a severed car on just two wheels. But none of the action prepares the viewer for the heart-stopping climax with Zorin's dirigible tangled in the cables on top of San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge." And although O'Toole believed that Moore was showing his age in the role, "there are plenty of tunes left in his violin. James Bond is still a virtuoso, with a licence to thrill."[31]
Brian J. Arthurs of The Beach Reporter said it was the worst film of the Bond series.[24] C. Pea of the Time Out Film Guide said, "Grace Jones is badly wasted."[32] Norman Wilner of MSN chose it as the worst Bond film,[33] while IGN picked as the fourth worst,[34] and Entertainment Weekly as the fifth worst.[35]
Bond historian John Brosnan believed A View to a Kill was Moore's best Bond entry. He said Moore looked in better shape than the previous Bond film, Octopussy. Brosnan especially admired the dirigible finale.[36]
Danny Peary had mixed feelings about A View to a Kill but was generally complimentary: "Despite what reviewers automatically reported, [Moore] looks trimmer and more energetic than in some of the previous efforts ... I wish Bond had a few more of his famous gadgets on hand, but his actions scenes are exciting and some of the stunt work is spectacular. Walken's the first Bond villain who is not so much an evil person as a crazed neurotic. I find him more memorable than some of the more recent Bond foes ... Unfortunately, the filmmakers – who ruined villain Jaws by making him a nice guy in Moonraker – make the mistake of switching Mayday at the end from Bond's nemesis to his accomplice, depriving us of a slam-bang fight to the finish between the two (I suppose gentleman Bond isn't allowed to kill women, even a monster like Mayday) ... [The film] lacks the flamboyance of earlier Bond films, and has a terrible slapstick chase sequence in San Francisco, but overall it's fast-paced, fairly enjoyable, and a worthy entry in the series."[37]
Also among the more positive reviews was Movie Freaks 365's Kyle Bell: "Good ol' Roger gave it his best. ... Whether you can get past the absurdity of the storyline, you can't really deny that it has stunning stunt work and lots of action. It's an entertaining movie that could have been better."[38]
Roberts was nominated for a Golden Raspberry Award as Worst Actress, but she lost the trophy to Linda Blair for her performance in Night Patrol, Savage Island and Savage Streets.[39]
Appearances in other media[edit]
This film was adapted into two video games in 1985. The first, titled A View to a Kill, was published by Domark. It was available for the ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, Oric 1 and Oric Atmos, and MSX. The second, titled James Bond 007: A View to a Kill was a text-based video game for DOS and Apple II computers. It was developed by Angelsoft, Inc. and published by Mindscape Inc.
The film was loosely adapted into a series of four Find Your Fate adventure game books, Win, Place, or Die, Strike it Deadly, Programmed for Danger, and Barracuda Run, which were released in 1985.[40]
May Day was a playable multiplayer character in the 1997 and 2000 video games GoldenEye 007 and The World Is Not Enough, for the Nintendo 64 and both N64 and PlayStation respectively. In the 2002 game Nightfire, May Day and Max Zorin also appears as bots.[41] Other references include Nikolai Diavolo, a character in the 2004 game James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing, claiming Zorin to be his mentor and friend.[42] In GoldenEye: Rogue Agent, a multiplayer level is the summit of the Golden Gate Bridge, including the Zorin blimp, which would fire on players when activated. Players are also able to climb the suspension cables (similar to the events of the film).[43]
See also[edit]

Portal icon James Bond portal
Outline of James Bond
List of films shot in Iceland
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "Credits – A View to a Kill". Film & TV Database. British Film Institute. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
2.Jump up ^ "A View to a Kill: A film review by Christopher Null". Archived from the original on 17 October 2007. Retrieved 2 October 2007.
3.^ Jump up to: a b Maud Adams. Inside A View to a Kill (VCD/DVD). MGM Home Entertainment Inc.
4.Jump up ^ CommanderBond.net Maud Adams Found in "A View to a Kill", June 2004
5.Jump up ^ Burlingame, Jon (2012). The Music of James Bond. Oxford University Press. p. 174. ISBN 9780199863303.
6.Jump up ^ Smith, Jim; Lavington, Stephen (2002). Bond Films. London: Virgin Books. p. 219. ISBN 978-0-7535-0709-4.
7.Jump up ^ Nicholas Pegg (2004). The Complete David Bowie. Reynolds & Hearn Ltd. p. 561.
8.Jump up ^ "Notes on A View to a Kill". Retrieved 7 September 2007.
9.Jump up ^ "A View to a Kill filming locations". Archived from the original on 17 August 2007. Retrieved 7 September 2007.
10.^ Jump up to: a b "June: This Month in Bond History". Archived from the original on 26 September 2007. Retrieved 7 September 2007.
11.Jump up ^ "Fire wrecks James Bond film stage". BBC News. 30 July 2006. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
12.Jump up ^ "Production of A View to a Kill". Retrieved 7 September 2007.
13.Jump up ^ "October: This Month in Bond History". Archived from the original on 26 September 2007. Retrieved 7 September 2007.
14.^ Jump up to: a b "Movie Airship : SkyShip 500 "Zorin Industries"". The Airship Heritage Trust. Retrieved 2 October 2007.
15.Jump up ^ "A View to a Kill: Soundtrack". Retrieved 8 September 2007.
16.Jump up ^ "A View to a Kill". Filmtracks.com. Archived from the original on 5 September 2007. Retrieved 7 September 2007.
17.Jump up ^ "A View to a Kill". MI6-HQ.com. Retrieved 7 September 2007.
18.Jump up ^ Malins, Steve. (2005) Notorious: The Unauthorized Biography, André Deutsch/Carlton Publishing, UK (ISBN 0-233-00137-9). pp 161–162
19.Jump up ^ Paul Gambaccini Interview with John Taylor, 1985, Greatest DVD extras.
20.Jump up ^ "Snowboard Club UK FAQs". Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 2 October 2007.
21.Jump up ^ Barnes, Alan; Hearn, Marcu (1997). Kiss Kiss Bang! Bang!: the Unofficial James Bond Film Companion. Batsford Books. p. 155. ISBN 978-0-7134-8182-2.
22.Jump up ^ "A View to a Kill: MI6 Profile". Retrieved 6 September 2007.
23.^ Jump up to: a b "A View to a Kill at Box Office Mojo". Archived from the original on 1 October 2007. Retrieved 2 September 2007.
24.^ Jump up to: a b "A View to a Kill". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on 6 September 2007. Retrieved 6 September 2007.
25.Jump up ^ "Total Recall: James Bond Countdown – Find Out Where Quantum of Solace Fits In!". Rotten Tomatoes. 18 November 2008. Retrieved 22 July 2011.
26.Jump up ^ The Washington Post. June 1985.
27.Jump up ^ Barnes, Alan; Hearn, Marcu (1997). Kiss Kiss Bang! Bang!: the Unofficial James Bond Film Companion. Batsford Books. p. 154. ISBN 978-0-7134-8182-2.
28.Jump up ^ "Roger Moore admits stretching Bond stint too long".
29.Jump up ^ Barnes and Hearn 1997, p 169
30.Jump up ^ Kael, Pauline (3 June 1985). "Slaphappy and Not So Happy". The New Yorker. Available online.
31.Jump up ^ O'Toole, Lawrence (10 June 1985). "A View to a Kill". Maclean's.
32.Jump up ^ "A View to a Kill". Timeout.com. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 6 September 2007.
33.Jump up ^ Norman Wilner. "Rating the Spy Game". MSN. Archived from the original on 19 January 2008. Retrieved 4 March 2008.
34.Jump up ^ "James Bond's Top 20". IGN. 17 November 2006. Retrieved 21 September 2007.
35.Jump up ^ Benjamin Svetkey, Joshua Rich (15 November 2006). "Ranking the Bond Films". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 5 April 2008.
36.Jump up ^ Brosnan, John (1985). "It's Only a Movie". Starburst.
37.Jump up ^ Danny Peary, Guide for the Film Fanatic (Simon & Schuster, 1986) p.457
38.Jump up ^ Kyle Bell. "A View to a Kill Review". Movie Freaks 365. Archived from the original on 11 April 2009. Retrieved 27 March 2009.
39.Jump up ^ Wilson, John (2005). The Official Razzie Movie Guide: Enjoying the Best of Hollywood's Worst. Grand Central Publishing. ISBN 0-446-69334-0.
40.Jump up ^ Gamebooks.org – Find Your Date
41.Jump up ^ Eurocom. 007: Nightfire.
42.Jump up ^ EA Games. James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing. Game Boy Advance. Electronic Arts.
43.Jump up ^ Electronic Arts. GoldenEye: Rogue Agent. Electronic Arts.
External links[edit]
 Wikiquote has quotations related to: A View to a Kill
Official website
A View to a Kill at the Internet Movie Database
A View to a Kill at AllMovie
A View to a Kill at Rotten Tomatoes
A View to a Kill at Box Office Mojo


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Octopussy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search

This article is about the James Bond film. For other uses, see Octopussy (disambiguation).
"Kamal Khan" redirects here. For other uses, see Kamal Khan (disambiguation).

Octopussy
Octopussy - UK cinema poster.jpg
British cinema poster for Octopussy, illustrated by Renato Casaro
 
Directed by
John Glen
Produced by
Albert R. Broccoli
Screenplay by
George MacDonald Fraser
Michael G. Wilson
Richard Maibaum
Based on
James Bond
 by Ian Fleming
Starring
Roger Moore
Maud Adams
Louis Jourdan
Steven Berkoff
Desmond Llewelyn
Kristina Wayborn
Music by
John Barry
Cinematography
Alan Hume
Edited by
Peter Davies
 Henry Richardson
Production
   company
Eon Productions
Distributed by
MGM/UA Entertainment Company
Release date(s)
6 June 1983
 
Running time
131 minutes
Country
United Kingdom
Language
English
Budget
$27.5 million
Box office
$183.7 million
Octopussy (1983) is the thirteenth entry in the James Bond film series, and the sixth to star Roger Moore as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond.
The film's title is taken from a short story in Ian Fleming's 1966 short story collection Octopussy and The Living Daylights, although the film's plot is original. It does, however, include a portion inspired by the Fleming short story "The Property of a Lady" (included in 1967 and later editions of Octopussy and The Living Daylights), while the events of the short story "Octopussy" form a part of the title character's background and are recounted by her.
Bond is assigned the task of following a general who is stealing jewels and relics from the Russian government. This leads him to a wealthy Afghan prince, Kamal Khan, and his associate, Octopussy. Bond uncovers a plot to force disarmament in Europe with the use of a nuclear weapon.
Produced by Albert R. Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, Octopussy was released in the same year as the non-Eon Bond film Never Say Never Again. Written by George MacDonald Fraser, Richard Maibaum, and Michael G. Wilson, the film was directed by John Glen.


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Production 3.1 Casting
3.2 Filming
3.3 Music
4 Release and reception 4.1 Character reviews
5 See also
6 References
7 External links

Plot[edit]
British agent 009 is found dead at the British embassy in East Berlin, dressed as a circus clown and carrying a fake Fabergé egg. MI6 immediately suspects Soviet involvement and, after seeing the real egg appear at an auction in London, sends James Bond—agent 007—to investigate and find out who the seller is. At the auction Bond is able to swap the real egg with the fake and engages in a bidding war with exiled Afghan prince Kamal Khan, forcing Khan to pay £500,000 for the fake egg. Bond follows Khan back to his palace in Rajasthan, India, where Bond defeats Khan in a game of backgammon. Bond escapes with his Indian colleague Vijay, evading Khan's bodyguard Gobinda's attempts to kill them both. Bond is seduced by one of Khan's associates, Magda, and notices that she has a blue-ringed octopus tattoo. Magda steals the real Fabergé egg fitted with a listening device by Q, while Gobinda captures Bond and takes him to Khan's palace. After Bond escapes from his cell he listens in on the bug in the Fabergé egg and discovers that Khan is working with Orlov, a Soviet general, who is seeking to expand Soviet control into Central Europe.
After escaping from the palace, Bond infiltrates a floating palace in Udaipur, India, and there finds its owner, Octopussy, a wealthy woman who leads the Octopus cult, of which Magda is a member. In Octopussy's palace Bond finds out that Orlov has been supplying Khan with priceless Soviet treasures, replacing them with replicas while Khan has been smuggling the real versions into the West via Octopussy's circus troupe. Orlov is planning to meet Khan at Karl-Marx-Stadt (Chemnitz) in East Germany, where the circus is scheduled to perform. After evading Khan's assassins, who kill Vijay, Bond goes to East Germany.
Bond infiltrates the circus and finds that Orlov replaced the Soviet treasures with a nuclear warhead, primed to explode during the circus show at a US Air Force base in West Germany. The explosion would trigger Europe into seeking disarmament in the belief that the bomb was a US one that detonated by accident, leaving its borders open to Soviet invasion. Bond takes Orlov's car, drives it along the train tracks and boards the moving circus train. Orlov is shot dead by GDR guards while trying to cross the border. Bond kills the twin knife-throwers Mischka and Grischka in revenge for 009's death, and, after falling from the train, commandeers a car in order to get to the Air Force base. At the base Bond disguises himself as a clown to evade the West German police. He attempts to convince Octopussy that Khan has betrayed her by showing her one of the treasures found in Orlov's car, which she was to smuggle for him. Octopussy realises that she has been tricked and assists Bond in deactivating the warhead.
Bond and Octopussy return to India and launch an assault on Khan's palace. Khan and Gobinda flee the palace, capturing Octopussy in the process. Bond follows them as they attempt to escape in an aeroplane, clinging to the fuselage and disabling one of its engines. Gobinda dies after falling off the roof of the plane and Bond rescues Octopussy from Khan, the pair jumping onto a nearby cliff moments before the plane crashes into a mountain, killing Khan. While M and General Gogol discuss the return of the jewellery, Bond recuperates with Octopussy aboard her private boat in India.
Cast[edit]
Roger Moore as James Bond, MI6 agent 007.
Maud Adams as Octopussy: A jewel smuggler and wealthy businesswoman.
Louis Jourdan as Kamal Khan: An exiled Afghan prince and the film's main villain.
Kristina Wayborn as Magda: Octopussy and Khan's trusted subordinate and henchman.
Kabir Bedi as Gobinda: Khan's bodyguard.
Steven Berkoff as General Orlov: A Soviet general who works with Khan to bomb a U.S. airbase.
Vijay Amritraj as Vijay: Bond's ally in India.
David Meyer & Anthony Meyer as Mischka & Grischka: Orlov's knife-throwing henchmen.
Desmond Llewelyn as Q: MI6's gadget designer. Llewelyn was disappointed because he was unable to travel to India since his scenes were filmed at Pinewood Studios.[1]
Robert Brown as M: Head of the British Secret Service.
Geoffrey Keen as Fredrick Gray: Britain's Minister of Defence.
Walter Gotell as General Gogol: KGB leader working to stop Orlov.
Douglas Wilmer as Jim Fanning: MI6's operative with a knowledge of artefacts.
Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny: M's secretary.
Michaela Clavell as Penelope Smallbone: Moneypenny's assistant.
Production[edit]
The title 'Octopussy' comes from the Ian Fleming collection of short stories Octopussy and The Living Daylights. Hardly any of the plot of the short story "Octopussy" is used, however, with its events simply related by Bond as the family backstory for one of the main characters. The scene at Sotheby's is, though, drawn from the short story "The Property of a Lady" (included in 1967 and later editions of the collection), while Kamal Khan's reaction following the backgammon game is taken from Fleming's novel Moonraker. Due to a non-Eon Bond film, Never Say Never Again being released in 1983, Octopussy saw Roger Moore returning for the role, though he had shown interest in departing from James Bond after For Your Eyes Only.[2]
George MacDonald Fraser was hired to work on an early draft of the script and he proposed that the story be set in India.[3]
Casting[edit]

 

 James Brolin's screen test as James Bond, with Vijay Amritraj
Following For Your Eyes Only, Roger Moore had expressed a desire to stop playing James Bond. His original contract had been for three films, which was fulfilled with The Spy Who Loved Me. Subsequent films were negotiated on a film-by-film basis. Given his reluctance to return for Octopussy, the producers engaged in a semi-public quest for the next Bond, with both Timothy Dalton and James Brolin being suggested.[2] However, when the rival Never Say Never Again was announced, the producers re-contracted Moore in the belief that an established actor in the role would fare better against Sean Connery.[2] Brolin's three screentests were publicly released for the first time as a special feature named James Brolin: The Man Who Would Be Bond in the Octopussy Ultimate Edition DVD.[2][4]
The producers were initially reluctant to feature Maud Adams again because her previous character was killed in The Man with the Golden Gun. Sybil Danning was announced in Prevue magazine in 1982 as being Octopussy, but was never actually cast. Faye Dunaway was deemed too expensive. Barbara Carrera said she turned down the role to take a part in the competing Bond film Never Say Never Again. In the book A Star is Found: Our Adventures Casting Some of Hollywood's Biggest Movies, casting director Jane Jenkins revealed that the Bond producers told her that they wanted an East Indian actress to play Octopussy, so she looked at the only two Indians in a then predominantly white Hollywood, Persis Khambatta and Susie Coelho. Afterwards, she auditioned white actresses, like Barbara Parkins, who she felt could pass for Indian. Finally, Cubby Broccoli announced to her that they would cast Swedish-born Maud Adams, darken her hair, and change a few lines about how she was raised by an Indian family. A different plotline, with Adams' British father exposed as a traitor, was used instead. As for Adams, she asked to play Octopussy as a European woman and was granted this, but on the title character's name, she felt the producers "went too far".
Octopussy is also the first movie to have Robert Brown as M, because of the death of Bernard Lee in 1981. Desmond Llewelyn would get a larger role as Q in this film. One of Bond's allies was played by Vijay Amritraj, who was a professional tennis player. His character not only shares the same first name, but he is also the tennis pro at Kamal Khan's club, and he uses his tennis racket as a weapon during the auto rickshaw chase (accompanied by the sound of a tennis ball being hit and scenes of onlookers turning their heads left and right as if they are watching a tennis match).
There is a brief appearance by Gary Russell as a teenager in a car. Russell had been a popular child actor as "Dick" in the television series The Famous Five.
Filming[edit]

 

 The 311 hangar at RAF Northolt used for filming the jet stunt scene.
The filming of Octopussy began on 10 August 1982 with the scene in which Bond arrives at Checkpoint Charlie.[5] Principal photography was done by Arthur Wooster and his second unit, who later filmed the knife-throwing scenes.[6] Much of the film was shot in Udaipur, India. The Monsoon Palace served as the exterior of Kamal Khan's palace, while scenes set at Octopussy's palace were filmed at the Lake Palace and Jag Mandir, and Bond's hotel was the Shiv Niwas Palace. In England RAF Northolt, RAF Upper Heyford and RAF Oakley were the main locations. The Karl-Marx-Stadt railways scenes were shot at the Nene Valley Railway, near Peterborough, while studio work was performed at Pinewood Studios and the 007 Stage.[2] Most of the crew as well as Roger Moore had diet problems while shooting in India.[1]

 

 The Monsoon Palace
The pre-title sequence has a scene where Bond flies a nimble homebuilt Bede BD-5J aircraft through an open hangar.[6] Hollywood stunt pilot and aerial co-ordinator J.W. "Corkey" Fornof, who piloted the aircraft at more than 150 miles per hour, has said, "Today, few directors would consider such a stunt. They'd just whip it up in a computer lab."[7] Having collapsible wings, the plane was shown hidden in a horse trailer; however, a dummy was used for this shot.[8] Filming inside the hangar was achieved by attaching the aircraft to an old Jaguar car with a steel pole, driving with the roof removed.[6] The second unit were able to add enough obstacles including people and objects inside the hangar to hide the car and the pole and make it look as though Moore was flying inside the base. For the explosion after the mini jet escapes, however, a miniature of the hangar was constructed and filmed up close. The exploding pieces of the hangar were in reality only four inches in length.[2] A Mercedes-Benz saloon car was stolen by Bond and used to chase the train – having had his tyres shot out, Bond drove on the rails and entered the train. During filming, the car had intact tyres in one scene so as to avoid any mishap.[8]

 

 Acrostar from Octopussy seen at a convention
Stunt co-ordinator Martin Grace suffered an injury while shooting the scene where Bond climbs down the train to catch Octopussy's attention.[9] During the second day of filming, Grace – who was Roger Moore's stunt double for the scene – carried on doing the scene longer than he should have, due to a miscommunication with the second unit director, and the train entered a section of the track which the team had not properly surveyed. Shortly afterwards, a concrete pole fractured Grace's left leg.[2] This affected morale in the camp for some time.
The bicyclist seen passing in the middle of a swordfight during the tuk tuk chase sequence was in fact a bystander who passed through the shot, oblivious to the filming; his intrusion was captured by two cameras and left in the final film.[2] Cameraman Alan Hume's last scene was that of Octopussy's followers rowing. That day, little time was left and it was decided to film the sunset at the eleventh hour.[10]
The Fabergé egg in the film is real; it was made in 1897 and is called the Coronation Egg, although the egg in the film is named in the auction catalogue as "Property of a Lady", which is the name of one of Ian Fleming's short stories released in more recent editions of the collection Octopussy and The Living Daylights.
In a bit of diegesis that "breaks the fourth wall", Vijay signals his affiliation to MI6 by playing the James Bond Theme on a recorder while Bond is disembarking from a boat in the harbour near the City Palace. Like his fictional counterpart, the real Vijay had a distinct fear of snakes and found it difficult to hold the basket during filming.[2]
Music[edit]
Main article: Octopussy (soundtrack)
The score was composed by John Barry, with the lyrics by Tim Rice.[11] The opening theme, "All Time High", is sung by Rita Coolidge and is one of six musical themes in the James Bond series whose song titles do not refer to the film's title, the other five being Dr. No (1962), "We Have All the Time in the World" from On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969), "Nobody Does It Better" from The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) (although the song's lyrics do include the phrase, "the spy who loved me"), the song "You Know My Name" from Casino Royale (2006), and "Another Way to Die" from Quantum of Solace (2008). "All Time High" spent four weeks at number one on the US Billboard Adult Contemporary singles chart and reached number 36 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The soundtrack album was released in 1985 by A&M Records; the compact disc version of this release was recalled due to a colour printing error which omitted the credits from the album cover, making it a rare collector's item. In 1997, the soundtrack was re-issued by Rykodisc,[12] with the original soundtrack music and some film dialogue, on an Enhanced CD version. The 2003 release, by EMI, restored the original soundtrack music without dialogue.
Release and reception[edit]
Octopussy's premiere took place at the Odeon Leicester Square on 6 June 1983 in the company of Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales. Within five months of its premiere, it was released in 16 countries worldwide.[13] The film earned slightly less than For Your Eyes Only, but still grossed $187,500,000, with $67.8 million in the United States alone. It also performed slightly better than Never Say Never Again, the non-Eon Bond remake of Thunderball which came out a few months later.
The film has received mixed reviews. Some reviewers disliked Bond's clown costume,[14] gorilla outfit and Tarzan yell during a jungle chase. One review claimed that it was long and confusing.[15] By contrast, Louis Jourdan's "suave" performance,[16] the elegance of the film locations in India, and the stunts on aircraft and the train were appreciated.[17] Jeffrey Westhoff at Rotten Tomatoes praised Roger Moore as being "sterling".[18] Neal Gabler and Jeffrey Lyons at the TV-show Sneak Previews praised the film and said "Octopussy delivers" and "The nice thing about Octopussy is that it's going back-to-basics, less gadgets, more hand-to-hand combat. It's more of an adventure movie in a more traditional sense and I like it for that". Danny Peary wrote that Octopussy "has slow spots, little humour, and villains who aren’t nearly of the calibre of Dr. No, Goldfinger, or Blofeld. Also, the filmmakers make the mistake of demeaning Bond by having him swing through the trees and emitting a Tarzan cry and having him hide in a gorilla suit and later disguise himself as a clown (whom all the kids at the circus laugh at). It’s as if they’re trying to remind us that everything is tongue-in-cheek, but that makes little sense, for the film is much more serious than typical Bond outings – in fact, it recalls the tone of From Russia with Love."[19] Entertainment Weekly chose Octopussy as the third worst Bond film,[20] while Norman Wilner of MSN chose it as the eighth worst,[21] and IGN chose it as the seventh worst.[22] The review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a 42% rating.[23]
Octopussy was nominated for an Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films Award, with Maud Adams nominated for the Saturn Award in the Best Fantasy Supporting Actress category. Entertainment Weekly ranked her as the best Bond girl of the Roger Moore James Bond films.[24] The film won the Golden Screen Award in Germany and the Golden Reel Award for Best Sound Editing.[25]
Character reviews[edit]
In 2006 Fandango ranked the character Octopussy as one of the top 10 Bond girls, and described her as "a powerful, impressive woman."[26] Entertainment Weekly ranked her as the 10th worst Bond girl in one list in 2006,[27] but as the best "babe" of the Roger Moore James Bond films in another list in 2008.[28] Yahoo! Movies included the character in a 2012 list of the best Bond girl names, commenting, "This Bond girl moniker was so good, they named the film after her!"[29]
See also[edit]

Portal icon James Bond portal
Portal icon Film portal
Portal icon 1980s portal
Outline of James Bond
References[edit]
1.^ Jump up to: a b Hume, 121
2.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i Inside Octopussy (DVD). MGM Home Entertainment Inc. 2000. Retrieved 4 August 2007.
3.Jump up ^ George MacDonald Fraser, The Light's On at Signpost, HarperCollins 2002 p234-246
4.Jump up ^ "Home Cinema @ The Digital Fix – Octopussy (Ultimate Edition)". Dvdtimes.co.uk. Retrieved 12 September 2010.
5.Jump up ^ "August: This Month in Bond History". Archived from the original on 5 August 2008. Retrieved 18 August 2007.
6.^ Jump up to: a b c Hume, Alan; Gareth Owen. "Potted Palms". A Life Through the Lens: Memoirs of a Film Cameraman. McFarland & Company. p. 122. ISBN 0-7864-1803-6.
7.Jump up ^ Lunsford, J. Lynn (22 September 2006). "Filming air combat is as risky as a dogfight". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 12 August 2007.
8.^ Jump up to: a b "Episode 2". Main Hoon Bond. Season 1. Episode 2. 54 minutes in. Star Gold.
9.Jump up ^ Hume, 124
10.Jump up ^ Hume, 125
11.Jump up ^ "Octopussy soundtrack at Amazon". Retrieved 13 August 2007.
12.Jump up ^ "Filmtrack's editorial on the Octopussy soundtrack". Retrieved 13 August 2007.
13.Jump up ^ "Octopussy at IMDb". Retrieved 21 August 2007.
14.Jump up ^ "Octopussy: Review at Filmcritic.com". Archived from the original on 15 February 2010. Retrieved 13 August 2007.
15.Jump up ^ "Octopussy:Review on Reelviews". James Berardinelli. Retrieved 13 August 2007.
16.Jump up ^ "Octopussy:Critical Review on IMDb". Steve Rhodes. Retrieved 21 August 2007.
17.Jump up ^ "Octopussy:Review on BBC". Debbie Barham. 30 August 2001. Retrieved 13 August 2007.
18.Jump up ^ "Octopussy at Rotten Tomatoes". Jeffrey Westhoff. Retrieved 21 August 2007.
19.Jump up ^ Danny Peary, Guide for the Film Fanatic (Simon & Schuster, 1986) pp.306–307
20.Jump up ^ Benjamin Svetkey; Joshua Rich. "Countdown: Ranking the Bond Films". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 27 June 2009.
21.Jump up ^ Norman Wilner. "Rating the Spy Game". MSN. Retrieved 27 June 2009.
22.Jump up ^ "James Bond's Top 20". IGN Entertainment. Retrieved 27 July 2009.
23.Jump up ^ "Octopussy". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 3 March 2010.
24.Jump up ^ Chris Nashawaty, "Moore...And Sometimes Less: A look at the most—and least—memorable bad guys, babes, and Bonds in Roger Moore's 007 oeuvre," Entertainment Weekly 1025 (12 December 2008): 37.
25.Jump up ^ "Octopussy: Awards at IMDb". Retrieved 18 August 2007.
26.Jump up ^ The Top 10 Bond Girls - Fandango.com
27.Jump up ^ The 10 Worst Bond Girls | EW.com
28.Jump up ^ Chris Nashawaty, "Moore...And Sometimes Less: A look at the most--and least--memorable bad guys, babes, and Bonds in Roger Moore's 007 oeuvre," Entertainment Weekly 1025 (12 December 2008): 37.
29.Jump up ^ James Bond at 50: the best Bond Girl names | Movie Editor's Blog - Yahoo! Movies UK
External links[edit]
 Wikiquote has quotations related to: Octopussy
Octopussy at the Internet Movie Database
Octopussy at AllMovie
Octopussy at Rotten Tomatoes
Octopussy at Box Office Mojo
MGM's official Octopussy website


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For Your Eyes Only (film)
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For Your Eyes Only
A graphic, taking up three quarters of the image, on black background with the bottom quarter in red. Above the picture are the words "No one comes close to JAMES BOND 007". The graphic contains a stylised pair of women's legs and buttocks in the foreground: a pair of bikini bottoms cover some of the bottom. The woman wears high heels and is carrying a crossbow in her right hand. In the distance, viewed between her legs, a man in a dinner suit is seen side on, carrying a pistol. In the red, below the graphic, are the words: "Roger Moore as Ian Fleming's James Bond 007 in FOR YOUR EYES ONLY".
British cinema poster for For Your Eyes Only, designed by Bill Gold
 
Directed by
John Glen
Produced by
Albert R. Broccoli
Screenplay by
Michael G. Wilson
Richard Maibaum
Based on
For Your Eyes Only
 by Ian Fleming
Starring
Roger Moore
Julian Glover
Carole Bouquet
Chaim Topol
Lynn-Holly Johnson
Music by
Bill Conti
Cinematography
Alan Hume
Edited by
John Grover
Production
   company
Eon Productions
Distributed by
United Artists
Release date(s)
24 June 1981
 
Running time
127 minutes
Country
United Kingdom
Language
English
Budget
$28 million
Box office
$194.9 million
For Your Eyes Only (1981) is the twelfth spy film in the James Bond series, and the fifth to star Roger Moore as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. It marked the directorial debut of John Glen, who had worked as editor and second unit director in three other Bond films.
The screenplay by Richard Maibaum and Michael G. Wilson takes its characters and combines the plots from two short stories from Ian Fleming's For Your Eyes Only collection: the title story and "Risico". In the plot, Bond attempts to locate a missile command system while becoming tangled in a web of deception spun by rival Greek businessmen along with Melina Havelock, a woman seeking to avenge the murder of her parents. Some writing elements were inspired by the novels Live and Let Die, Goldfinger and On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
After the science fiction-focused Moonraker, the producers wanted a conscious return to the style of the early Bond films and the works of 007 creator Fleming. For Your Eyes Only followed a grittier, more realistic approach, and an unusually strong narrative theme of revenge and its consequences. Filming locations included Greece, Italy, Spain and England, with underwater footage being shot in The Bahamas.
For Your Eyes Only was released on 24 June 1981 to a mixed critical reception; the film was a financial success, generating $195.3 million worldwide. This was the final Bond film to be distributed solely by United Artists; the studio merged with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer soon after this film's release.


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Production 3.1 Writing
3.2 Casting
3.3 Filming
3.4 Music
4 Release and reception 4.1 Contemporary reviews
4.2 Reflective reviews
4.3 Accolades
5 Comic book adaptation
6 See also
7 References
8 Bibliography
9 External links

Plot[edit]
The British spy boat St Georges, which holds the Automatic Targeting Attack Communicator (ATAC), the system used by the Ministry of Defence to communicate with and co-ordinate the Royal Navy's fleet of Polaris submarines, is sunk by a naval mine in the Ionian Sea. MI6 agent James Bond, code name "007", is ordered by the Minister of Defence, Sir Frederick Gray and MI6 Chief of Staff, Bill Tanner, to retrieve the ATAC before the Soviets, as the transmitter could order attacks by the submarines' Polaris ballistic missiles.
The head of the KGB, General Gogol has also learnt of the fate of the St Georges and already notified his contact in Greece. A marine archaeologist, Sir Timothy Havelock, who had been asked by the British to secretly locate the St Georges, is murdered with his wife by a Cuban hitman, Hector Gonzales. Bond goes to Spain to find out who hired Gonzales.
While spying on Gonzales' villa, Bond is captured by his men, but manages to escape as Gonzales is killed by an arrow. Outside, he finds the assassin was Melina Havelock, the daughter of Sir Timothy, and the two escape. With the help of Q, Bond identifies a hitman in Gonzales' estate as Emile Leopold Locque, and then goes to Locque's possible base in Italy. There Bond meets his contact, Luigi Ferrara, and a well-connected Greek businessman and intelligence informant, Aris Kristatos, who tells Bond that Locque is employed by Milos Columbo, known as "the Dove" in the Greek underworld, Kristatos' former resistance partner during the Second World War. After Bond goes with Kristatos' protégée, figure skater Bibi Dahl, to a biathlon course, a group of three men, which includes East German biathlete Eric Kriegler, chases Bond, trying to kill him. Bond escapes, and then goes with Ferrara to bid Bibi farewell in an indoor ice rink, where he fends off another attempt on his life by men in hockey gear. Ferrara is killed in his car, with a dove pin in his hand. Bond then travels to Corfu in pursuit of Columbo.
There, at the casino, Bond meets with Kristatos and asks how to meet Columbo, not knowing that Columbo's men are secretly recording their conversation. After Columbo and his mistress, Countess Lisl von Schlaf, argue, Bond offers to escort her home with Kristatos' car and driver. The two then spend the night together. In the morning Lisl and Bond are ambushed by Locque and Lisl is killed. Bond is captured by Columbo's men before Locque can kill him; Columbo then tells Bond that Locque was actually hired by Kristatos, who is working for the KGB to retrieve the ATAC. Bond accompanies Columbo and his crew on a raid on one of Kristatos' opium-processing warehouses in Albania, where Bond uncovers naval mines similar to the one that sank the St Georges, suggesting it was not an accident. After the base is destroyed, Bond chases Locque and kills him.
Afterwards, Bond meets with Melina, and they recover the ATAC from the wreckage of the St Georges, but Kristatos is waiting for them when they surface and he takes the ATAC. After the two escape an assassination attempt, they discover Kristatos' rendezvous point when Melina's parrot repeats the phrase "ATAC to St Cyril's". With the help of Columbo and his men, Bond and Melina break into St Cyril's, an abandoned mountaintop monastery. While Bond is climbing, Apostis attacks him, but is killed. As Columbo confronts Kristatos, Bond kills the biathlete Kriegler.
Bond retrieves the ATAC system and stops Melina from killing Kristatos after he surrenders. Kristatos tries to kill Bond with a hidden flick knife, but is killed by a knife thrown by Columbo; Gogol arrives by helicopter to collect the ATAC, but Bond destroys it first. Bond and Melina later spend a romantic evening aboard her father's yacht.
Cast[edit]
Roger Moore as James Bond: MI6 agent 007, who is sent to retrieve a stolen "ATAC" system that could be misused for controlling British military submarines. For Your Eyes Only was the fifth of seven outings for Moore as Bond.
Carole Bouquet as Melina Havelock: The daughter of marine archaeologists who are murdered while tracking down the ATAC's whereabouts. Bouquet had auditioned for the role of Holly Goodhead in Moonraker, but was unsuccessful.[1]
Julian Glover as Aristotle Kristatos: Initially shown as an ally, later as the main villain. A smuggler planning to expand his fortune by selling the ATAC to the KGB. Glover had been shortlisted as a possible Bond for Live and Let Die, eventually losing out to Moore.[1] Glover would go on to appear opposite previous Bond Sean Connery in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, as Nazi sympathiser Walter Donovan.[2]
Chaim Topol (credited as "Topol") as Milos Columbo: Kristatos' former smuggling partner who assists Bond in his mission. Named after Gioacchino Colombo, the Ferrari engine designer, specifically Ferrari 125, which Fleming admired.[3] Topol suggested the pistachios as a trademark of the character, which are used in a scene to orient Columbo's men on where to shoot.[4]
Lynn-Holly Johnson as Bibi Dahl: An ice-skating prodigy who is training with the financial support of Kristatos. Johnson was an ice skater before turning to acting, and achieved second place at the novice level of the 1974 United States Figure Skating Championships.[5]
Michael Gothard as Emile Leopold Locque: A hired killer and associate of Kristatos.
Cassandra Harris as Countess Lisl von Schlaf: Columbo's mistress. At the time of filming Harris was married to future Bond actor Pierce Brosnan, and the couple lunched with the film's producer Albert Broccoli during filming.[1]
John Wyman as Erich Kriegler: An Olympic class athlete and Kristatos' henchman/KGB contact. Writer Jeremy Black said that he resembles Hans of You Only Live Twice and Stamper of Tomorrow Never Dies.[6]
Desmond Llewelyn as Q, the head of MI6's technical department. For Your Eyes Only was the tenth of 17 Bond films in which Llewelyn appeared. He appeared in more Bond films than any other actor[7] and worked with the first five Bond actors in the Eon-produced series.[8]
Jill Bennett as Jacoba Brink: Bibi's skating coach.
Jack Hedley as Sir Timothy Havelock: A marine archaeologist hired by the British Secret Service to secretly locate the wreck of St. Georges.
Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny, M's secretary. Maxwell played Moneypenny in fourteen Eon-produced Bond films from Dr. No in 1962 to A View to a Kill in 1985; For Your Eyes Only was her twelfth appearance.
Geoffrey Keen as Sir Frederick Gray: The British Minister of Defence, a minister in the British government. The role, along with Bill Tanner as Chief of Staff, was used to brief Bond in place of M, following the death of Bernard Lee.[9]
James Villiers as MI6 Chief of Staff Bill Tanner. The role of Tanner first appeared on film in The Man with the Golden Gun, although in an un-credited capacity. Villiers presumed he would play the role of M in subsequent films and was disappointed not to be asked; the producers thought him too young for the role and wanted an actor in his 70s.[10]
John Moreno as Luigi Ferrara: 007's MI6 contact in northern Italy.
Walter Gotell as General Gogol: Head of the KGB and previous ally of MI6 in The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker.
Jack Klaff as Apostis: One of Kristatos's henchmen and chauffeur.
Stefan Kalipha as Hector Gonzales: A Cuban hitman hired by Kristatos to kill the Havelocks.
Charles Dance as Claus, an associate of Locque. The role was early in Dance's career;[1] in 1989 he would play Ian Fleming in Anglia Television's Goldeneye: The Secret Life of Ian Fleming, a dramatised portrayal of the life of Ian Fleming.[11]
Janet Brown as Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who appears in the closing scene alongside John Wells as Denis.
John Hollis as the "bald villain in wheelchair",[12] voiced by Robert Rietti.[13] The character appears in the pre-credits sequence and is both unnamed and uncredited. The character contains a number of characteristics of Ernst Stavro Blofeld,[12] but could not be identified as such because of the legal reasons surrounding the Thunderball controversy with Kevin McClory claiming sole rights to the Blofeld character, a claim disputed by Eon.[14]
Bob Simmons, who previously portrayed Bond in the gun barrel sequences in the first three films and SPECTRE agent Colonel Jacques Bouvar in Thunderball, cameos as another villain as Gonzales' henchman who falls victim to Bond's exploding Lotus.[10]
Production[edit]
“ We had gone as far as we could into space. We needed a change of some sort, back to the grass roots of Bond. We wanted to make the new film more of a thriller than a romp, without losing sight of what made Bond famous – its humour. ”
—John Glen[15]
 
For Your Eyes Only marked a change in the make up of the production crew: John Glen was promoted from his duties as a film editor to director, a position he would occupy for four subsequent films.[16] The transition in directors resulted in a harder-edged directorial style, with less emphasis on gadgetry and large action sequences in huge arenas (as was favoured by Lewis Gilbert).[17] Emphasis was placed on tension, plot and character in addition to a return to Bond's more serious roots,[18] whilst For Your Eyes Only "showed a clear attempt to activate some lapsed and inactive parts of the Bond mythology."[19]
The film was also a deliberate effort to bring the series more back to reality, following the huge success of Moonraker in 1979.[20] As co-writer Michael G. Wilson pointed out, "If we went through the path of Moonraker things would just get more outlandish, so we needed to get back to basics".[16] To that end, the story that emerged was simpler, not one in which the world was at risk, but returning the series to that of a Cold War thriller;[16] Bond would also rely more on his wits than gadgets to survive.[21] Glen decided to symbolically represent it with a scene where Bond's Lotus blows itself up and forces 007 to rely on Melina's more humble Citroën 2CV.[16] Since Ken Adam was busy with Pennies from Heaven, Peter Lamont, who had worked in the art department since Goldfinger, was promoted to production designer. Following a suggestion of Glen, Lamont created realistic scenery, instead of the elaborate set pieces for which the series had been known.[16]
Writing[edit]
Richard Maibaum was once again the scriptwriter for the story, assisted by Michael G. Wilson.[22] According to Wilson, the ideas from stories could have come from anyone as the outlines were worked out in committee that could include Broccoli, Maibaum, Wilson and stunt coordinators.[23] Much of the inspiration for the stories for the film came from two Ian Fleming short stories from collection For Your Eyes Only: Risico and For Your Eyes Only.[24] Another set-piece from the novel of Live and Let Die – the keelhauling – which was unused in the film of the same name, was also inserted into the plot.[23] Other ideas from Fleming were also used in For Your Eyes Only, such as the Identigraph, which come from the novel Goldfinger, where it was originally called the "Identicast".[25] These elements from Fleming's stories were mixed with a Cold War story centred on the MacGuffin of the ATAC.[22]
For Your Eyes Only is noted for its pre-title sequence, described variously as either "out-of place and disappointing"[22] or "roaringly enjoyable".[26] The scene was shot in order to introduce a potential new Bond to audiences, thus linking the new actor to elements from previous Bond films[23] (see casting, below).
The sequence begins with Bond laying flowers at the grave of his wife, Tracy Bond, before a Universal Exports helicopter picks him up for an emergency. Control of the helicopter is taken over by remote control by a bald man in a grey Nehru jacket with a white cat. This character is unnamed in either the film or the credits, although he looks and sounds like Ernst Stavro Blofeld as played by Donald Pleasence or Telly Savalas.[22] Director John Glen referred to the identity of the villain obliquely: "We just let people use their imaginations and draw their own conclusions ... It's a legal thing".[1] The character is deliberately not named due to copyright restrictions with Kevin McClory, who owned the film rights to Thunderball, which supposedly includes the character Ernst Stavro Blofeld, the organisation SPECTRE, and other material associated with the development of Thunderball.[27] Eon disputed McClory's ownership of the Blofeld character, but decided not to use him again: the scene was "a deliberate statement by Broccoli of his lack of need to use the character."[14]
Casting[edit]
Roger Moore had originally signed a three-film contract with Eon Productions, which covered his first three appearances up to The Spy Who Loved Me. Subsequent to this, the actor negotiated contracts on a film by film basis.[23] Uncertainty surrounding his involvement in For Your Eyes Only led to other actors being considered to take over, including Lewis Collins, known in the UK for his portrayal of Bodie in The Professionals;[28] Michael Billington, who previously appeared in The Spy Who Loved Me as Agent XXX's ill-fated lover, (Billington's screen test for For Your Eyes Only was one of the five occasions he auditioned for the role of Bond)[29] and Michael Jayston, who had appeared as the eponymous spy in the British TV series of Quiller[23] (Jayston eventually played Bond in a BBC Radio production of You Only Live Twice in 1985).[23] Eventually, however, this came to nothing, as Moore signed on to play Bond once again.
Bernard Lee died in January 1981, after filming had started on For Your Eyes Only, but before he could film his scenes as M, the head of MI6, as he had done in the previous eleven films of the James Bond series. Out of respect, no new actor was hired to assume the role and, instead, the script was re-written so that the character is said to be on leave, letting Chief of Staff Bill Tanner take over the role as acting head of MI6 and briefing Bond alongside the Minister of Defence.[30] Chaim Topol was cast following a suggestion by Broccoli's wife Dana, while Julian Glover joined the cast as the producers felt he was stylish – Glover was even considered to play Bond at some point, but Michael G. Wilson stated that "when we first thought of him he was too young, and by the time of For Your Eyes Only he was too old".[16] Carole Bouquet was a suggestion of United Artists publicist Jerry Juroe, and after Glen and Broccoli saw her in That Obscure Object of Desire, they went to Rome to invite Bouquet for the role of Melina.[31]
Filming[edit]

A yellow car drives down a grassy road.

 A Citroën 2CV 007, similar to the one used in the film.
Production of For Your Eyes Only begun on 2 September 1980 in the North Sea, with three days shooting exterior scenes with the St Georges.[16][32] The interiors were shot later in Pinewood Studios, as well as the ship's explosion, which was done with a miniature in Pinewood's tank on the 007 Stage.[33] On 15 September principal photography started in Corfu at the Villa Sylva at Kanoni, above Corfu Town,[20] which acted as the location of the Spanish villa. Many of the local houses were painted white for scenographic reasons.[34] Glen opted to use the local slopes and olive trees for the chase scene between Melina's Citroën 2CV and Gonzales' men driving Peugeot 504s.[31] The scene was shot across twelve days, with stunt driver Rémy Julienne – who would remain in the series up until GoldenEye – driving the Citroën.[35] Four 2CVs were used, with modifications for the stunts – all had more powerful flat-four engines, and one received a special revolving plate on its roof so it could get turned upside down.[36][37][38]
In October filming moved to other Greek locations, including Metéora and the Achilleion.[39] In November, the main unit moved to England, which included interior work in Pinewood, while the second unit shot underwater scenes in The Bahamas. On 1 January 1981, production moved to Cortina D'Ampezzo in Italy, where filming wrapped on February.[16] Since it was not snowing in Cortina D'Ampezzo by the time of filming, the producers had to pay for trucks to bring snow from nearby mountains, which was then dumped in the city's streets.[40]
Many of the underwater scenes, especially involving close-ups of Bond and Melina, were actually faked on a dry soundstage. A combination of lighting effects, slow-motion photography, wind, and bubbles added in post-production, gave the illusion of the actors being underwater.[20] Actress Carole Bouquet reportedly had a pre-existing health condition that prevented her from performing actual underwater stunt work.[16] Actual aquatic scenes were done by a team lead by Al Giddings, who had previously worked in The Deep, and filmed in either Pinewood's tank on the 007 Stage or an underwater set built in the Bahamas. Production designer Peter Lamont and his team developed two working props for the submarine Neptune, as well as a mock-up with a fake bottom.[41]
Roger Moore was reluctant to film the scene of Bond kicking a car, with Locque inside, over the edge of a cliff, saying that it "was Bond-like, but not Roger Moore Bond-like."[16] Michael G. Wilson later said that Moore had to be persuaded to be more ruthless than he felt comfortable.[1] Wilson also added that he and Richard Maibaum, along with John Glen, toyed with other ideas surrounding that scene, but ultimately everyone, even Moore, agreed to do the scene as originally written.[16]

A monastery stands atop a large mountain.

 The Monastery of the Holy Trinity in Meteora served as a location
For the Meteora shoots, a Greek bishop was paid to allow filming in the monasteries, but the uninformed Eastern Orthodox monks were mostly critical of production rolling in their installations. After a trial in the Greek Supreme Court, it was decided that the monks' only property were the interiors – the exteriors and surrounding landscapes were from the local government. In protest, the monks remained shut inside the monasteries during the shooting,[16][34] and tried to sabotage production as much as possible, hanging their washing out of their windows[10] and covering the principal monastery with plastic bunting and flags to spoil the shots, and placing oil drums to prevent the film crew from landing helicopters. The production team solved the problem with back lighting, matte paintings, and building both a similar scenographic monastery on a nearby unoccupied rock, and a monastery set in Pinewood.[32]
Roger Moore said he had a great fear of heights, and to do the climbing in Greece, he resorted to moderate drinking to calm his nerves.[16] Later in that same sequence, Rick Sylvester, a stuntman who had previously performed the pre-credits ski jump in The Spy Who Loved Me, undertook the stunt of Bond falling off the side of the cliff.[42] The stunt was dangerous, since the sudden stop at the bottom could be fatal. Special effects supervisor Derek Meddings developed a system that would dampen the stop, but Sylvester recalled that his nerves nearly got the better of him: "From where we were [shooting], you could see the local cemetery; and the box [to stop my fall] looked like a casket. You didn't need to be an English major to connect the dots." The stunt went off without a problem.[16]
Bond veteran cameraman and professional skier Willy Bogner, Jr. was promoted to director of a second unit involving ski footage.[40] Bogner designed the ski chase on the bobsleigh track of Cortina d'Ampezzo hoping to surpass his work in both On Her Majesty's Secret Service and The Spy Who Loved Me.[16] To allow better filming, Bogner developed both a system where he was attached to a bobsleigh, allowing to film the vehicle or behind it,[42] and a set of skis that allowed him to ski forwards and backwards in order to get the best shots.[20] In February 1981, on the final day of filming the bobsleigh chase, one of the stuntmen driving a sleigh, 23-year-old Paolo Rigon, was killed when he became trapped under the bob.[10]
The pre-credits sequence used a church in Stoke Poges as a cemetery, while the helicopter scenes were filmed at the abandoned Beckton Gas Works in London.[39] The gas works were also the location for some of Stanley Kubrick's 1987 film, Full Metal Jacket.[43] Director John Glen got the idea for the remote-controlled helicopter after seeing a child playing with an RC car.[16] Since flying the helicopter through a warehouse was too dangerous, the scene where the vehicle enters was done through forced perspective – stunt pilot Marc Wolff drove besides the building, making it seem as if the helicopter was entering a smaller mock-up built by Derek Meddings' team which was closer to the camera – while the footage inside the building was shot on location, though with a life-sized helicopter model which stood over a rail. Stuntman Martin Grace stood as Bond when the agent is dangling outside the flying helicopter, while Roger Moore himself was used in the scenes inside the model.[31][44]
Music[edit]
Main article: For Your Eyes Only (soundtrack)
The score of For Your Eyes Only was written by Bill Conti, who retained a number of John Barry-influenced brass elements in the score, but also added elements of dance and funk music.[45] Whilst one reviewer observed that "Bill Conti's score is a constant source of annoyance",[46] another claimed that "In the end, For Your Eyes Only stands as one of the best James Bond film scores of the 1980s."[45]
The title song, written by Conti and Michael Leeson, was sung by Sheena Easton, who holds the distinction of being the first title song artist to appear on screen in a Bond film,[25] as designer Maurice Binder liked Easton's appearance and decided to add her to the opening credits.[47] The producers of the film wanted Blondie to perform the title song: the band wrote a song titled "For Your Eyes Only", but decided to decline the offer when they discovered the producers wanted a recording of Conti's song instead. Blondie's song can be found on their 1982 album, The Hunter.[48]
Release and reception[edit]
For Your Eyes Only was premiered at the Odeon Leicester Square in London on 24 June 1981,[49] setting an all-time opening-day record for any film at any cinema in the UK with a gross of £14,998[50] (£50,158 in 2014 pounds[51])— ($29,696).[50] The film went on general release in the UK the same day. For Your Eyes Only had its North American premiere in the US and Canada on Friday, 26 June, at approximately 1,100 cinemas.[50]

An oblong-shaped digital watch. Above the face is the name "JAMES BOND". Below the face are a stylised "007" and the logo of the film, "FOR YOUR EYES ONLY".

For Your Eyes Only watch, released as part of the merchandising for the film
The film grossed $54.8 million in the United States,[52] (equivalent to $101.5 million at 2011 ticket prices[53] or $142 million in 2014 dollars,[54] adjusted for general inflation) and $195.3 million worldwide,[55] becoming the second highest grossing Bond film after its predecessor, Moonraker.[52] This was the last James Bond film to be solely released by United Artists. Following the MGM and United Artists merger, the films were released by "MGM/UA Distribution Co".[56]
The promotional cinema poster for the film featured a woman holding a crossbow; she was photographed from behind, and her outfit left the bottom half of her buttocks exposed. The effect was achieved by having the model wear a pair of bikini bottoms backwards, so that the part seen on her backside is actually the front of the suit.[57] The poster caused some furore—largely in the US—with The Boston Globe and the Los Angeles Times considering the poster so unsuitable they edited out everything above the knee,[58] whilst the Pittsburgh Press editors painted a pair of shorts over the legs.[59] There was significant speculation as to the identity of the model before photographer Morgan Kane identified her as Joyce Bartle.[58] A number of items of merchandising were issued to coincide with the film, including a 007 digital watch and a copy of Melina's Citroën 2CV by Corgi Toys.[57] Citroën itself produced a special "007" edition of the 2CV, which even had decorative bullet holes on the door.[60] Marvel Comics also did a comic book adaptation (see section below).[57]
Contemporary reviews[edit]
Derek Malcolm in The Guardian disliked the film, saying it was "too long ... and pretty boring between the stunts", although he admitted that the stunts were of a high quality.[61] According to Malcolm, Bond "inhabits a fantasy-land of more or less bloodless violence, groinless sex and naivety masked as superior sophistication", with Moore playing him as if in a "nicely lubricated daze".[61] Although Malcolm tipped the film for international box office success, he observed that he "can't quite see why the series has lasted so long and so strong in people's affections."[61] Writing in The Observer, Philip French commented that "not for the first time the pre-credits sequence is the best thing about the film."[62] French was dismissive of Moore's Bond, saying that Bond was "impersonated by Moore" and referred to Moore's advancing years.[62]
Ian Christie, writing in the Daily Express, said that it was not "much of a plot, but it has a touch of credibility which is a welcome change from some of its predecessors."[63] Overall, Christie thought, For Your Eyes Only was "one of the better Bonds, with a nice balance between humour and excitement and the usual bevy of beautiful girls."[63] Christie's colleague in the Sunday Express, Richard Barkley praised the film, saying that For Your Eyes Only "is one of the most exciting yet". Barkley describes Moore's Bond as having an "accustomed debonair calm and quiet authority". All told, Barkley thought "this Bond movie is smashing entertainment."[64]
David Robinson, writing in The Times bemoaned the fact that the "dramatic bits between the set pieces don't count for much." Like other critics at the time his praise was more directed towards the stunt crews; they were "better than ever in this one."[65] The film critic for the magazine Time Out was brief and pithy: "no plot and poor dialogue, and Moore really is old enough to be the uncle of those girls."[66]
For the US press, Gary Arnold in The Washington Post thought the film was "undeniably easy on the eyes", and further added "maybe too easy to prevent the mind from wandering and the lids from drooping."[67] Arnold was also critical of the large set pieces, calling them "more ponderous than sensational" and that there was "no equivalent of the classic action highlights that can be recalled readily from "From Russia, With Love" or "You Only Live Twice" or "The Spy Who Loved Me" or "Moonraker." This is a Bond waiting for something inspired to push it over the top."[67] The New York Times critic Vincent Canby said that "For Your Eyes Only is not the best of the series by a long shot" although he does say that the film is "slick entertainment" with a tone that is "consistently comic even when the material is not."[68]
Jack Kroll in Newsweek dismissed the film, saying it was "an anthology of action episodes held together by the thinnest of plot lines", although he does concede that these set pieces are "terrific in their exhilaratingly absurd energy."[69] For Time magazine, Richard Corliss concentrated on the stunts, saying the team "have devised some splendid optional features for For Your Eyes Only" whilst also commenting on Roger Moore, saying that his "mannequin good looks and waxed-fruit insouciance" show him to be "the best-oiled cog in this perpetual motion machine."[70] Jay Scott of The Globe and Mail included it on his list of the year's worst films.[71] "Repellant"[72] and "ambitiously bad".[71]
French filmmaker Robert Bresson admired the film. "It filled me with wonder because of its cinematographic writing ... if I could have seen it twice in a row and again the next day, I would have done."[73][74] Elsewhere Bresson said he also loved the film's ski chase.[75]
Reflective reviews[edit]
Opinion on For Your Eyes Only has not changed with the passing of time and the reviews are still mixed: as of August 2011, the film holds a 73% 'fresh' rating from Rotten Tomatoes,[76] being ranked twelfth among the 22 Bond films.[77] Ian Nathan of Empire gives the film only two of a possible five stars, observing that the film "still ranks as one of the most forgettable Bonds on record."[78] In 2006, IGN chose For Your Eyes Only as the sixth best Bond film, claiming it is "a good old-fashioned espionage tale",[79] a placement shared by Norman Wilner of MSN, who considered it "the one Moore film that seems to reach back to Connery's heyday",[80] and Entertainment Weekly chose it as the tenth best in 2008, saying it was a "return to low-tech, low-key Bond [with] ... some of the best stunts since the early days".[81] In October 2008 Time Out re-issued a review of For Your Eyes Only and observed that the film is "admirable in intent" but that it "feels a little spare", largely because the plot has been "divested of the bells and whistles that hallmark the franchise".[46]
James Berardinelli wrote that the film was "a solid adventure, although it could have been better",[82] while Danny Peary thought "There are exciting moments, but most of it is standard Bond fare," going on to describe For Your Eyes Only as "an attempt to mix spectacle with [the] tough, believable storylines of early Bond films ... [it] is enjoyable while you're watching it. Afterward, it's one of the most forgettable of the Bond series."[83] Raymond Benson, the author of nine Bond novels, thought For Your Eyes Only was Roger Moore's best Bond film.[84]
Although Chris Nashawaty of Entertainment Weekly ranks Carole Bouquet playing Melina as the "worst babe" of the seven Roger Moore James Bond films,[85] his colleague, Joshua Rich disagreed, putting her tenth in the overall 10 Best Bond Girls listing from the 21 films released up to that point.[86] Entertainment Weekly also ranked Lynn-Holly Johnson as Bibi Dahl as ninth on their list of the 10 worst Bond girls from the choice of from the 21 films that had been released.[87] After 20 films had been released, IGN ranked Bouquet as fifth in their 'top 10 Bond Babes' list,[88] and The Times thought she was sixth on their list of the Top 10 most fashionable Bond girls after 21 films had been released.[89]
Accolades[edit]
The song "For Your Eyes Only" was nominated for a Best Original Song at the 39th Golden Globe Awards[90] and Best Original Song at the 1981 Academy Awards, losing out at both ceremonies to "Arthur's Theme" from the film Arthur.[91] However, the 1981 Academy Awards ceremony did see the presenting of the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award to producer Albert R. Broccoli.[92] The Writers Guild of America nominated the script by Michael G. Wilson and Richard Maibaum for Best Adapted Screenplay – Comedy or Musical Picture.[93]
Comic book adaptation[edit]

Two comic books covers, both titled "FOR YOUR EYES ONLY". The cover on the left shows a man with a pistol, with a blonde woman in front of him. In front of both of them a brunette woman holds a crossbow. The cover on the right shows the same man and brunette woman abseiling on a cliff, with two guns in the foreground pointing at them.

 Two-part For Your Eyes Only comic book adaptation by Marvel Comics
Main article: James Bond comic books
As part of the merchandising of For Your Eyes Only, Marvel Comics published a two-issue comic book adaptation of the film.[57][94] The first issue was released in October 1981 and was soon followed by the second issue in November of the same year. Both issues of the adaptation were written by Larry Hama, pencilled by Howard Chaykin, inked by Vincent Colletta and edited by Dennis O'Neil.[95]
It was the second film in the series to have a comic book tie-in, following a Dr. No comic in 1962. Marvel Comics would go on to publish an Octopussy comic book adaptation in 1983.
See also[edit]

Portal icon James Bond portal
Outline of James Bond
References[edit]
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68.Jump up ^ Canby, Vincent (26 June 1981). "Bond in 'For Your Eyes Only'". Movie Review (The New York Times). Retrieved 16 August 2011.
69.Jump up ^ Kroll, Jack (29 June 1981). "Down to 001". Newsweek.
70.Jump up ^ Corliss, Richard (29 June 1981). "Cinema: Perpetual Motion Machine". Time.
71.^ Jump up to: a b Scott, Jay (2 January 1982). "Something old, but not much new Abel Gance's aged Napoleon one shimmering superstar in a year of gloomy omens". The Globe and Mail. p. E.3.
72.Jump up ^ Scott, Jay (10 June 1983). "Plenty Moore of the same 007 has lost a few steps but is still in the running". The Globe and Mail. p. E.1.
73.Jump up ^ "Bresson In Germany". 11 May 2010.The interview may be seen on New Yorker Films' DVD release of Bresson's film L'Argent.
74.Jump up ^ Robert Bresson (July 2005). "Chatterbox: Armond White & Robert Bresson". Film Comment 41 (4): 8.
75.Jump up ^ Ciment 2009, p. 36.
76.Jump up ^ "For Your Eyes Only". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
77.Jump up ^ In 2008, the film was ranked ninth with 73%; ever since the list was posted, For Your Eyes Only's score fell to 69%, falling behind the ones that stood from 12th to 10th – You Only Live Twice (70%), Licence to Kill (71%) and The Living Daylights (73%)("Movies Like For Your Eyes Only".)
78.Jump up ^ Nathan, Ian. "For Your Eyes Only". Empire. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
79.Jump up ^ "James Bond's Top 20". IGN. 17 November 2006. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
80.Jump up ^ Norman Wilner. "Rating the Spy Game". MSN. Archived from the original on 19 January 2008. Retrieved 4 March 2008.
81.Jump up ^ Sauter, Michael (1 July 2008). "Playing the Bond Market". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
82.Jump up ^ Berardinelli, James (1996). "For Your Eyes Only". ReelViews. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
83.Jump up ^ Peary 1986, p. 157.
84.Jump up ^ Cox, John. "The Raymond Benson CBn Interview (Part II)". The Raymond Benson CBn Interview. CommanderBond.net. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
85.Jump up ^ Nashawaty, Chris (12 December 2008). "Moore ... and Sometimes Less". Entertainment Weekly (1025). Retrieved 16 August 2011.
86.Jump up ^ Rich, Joshua (9 November 2006). "10. Melina Havelock (Carole Bouquet)". The 10 Best Bond Girls (Entertainment Weekly). Retrieved 17 August 2011.
87.Jump up ^ Rich, Joshua. "9. Bibi Dahl (Lynn-Holly Johnson)". The 10 Worst Bond Girls (Entertainment Weekly). Retrieved 17 August 2011.
88.Jump up ^ Zdyrko, Dave. "Top 10 Bond Babes". IGN. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
89.Jump up ^ Copping, Nicola (1 April 2008). "Top 10 most fashionable Bond girls". The Times (London). Retrieved 17 August 2011.
90.Jump up ^ "Awards Search – Best Original Song – Motion Picture". Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
91.Jump up ^ "The 54th Academy Awards (1982) Nominees and Winners". Oscar Legacy. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 18 August 2011.
92.Jump up ^ "Irving G. Thalberg Award". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 18 August 2011.
93.Jump up ^ Riggs, Thomas, ed. (2006). Contemporary Theatre, Film and Television, Volume 72. Thomson Gale. ISBN 978-0-7876-9045-8. "Michael G. Wilson. Honors: Best comedy adapted from another medium (with Richard Maibaum), Writers Guild of America, 1982, for For Your Eyes Only"
94.Jump up ^ Thompson, Frankenhoff & Bickford 2010, p. 368.
95.Jump up ^ Chaykin 2011, p. xvii.
Bibliography[edit]
Barnes, Alan; Hearn, Marcus (2001). Kiss Kiss Bang! Bang!: the Unofficial James Bond Film Companion. Batsford Books. ISBN 978-0-7134-8182-2.
Benson, Raymond (1988). The James Bond Bedside Companion. London: Boxtree Ltd. ISBN 1-85283-234-7.
Black, Jeremy (2004). Britain Since the Seventies: Politics and Society in the Consumer Age. Guilford: Biddles Ltd. ISBN 978-1-86189-201-0.
Black, Jeremy (2005). The Politics of James Bond: from Fleming's Novel to the Big Screen. University of Nebraska Press. ISBN 978-0-8032-6240-9.
Broccoli, Albert R (1998). When the Snow Melts. London: Boxtree Ltd. ISBN 978-0-7522-1162-6.
Chancellor, Henry (2005). James Bond: The Man and His World. London: John Murray. ISBN 978-0-7195-6815-2.
Chaykin, Howard (2011). Howard Chaykin: Conversations. UPM. ISBN 978-1-60473-975-6.
Ciment, Michel (2009). Film World: The Director's Interviews. translated by Julie Rose. Oxford: Berg Publishers. ISBN 978-1-84520-457-0.
Cork, John; Stutz, Collin (2007). James Bond Encyclopedia. London: Dorling Kindersley. ISBN 978-1-4053-3427-3.
Falsetto, Mario (2001). Stanley Kubrick: A Narrative and Stylistic Analysis. Praeger. ISBN 978-0-275-97291-2.
Fu, Poshek; Desser, David (2000). The Cinema of Hong Kong. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-77235-8.
Lindner, Christoph (2003). The James Bond Phenomenon: a Critical Reader. Manchester University Press. ISBN 978-0-7190-6541-5.
Peary, Danny (1986). Guide for the Film Fanatic. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-0-671-61081-4.
Pfeiffer, Lee; Worrall, Dave (1998). The Essential Bond. London: Boxtree Ltd. ISBN 978-0-7522-2477-0.
Smith, Jim (2002). Bond Films. London: Virgin Books. ISBN 978-0-7535-0709-4.
Thompson, Maggie; Frankenhoff, Brent; Bickford, Peter (2010). Comic Book Price Guide 2010. Krause Publications. ISBN 978-1-4402-1399-1.
External links[edit]
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Moonraker (film)
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For the 1958 swashbuckler film, see The Moonraker.
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Moonraker
Moonraker (UK cinema poster).jpg
British cinema poster for Moonraker, illustrated by Dan Gouzee
 
Directed by
Lewis Gilbert
Produced by
Albert R. Broccoli
Screenplay by
Christopher Wood
Based on
Moonraker
 by Ian Fleming
Starring
Roger Moore
Michael Lonsdale
Lois Chiles
Richard Kiel
Bernard Lee
Music by
John Barry
Cinematography
Jean Tournier
Edited by
John Glen
Production
   company
Eon Productions
Distributed by
United Artists
Release date(s)
26 June 1979 (UK)
 
Running time
126 minutes
Country
United Kingdom
 France[1]
Language
English
Budget
$34 million
Box office
$210.3 million
Moonraker (1979) is the eleventh spy film in the James Bond series, and the fourth to star Roger Moore as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. The third and final film in the series to be directed by Lewis Gilbert, it co-stars Lois Chiles, Michael Lonsdale, Corinne Cléry, and Richard Kiel. Bond investigates the theft of a space shuttle, leading him to Hugo Drax, the owner of the shuttle's manufacturing firm. Along with space scientist Dr. Holly Goodhead, Bond follows the trail from California to Venice, Rio de Janeiro, and the Amazon rainforest, and finally into outer space to prevent a plot to wipe out the world population and to re-create humanity with a master race.
Moonraker was intended by its creator Ian Fleming to become a film even before he completed the novel in 1954, since he based it on a screenplay manuscript he had written even earlier. The film's producers had originally intended to film For Your Eyes Only, but instead chose this title due to the rise of the science fiction genre in the wake of the Star Wars phenomenon. Budgetary issues caused the film to be primarily shot in France, with locations also in Italy, Brazil, Guatemala and the United States. The soundstages of Pinewood Studios in England, traditionally used for the series, were only used by the special effects team.
Moonraker was noted for its high production cost of $34 million,[2] spending almost twice as much money as predecessor The Spy Who Loved Me, and it received very mixed reviews. However, the film's visuals were praised, with Derek Meddings being nominated for the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, and the film eventually became the highest grossing film of the series with $210,300,000 worldwide,[2] a record that stood until 1995's GoldenEye.


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Production 3.1 Script 3.1.1 Novelization
3.2 Casting
3.3 Filming
3.4 Music
4 Release and reception 4.1 Accolades
5 See also
6 References
7 Bibliography
8 External links

Plot
A Drax Industries Moonraker space shuttle on loan to the United Kingdom is hijacked in mid-air and MI6 operative, James Bond, agent 007, is assigned to investigate. En route to England in a small charter plane, Bond is attacked by the crew and pushed out of the plane by the mercenary assassin Jaws. He survives by stealing a parachute from the pilot, whilst Jaws lands on a circus tent.
Bond proceeds to the Drax Industries shuttle-manufacturing complex where he meets the owner of the company, Hugo Drax, and henchman Chang. Bond also meets an astronaut, Dr. Holly Goodhead and survives an assassination attempt via a centrifuge chamber. Bond is later aided by Drax's personal pilot, Corinne Dufour, as he finds blueprints for a glass vial made in Venice. Bond then foils another attempt on his life, using a hunting shotgun to shoot a sniper. Upon discovering that Dufour assisted Bond's investigations, Drax has her killed.
Bond again encounters Goodhead in Venice where he is chased through the canals by Drax's henchmen. He discovers a secret biological laboratory, and by accidentally poisoning the scientists there, learns that the glass vials are to hold a nerve gas deadly to humans, but harmless to animals. Chang attacks Bond and is killed, but during the fight, Bond finds evidence that Drax is moving his operation to Rio de Janeiro. Rejoining Goodhead, he deduces that she is a CIA agent spying on Drax. They promise to work together, but quickly dispense with the truce. Bond has saved one of the vials he found earlier, as the only evidence of the now-empty laboratory, giving it to M for analysis, who permits him to go to Rio de Janeiro under the pretence of being on leave.
In Rio, Bond meets his Brazilian contact Manuela. Drax hires Jaws to finish Chang's job of eliminating Bond. Bond meets Goodhead at the top of Sugarloaf Mountain, where they are attacked by Jaws on a cable car. After Jaws' car crashes he is rescued from the rubble by Dolly, and the two fall in love. Bond and Goodhead are captured by henchmen, but Bond escapes and reports to an MI6 base in Brazil and learns that the toxin comes from a rare orchid indigenous to the Amazon jungle. Bond travels the Amazon River looking for Drax's research facility and again encounters Jaws and other henchmen. Bond escapes from his boat just before it hits the Iguazu Falls, and finds Drax's base. Captured by Jaws again, Bond is taken to Drax and witnesses four Moonrakers lifting off. Drax explains that he stole the loaned Moonraker because another in his fleet had developed a fault during assembly. Bond is reunited with Goodhead; they escape and successfully pose as pilots on the sixth shuttle. The shuttles dock with Drax's space station, hidden from radar by a cloaking device.
Once on board the station, Bond and Holly disable the radar jamming cloaking device, resulting in the United States sending a platoon of Marines to intercept the now-visible space station. Jaws captures Bond and Holly and brings them to Drax.
Drax plans to destroy human life by launching fifty globes containing the nerve gas into the Earth's atmosphere. Before launching them, Drax also transported several dozen genetically perfect young men and women of varying races, to the space station. They would live there until Earth was safe again for human life; their descendants would be the seed for a "new master race". Bond persuades Jaws and Dolly to switch their allegiance by getting Drax to admit that anyone not measuring up to his physical standards would be exterminated and Jaws attacks Drax's guards.
A laser battle ensues both inside and outside the space station, in which Drax's guards and his master race are all killed. During the battle, Bond shoots Drax with a cyanide-tipped dart, then pushes him into an airlock and ejects him into space.
In order to destroy the three already launched globes and return to Earth, Goodhead and Bond use Drax's personal shuttle, while at the same time observing Jaws and Dolly escape from the disintegrating space station.
Cast
Roger Moore as James Bond: An MI6 agent assigned to look into the theft of a shuttle from the "Moonraker" space programme.
Lois Chiles as Holly Goodhead: A CIA agent and astronaut who joins Bond and flies with him to Drax's space station.
Michael Lonsdale as Hugo Drax: Main antagonist. An industrialist who plans to poison all humans on earth, then repopulate the planet from his space station.
Toshiro Suga as Chang: Drax's original bodyguard.
Richard Kiel as Jaws: Drax's replacement bodyguard after Chang is killed, afflicted by giantism and with a set of stainless steel teeth.
Corinne Cléry as Corinne Dufour: Drax's personal pilot.
Bernard Lee as M: The head of MI6. This was Bernard Lee's final appearance as M.
Geoffrey Keen as Frederick Gray: The British Minister of Defence.
Desmond Llewelyn as Q: MI6's "quartermaster" who supplies Bond with multi-purpose vehicles and gadgets useful for the latter's mission.
Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny: M's secretary.
Emily Bolton as Manuela: 007's contact in Rio.
Michael Marshall as Colonel Scott: U.S. Space Marines commander.
Walter Gotell as General Gogol: The head of the KGB.
Blanche Ravalec as Dolly: Jaws' girlfriend.
Production
The end credits for the previous Bond film, The Spy Who Loved Me, said, "James Bond will return in For Your Eyes Only"; however, the producers chose the novel Moonraker as the basis for the next film,[3] following the box office success of the 1977 space-themed film Star Wars. For Your Eyes Only was subsequently delayed and ended up following Moonraker in 1981.[4]
Script
Ian Fleming had originally intended the novel, published in 1955, to be made into a film even before he began writing it and was based on an original manuscript of a screenplay which had been on his mind for years.[5] In 1955, American actor John Payne offered $1,000 for a nine month option to Moonraker, plus $10,000 if production eventually took off. The negotiations broke up the following year due to disagreements regarding Payne's ownership of the other Bond novels. Fleming eventually settled with Rank Organisation, a British company who owned Pinewood Studios. Rank wound up not developing the film, even after Fleming contributed his own script trying to push production forward,[6] and Fleming purchased the rights back in 1959.[7] Moonraker ended being the last James Bond novel to get a screen adaptation.[8]
However, as with several previous Bond films, the story from Fleming's novel is almost entirely dispensed with, and little more than the name of Hugo Drax was used in film, in favour of a film more in keeping with the era of science fiction. The 2002 Bond film Die Another Day makes further use of some ideas and character names from the novel. Tom Mankiewicz wrote a short outline for Moonraker that was mostly discarded. According to Mankiewicz, footage shot at Drax's lairs was considerably more detailed than the edited result in the final version. The crew had shot a scene with Drax meeting his co-financiers in his jungle lair and they used the same chamber room below the space shuttle launch pad that Bond and Goodhead eventually escape from. This scene was shot but later cut out.[9] Another scene involving Bond and Goodhead in a meditation room aboard Drax's space station, was shot but never used in the final film. However, press stills were released of the scene which featured on Topps trading cards in 1979 as was a cinema trailer which featured a close-up of Jaws reaction after Bond punches him in the face aboard the space station, neither of which featured in the complete film.[9] Some scenes from Mankiewicz's script were later used in subsequent films, including the Acrostar Jet sequence used in the pre-credit sequence for Octopussy, and the Eiffel Tower scene in A View to a Kill.[3]
In March 2004 an Internet hoax stated rumours about a lost 1956 version of Moonraker by Orson Welles, and a James Bond web site repeated it on April Fool's Day in 2004 as a hoax. Supposedly, this recently discovered lost film was 40 minutes of raw footage with Dirk Bogarde as Bond, Welles as Drax, and Peter Lorre as Drax's henchman.[10]
Novelization
Main article: James Bond and Moonraker
The screenplay of Moonraker differed so much from Ian Fleming's novel that Eon Productions authorised the film's screenwriter, Christopher Wood to write a novelization; this would be his second Bond novelization. It was named James Bond and Moonraker to avoid confusion with Fleming's original novel Moonraker. It was published in 1979, with the film's release.[11]
Casting

 

 The height difference between the giant Jaws and his diminutive girlfriend Dolly.
Initially, the chief villain, Hugo Drax, was to be played by British actor James Mason, but once the decision was made that the film would be an Anglo-French co-production under the 1965–79 film treaty, French actor Michael Lonsdale was cast as Drax and Corinne Cléry was chosen for the part of Corinne Dufour, in order to comply with qualifying criteria of the agreement.[12] American actress Lois Chiles had originally been offered the role of Anya Amasova in The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), but had turned down the part when she decided to take temporary retirement. Chiles was cast as Holly Goodhead by chance, when she was given the seat next to Lewis Gilbert on a flight and he believed she would be ideal for the role as the CIA scientist.[3] Drax's henchman Chang, played by Japanese aikido instructor Toshiro Suga, was recommended for the role by executive producer Michael G. Wilson, who was one of his pupils.[3] In Moonraker, Wilson also continued a tradition in the Bond films he started in the film Goldfinger where he has a small cameo role. He appears twice in the film, first as a tourist outside the Venini Glass shop and museum in Venice, then at the end of the film as a technician in Drax's control room.
The Jaws character, played by Richard Kiel makes a return, although in Moonraker the role is played more for comedic effect than in The Spy Who Loved Me. Jaws was intended to be a villain against Bond to the bitter end, but director Lewis Gilbert stated on the DVD documentary that he received so much fan mail from small children saying "Why can't Jaws be a goodie not a baddie", that as a result he was persuaded to make Jaws gradually become Bond's ally at the end of the film.[3]
Diminutive French actress Blanche Ravalec, who had recently begun her career with minor roles in French films such as Michel Lang's Holiday Hotel (1978) and Claude Sautet's Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film nominee, A Simple Story (1978), was cast as the bespectacled Dolly, the girlfriend of Jaws. Originally, the producers were dubious about whether the audience would accept the height difference between them, and only made their decision once they were informed by Richard Kiel that his real-life wife was of the same height.[13] Lois Maxwell's 22-year old daughter, Melinda Maxwell, was also cast as one of the "perfect" human specimens from Drax's master race.[5]
Filming
Production began on 14 August 1978. The main shooting was switched from the usual 007 Stage at the Pinewood Studios to France, due to high taxation in England at the time. Only the cable car interiors and space battle exteriors were filmed at Pinewood. The massive sets designed by Ken Adam were the largest ever constructed in France and required more than 222,000 man-hours to construct (roughly 1000 hours by each of the crew on average).[3] They were shot at three of France's largest film studios in Épinay and Boulogne-Billancourt.[5] 220 technicians used 100 tonnes of metal, two tonnes of nails and 10,000 feet of wood to build the three-story space station set at Eponay Studios.[5] The elaborate space set for Moonraker holds the world record for having the largest number of zero gravity wires in one scene.[3] The Venetian glass museum and fight between Bond and Chang was shot at Boulogne Studios in a building which had once been a World War II Luftwaffe aircraft factory during Germany's occupation of France.[5] The scene in the Venice glass museum and warehouse holds the record for the largest amount of break-away sugar glass used in a single scene.[3]

 

 The Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte was used for Drax's chateau in the film. An extensive aerial view of the site was witnessed by helicopter in the early stages of the film by Bond and Dufour arriving.
Drax's mansion, set in California, was actually filmed at the Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte, about 55 kilometres (34 mi) southeast of Paris, for the exteriors and Grand Salon. The remaining interiors, including some of the scenes with Corinne Defour and the drawing room, were filmed at the Château de Guermantes.[3]
Much of the film was shot in the cities of London, Paris, Venice, Palmdale, California, Port St. Lucie, Florida, and Rio de Janeiro. The production team had considered India and Nepal as a location in the film but on arriving at those places to investigate, they found that it was inconceivable to write them into the script, particularly with time restrictions to do so.[3] They decided on Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, relatively early on, a city that Cubby Broccoli had visited on vacation, and a team was sent to that city in early 1978 to capture initial footage from the Carnaval festival, which featured in the film.[3]

 

 Stuntman Richard Graydon slipped and narrowly avoided falling to his death during the filming of the cable car sequence at Sugarloaf Mountain.
At the Rio de Janeiro location, many months later, Roger Moore arrived several days later than scheduled for shooting due to recurrent health problems and an attack of kidney stones that he had suffered while in France.[3] After arriving in Rio de Janeiro, Moore was immediately whisked off the plane and went straight to hair and make-up work, before re-boarding the plane, to film the sequence with him arriving as James Bond in the film. Sugarloaf Mountain was a prominent location in the film, and during filming of the cable car sequence in which Bond and Goodhead are attacked by Jaws during mid-air transportation high above Rio de Janeiro, the stuntman Richard Graydon slipped and narrowly avoided falling to his death.[3] For the scene in which Jaws bites into the steel tramway cable with his teeth, the cable was actually made of liquorice, although Richard Kiel was still required to use his steel dentures.[5]
Iguazu Falls was a natural location depicted in the film, although as stated by "Q" in the film, the falls were intended to be located somewhere in the upper basin of the Amazon River rather than where the falls are actually located in the south of Brazil. The second unit had originally planned on sending an actual boat over the falls.[3] However on attempting to release it, the boat became firmly embedded on rocks near the edge. Despite a dangerous attempt by helicopter and rope ladder to retrieve it, the plan had to be abandoned, forcing the second unit to use a miniature at Pinewood instead.[3] The exterior of Drax's pyramid headquarters in the Amazon rain forest near the falls was actually filmed at the Tikal Mayan ruins in Guatemala.[5] The interior of the pyramid, however, was designed by Ken Adam at a French studio, in which he purposefully used a shiny coating to make the walls look plastic and false.[3] All of the space centre scenes were shot at the Vehicle Assembly Building of the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, although some of the earlier scenes of the Moonraker assembly plant had been filmed on location at the Rockwell International manufacturing plant in Palmdale, California.[14]

 

 The climax of the film with the laser battle on Drax's space station. Moonraker holds the world record for the largest number of zero gravity wires in one scene.
The early scene involving Bond and Jaws in which Bond is pushed out of the aircraft without a parachute took weeks of planning and preparation. The skydiving sequence was coordinated by Don Calvedt under the supervision of second unit director John Glen. As Calvedt and skydiving champion B.J. Worth developed the equipment for the scene, which included a 1-inch-thick (25 mm) parachute pack that could be concealed beneath the suit to give the impression of the missing parachute, and equipment to prevent the freefalling cameraman from suffering whiplash while opening his parachute, they brought in stuntman Jake Lombard to test it all. Lombard eventually played Bond in the scene, with Worth as the pilot from which Bond takes a parachute, and Ron Luginbill as Jaws. Both Lombard and Worth would become regular members of the stunt team for aerial sequences in later Bond films.[3][15][16] When the stuntmen opened their parachutes at the end of every shoot, custom-sewn velcro costume seams would separate to allow the hidden parachutes to open.[5] The skydiver cinematographer used a lightweight Panavision camera, bought from an old pawn shop in Paris, which he had adapted, and attached to his helmet to shoot the entire sequence. The scene took a total of 88 skydives by the stuntmen to be completed.[3] The only scenes shot in studio were close-ups of Roger Moore and Richard Kiel.[15]
Since NASA's Space Shuttle program had not been launched, Derek Meddings and his miniatures team had to create the rocket launch footage without any reference. Shuttle models attached to bottle rockets and signal flares were used for takeoff, and the smoke trail was created with salt that fell from the models. The space scenes were done by rewinding the camera after an element was shot, enabling other elements to be superimposed in the film stock, with the space battle needing up to forty rewinds to incorporate everything.[3][17]
For the scene involving the opening of the musical electronic laboratory door lock in Venice, producer Albert R. Broccoli requested special permission from director Steven Spielberg to use the five-note melody from his film Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977). In 1985, Broccoli would return the favour by fulfilling Spielberg's request to use the James Bond theme music for a scene in his film, The Goonies (1985).
As James Bond is arriving at the scene of the pheasant shoot, a trumpet is sounded playing the first 3 brass notes from Also Sprach Zarathustra, referencing the film 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968).
Music
Main article: Moonraker (soundtrack)
Moonraker was the third of the three Bond films for which the theme song was performed by Shirley Bassey (following Goldfinger and Diamonds are Forever). Kate Bush and Frank Sinatra were both considered for the vocals, before Johnny Mathis was approached and offered the opportunity. However Mathis, despite having started recording with Barry, was unable to complete the project, leaving producers to offer the song to Bassey just weeks before the premiere date in England.[18] Bassey made the recordings with very short notice and as a result, she never regarded the song 'as her own' as she had never had the chance to perform it in full or promote it first.[18] The film uses two versions of the title theme song, a ballad version heard over the main titles, and a disco version over the closing titles. Confusingly, the United Artists single release labelled the tracks on the 7" single as "Moonraker (Main Title)" for the version used to close the film and "Moonraker (End Title)" for the track that opened the film.[19] The song made little impact on the charts, reaching 159, partly attributed to Bassey's failure to promote the single, given the last-minute decision to quickly record it to meet the schedule.[20]

 

Johnny Mathis had begun recording the theme with John Barry but abandoned the project.
The soundtrack of Moonraker was composed by John Barry and recorded in Paris, again, as with production, marking a turning point away from the English location at CTS Studios in London. The score also marked a turning point in John Barry's output, abandoning the Kentonesque brass of his earlier Bond scores and instead scoring the film with slow, rich string passages – a trend which Barry would continue in the 1980s with scores such as Out of Africa and Somewhere in Time.[21] For Moonraker, Barry uses for the first time since Diamonds Are Forever (1971) a piece of music called 007 (on track 7), the secondary Bond theme composed by Barry which was introduced in From Russia with Love during Bond's escape with the Lektor; some classical music pieces were also included in the film. For the scene where Bond visits Drax in his chateau, Drax plays Frédéric Chopin's Prelude no. 15 in D-flat major (op. 28), "Raindrop" on his grand piano (although he plays in the key of D major).[19] Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka by Johann Strauss II was featured during the hovercraft scene on the Piazza San Marco in Venice,[19] and Tchaikovsky's "Romeo and Juliet Overture" was used for the scenes in Brazil in which Jaws meets Dolly following his accident.[19] Other passages pay homage to earlier films including Richard Strauss's Also Sprach Zarathustra (op. 30),[19] associated with 2001: A Space Odyssey) with the hunting horn playing its distinctive first three notes, Elmer Bernstein's theme from The Magnificent Seven when Bond appears on horseback in gaucho clothing at MI6 headquarters in Brazil, and the alien-contacting theme from Close Encounters of the Third Kind as the key-code for a security door as mentioned previously.[19]
The Italian aria "Vesti la giubba" from the Ruggero Leoncavallo's opera "I Pagliacci", was sung in Venice, before one of the henchmen falls to his death from a building, landing and ruining a piano, resulting in Bond to quip the often mis-quoted line from the film "Casablanca", "Play it Again, Sam". Finally in 2005, Bassey sang the song for the first time outside James Bond on stage as part of a medley of her three Bond title songs.[18] An instrumental strings version of the title theme was used in 2007 tourism commercials for the Dominican Republic.
Release and reception
Moonraker premiered on 26 June 1979, in the United Kingdom, grossing $70,308,099 in the UK. Three days after the UK release, it went on general release in the US, opening in 788 cinemas. On the mainland of Europe, the most common month of release was in August 1979, opening in the Scandinavian countries of Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden between 13 and 18 August. Given that the film was produced largely in France, and it involved some notable French actors, the French premiere for the film was relatively late, released in that country on 10 October 1979. Moonraker grossed a worldwide total of $210,300,000.[2]



With Moonraker, we went too far in the outlandish. The audience did not believe any more and Roger spoofed too much.
Richard Maibaum[22]
Moonraker had a mixed reception by critics. The film has a positive 62% "fresh" rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes,[23] and reviewers such as James Berardinelli praised the visual effects and stunts.[24]
The New York Times film critic Vincent Canby called Moonraker "one of the most buoyant Bond films of all. Almost everyone connected with the movie is in top form, even Mr. Moore. Here he's as ageless, resourceful, and graceful as the character he inhabits."[25] Canby subsequently said the film was, alongside Goldfinger, the best of the series.[26]
Whilst The Globe and Mail critic Jay Scott said Moonraker was second only to Goldfinger. "In the first few minutes – before the credits – it offers more thrills than most escapist movies provide in two hours." During the title sequence, "the excitement has gone all the way up to giddy and never comes down." Scott admired the film's theme song and cited with approval the film's location work. He also singled out Ken Adam's sets, dubbing them "high-tech Piranesi."[27]
Frank Rich of Time felt "The result is a film that is irresistibly entertaining as only truly mindless spectacle can be. Those who have held out on Bond movies over 17 years may not be convinced by Moonraker, but everyone else will be."[28]
Film scholar James Monaco designated the film a "minor masterpiece" and declared it the best Bond film of them all.[29]
However, some critics consider Moonraker one of the lesser films in the series, largely due to the extent of the plot which takes James Bond into space, some of the ploys used in the film for comedic effect, and its extended dialogue. In November 2006, Entertainment Weekly ranked Moonraker fourteenth among the Bond films, describing it as "by far the campiest of all 007 movies" with "one of the worst theme songs";[30] while IGN listed it as eleventh, calling it outlandish and saying that despite the actors "trying what they can to ground the film in reality, the laser gun/space station finale pretty much undercuts their efforts";[31] and Norman Wilner of MSN chose it as the fourth worst film of the series, considering that the film "just flat-out sucks".[32]
Critic Nicholas Sylvain said "Moonraker seems to have more than its share of little flaws and annoyances which begin right from the opening pre-credit sequence. The sheer idiocy (and impossibility) of having a fully fueled shuttle on the back of the Boeing during the trans-Atlantic crossing should be evident, and later in the film, the whole Jaws-falls-in-love and becomes a "good guy" routine leaves me rather cold, and provides far too much cheesy comedy moments, as does the gondola driving through the square scene."[33]

 

 The scene in which Moore drives a hovercraft gondola around St Mark's Square in Venice was widely criticised by film critics.
In his review of Moonraker in 1979, the Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert, while clearly expressing his approval of the advanced special effects and Ken Adam's extravagant production sets, criticised the pace in which the locations of the film evolved, remarking that, "it's so jammed with faraway places and science fiction special effects that Bond has to move at a trot just to make it into all the scenes".[34] Christopher Null of Filmcritic.com said of the film: "Most rational observers agree that Moonraker is without a doubt the most absurd James Bond movie, definitely of the Roger Moore era and possibly of all time".[35] However, while he criticised the extravagance of the plot and action sequences, he believed that this added to the enjoyment of the film, and particularly approved of the remark "I think he's attempting re-entry!" by "Q" during Bond and Goodhead's orbiting of the Earth which he described as "featuring what might be the best double entendre ever".[35]
Reviewing Moonraker, film critic Danny Peary wrote that "The worst James Bond film to date has Roger Moore walking through the paces for his hefty paycheck and giving way to his double for a series of unimaginative action scenes and "humorous" chases. There's little suspense and the humor falls flat. Not only is Jaws so pacified by love that he becomes a good guy, but the filmmakers also have the gall to set the finale in outer space and stage a battle right out of Star Wars."[36]
The exaggerated nature of the plot and space station sequence has seen the film parodied on numerous occasions. Of note is the Austin Powers spoof film The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999) which whilst a parody of other James Bond films, pays reference to Moonraker by Dr. Evil's lair in space. The scene in which Drax is shot by the cyanide dart and ousted into space is parodied by Powers's ejection of Dr. Evil's clone Mini-Me into outer space in the same way.[37]
Accolades
Derek Meddings, Paul Wilson and John Evans were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects,[38] and the film was nominated for three Saturn Awards, Best Science Fiction Film, Best Special Effects, and Best Supporting Actor (Richard Kiel).[39]
See also

Portal icon James Bond portal
Outline of James Bond
List of films featuring space stations
References
1.Jump up ^ "MOONRAKER (1979)". Film & TV Database. London: British Film Institute. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
2.^ Jump up to: a b c Block & Autrey Wilson 2010, p. 428.
3.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Inside Moonraker (DVD). MGM.
4.Jump up ^ For Your Eyes Only Special Edition, Region 2 (DVD). MGM. 1981.
5.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h Moonraker Special Edition, Region 2 booklet. 2000.
6.Jump up ^ Lycett, Andrew (1996). Ian Fleming. London: Phoenix. pp. 280–3. ISBN 978-1-85799-783-5.
7.Jump up ^ Feeney Callan, Michael (2002). Sean Connery. Virgin. p. 100. ISBN 1-85227-992-3.
8.Jump up ^ Jay Rubin, Stephen (1982). James Bond Films. Random House Value Publishing. p. 155. ISBN 0-517-54824-0.
9.^ Jump up to: a b "Moonraker:Cut Scenes & Alternate Versions". mi6-hq.com. Retrieved 3 October 2008.
10.Jump up ^ "Moonraker: The "Forgotten" 1956 Film Version?". Commanderbond.net. 7 April 2004. Archived from the original on 8 December 2008. Retrieved 3 October 2008.
11.Jump up ^ "Christopher Wood Interview". mi6-hq.com. 6 February 2005. Retrieved 11 November 2008.
12.Jump up ^ Moore, Sir Roger (2012). Bond On Bond: Reflections on 50 Years of James Bond Movies. Guilford, CT: Globe Pequot. p. 43. ISBN 978-0-7627-8281-9.
13.Jump up ^ "Moonraker:Trivia". mi6-hq.com. Retrieved 3 October 2008.
14.Jump up ^ Exotic Locations of Moonraker (DVD). MGM.
15.^ Jump up to: a b Learning to Freefall (DVD). MGM.
16.Jump up ^ Double O Stunts (DVD). MGM.
17.Jump up ^ The Men Behind the Mayhem (DVD). MGM.
18.^ Jump up to: a b c "The Filming of Another Audience With Shirley Bassey". Bassey.co.uk. Retrieved 11 November 2008.
19.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Moonraker Special Edition, Region 2 (DVD). MGM. 2000.
20.Jump up ^ "Moonraker:Music written by John Barry and lyrics by Hal David". Songs of Shirley Bassey. Archived from the original on 7 March 2008. Retrieved 11 November 2008.
21.Jump up ^ "Dances With Wolves". Filmtracks.com. Retrieved 11 November 2008.
22.Jump up ^ Hibbin, Sally (1989). The making of Licence to kill. Salem House. p. 14. ISBN 978-0-88162-453-3.
23.Jump up ^ "Moonraker (1979)". Rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved 5 October 2007.
24.Jump up ^ Berardinelli, James. "Moonraker (1979)". Reelviews. Retrieved 5 October 2007.
25.Jump up ^ Canby, Vincent (29 June 1979). "Moonraker". The New York Times. Available online.
26.Jump up ^ Canby, Vincent (26 June 1981). "For Your Eyes Only". The New York Times. Available online.
27.Jump up ^ Scott, Jay (30 June 1979). "MOONRAKER:007 in space as good as ever". The Globe and Mail. p. 29.
28.Jump up ^ Rich, Frank (2 July 1979). "Agent 007 Goes into Orbit". Time.
29.Jump up ^ Monaco, James (1985). The Connoisseur's Guide to the Movies. Facts on File. ISBN 978-0-87196-964-4.
30.Jump up ^ Benjamin Svetkey and Joshua Rich (15 November 2006). "Ranking the Bond Films". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 20 September 2008.
31.Jump up ^ "James Bond's Top 20". IGN. 17 November 2006. Retrieved 4 March 2008.
32.Jump up ^ Norman Wilner. "Rating the Spy Game". MSN. Archived from the original on 19 January 2008. Retrieved 1 June 2009.
33.Jump up ^ Sylvain, Nick. "Verdict on Moonraker". DVD Verdict. Retrieved 5 October 2007.
34.Jump up ^ Ebert, Roger. "Moonraker". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 3 October 2008.
35.^ Jump up to: a b Null, Christopher (2005). "Moonraker". Filmcritic.com. Archived from the original on 8 December 2008. Retrieved 3 October 2008.
36.Jump up ^ Danny Peary, Guide for the Film Fanatic (Simon & Schuster, 1986) p. 281
37.Jump up ^ "The Best Sequels Ever!". Film Review: 25. 2002.
38.Jump up ^ "Academy Award Database: 1979 (52nd) VISUAL EFFECTS". AMPAS. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
39.Jump up ^ "Awards for Moonraker (1979)". IMDB. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
Bibliography
Block, Alex Ben; Autrey Wilson, Lucy (2010). George Lucas's Blockbusting: A Decade-by-Decade Survey of Timeless Movies Including Untold Secrets of Their Financial and Cultural Success. London: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-06-177889-6.
External links
 Wikiquote has quotations related to: Moonraker (film)
Moonraker at the Internet Movie Database
Moonraker at AllMovie
Moonraker at Rotten Tomatoes
Moonraker at Box Office Mojo
MGM's official site for Moonraker


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The Spy Who Loved Me (film)
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The Spy Who Loved Me
The Spy Who Loved Me (UK cinema poster).jpg
British cinema poster for The Spy Who Loved Me, illustrated by Bob Peak
 
Directed by
Lewis Gilbert
Produced by
Albert R. Broccoli
Screenplay by
Christopher Wood
Richard Maibaum
Based on
James Bond
 by Ian Fleming
Starring
Roger Moore
Barbara Bach
Curd Jürgens
Richard Kiel
Caroline Munro
Geoffrey Keen
Walter Gotell
Bernard Lee
Music by
Marvin Hamlisch
Cinematography
Claude Renoir
Edited by
John Glen
Production
   company
Eon Productions
Distributed by
United Artists
Release date(s)
7 July 1977 (London, premiere)
 
Running time
125 minutes
Country
United Kingdom
Language
English
Budget
$14 million
Box office
$185.4 million
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) is the tenth spy film in the James Bond series, and the third to star Roger Moore as the fictional secret agent James Bond. It was directed by Lewis Gilbert and the screenplay was written by Christopher Wood and Richard Maibaum.
The film takes its title from Ian Fleming's novel The Spy Who Loved Me, the tenth book in the James Bond series, though it does not contain any elements of the novel's plot. The storyline involves a reclusive megalomaniac named Karl Stromberg, who plans to destroy the world and create a new civilisation under the sea. Bond teams up with a Russian agent, Anya Amasova, to stop Stromberg. Curd Jürgens and Barbara Bach co-star.
It was shot on location in Egypt and Italy, with underwater scenes filmed at the Bahamas, and a new soundstage being built at Pinewood Studios for a massive set which depicted the interior of a supertanker. The Spy Who Loved Me was well-received by critics. The soundtrack composed by Marvin Hamlisch also met with success. The film was nominated for three Academy Awards amidst many other nominations and novelized in 1977 by Christopher Wood as James Bond, The Spy Who Loved Me.


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Production 3.1 Script
3.2 Filming
3.3 Music
4 Release and reception
5 Novelization
6 Sale of props
7 See also
8 References
9 Further reading
10 External links

Plot[edit]
British and Soviet ballistic-missile submarines mysteriously disappear. James Bond—MI6 agent 007—is summoned to investigate. On the way he escapes an ambush by Soviet agents in Austria, killing one during a downhill ski chase, and escaping via a Union Flag parachute. Bond learns that the plans for a highly advanced submarine tracking system are on the market in Egypt. There, he encounters Major Anya Amasova—KGB agent Triple X—his rival for the plans. They travel across Egypt together, tracking the microfilm plans, meeting Jaws—an unnaturally tall assassin with steel teeth—along the way. Bond and Amasova later team up, due to a truce supported by their respective superiors, and identify the person responsible for the thefts as shipping tycoon, scientist, and anarchist Karl Stromberg.
While travelling by train to Stromberg's base in Sardinia, Bond saves Amasova from being killed by Jaws, and their rivalry changes into affection. Posing as a marine biologist and his wife, they visit Stromberg's base and discover that he has a mysterious new supertanker, the Liparus. After they leave the base, Jaws and other armed men, including a helicopter pilot named Naomi, chase them, but all attempts fail due to Bond's driving skills and fact that his car – a Lotus Esprit from Q Branch – can convert into a submarine. Jaws retreats once again while Naomi and her other allies are killed. Bond later finds out that the Liparus has never visited any known port or harbour, and Amasova learns that Bond killed her lover in Austria; she promises Bond that she will kill him when their mission ends.

 

 Stromberg's hideout, Atlantis.
Later, while aboard an American submarine, Bond and Amasova examine Stromberg's underwater Atlantis base and confirm that he is operating the tracking system. The Liparus then captures the submarine, just as it captured the others. Stromberg sets his plan in motion: the launching of nuclear missiles from the submarines, to destroy Moscow and New York City. This would trigger a global nuclear war, which Stromberg would survive in Atlantis, and subsequently a new civilisation would be established. He leaves for Atlantis with Amasova. Bond frees the captured British, Russian and American submariners and they battle the Liparus's crew. Bond reprograms the British and Soviet submarines to destroy each other, saving Moscow and New York. The victorious submariners escape the sinking Liparus on the American submarine.
Bond insists on rescuing Amasova before the submarine has to follow its orders and destroy Atlantis. Bond confronts and kills Stromberg but again encounters Jaws, whom he drops into a shark tank. Jaws escapes from the shark tank (after fatally biting the shark) and swims off into the sunset. Bond and Amasova flee in an escape pod as Atlantis is sunk. In the pod Amasova reminds Bond that she has vowed to kill him and picks up Bond's gun, but admits to having forgiven him and the two make love. The Royal Navy recovers the pod, and the two spies are seen in intimate embrace through its large window, much to the consternation of Bond and Amasova's superiors.
Cast[edit]

 

 Roger Moore as Bond fighting Richard Kiel as Jaws inside Atlantis.Roger Moore as James Bond 007: A British MI6 agent assigned to investigate the theft of two submarines.
Barbara Bach as Anya Amasova/Agent Triple X: A Soviet KGB agent also investigating the theft. Her attraction to Bond is cut short when she learns he killed her lover. Bach was cast only four days before principal photography began, and performed her audition expecting just a role in the film, not the one of the protagonist.[1]
Curd Jürgens (billed as "Curt" in the credits) as Karl Stromberg: The main villain, a megalomaniac planning to trigger World War III and destroy the world, then recreate a new civilisation underwater. Jürgens' casting was a suggestion of director Lewis Gilbert, who had worked with him before.[1]
Richard Kiel as Jaws: Stromberg's seemingly indestructible juggernaut of a henchman, afflicted with gigantism and having a set of metal teeth. He would reprise the role in the subsequent Bond film, Moonraker.
Caroline Munro as Naomi: Stromberg's personal pilot and a would-be assassin. Munro's casting was inspired by an advertisement campaign she had made.[1]
Walter Gotell as General Gogol: The head of the KGB and Anya's boss. Gotell's debut in the role; he had previously appeared as Morzeny in From Russia with Love and would reprise the role of Gogol in the next five films.
Bernard Lee as M: The head of MI6.
Desmond Llewelyn as Q/Major Boothroyd: MI6's head of research and development. He supplies Bond with unique vehicles and gadgets, most notably the Lotus Esprit that converts into a submarine.
Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny: M's secretary.
Geoffrey Keen as Frederick Gray: The British Minister of Defence. Keen's Bond debut; he would appear in the role in the next five films.
Milton Reid as Sandor: Stromberg's henchman.
Robert Brown as Admiral Hargreaves: Admiral of Royal Navy; Brown would later play M in Octopussy, A View to a Kill, The Living Daylights and Licence to Kill.
George Baker as Captain Benson: A British naval officer stationed at the Royal Navy's Faslane Naval Base in Scotland. Baker had previously appeared in On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
Edward de Souza as Sheikh Hosein: Bond's contact in Egypt, who was at Cambridge with 007.
Shane Rimmer as US submarine captain Commander Carter, who is in charge of the third and final submarine to be abducted and fights alongside Bond aboard the Liparus.
The assistant director for the Italian locations, Victor Tourjansky, had a cameo as a man drinking his wine as Bond's Lotus emerges from the beach. As an in-joke, he would return in similar appearances in another two Bond films shot in Italy, Moonraker and For Your Eyes Only.[1]
Production[edit]


 This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2014)
The Spy Who Loved Me in many ways was a pivotal film for the Bond franchise, and was plagued since its conception by many problems. The first was the departure of Bond producer Harry Saltzman, who was forced to sell his half of the Bond film franchise in 1975 for £20 million. Saltzman had branched out into several other ventures of dubious promise and consequently was struggling through personal financial reversals unrelated to Bond. This was exacerbated by the twin personal tragedies of his wife's terminal cancer and many of the symptoms of clinical depression in himself.[2]
Another troubling aspect of the production was the difficulty in obtaining a director. The producers approached Steven Spielberg,[citation needed] who was in post-production of Jaws, but ultimately decided to wait to see 'how the fish picture turns out'. The first director attached to the film was Guy Hamilton, who directed the previous three Bond films as well as Goldfinger, but he left after being offered the opportunity to direct the 1978 film Superman, although Richard Donner took over the project.[3] Eon Productions would later turn to Lewis Gilbert, who had directed the earlier Bond film You Only Live Twice.
With a director finally secured, the next hurdle was finishing the script, which had gone through several revisions by numerous writers. The initial villain of the film was Ernst Stavro Blofeld; however Kevin McClory, who owned the film rights to Thunderball forced an injunction on Eon Productions against using the character of Blofeld, or his international criminal organisation, SPECTRE, which delayed production of the film further. The villain would later be changed from Blofeld to Stromberg so that the injunction would not interfere with the production. Christopher Wood was later brought in by Lewis Gilbert to complete the script. Although Fleming had requested that no elements from his original book be used, the novel features two thugs named Sol Horror and Sluggsy Morent. Horror is described as having steel-capped teeth, while Sluggsy had a clear bald head. These characters would be the basis for the characters of Jaws and Sandor.
Since Ian Fleming permitted Eon to use only the name of his novel and not the actual novel, Fleming's name was moved for the first time from above the film's title to above "James Bond 007". His name reverted to the traditional location for Moonraker, the last Eon Bond film based on a Fleming novel before 2006's Casino Royale. However, the credit style first used in The Spy Who Loved Me has been used on all Eon Bond films since For Your Eyes Only, including Casino Royale.
Script[edit]
Broccoli commissioned a number of writers to work on the script, including Stirling Silliphant, John Landis, Ronald Hardy, Anthony Burgess, and Derek Marlowe. In the second volume of his autobiography, Burgess claims to have worked on an early treatment for the movie. The British television producer Gerry Anderson also stated that he provided a film treatment (although originally planned to be Moonraker) much similar to what ended up as The Spy Who Loved Me.[4]
Eventually, Richard Maibaum provided the screenplay, and at first he tried to incorporate ideas from all of the other writers into his script. Maibaum's original script featured an alliance of international terrorists attacking SPECTRE's headquarters and deposing Blofeld, before trying to destroy the world for themselves to make way for a New World Order. However, this was shelved.
After Gilbert was reinstated as director, he decided to bring in another writer, Christopher Wood. Gilbert also decided to fix what he felt the previous Roger Moore films were doing wrong, which was writing the Bond character too much the way Sean Connery played him, and instead portray Bond closer to the books – "very English, very smooth, good sense of humour". Broccoli asked Wood to create a villain with metal teeth, Jaws, inspired by a brace-wearing henchman in Fleming's novel named Horror.[1]
Wood's proposed changes to Maibaum's draft script were agreed by Broccoli but before he could set to work there were more legal complications. In the years since Thunderball, Kevin McClory had set up two film companies and was trying to make a new Bond film in collaboration with Sean Connery and novelist Len Deighton. McClory got wind of Broccoli's plans to use SPECTRE, an organisation that had first been created by Fleming while working with McClory and Jack Whittingham on the very first attempt to film Thunderball, back even before it was a novel, in the late 1950s. McClory threatened to sue Broccoli for alleged copyright infringement, claiming that he had the sole right to include SPECTRE and its agents in all films. Not wishing to extend the already ongoing legal dispute that could have delayed the production of The Spy Who Loved Me, Broccoli requested Wood remove all references to Blofeld and SPECTRE from the script.[5]
In the film, Stromberg's scheme to destroy civilisation by capturing Soviet and British nuclear submarines and have them fire intercontinental ballistic missiles at two major cities is actually a recycled plot from a previous Bond film, You Only Live Twice, which involved stealing space capsules to start a war between the Soviets and the Americans. The similarity was apparent in the climax; both films involved an assault on a heavily fortified enemy that had taken refuge behind steel shutters.
The scheme in which the villain wishes to destroy mankind to create a new race or new civilisation was also used in Moonraker, the next film after The Spy Who Loved Me. In Moonraker, the villain Hugo Drax had an obsession with starting human civilisation over again on Earth, using specially chosen "superior human specimens" based in space. The film Moonraker was also written by Christopher Wood.
Tom Mankiewicz, who worked on three Bond films earlier, claims he was called in to do an extensive rewrite the script. Mankiewicz says he did not receive credit because Broccoli was limited to the number of non-English in key positions he could employ on the films in order to obtain Eady Levy assistance.[6]
Filming[edit]

 

 The Lotus Esprit as seen falling into the sea and then in submarine mode.
Tom Mankiewicz claims that Catherine Deneuve wanted to play the female lead and was willing to cut her normal rate from $400,000 per picture to $250,000 but Broccoli would not pay above $80,000.[6]
The film was shot at the Pinewood Studios in London, Porto Cervo in Sardinia (Hotel Cala di Volpe), Egypt (Karnak, Mosque of Ibn Tulun, Gayer-Anderson Museum, Abu Simbel temples), Malta, Scotland, Hayling Island UK, Okinawa, Switzerland and Mount Asgard on Baffin Island in the then northern Canadian territory of Northwest Territories (now located in Nunavut).[7]
As no studio was big enough for the interior of Stromberg's supertanker, and set designer Ken Adam did not want to repeat what he had done with SPECTRE's volcano base in You Only Live Twice – "a workable but ultimately wasteful set" – construction began in March 1976 of a new sound stage at Pinewood, the 007 Stage, at a cost of $1.8 million.[8] To complement this stage, Eon also paid for building a water tank capable of storing approximately 1,200,000 gallons (4,500,000 litres). The soundstage was in fact so huge that Stanley Kubrick visited the production, in secret, to advise on how to light the stage. For the exterior, while Shell was willing to lend an abandoned tanker to the production, the elevated insurance and safety risks caused it to be replaced with miniatures built by Derek Meddings' team and shot in the Bahamas.[1] Stromberg's shark tank was also filmed in the Bahamas, using a live shark in a saltwater swimming pool.[9] Adam decided to do experiments with curved shapes for the scenery, as he felt all his previous setpieces were "too linear". This was demonstrated with the Atlantis, which is a dome and curved surfaces outside, and many curved objects in Stromberg's office inside.[1] For Gogol's offices, Adam wanted an open space to contrast M's enclosed headquarters, and drew inspiration from Sergei Eisenstein to do a "Russian crypt-like" set.[10]
The main unit began its work in August 1976 in Sardinia. Don McLaughlan, then head of public relations at Lotus Cars, heard that Eon were shopping for a new Bond car. He drove a prototype Lotus Esprit with all Lotus branding taped over, and parked it outside the Eon offices at Pinewood studios; on seeing the car Eon asked Lotus to borrow both of the prototypes for filming. Initial filming of the car chase sequence resulted in disappointing action sequences. While moving the car between shoots, Lotus employee Roger Becker impressed with his handling of the car and for the rest of filming on Sardinia, Becker became the stunt driver.[1][11]
In October, the second unit travelled to Nassau to film the underwater sequences. To perform the car becoming a submarine, seven different models were used, one for each step of the transformation. One of the models was a fully mobile submarine equipped with an engine built by Miami-based Perry Submarines. During the model sequences, the air bubbles seen appearing from the vehicle were created by Alka-Seltzer tablets. The car seen entering the sea was a mock-up shell, propelled off the jetty by a compressed air cannon.[1]
In September, production moved to Egypt. While the Great Sphinx of Giza was shot on the location, lighting problems caused the pyramids to be replaced with miniatures.[1] While construction of the Liparus set continued, the second unit headed by John Glen departed for Mount Asgard, where in July 1976 they staged the film's pre-credits sequence. Bond film veteran Willy Bogner captured the action staged by stuntman Rick Sylvester who earned $30,000 for the stunt.[12] This stunt cost $500,000 – the most expensive single movie stunt at that time.
The production team returned briefly to the UK to shoot at the Faslane submarine base before setting off to Spain, Portugal and the Bay of Biscay where the super tanker exteriors were filmed. On 5 December 1976, with principal photography finished, the 007 Stage was formally opened by former Prime Minister Harold Wilson.[13]
Music[edit]
Main article: The Spy Who Loved Me (soundtrack)
The theme song "Nobody Does It Better" was composed by Marvin Hamlisch, written by Carole Bayer Sager, and performed by Carly Simon. It was the first theme song in the series to be titled differently from the name of the film,[14] although the title is in the lyrics.
The song met immediate success and is featured in numerous films including Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005), Little Black Book, Lost in Translation, and Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004). In 2004, it was honoured by the American Film Institute as the 67th greatest song as part of their 100 Years Series.
The soundtrack to the film was composed by Marvin Hamlisch, who filled in for veteran John Barry, who was unavailable to work in the United Kingdom because of tax reasons.[15] The soundtrack, in comparison to other Bond films of the time, is more disco-oriented and included a new disco rendition of "The James Bond Theme" entitled "Bond 77"; several pieces of classical music were also included in the score. For instance, while feeding a duplicitous secretary to a shark, Stromberg plays Bach's "Air on the G String", which was famous for accompanying disaster-prone characters. He then plays the opening string section of the second movement, Andante, of Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 21 as his hideout Atlantis rises from the sea. The score also includes a piece of popular film music, as Maurice Jarre's theme from Lawrence of Arabia is played during a desert sequence.
Release and reception[edit]
The Spy Who Loved Me opened with a Royal Premiere attended by Princess Anne at the Odeon Leicester Square in London on 7 July 1977. It grossed $185.4 million worldwide,[16] with $46 million in the United States alone.[17] On 25 August 2006, the film was re-released at the Empire Leicester Square Cinema for one week.[18] It was again shown at the Empire Leicester Square 20 April 2008 when Director Lewis Gilbert attended the first digital screening of the film.
Eon executive Charles Juroe said that at a screening attended by Charles, Prince of Wales, during the Union Jack-parachute scene "I have never seen a reaction in the cinema as there was that night. You couldn't help it. You could not help but stand up. Even Prince Charles stood up".[19] It is Roger Moore's favourite Bond film,[1] and many reviewers consider it the best instalment to star the actor.[20][21][22] Christopher Null praised the gadgets, particularly the Lotus Esprit car.[23] James Berardinelli of Reelviews said that the film is "suave and sophisticated", and Barbara Bach proves to be an ideal Bond girl – "attractive, smart, sexy, and dangerous".[21] Brian Webster stated the special effects were "good for a 1979 [sic] film", and Marvin Hamlisch's music, "memorable".[24] Danny Peary described The Spy Who Loved Me as "exceptional ... For once, the big budget was not wasted. Interestingly, while the sets and gimmicks were the most spectacular to date, Bond and the other characters are toned down (there's a minimum of slapstick humour) so that they are more realistic than in other Roger Moore films. Moore gives his best performance in the series ... [Bond and Anya Amasova] are an appealing couple, equal in every way. Film is a real treat – a well acted, smartly cast, sexy, visually impressive, lavishly produced, powerfully directed mix of a spy romance and a war-mission film."[25] Janet Maslin of The New York Times considered the film formulaic and "half an hour too long, thanks to the obligatory shoot-'em-up conclusion, ... nevertheless the dullest sequence here" but praised Moore's performance and the film's "share of self-mockery" which she found refreshing.[26]
The Times placed Jaws and Stromberg as the sixth and seventh best Bond villains (respectively) in the series in 2008,[27] and also named the Esprit as the second best car in the series (behind the Aston Martin DB5).[28]
Marvin Hamlisch was nominated for several awards such as the Academy Award for Best Song, Original Music Score, the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score, Grammy Award for Best Score for a Motion Picture and the BAFTA Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music ("Nobody Does It Better") in 1978. The film was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Art Direction (Ken Adam, Peter Lamont and Hugh Scaife)[29] and a BAFTA for Best Production Design/Art Direction
The end credits state "James Bond Will Return in For Your Eyes Only", but following the success of Star Wars, the originally planned For Your Eyes Only was dropped in favour of the space-themed Moonraker for the next film. The film was received positively by most critics: Rotten Tomatoes sampled 41 reviewers and judged 78% of the reviews to be positive.[30]
Novelization[edit]
Main article: James Bond, The Spy Who Loved Me
When Ian Fleming sold the film rights to the James Bond novels to Harry Saltzman and Albert R. Broccoli, he gave permission only for the title The Spy Who Loved Me to be used. Since the screenplay for the film had nothing to do with Fleming's original novel, Eon Productions, for the first time, authorised a novelization based upon the script. This would also be the first regular Bond novel published since Colonel Sun nearly a decade earlier. Christopher Wood, who co-authored the screenplay, was commissioned to write the book titled James Bond, The Spy Who Loved Me.
The novelization and the screenplay, although both written by Wood, are somewhat different. In the novelization, SMERSH is still active and after James Bond. Their role begins during the pre-title. After the mysterious death of Fekkish, SMERSH appears yet again, this time capturing and torturing Bond for the whereabouts of the microfilm that retains plans for a submarine tracking system (Bond escapes after killing two of the interrogators). The appearance of SMERSH conflicts with a number of Bond stories, including the film The Living Daylights (1987), in which a character remarks that SMERSH has been defunct for over 20 years. It also differs from the latter half of Fleming's Bond novels in which SMERSH is said to have been put out of operation. Members of SMERSH from the novelization include Amasova and her lover Sergei Borzov as well as Colonel-General Niktin, a character from Fleming's novel From Russia, with Love who has since become the head of SMERSH. In the book, Jaws remains attached to the magnet that Bond dips into the tank, as opposed to the film where Bond releases Jaws into the water.[31]
Sale of props[edit]
The Lotus Esprit—capable of transforming from car to submarine in the movie—was purchased for £616,000 at a London auction in October 2013 by Elon Musk, who plans to rebuild the vehicle and attempt to make the fictional dual-purpose car be an actual dual-purpose car (underwater and on land).[32]
See also[edit]

Portal icon James Bond portal
007: Nightfire, a 2002 video game featuring the Liparus and Atlantis settings from this film, which also includes a submarine-car not unlike the Lotus Espirit.
sQuba, a submersible car inspired by the film.[33]
"Our Man Bashir", a 1995 episode of the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was largely based on this film.
Outline of James Bond
Wet Nellie – a custom-built submarine created for the 1977 James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me, in the shape of a Lotus Esprit S1 sportscar.

References[edit]
1.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k Inside the Spy Who Loved Me. The Spy Who Loved Me Ultimate Edition DVD, Disk 2
2.Jump up ^ Harry Saltzman, Showman (Television documentary). MGM.
3.Jump up ^ Rubin, Steven Jay (2003). The complete James Bond movie encyclopedia. Contemporary Books. p. 392. ISBN 978-0-07-141246-9.
4.Jump up ^ Archer, Simon; Nicholls, Stan (1996). Gerry Anderson: The Authorised Biography. Legend Books. pp. 149–150. ISBN 0-09-978141-7.
5.Jump up ^ "The Spy Who Loved Me: Script History". Retrieved 3 September 2007.
6.^ Jump up to: a b Tom Mankiewicz and Robert Crane, My Life as a Mankiewicz, University Press of Kentucky 2012 p 163
7.Jump up ^ Exotic Locations. The Spy Who Loved Me, Ultimate Edition: Disk 2: MGM Home Entertainment.
8.Jump up ^ Frayling, Christopher (2005). Ken Adam and the Art of Production Design. London/New York City: Macmillan Publishers. p. 179. ISBN 978-0-571-22057-1.
9.Jump up ^ Lewis Gilbert, Ken Adam, Michael G. Wilson, Christopher Wood. The Spy Who Loved Me audio commentary.
10.Jump up ^ Ken Adam: Designing Bond. The Spy Who Loved Me: Ultimate Edition, Disk 2
11.Jump up ^ Nicholls, Mark. "Former Lotus engineer recalls his time as a James Bond stunt driver". Eastern Daily Press. Retrieved 26 December 2012.
12.Jump up ^ "Episode No. 4". Main Hoon Bond. Season 1. Episode 4. Star Gold.
13.Jump up ^ "Production of The Spy Who Loved Me". 8 July 2007. Retrieved 29 August 2007.
14.Jump up ^ "Music (The Spy Who Loved Me)". Retrieved 29 August 2007.
15.Jump up ^ Fiegel, Eddi (1998). John Barry: a sixties theme : from James Bond to Midnight Cowboy. Constable. p. 238. "John had been unable to work on The Spy who Loved Me because of his tax situation in the UK. The Inland Revenue had declared all his royalties frozen in 1977, disputing over unpaid tax."
16.Jump up ^ "The Spy Who Loved Me". Retrieved 29 August 2007.
17.Jump up ^ "The Spy Who Loved Me at Box Office Mojo". Retrieved 27 August 2007.
18.Jump up ^ ""The Spy Who Loved Me" screening at Empire Leicester Square Cinema". Retrieved 7 August 2007.
19.Jump up ^ Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007. Passion Pictures / Red Box Films. 5 January 2014.
20.Jump up ^ "James Bond's Top 20 (5–1)". James Bond's Top 20. IGN Entertainment, Inc. Retrieved 1 June 2009.
21.^ Jump up to: a b "The Spy Who Loved Me: Film Review by James Berardinelli". Retrieved 29 August 2007.
22.Jump up ^ Sauter, Michael (1 July 2008). "Playing the Bond Market". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
23.Jump up ^ "The Spy Who Loved Me". Retrieved 29 August 2007.
24.Jump up ^ "The Spy Who Loved Me at the Apollo Movie Guide". Retrieved 29 August 2007.
25.Jump up ^ Danny Peary, Guide for the Film Fanatic (Simon & Schuster, 1986) p.399
26.Jump up ^ Maslin, Janet (20 July 1977). "Movie Review – The Spy Who Loved Me (1977): 'Spy Who Loved' A Bit Long on Bond". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 September 2011.
27.Jump up ^ Brendan Plant (1 April 2008). "Top 10 Bond villains". The Times (London). Retrieved 3 April 2008.
28.Jump up ^ Brendan Plant (1 April 2008). "Top 10 Bond cars". The Times (London). Retrieved 3 April 2008.
29.Jump up ^ "NY Times: The Spy Who Loved Me". NY Times. Retrieved 30 December 2008.
30.Jump up ^ "The Spy Who Loved Me". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 3 March 2010.
31.Jump up ^ Wood, Christopher (1977). James Bond, The Spy Who Loved Me. Glidrose Publications. ISBN 0-446-84544-2. "Now both hands were tearing at the magnet, and Jaws twisted furiously like a fish on the hook. As Bond watched in fascinated horror, a relentless triangle streaked up behind the stricken giant. A huge gray force launched itself through the wild water, and two rows of white teeth closed around the threshing flesh."
32.Jump up ^ Dredge, Stuart (18 October 2013). "Tesla founder Elon Musk buys James Bond's Lotus Esprit submarine car". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
33.Jump up ^ "World’s First Underwater Car Cruises at 75 MPH on Land and 1.9 MPH Underwater". Industry Tap. 30 December 2013. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
Further reading[edit]
Wood, Christopher (2006). James Bond, The Spy I Loved. Twenty First Century Publishers. ISBN 1-904433-53-7.
External links[edit]
 Wikiquote has quotations related to: The Spy Who Loved Me (film)
MGM's official the Spy Who Loved Me website
The Spy Who Loved Me at the Internet Movie Database
The Spy Who Loved Me at AllMovie
The Spy Who Loved Me at Box Office Mojo
The Spy Who Loved Me at Rotten Tomatoes


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The Man with the Golden Gun (film)
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The Man with the Golden Gun
A man in a dinner jacket holding a pistol is in the centre of the picture. Various scenes and images surround him, including two women in bikinis, a midget with a pistol, a car stunt and explosions. At the bottom right, oversized and pointing towards the man in the dinner jacket, is a golden gun, with a hand holding a bullet, about to load the gun. The top of the picture has the words "ROGER MOORE as JAMES BOND 007". At the bottom are the words "THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN".
British cinema poster for The Man with the Golden Gun, designed by Robert McGinnis
 
Directed by
Guy Hamilton
Produced by
Albert R. Broccoli
Harry Saltzman
Screenplay by
Richard Maibaum
Tom Mankiewicz
Based on
The Man with the Golden Gun
 by Ian Fleming
Starring
Roger Moore
Christopher Lee
Britt Ekland
Maud Adams
Hervé Villechaize
Clifton James
Bernard Lee
Music by
John Barry
Cinematography
Ted Moore
Oswald Morris
Edited by
Raymond Poulton
 John Shirley
Production
   company
Eon Productions
Distributed by
United Artists
Release date(s)
19 December 1974 (London, premiere)
 
Running time
125 minutes
Country
United Kingdom
Language
English
Budget
$7 million
Box office
$98.5 million
The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) is the ninth spy film in the James Bond series and the second to star Roger Moore as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. A loose adaptation of Ian Fleming's novel of same name, the film has Bond sent after the Solex Agitator, a device that can harness the power of the sun, while facing the assassin Francisco Scaramanga, the "Man with the Golden Gun". The action culminates in a duel between them that settles the fate of the Solex.
The Man with the Golden Gun was the fourth and final film in the series directed by Guy Hamilton. The script was written by Richard Maibaum and Tom Mankiewicz. The film was set in the face of the 1973 energy crisis, a dominant theme in the script—Britain had still not yet fully overcome the crisis when the film was released in December 1974. The film also reflects the then-popular martial arts film craze, with several kung-fu scenes and a predominantly Asian location, being shot in Thailand, Hong Kong, and Macau.
The film saw mixed reviews, with Christopher Lee's performance as Scaramanga, intended to be a villain of similar skill and ability to Bond, being praised; but reviewers criticised the film as a whole, particularly the comedic approach, and some critics described it as the lowest point in the canon. Although the film was profitable, it is the fourth-lowest-grossing Bond film in the series. It was also the final film to be co-produced by Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman, with Saltzman selling his 50% stake in Danjaq, LLC, the parent company of Eon Productions, after the release of the film.


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Production 3.1 Writing and themes
3.2 Casting
3.3 Filming 3.3.1 Golden Gun prop
3.4 Music
4 Release and reception 4.1 Contemporary reviews
4.2 Reflective reviews
5 See also
6 References
7 Bibliography
8 External links

Plot[edit]
In London, a golden bullet with James Bond's code "007" etched into its surface is received by MI6. It is believed that it was sent by famed assassin Francisco Scaramanga, who uses a golden gun, to intimidate the agent. Because of the perceived threat to the agent's life, M relieves Bond of a mission revolving around the work of a scientist named Gibson, thought to be in possession of information crucial to solving the energy crisis with solar power. Bond sets out unofficially to find Scaramanga.
After retrieving a spent golden bullet from a belly dancer in Beirut and tracking its manufacturer to Macau, Bond sees Andrea Anders, Scaramanga's mistress, collecting golden bullets at a casino. Bond follows her to Hong Kong and in her Peninsula Hotel room pressures her to tell him about Scaramanga, his appearance and his plans; she directs him to the Bottoms Up Club. The club proves to be the location of Scaramanga's next 'hit', Gibson, from which Scaramanga's dwarf henchman Nick Nack steals the "Solex agitator", a key component of a solar power station. Before Bond can assert his innocence, however, Lieutenant Hip escorts him away from the scene, taking him to meet M and Q in a hidden headquarters in the wreck of the RMS Queen Elizabeth in the harbour. M assigns 007 to retrieve the Solex agitator and assassinate Scaramanga.
Bond then travels to Bangkok to meet Hai Fat, a wealthy Thai entrepreneur suspected of arranging Gibson's murder. Bond poses as Scaramanga, but his plan backfires because Scaramanga himself is being hosted at Hai Fat's estate. Bond is captured and placed in Fat's dojo, where the fighters are instructed to kill him. After escaping with the aid of Hip and his nieces, Bond speeds away on a khlong along the river and reunites with his British assistant Mary Goodnight. Hai Fat is subsequently killed by Scaramanga, who replaces Fat as the "new Chairman of the board" and takes the Solex.
Anders visits Bond, revealing that she had sent the bullet to London and wants Bond to kill Scaramanga. In payment, she promises to hand the Solex over to him at a boxing venue the next day. At the match, Bond discovers Anders dead and meets Scaramanga. Bond spots the Solex on the floor and is able to smuggle it away to Hip, who passes it to Goodnight. Attempting to place a homing device on Scaramanga's car, she is locked into the vehicle's boot. Bond sees Scaramanga driving away and steals a showroom car to give chase, coincidentally with Sheriff J.W. Pepper seated within it. Bond and Pepper follow Scaramanga in a car chase across Bangkok, which concludes when Scaramanga's car transforms into a plane, which flies him, Nick Nack and Goodnight to his private island.
Picking up Goodnight's tracking device, Bond flies a seaplane into Red Chinese waters, under the Chinese radar, and lands at Scaramanga's island. On arriving, Bond is welcomed by Scaramanga, who shows him the high-tech solar power plant he has taken over, the technology for which he intends to sell to the highest bidder. While demonstrating the equipment, Scaramanga uses a powerful solar beam to destroy Bond's plane.
Scaramanga then proposes a pistol duel with Bond on the beach; the two men later stand back to back and are ordered by Nick Nack to take twenty paces, but when Bond turns and fires, Scaramanga has vanished. Nick Nack leads Bond into Scaramanga's Funhouse where Bond poses as a mannequin of himself: when Scaramanga walks by, Bond takes him by surprise and kills him. Goodnight, in waylaying a Scaramanga henchman into a pool of liquid helium, upsets the balance of the solar plant, which begins to go out of control. Bond retrieves the Solex unit just before the island explodes, and they escape unharmed in Scaramanga's Chinese junk, later subduing Nick Nack who challenges them, having smuggled himself aboard.
Cast[edit]
Roger Moore as James Bond: An MI6 agent who receives a golden bullet, supposedly from Scaramanga, indicating that he is a target of Scaramanga. This was Moore's second outing as Bond; he appeared in seven Bond films in total, from Live and Let Die in 1973 to A View to a Kill in 1985.
Christopher Lee as Francisco Scaramanga: The main villain and assassin who is identified by his use of a golden gun; he also has a 'superfluous areola', or supernumerary nipple. Scaramanga plans to misuse solar energy for destructive purposes. Lee was Ian Fleming's step-cousin[1] and regular golf partner.[2] Scaramanga has been called "the best-characterised Bond villain yet."[3]
Britt Ekland as Mary Goodnight: Bond's assistant. Described by the critic of the The Sunday Mirror as being "an astoundingly stupid blonde British agent".[4] Ekland had previously been married to Peter Sellers, who appeared in the 1967 Bond film, Casino Royale.[5]
Maud Adams as Andrea Anders: Scaramanga's mistress. Adams described the role as "a woman without a lot of choices: she's under the influence of this very rich, strong man, and is fearing for her life most of the time; and when she actually rebels against him and defects is a major step."[6] The Man with the Golden Gun was the first of three Bond films in which Maud Adams appeared; in 1983, she played a different character, Octopussy, in the film of the same name. She would also later have a cameo as an extra in Roger Moore's last Bond film, A View to a Kill.[7]
Hervé Villechaize as Nick Nack: Scaramanga's dwarf manservant and accomplice. Villechaize was later known to television audiences as Tattoo, in the series Fantasy Island.
Richard Loo as Hai Fat: A Thai millionaire industrialist who was employing Scaramanga to assassinate the inventor of the "Solex" (a revolutionary solar energy device) and steal the device.
Soon-Tek Oh as Lieutenant Hip: Bond's local contact in Hong Kong and Bangkok. Soon-Tek Oh trained in martial arts for the role,[8] and his voice was partially dubbed over.[9]
Clifton James as Sheriff J.W. Pepper: A Louisiana sheriff who happens to be on holiday in Thailand. Hamilton liked Pepper in the previous film, Live and Let Die, and asked Mankewicz to write him into The Man with the Golden Gun as well.[10] Pepper's inclusion has been seen as one of "several ill-advised lurches into comedy" in the film.[1]
Bernard Lee as M: The head of MI6. The Man with the Golden Gun was the ninth Bond film for Lee, who had appeared in every Eon-produced Bond film since Dr. No as Bond's superior, Admiral Sir Miles Messervy.
Marc Lawrence as Rodney: An American gangster who attempts to outshoot Scaramanga in his funhouse. Lawrence also appeared in Diamonds Are Forever.[11]
Desmond Llewelyn as Q: The head of MI6's technical department. The Man with the Golden Gun was the seventh of 17 Bond films in which Llewelyn appeared. He appeared in more Bond films than any other actor[12] and worked with the first five James Bond actors.[13]
Marne Maitland as Lazar: A gunsmith based in Macau who manufactures golden bullets for Scaramanga.
Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny: M's secretary. Maxwell played Moneypenny in fourteen Eon-produced Bond films from Dr. No in 1962 to A View to a Kill in 1985; The Man with the Golden Gun was her ninth appearance.
James Cossins as Colthorpe: An MI6 armaments expert who identifies the maker of Scaramanga's golden bullets. The first draft of the script originally called the role Boothroyd until it was realised that was also Q's name and it was subsequently changed.[14]
Carmen du Sautoy as Saida: A Beirut belly dancer. Saida was originally written as overweight and wearing excessive make-up, but the producers decided to cast a woman closer to the classic Bond girl.[15]
Production[edit]
Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman intended to follow You Only Live Twice with The Man with the Golden Gun, inviting Roger Moore to the Bond role. However, filming was planned in Cambodia, and the Samlaut Uprising made filming impractical, leading to the production being cancelled.[16] On Her Majesty's Secret Service was produced instead with George Lazenby as Bond. Lazenby's next Bond film, Saltzman told a reporter, would be either The Man with the Golden Gun or Diamonds Are Forever. The producers chose the latter title, with Sean Connery returning as Bond.[17]
Broccoli and Saltzman then decided to start production on The Man with the Golden Gun after Live and Let Die.[18] This was the final Bond film to be co-produced by Saltzman as his partnership with Broccoli was dissolved after the film's release. Saltzman sold his 50% stake in Eon Productions's parent company, Danjaq, LLC, to United Artists to alleviate his financial problems.[19] The resulting legalities over the Bond property delayed production of the next Bond film, The Spy Who Loved Me, for three years.[20]
The novel is mostly set in Jamaica, a location which had been already used in the earlier films, Dr. No and Live and Let Die; The Man with the Golden Gun saw a change in location to put Bond in the Far East for the second time.[21] After considering Beirut, where part of the film is set,[22] Iran, where the location scouting was done but eventually discarded because of the Yom Kippur War,[23] and the Hạ Long Bay in Vietnam, the production team chose Thailand as a primary location, following a suggestion of production designer Peter Murton after he saw pictures of the Phuket bay in a magazine.[18] Saltzman was happy with the choice of the Far East for the setting as he had always wanted to go on location in Thailand and Hong Kong.[24] During the reconnaissance of locations in Hong Kong, Broccoli saw the wreckage of the former RMS Queen Elizabeth and came up with the idea of using it as the base for MI6's Far East operations.[22]
Writing and themes[edit]
Tom Mankiewicz wrote a first draft for the script in 1973, delivering a script that was a battle of wills between Bond and Scaramanga, whom he saw as Bond's alter ego, "a super-villain of the stature of Bond himself."[25] Tensions between Mankiewicz and Guy Hamilton[26] and Mankiewicz's growing sense that he was "feeling really tapped out on Bond" led to the re-introduction of Richard Maibaum as the Bond screenwriter.[27]
Maibaum, who had worked on six Bond films previously, delivered his own draft based on Mankiewicz's work.[18] Much of the plot involving Scaramanga being Bond's equal was sidelined in later drafts.[28] For one of the two main aspects of the plot, the screenwriters used the 1973 energy crisis as a backdrop to the film,[29] allowing the MacGuffin of the "Solex agitator" to be introduced; Broccoli's stepson Michael G. Wilson researched solar power to create the Solex.[18]
While Live and Let Die had borrowed heavily from the blaxploitation genre,[30] The Man with the Golden Gun borrowed from the martial arts genre[31] that was popular in the 1970s through films such as Fist of Fury (1972) and Enter the Dragon (1973).[32] However, the use of the martial arts for a fight scene in the film "lapses into incredibility" when Lt Hip and his two nieces defeat an entire dojo.[25]
Casting[edit]

 

Christopher Lee as Francisco Scaramanga.
Originally, the role of Scaramanga was offered to Jack Palance, but he turned the opportunity down.[33] Christopher Lee, who was eventually chosen to portray Scaramanga, was Ian Fleming's step-cousin and Fleming had suggested Lee for the role of Dr. Julius No in the 1962 series opener Dr. No. Lee noted that Fleming was a forgetful man and by the time he mentioned this to Broccoli and Saltzman they had cast Joseph Wiseman in the part.[34] Due to filming on location in Bangkok, his role in the film affected Lee's work the following year, as director Ken Russell was unable to sign Lee to play Specialist in the 1975 film Tommy, a part eventually given to Jack Nicholson.[35]
Two Swedish models were cast as the Bond girls, Britt Ekland and Maud Adams. Ekland had been interested in playing a Bond girl since she had seen Dr. No, and contacted the producers about the main role of Mary Goodnight.[18] Hamilton met Adams in New York, and cast her because "she was elegant and beautiful that it seemed to me she was the perfect Bond girl".[10] When Ekland read the news that Adams had been cast for The Man with the Golden Gun, she became upset, thinking Adams had been selected to play Goodnight. Broccoli then called Ekland to invite her for the main role,[18] as after seeing her in a film, Broccoli thought Ekland's "generous looks" made her a good contrast to Adams.[10] Hamilton decided to put Marc Lawrence, whom he had worked with on Diamonds Are Forever, to play a gangster shot dead by Scaramanga at the start of the film, because he found it an interesting idea to "put sort of a Chicago gangster in the middle of Thailand".[10]
Filming[edit]

A half-sunken ship lies listing at 45 degrees

 1972: The wreck of the Seawise University, the former RMS Queen Elizabeth, in Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong.
Filming commenced on 6 November 1973 at the partly submerged wreck of the RMS Queen Elizabeth, which acted as a top-secret MI6 base grounded in Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong.[36] The crew was small, and a stunt double was used for James Bond. The major part of principal photography started on 18[37] April 1974 in Thailand.[18] Thai locations included Bangkok, Thon Buri, Phuket and the nearby Phang Nga Province, on the islands of Ko Khao Phing Kan (Thai: เกาะเขาพิงกัน) and Ko Tapu (Thai: เกาะตะปู).[38][22] Scaramanga's hideout is on Ko Khao Phing Kan, and Ko Tapu is often now referred to as James Bond Island both by locals and in tourist guidebooks.[39] The scene during the boxing match used an actual Muay Thai fixture at the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.[22] In late April, production returned to Hong Kong, and also shot in Macau,[18] as the island is famous for its casinos, which Hong Kong does not have.[15] As some scenes in Thailand had to be finished, and also production had to move to studio work in Pinewood Studios—which included sets such as Scaramanga's solar energy plant and island interior— Academy Award winner Oswald Morris was hired to finish the job after cinematographer Ted Moore became ill.[40] Morris was initially reluctant, as he did not like his previous experiences taking over other cinematographers' work, but accepted after dining with Broccoli.[41] Production wrapped in Pinewood in August 1974.[15]

A tall rocky outcrop sitting in the sea, another island is visible, dominating the background.

 One of Scaramanga's Island's outcrops (high tide).
One of the main stunts in the film consisted of stunt driver "Bumps" Willard (as James Bond) driving an AMC Hornet leaping a broken bridge and spinning around 360 degrees in mid-air about the longitudinal axis, doing an "aerial twist"; Willard successfully completed the jump on the first take.[38] The stunt was shown in slow motion as the scene was too fast.[42] Composer John Barry added a slide whistle sound effect over the stunt, which Broccoli kept in despite thinking that it "undercouped the stunt". Barry later regretted his decision, thinking the whistle "broke the golden rule" as the stunt was "for what it was all worth, a truly dangerous moment, ... true James Bond style".[43] The sound effect was described as "simply crass",[42] with one writer, Jim Smith, suggesting that the stunt "brings into focus the lack of excitement in the rest of the film and is spoilt by the use of 'comedy' sound effects."[21] Eon Productions had licensed the stunt, which had been designed by Raymond McHenry;[22] the stunt was initially conceived at Cornell Aeronautical Laboratory (CAL) in Buffalo, New York as a test for their powerful vehicle simulation software. After development in simulation, ramps were built and the stunt was tested at CAL's proving ground.[44] It toured as part of the All American Thrill Show as the Astro Spiral before it was picked up for the film. The British show Top Gear attempted to repeat the stunt in June 2008, but failed.[45] The scene where Scaramanga's car flies was done at Bovington Camp, with a model inspired by an actual car plane prototype.[18] Bond's duel with Scaramanga, which Mankewicz said was inspired by the climactic faceoff in Shane, had its length shortened as the producers felt it was causing pacing problems. The trailers featured some of the cut scenes.[15]
Hamilton adapted an idea of his involving Bond in Disneyland for Scaramanga's funhouse. The funhouse was designed to be a place where Scaramanga could get the upper hand by distracting the adversary with obstacles,[10] and was described by Murton as a "melting pot of ideas" which made it "both a funhouse and a horror house".[46] While an actual wax figure of Roger Moore was used, Moore's stunt double Les Crawford was the cowboy figure, and Ray Marione played the Al Capone figure. The canted sets such as the funhouse and the Queen Elizabeth had inspiration from German Expressionism films such as The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.[15] For Scaramanga's solar power plant, Hamilton used both the Pinewood set and a miniature projected by Derek Meddings, often cutting between each other to show there was no discernible difference.[10] The destruction of the facility was a combination of practical effects on the set and a destruction of the miniature.[18] Meddings based the island blowing up on footage of the Battle of Monte Cassino.[47]
Golden Gun prop[edit]

A golden gun is held by a hand.

 The Golden Gun.
Three Golden Gun props were made; a solid piece, one that could be fired with a cap and one that could be assembled and disassembled, although Christopher Lee said that the process "was extremely difficult."[34] The gun was "one of the more memorable props in the Bond series"[36] and consisted of an interlocking fountain pen (the barrel), cigarette lighter (the bullet chamber), cigarette case (the handle) and cuff link (the trigger) with the bullet secured in Scaramanga's belt buckle.[48] The gun was to take a single 23-carat gold bullet produced by the Macau-based gunsmith, Lazar.[49] The Golden Gun ranked sixth in a 2008 20th Century Fox poll of the most popular film weapons, which surveyed approximately 2,000 film fans.[50]
On 10 October 2008, it was discovered that one of the golden guns used in the film, which is estimated to be worth around £80,000, was missing (suspected stolen) from Elstree Props, a company based at Hertfordshire studios.[51]
Music[edit]
Main article: The Man with the Golden Gun (soundtrack)
Tony Bramwell, who worked for Harry Saltzman's music-publishing company "Hilary Music", wanted Elton John or Cat Stevens to sing the title song. However by this time the producers were taking turns producing the films; Albert Broccoli - whose turn it was to produce - rejected Bramwell's suggestions. Bramwell subsequently dismissed the Barry-Lulu tune as "mundane".[52]
The theme tune to The Man with the Golden Gun, released in 1974, was performed by Scottish singer Lulu and composed by John Barry. The lyrics to the song were written by Don Black and have been described variously as "ludicrous",[48] "inane"[25] and "one long stream of smut", because of its sexual innuendo.[53] Alice Cooper wrote a song titled "The Man with the Golden Gun" to be used by the producers of the film, but they opted for Lulu's song instead. Cooper released his song in his album Muscle of Love.[54]
Barry had only three weeks to score The Man with the Golden Gun[55] and the theme tune and score are generally considered by critics to be among the weakest of Barry's contributions to the series—an opinion shared by Barry himself: "It's the one I hate most ... it just never happened for me."[56] The Man with the Golden Gun was also the first to drop the distinctive plucked guitar from the theme heard over the gun barrel opening. A sample from one of the songs, "Hip's Trip", was used by The Prodigy in the "Mindfields" track on the album The Fat of the Land.[57]
Release and reception[edit]

A toy pistol, in gold, with a black silencer: the item is still in a box

 The James Bond 007 pistol, produced by Lone Star Toys.
The Man with the Golden Gun was premiered at the Odeon Leicester Square in London on 19 December 1974,[58] with general release in the United Kingdom the same day. The film was made with an estimated budget of $7 million; despite initial good returns from the box office,[59] The Man with the Golden Gun grossed a total of $97.6 million at the worldwide box office,[60] with $21 million earned in the USA, making it the fourth lowest-grossing Bond film in the series.[61]
The promotion of the film had "one of the more anaemic advertising campaigns of the series"[48] and there were few products available, apart from the soundtrack and paperback book, although Lone Star Toys produced a "James Bond 007 pistol" in gold; this differed from the weapon used by Scaramanga in the film as it was little more than a Walther P38 with a silencer fitted.[62]
Contemporary reviews[edit]
The Man with the Golden Gun met with mixed reviews upon its release. Derek Malcolm in The Guardian savaged the film, saying that "the script is the limpest of the lot and ... Roger Moore as 007 is the last man on earth to make it sound better than it is."[63] There was some praise from Malcolm, although it was muted, saying that "Christopher Lee ... makes a goodish villain and Britt Ekland a passable Mary Goodnight ... Up to scratch in production values ... the film is otherwise merely a potboiler. Maybe enough's enough."[63] Tom Milne, writing in The Guardian's sister paper, The Observer was even more caustic, writing that "This series, which has been scraping the bottom of the barrel for some time, is now through the bottom ... with depressing borrowings from Hong Kong kung-fu movies, not to mention even more depressing echoes of the 'Carry On' smut."[64] He summed up the film by saying it was "sadly lacking in wit or imagination."[64]
David Robinson, the film critic at The Times dismissed the film and Moore's performance, saying that Moore was "substituting non-acting for Connery's throwaway", while Britt Ekland was "his beautiful, idiot side-kick ... the least appealing of the Bond heroines."[65] Robinson was equally damning of the changes in the production crew, observing that Ken Adam, an "attraction of the early Bond films," had been "replaced by decorators of competence but little of his flair."[65] The writers "get progressively more naive in their creation of a suburban dream of epicureanism and adventure."[65] Writing for The New York Times, Nora Sayre considered the film to suffer from "poverty of invention and excitement", criticizing the writing and Moore's performance and finding Villechaize and Lee as the only positive points for their "sinister vitality that cuts through the narrative dough."[66]
The Sunday Mirror critic observed that The Man with the Golden Gun "isn't the best Bond ever" but found it "remarkable that Messrs. Saltzman and Broccoli can still produce such slick and inventive entertainment".[4] Arthur Thirkwell, writing in the Sunday Mirror's sister paper, the Daily Mirror concentrated more on lead actor Roger Moore than the film itself: "What Sean Connery used to achieve with a touch of sardonic sadism, Roger Moore conveys with roguish schoolboy charm and the odd, dry quip."[67] Thirkwell also said that Moore "manages to make even this reduced-voltage Bond a character with plenty of sparkle."[67] Judith Crist of New York Magazine gave a positive review, saying "the scenery's grand, the lines nice and the gadgetry entertaining", also describing the production as a film that "capture[s] the free-wheeling, whooshing non-sense of early Fleming's fairy tale for grown-ups orientation".[68]
Jay Cocks, writing in Time, focused on gadgets such as Scaramanga's flying car, as what is wrong with both The Man with the Golden Gun and the more recent films in the Bond series, calling them "Overtricky, uninspired, these exercises show the strain of stretching fantasy well past wit."[69] Cocks also criticised the actors, saying that Moore "lacks all Connery's strengths and has several deep deficiencies", while Lee was "an unusually unimpressive villain".[69]
Reflective reviews[edit]
Opinion on The Man with the Golden Gun has not changed with the passing of time: as of November 2012, the film holds a 46% rating from Rotten Tomatoes,[70] while Ian Freer of Empire found the film "an entertaining 007 adventure, something that tonally, if not qualitatively, could happily sit within the Connery era."[71] IGN chose The Man with the Golden Gun as the worst Bond film, claiming it "has a great concept ... but the execution is sloppy and silly",[72] and Entertainment Weekly chose it as the fourth worst, saying that the "plot is almost as puny as the sidekick".[73] On the other hand, Norman Wilner of MSN chose it as the tenth best, with much praise for Christopher Lee's performance.[74]
Some critics saw the film as uninspired, tired and boring.[75] Roger Moore was also criticised for playing Bond against type, in a style more reminiscent of Sean Connery, although Lee's performance received acclaim. Danny Peary wrote that The Man with the Golden Gun "lacks invention ... is one of the least interesting Bond films" and "a very laboured movie, with Bond a stiff bore, Adams and Britt Ekland uninspired leading ladies".[76] Peary believes that the shootout between Bond and Scaramanga in the funhouse "is the one good scene in the movie, and even it has an unsatisfying finish" and also bemoaned the presence of Clifton James, "unfortunately reprising his unfunny redneck sheriff from Live and Let Die."[76]
Chris Nashawaty of Entertainment Weekly argues that Scaramanga is the best villain of the Roger Moore James Bond films,[77] while listing Mary Goodnight among the worst Bond girls, saying that "Ekland may have had one of the series' best bikinis, but her dopey, doltish portrayal was a turnoff as much to filmgoers as to fans of Ian Fleming's novels".[78] The Times put Scaramanga as the fifth best Bond villain in their list,[79] and Ekland was the third in their list of the top 10 most fashionable Bond girls.[80] Maxim listed Goodnight at fourth in their Top Bond Babes list, saying that "Agent Goodnight is the clumsiest spy alive. But who cares as long as she's using her perfect bikini bottom to muck things up?"[81]
See also[edit]

Portal icon James Bond portal
List of henchmen in The Man with the Golden Gun
Outline of James Bond
References[edit]
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Bibliography[edit]
Barnes, Alan; Hearn, Marcus (2001). Kiss Kiss Bang! Bang!: the Unofficial James Bond Film Companion. Batsford Books. ISBN 978-0-7134-8182-2.
Benson, Raymond (1988). The James Bond Bedside Companion. London: Boxtree Ltd. ISBN 1-85283-234-7.
Black, Jeremy (2004). Britain Since the Seventies: Politics and Society in the Consumer Age. Guilford: Biddles Ltd. ISBN 978-1-86189-201-0.
Black, Jeremy (2005). The Politics of James Bond: from Fleming's Novel to the Big Screen. University of Nebraska Press. ISBN 978-0-8032-6240-9.
Bramwell, Tony; Kingsland, Rosemary (2006). Magical Mystery Tours: My Life with the Beatles (reprint ed.). Macmillan Publishers. ISBN 978-0-312-33044-6.
Broccoli, Albert R (1998). When the Snow Melts. London: Boxtree Ltd. ISBN 978-0-7522-1162-6.
Cork, John; Stutz, Collin (2007). James Bond Encyclopedia. London: Dorling Kindersley. ISBN 978-1-4053-3427-3.
Fu, Poshek; Desser, David (2000). The Cinema of Hong Kong. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-77235-8.
Greene, Bob (1974). Billion dollar baby. Athéneum. ISBN 978-0-689-10616-3.
Mankiewicz, Tom; Crane, Robert (2012). My Life as a Mankiewicz. Lexington, KY: University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 978-0-8131-3605-9.
Macintyre, Ben (2008). For Yours Eyes Only. London: Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7475-9527-4.
Peary, Danny (1986). Guide for the Film Fanatic. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-0-671-61081-4.
Pfeiffer, Lee; Worrall, Dave (1998). The Essential Bond. London: Boxtree Ltd. ISBN 978-0-7522-2477-0.
Smith, Jim (2002). Bond Films. London: Virgin Books. ISBN 978-0-7535-0709-4.
External links[edit]
 Wikiquote has quotations related to: The Man with the Golden Gun (film)
The Man with the Golden Gun at BFI Screenonline
The Man with the Golden Gun at the Internet Movie Database
The Man with the Golden Gun at AllMovie
The Man with the Golden Gun at Rotten Tomatoes
The Man with the Golden Gun at Box Office Mojo
The Man with the Golden Gun at the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer site


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