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Comments
You know guys, Johnny Weissmuller had once said that he was critized for his acting chops and his return was that he was not an "actor" he was an atheleth. (He had won Olympic gold for swimming in the 1928 Olympics -Or was it 1924?). Anyway, he complained that later Tarzan TV shows and movies mistakenly hired actors to play Tarzan. He felt it should have been an atheleth..
Maybe the same would apply to Bruce and Chuck...
Just some thoughts....
1. Thunderball (5 reviews)- 4.08
2. From Russia With Love (7 reviews)- 4.07
3. Goldfinger (6 reviews)- 4.00
4. You Only Live Twice (4 reviews)- 3.72
5. Dr. No (6 reviews)- 3.42
Thus far we've had 7 originals in on the voting. For this exercise to be ideal, we should have 7 reviews for each movie. As we can see above, FRWL is the only movie everyone has voted on. Below is a list of who hasn't reviewed a particular film, so you know which ones you have done and which you haven't. As always, you are under no obligation to do so, but it would be great if you could when you can. I know 4EverBonded has been busy at work and am confident she will catch up.
DR. NO- No vote from Lancaster007
GOLDFINGER- No vote from 4EverBonded
THUNDERBALL- No votes from DB5 and 4EverBonded
YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE- No votes from Kerim, DB5, and 4EverBonded
That's the latest update. Tomorrow I will review and release the sixth entry, the legendarily controversial "On Her Majesty's Secret Service".
DR NO
Bond 4.5 I think Connery nails this from the get go. Probably thanks to Terence Young who took Sean under his wing.
Women 4.5 UA maybe the first (and some consider the best) but I still prefer Domino, some great supporting women from Bond's girlfriend to naughty girl Miss Taro.
Villains 5 Although we don't see him to well into the film, Dr No haunts this film, with underlings Prof. Dent, Taro, Mr Jones and the three blind mice, a great set of villains.
Humor 4 Some nice one-liners, great humour to lighten the darker moments, the series gets of to a great start.
Action 3 Quite light on action compared to later entries in the series, but the series started as proper spy thrillers with some investigation, something that seemed to be tossed aside in later entries.
Sadism 4 Dr No tries various ways of killing Bond to provide some entertainment, but in the book the tunnel is trial of strength and courage were as in the film it seems to be something Bond just comes across, but the heat and the torrent of water suggest otherwise, something that was not put across very well in the film.
Music 3 A nice solid, if unmemorable start, though of course we have the iconic James Bond Theme - brilliant.
Locations 5 Jamaica looks superb, this film really makes you want to go there - maybe one day…
Gadgets 2 Apart from the geiger counter not much in the way of gadgets, so can only give 2.
Supporting Cast 4 A solid supporting cast from Bernard Lee, Lois Maxwell, Jack Lord, Wiseman et al, don't think they could have cast better!
Had to wait until ITV showed this in 1976, don't think I breathed from the opening titles to the end credits. One first viewing I thought this was absolutely brilliant and it is still one of my favourites, never get tired of seeing it. "I admire your luck, Mr…?"
"Bond. James Bond." Classic.
Bond- 5 out of 5. By this point the actor Sean Connery and the character James Bond are indistinguishable from each other. Connery is in top form in every scene.
Women- 5 out of 5. Pat Fearing, Fiona Volpe, Domino Petachi. All are beautiful and all are seduced by Bond. The actress who plays Paula is not too hard on the eyes either.
Villains- 3 out of 5. Adolfo Celli is ok as Largo. But he just doesn't come across as all that evil. And as for Count Lippe, what self respecting SPECTRE agent gets himself trapped in a steam bath?
Humor- 5 out of five. Bond stopping to eat a grape while sneaking out of the room at the spa. "Somebody's probably lost a dog," "She's just dead," "I think he got the point."
Action- 3 out of 5. Some good scenes like the PTS fight with Colonel Jacques Bouvard. But the underwater sequences drag!
Sadism- 5 out of 5. Killing Paula, The shark tank, Bond shooting Vargas with the spear gun.
Music- 5 out of 5. The Tom Jones theme song. And Barry's music is top notch!
Locations- 5 out of 5. How can you argue with the Bahamas?
Gadgets- 2 out of 5. The underwater breathing device and a camera as a geiger counter. Not impressed.
Supporting Cast- 2 out of 5. The guy who plays Felix Leiter is an improvement over Cec Linder. But let's face it, you can't fall off the floor!
"I'm relieving you of Operation Bedlam, 007"
The year is 1968. With Sean Connery having retired from the role a year earlier, Cubby Broccoli and Harry Saltzman begin a search for his replacement while gearing up to film the 6th movie in the series, one they had been trying to film for several years, Fleming's 10th Bond novel entitled "On Her Majesty's Secret Service". For Connery's replacement, Broccoli and Saltzman consider future Bond Roger Moore once again, plus confirmed front runners John Richardson, Anthony Rogers, Hans DeVries, Robert Campbell, and a very young future Bond in Welsh actor Timothy Dalton, who declined Broccoli's offer due to feeling he was too young for the role at the time. Eventually, the producers take a very big risk in settling on a complete unknown with no acting experience whatsoever, Australian print and TV model George Lazenby, based on several factors that mostly centered around his physical presence and action skills. Not wise to politics or anything "Hollywood", Lazenby and his "braintrust" would almost immediately come into conflict with the producers and the cast and he announced he would not return to the role while the movie was still being filmed. Unlike it's predecessor, the movie closely follows the 1963 novel. In the film, Bond continues to pursue SPECTRE chief Ernst Stavro Blofeld as part of "Operation Bedlam". This time, Blofeld plans to sterilize the world's food supply through a group of brainwashed "angels of death" unless his demands for international amnesty (from his previous activities), recognition of his title of "Count De Bleuchamp", and to be allowed to retire into private life are all met. Along the way Bond falls in love with and marries Contessa Teresa di Vicenzo, the daughter of Marc-Ange Draco, who like Blofeld runs a large criminal organization called the "Unione Corse" who Bond notes is only second in influence to SPECTRE.
Principal filming began in Switzerland on October 21, 1968 under the direction of Peter Hunt, who had been an editor from the beginning and the second unit director for You Only Live Twice. It would be his only turn in the director's chair and his last work with the series. Filming moved to England in March 1969 and additional scenes were shot in Portugal from April until May 1969, when filming ended. The movie premiered in England on December 18th, 1969 and was the first in the series to have stereo sound. The movie initially did well enough despite Connery's absence, with a $1.2 million dollar gross in the United States and was the highest grossing film in England for the year. However, unlike the previous films the box office dropped off considerably and the film only made $64.6 million during it's theatrical run, roughly half of what it's predecessor made with Connery as the lead. Despite the poor reception that kept the movie in the "bargain bin" for many years, the movie was rediscovered and rescued by a new generation of fans and is now considered one of the great films, if not a classic
of the series, although most critics and fans are much less generous with their appraisal of Lazenby's performance as they are with the overall film.
THE CAST-
- George Lazenby as James Bond
- Diana Rigg as Countess Tracy di Vicenzo
- Telly Savalas as Ernst Stavro Blofeld
- Gabriele Ferzetti as Marc-Ange Draco
- Ilse Steppat as Irma Bunt
- Bernard Lee as M
- Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny
- Desmond Llewelyn as Q
- George Baker as Sir Hilary Bray
- Yuri Borienko as Grunther
- Virginia North as Olympe
- Bernard Horsfall as Shaun Campbell
Blofeld's Angels of Death
- Angela Scoular as Ruby Bartlett
- Catherina von Schell as Nancy
- Joanna Lumley as an English girl
- Julie Ege as Helen, a Scandinavian girl
- Ingrit Black as a German girl.
- Mona Chong as a Chinese girl.
- Jenny Hanley as an Irish girl.
- Anouska Hempel as an Australian girl.
- Sylvana Henriques as a Jamaican girl.
- Helena Ronee as an Israeli girl.
- Dani Sheridan as an American girl.
- Zara as an Indian girl.
BOND- One positive but mostly negatives in my opinion. For the positive, Lazenby completely delivers in the action sequences. He has an undeniable physical presence in action and I hadn't seen a Bond this physical until Daniel Craig's recent portrayals. After that, it's all more downhill than an escape from Piz Gloria, as action stars are mostly a dime a dozen. Lazenby completely doesn't deliver in nearly every scene. Voice generally monotone and face generally wooden. I'll always feel that Connery would have done a universe better. The fact is, a Bond actor ideally needs to be able to cover all aspects of the role and while Lazenby does the best he can for a rookie actor, it's almost painfully obvious that like most action stars he's in way over his head with a serious script such as this one, and that the rest of the cast are the real stars of the movie- 1.5/5
WOMEN- After original choice Brigitte Bardot decided to star opposite Connery in "Shalako", and fellow French actress Catherine Deneuve also declining the role, English TV and stage star Diana Rigg agrees to portray the woman who would be James Bond's one and only wife, Contessa Teresa "Tracy" Di Vincenzo. It's the first of several exceptional choices that would revitalize the initial negative reactions many years down the line. Rigg delivers perhaps her greatest performance I've ever seen, perfectly embodying the spirit in the way Fleming envisioned her, she had to nail the role and she did so in spades. The other women in the movie are generally limited to Blofeld's "Angels Of Death", in which Catherina von Schell is the standout star. Half of these women fall flat for me in the looks department, and although Angela Scoular is saucy fun as Ruby, she looks atrocious in this and it's hard to believe Bond would sleep with her. Rigg and von Schell lead the way- 4.5/5
VILLAINS- A great category for this movie. My favorite all time Blofeld, American actor Telly Savalas, brings even more vast experience and a definite menace as bad old Ernst Stavro. I only wished he'd have been Blofeld in every adventure, because he also brings a physical presence sorely lacking in Pleasance and later Charles Gray. His assistant Irma Bunt, who looks like an ex-Nazi camp guard, is also perfectly brought to life by German actress Ilse Steppat. Highly efficient and as coldly ruthless as her boss, they make a perfect pairing, though not quite in the way Fleming portrayed. Steppat's contributions behind the scenes only added to the coaching that Savalas and Rigg also provided, and it's been said Lazenby credited her influence on him as invaluable. Russian wrestler Yuri Borienko and a host of others round out the rest, a tremendous and perfect cast- 5/5
HUMOR- True to the tradition set forth by Terence Young, humor is limited but good. Lazenby delivers most of it and other than action, it seems to be the other area where he shows some spark and natural talent- 3/5
ACTION- Somewhat "From Russia With Love" but even more so due to the Bond/Tracy romance getting strong emphasis, action is set aside to concentrate on the story going on. However, there are some great fights throughout, and some magnificent ski chases that stand out to push the score as high as I can rate it given the nature of the script- 4/5
SADISM- Not on the level of the prior films here either. Blofeld's plan to initiate world starvation can be considered, as can his treatment of Bond's MI6 colleague, but the movie doesn't dwell on shock value. The most sadistic thing in this movie is courtesy of the script, where a SPECTRE henchman is pulverized by a snow blower while Lazenby notes "He had a lot of guts!". That alone makes me want to stand up and cheer and raise the score a bit- 3/5
MUSIC- Short of the Nina/Barry collaboration that was very average considering the source, Barry once again presents a soundtrack master work. The instrumental title song, using the then newly innovative Moog synthesizer (believe it or not, the Monkees song "Daily Nightly" was the first release to use the instrument) is one of the great instrumentals in movie history. Add to that the exquisite "We Have All The Time In The World" featuring the final performance of jazz icon Louis Armstrong, rousing action tracks such as "Escape From Piz Gloria" , and the classy casino tune "Try" . Aside from a slight deduction for the holiday tune this one rocks-4.5/5
LOCATIONS- The breathtaking scenery of the Swiss Alps we first saw in "Goldfinger" is revisited to a much larger degree and the filming of aerial photographer Johnny Jordan brings it to life to an impressive degree. Some nice locations in Portugal also are given some prominence. Like Thunderball and water, there's a little too much emphasis on snow and ice but in this case, there's so much to see that here it adds rather than detracts because there is almost always fast paced action going on- 5/5
GADGETS- Aside from Q's radioactive lint (boring and unused) and the safe cracking copier, very little is used- 1.5/5
SUPPORTING CAST- Standout. Italian actor Gabriele Ferzetti joins the ranks of great Bond allies such as Kerim Bey, Tiger Tanaka, and later Milos Colombo. He plays Tracy's father, crime boss Marc-Ange Draco, just the way I'd always envisioned the character. M and Moneypenny give what is among their greatest performances given more to do than usual, which is always a bonus. Add some solid work from George Baker as Sir Hilary Bray, Virginia North as Olympe, and the AOD, every part is done as well as it can be- 5/5
OVERALL SCORE AND RECOLLECTIONS- My view of the overall film has greatly changed over the years, but at the time it was released I was like almost everyone in the thought that the franchise was in real trouble without Connery, or someone of his caliber. This movie is much like a complex piece of machinery with many moving parts. Many of them function very well but when the key cog of Bond himself is not quite up to par, it lessens the full impact of what the machine can do. For all the areas where the film is highly successful, which is what makes it a great entry for me, I can't in good conscience overlook the worst official Bond actor in the series and pretend he's great or even good when he isn't. I remember exactly what I thought in 1969- "This guy is great until he starts talking", and I still feel the same. Some of the key elements such as gadgets, which could have been used to add a little zip to the character and were something that at the time that was a highlight for many, are noticeably absent as well. Again, I like the film very much and after GF and FRWL it's my 3rd favorite from the classic 60's era. This one scores 37 out of 50 points for me, or 3.7
On Her Majestys Secret Service 1969
Bond - 3/5 - I always felt that Lazenby gets unfairly castigated by some. Ok, in retrospect it wasn't the best to have an antipodean playing Britain's best loved (fictional) Spy, and was George a bit young for the part at 29?, but all said, I thought he looked the part, the Australian accent was never evident, came across as plausible enough, did not too bad a job. Pity his agent couldn't keep his nose out and persuaded Lazenby not to continue in the part, would of done well in Diamonds. I still don't think the worst James Bond we ever saw. Gets unfairly berated too often
Women - 4/5 - Never was much of a fan of the Di Vicenzo character, have nothing against Rigg as an actress, but it just didn't work for me, a bit too Kara Milovy sometimes, but it's hard not to feel sympathy when Blofeld and Bunt get to her in the end. The Piz Gloria girls, what an array of different names and faces, one of the best ever for the series, and it's fun to see Bray (Bond) have his way with them until he is caught out
Villains - 4/5 - Savalas, best Blofeld ever, at least the one we can actually see. You half expect him to get out a lollipop and 'who loves ya baby' at times, but he's a credible Blofeld and a big screen presence. The other guys don't live long in the memory, the thug 'gatecrasher' who Lazenby takes out in the hotel room and Gunther was it, as Bunt's lead assistant don't offer much. Irma Bunt, despite some fun lines, and her atrocity at the very end, simply doesn't menace enough. Savalas steals the show for Bond villains that year
Humor - 2/5 - Bit of a mixed bag. One minute it's almost on a level of Moore almost before becoming quite serious once again. George has some fun moments, especially at Piz Gloria. The ending happens on a sour note, and any fun and games and light hearted moments that came before it, are quickly brought into perspective
Action - 3/5 - some of the ski-ing sequences are geniunely well done, there's plenty of scope for entertainment, drags a bit once Bond gets introduced to the Piz Gloria girls and even degenerates into farce territory every now and again. The opening in Portugal as Rigg tries to take her life and Bond rescue with Draco's men on the beach is one of the best openings ever. There are bits that seem to go nowhere here that become a bit mundane and boring, but it's an eventful enough picture
Sadism - 4/5 - again, not an area I look for in Bond, but Savalas' idea of mind control over the poor girls of Piz Gloria stands out, take away a persons free will, not a very nice objective etc. The Gunther character was another we could include here, seemed having no issue about trying to beat down Tracy, didn't seem a very nice sort. Blofeld himself had other incidents of sadistic pleasures apart from his main objective of controlling the girls minds of Piz Gloria
Music - 4/5 - Barry puts together a legendary theme for the intros as past Bond adventures are shown and it all ties into an inconic few minutes of the Bond series. Armstrong gives us the timeless 'We have all the time in the world' a year or two before his passing, and action sequences feature standout music and theme presentations. Can't quite give it full marks though
Locations - 3/5 - If snow and mountains are your thing, then this is the watch for you. Nice scenery, impressive backdrops, but it's not all that makes any movie. Seems all a bit restricted to one place sometimes, as with Connery in You Only Live Twice and Dalton in License to Kill. The 'winter' feel, isn't always appreciated every time you watch
Gadgets - 1/5 - were there any?, gave a 2, but will change back to 1. As George said -'This time I've got the gadgets and I know how to use them' Seemed almost non existent in this release
Supporting Cast - 4/5 - The Angel of Death girls were interesting to say the least, Ferzetti's Draco was fine, some of his henchmen were fun to watch, Q had a nice appearance towards the end, as did Moneypenny
Overall score -3/5 - Not the best James Bond release ever, or the worst, Lazenby did not too bad a job, seemed credible enough. Some fun action bits here and there but not a favorite watch of my mine by any distance. Becomes too dull sometimes in between the more lively areas, and after you've watched Bond sneak around Piz Gloria for the 100th time trying to get his end away with the girls, can seem a bit repetitive. Great opening, classic Barry soundtrack, powerful Savalas performance as Blofeld, legendary ending, but the bottom line is, it's sometimes easy to lose focus during some of the more uninteresting moments and can be a bit of a long watch sometimes, but still gets unfairly criticized by film reviewers far and wide. Worth a watch around the holidays season
(these original fan reviews are tough work sometimes - well done to all involved)
Bond 3 Considering his lack of experience, I think GL does a fairly good job, obviously he has the physical side of things down pat, quite good with the humour and also there a moments of subtly, flared nostrils, glaring eyes, that are overlooked. With a bit more experience behind him he could have been great, DAF would have been so much better, and I think he handled the death of Tracey well.
women 3 So many of them, but not all memorable. Nothing against the late Angela Scoular as Ruby Bartlett, but she doesn't really seem the type to get Bond's pulse racing! Obviously we have Tracy one of the best, though ultimately tragic Bond girl.
Villains 4 A great Blofeld in Savalas, so much better than DP, Irma Bunt is a nasty bitch and some good henchmen. Obviously being Bond's main enemy Blofeld is always going to score high.
Humour 4 As with the Young films, the humour is there mainly are light relief, not just because it is funny. Though I find the 'Hilly' thing a bit embarrassing.
Action 4 The action beats come when needed, not just to pep things up a bit, and this is why it is a favourite of mine, nothing seems forced. Excellent ski sequences that really make one take up the sport! Some great fight scenes which Lazenby handles with aplomb.
Sadism 4 Blodfeld's plan is not nice, so fairly sadistic I would say, and Bunt's killing of Tracy is one of the most sadistic of the series - yeah I know they were after Bond but they obviously didn't care who got in the way. And brain-washing innocent girls, not nice.
Music 5 After YOLT's excellent score Barry comes back with an even better effort, excellent instrumental title theme (one of the best ever), Armstrong's WHATTITW is just brilliant, very emotional, and the rest of the score just works brilliantly.
Locations 4 Love the two main locations, and they are used to brilliant effect. I don't think Bond has to visit every continent in each film to make it good, two excellent locations are better than six meh locations!
Supporting Cast 5 One of the best supporting casts. Savalas, Steppat, Ferzetti, Lee, Maxwell and Llewellen are all excellent in a film that cares more about plot and story than spectacle.
Gadgets 1 No gadgets to speak of really, only the safe-cracking machine and the huge photocopier, but then this film doesn't need gadgets.
Overview This is my 2nd placed Bond film of all time, mainly because it stays as faithful to Fleming as it can. Hunt did an excellent job and really should have been allowed to make more Bonds. I know some of the younger posters find it drags but this was made when story was king, and you didn't need 30 cuts a minute to keep people interested. Great script, great action, great story and a bloody good film, let alone a blood good Bond film. And it looks luscious.
Edit have just put in a score for sadism as requested by SirHenry
Me, personally? That's between me and the missus…Oh, I see what you mean. I'll just edit my review!
No, I wasn't looking for TMI or the sordid details on what goes on behind closed doors over there hahaha.
Very similar reviews thus far on OHMSS. Interesting.
Women 4 Tracy is the best of the Bond girls. Diana Rigg delivers and hell, most of us already had school boy crushes on Diana Rigg from watching her on the Avengers. The Angles of death are good eye candy but nothing more. I wouldn't kick any out of bed.
Villains 5 I think Savalas portrayal of Ernst is the best of the series. I liked the fact that he takes part in the "dirty work" himself and not just lleave it to underlings. He holds his own in a fisticuffs with Bond on the bobsleigh. Irma Bunt is a great henchwoman and rivals Lotte's rosa Klebb. Gunther is menacing.
Humor 5 well done and tastefully.
Action 5 the fights, the moonlight ski chase, the daylight ski chase, the car chase, the battle at Piz Gloria and finally the fight on the bobsleigh. I have to give this a 5.
Sadism 5 well done and what we come to expect from Bond. Brutal fights and nasty deaths to some characters.
Music 5 This is by far Barry's best soundtrack of any Bond film. It is also kinda a swan song as later soundtracks all fail to measure up.
Locations 5 They were well utilized.
Supporting Cast 5 the usual gang is all here and in top form. Draco is well portrayed by Italian actor Ferzetti.
Gadgets 5 I was never a fan of the gadgets and they are better with less. The only real gadget is the safe cracking machine. Smart, beliviable(sp)
Overall score : 47 or 4.7 This is my all time favorite Bond film. I am glad to see that it gets some love and respect after all these years.
I never thought he was a worthy successor to Connery anyway. I thought Lazenby was better, and I'll even say that Craig is also. I think it's important for Bond to have a...thug quality to him, and the other fellows, no disrespect, are too...soft for my taste.
I have to wonder, do you feel that way about Dalton too?
1 (tie) From Russia With Love (7 reviews)- 4.07
1 (tie) Thunderball (6 reviews)- 4.07
3. Goldfinger (6 reviews)- 4.00
4. On Her Majesty's Secret Service (4 reviews)- 3.78
5. You Only Live Twice (4 reviews)- 3.72
6. Dr. No (7 reviews)- 3.50
Thus far we've completed voting for 2 of the first 6 films, and 4Ever tells me she's working on getting some more reviews up this weekend. Once again, below is a list of who hasn't reviewed a particular film, so you know which ones you have done and which you haven't. As always, you are under no obligation to do so, but it would be great if you could do each film when you can so we have a complete picture of how we all collectively feel. Also, please try to review your prior scores for different categories for the sake of consistency.
GOLDFINGER and THUNDERBALL- No votes from 4EverBonded
YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE- No votes from Kerim, DB5, and 4EverBonded
ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE- No votes from Kerim, DB5, and 4EverBonded
That's the latest update. Tomorrow I will review and release the seventh entry, "Diamonds Are Forever".
Goodnight I-)
Welcome to our club fellow original! Feel free to join in the reviews and add any and all experiences you've had over the years. As time goes by there are fewer and fewer of us who remember the golden age of Bond and I created this thread in the hopes of preserving our memories for posterity and younger generations like my 12 year old (on 8/21) son, who is a 4th generation fan.
Yes, the 1960's were surely a time when the only way to see Bond films was in the theater. Thankfully there was lots of demand for encore runs in those days. I still got irritated at the cuts on free TV. I always knew what they edited. What a joy it was when the films became available on VHS when you could watch one whenever you wanted to.
I'm glad you mentioned the soundtracks. My Dad had them all on vinyl and whenever I missed seeing certain Bond films, I could always play the soundtrack. I learned that way to associate certain pieces with certain scenes.
Have a good time here!
Greg/Sir Henry
"Need I remind you that Blofeld is dead. Finished. The least we can expect from you now is a little hard work"
The year is 1971. After a contentious split between George Lazenby and themselves, Cubby Broccoli and Harry Saltzman find themselves again testing actors such as John Gavin, Batman star Adam West, and Irish actor Michael Gambon in preparation for the 7th installment in the Bond series, "Diamonds Are Forever". United Artists' chief David Picker however, was unhappy with the available candidates and made it clear that they wanted Sean Connery back in the role, and that money was no object. When approached about resuming the role of Bond, Connery demanded a then astronomical fee of £1.25 million pounds and the additional inducement of two films of his choice that UA would support. With Connery on board, the producers ask OHMSS director Peter Hunt to return but due to Hunt's schedule conflicts that would have forced filming to be delayed, Cubby and Harry ask Goldfinger director Guy Hamilton to return to the chair. The movie generally follows the novel's basic plot and characters, but adds a few alterations made by screenwriter Tom Mankiewicz and a suggestion by Broccoli. In the movie, after being convinced by Bond that Ernst Stavro Blofeld has finally gone to "hell", M asks Bond to impersonate a smuggler in order to investigate why noticeable amounts of diamonds are disappearing from mines in South Africa. Soon Bond uncovers a chain of death that leads to the still very much alive Blofeld, who is using the diamonds to build a space laser capable of causing mass destruction.
Based on the 1956 novel, the fourth in Ian Fleming's series, filming commenced on April 15, 1971 just outside of Las Vegas, which was the primary location for the movie. Other scenes were filmed in California as well as England, Holland, Germany, and France. Filming ended on August 13th and the movie premiered on December 14th, 1971. It grossed $116 million worldwide and would be the final appearance for Sean Connery in an official Bond film, pledging that he would "never" play Bond again.
THE CAST-
- Sean Connery as James Bond
- Jill St. John as Tiffany Case
- Charles Gray as Ernst Stavro Blofeld
- Jimmy Dean as Willard Whyte
- Bruce Glover as Mr. Wint
- Putter Smith as Mr. Kidd
- Lana Wood as Plenty O'Toole
- Bruce Cabot as Bert Saxby
- Joseph Furst as Professor Doctor Metz
- Norman Burton as Felix Leiter
- Bernard Lee as M
- Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny
- Desmond Llewellyn as Q
- Joe Robinson as Peter Franks
- Leonard Barr as Shady Tree
- Sir Laurence Naismith as Sir Donald Munger
- David Bauer as Morton Slumber
- Ed Bishop as Klaus Hergerscheimer
- David de Keyser as Doctor Tynan
- Lola Larson and Trina Parks (uncredited) as Bambi and Thumper
BOND- For all the money he got paid, you would think that Connery would at least be in fighting shape. Wrong. He's in even worse shape than he was in YOLT. True, there are still moments here and there where he shows flashes of his prime performances, but it's also clear that he was not approaching the role with any sort of passion or energy. His comments regarding the humor and fun of the script make me think he concentrated his best efforts in that direction. At this point in time, I would have rather he had stayed away because this movie would have had a totally different direction with George and Peter Hunt, and George would have had energy and covered the humor just as well- 1.5/5
WOMEN- Two American actresses do the duties in this one. Jill St. John portrays Tiffany Case, who is definitely criminal minded and fairly amoral. Of course Bond turns her between his prowess in the sack and in pointing out that her associates want her dead, but even in the end she's still not exactly reformed, which I find to be amusing. I mostly don't mind her in the beginning where she looks like she has a little on the ball, but by the time the movie has ended she doesn't prove to be a very good criminal and has too many embarrassing moments that killed any momentum she had. We also have Lana Wood as Plenty O'Toole, a caricature of a money hungry, brainless Vegas bimbo who latches on to Bond at the wrong time and pays for it later. Naturally she appeals to men and Lana pulls it off well enough. Bambi and Thumper appear so briefly, they barely count. Both featured actresses are fine for the characters they play, but in terms of script and character development this pair is a huge step down from the timeless beauties of the earlier films- 1.5/5
VILLAINS- I didn't think they could get a Blofeld worse than Pleasance until I saw Charles Gray appear. I almost wish he had been killed in the PTS, especially after he appears in drag later on. No sense of menace whatsoever in Gray's portrayal. He didn't scare me as a 10 year old. My son doesn't take him seriously either. The Bert Saxby character is boring until he gets shot. However, there is some life after them. First up is Bruce Glover and Putter Smith as Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd, Blofeld's assassins who also happen to be a gay couple. It was a bold and risky step at that time for Fleming to write about and then for EON to bring to the big screen. And these two are excellent as smiling killers who truly enjoy their work, which definitely brings a menace and a bit of serious relief for me. Joseph Furst fits best in here as Professor Doctor Metz, who is conned by Blofeld into developing his diamond driven space laser. And then there's stuntman Joe Robinson in a brief appearance as smuggler Peter Franks. This would be a full 1 for me without the threat of Wint and Kidd- 2/5
HUMOR- One of the very few areas that the movie does OK in because it's geared that way. Wint and Kidd as mentioned are jokesters. Bond gets off many hilarious one liners as well. Willard Whyte makes me laugh. Shady Tree (who is the uncle of the iconic Dino "Dean Martin" Crocetti) plays a stand-up comedian who is and becomes part of the chain of death. On the other hand, it resembles YOLT because there is poor humor such as Blofeld in drag and the stupidity of the female leads, and it's not good if the humor induces groans. A mixed bag, but I mostly enjoy it for what it is because I do find the film humorous- 4/5
ACTION- Diamonds doesn't do too badly when it comes to giving action sequences. The Bond/Franks elevator fight ranks just behind Connery's fight with Red Grant as his best 1 on 1 battles, and his dispatch of Wint and Kidd is not bad either for a short sequence. The desert and Las Vegas chases are solid as Bond puts on a terrific display of driving skills whether in a moon buggy or a Mustang. Unfortunately, the script treats most of it with a sense of humor which leads to a slightly above average rating overall- 3.5/5
SADISM- Lots of examples. There's the PTS that includes a bloody Blofeld replica boiled to death in hot mud, and another drowned in mud. Wint and Kidd attempt to cremate Bond alive or suffocate him in a pipeline. They drown Plenty alive, murder a defenseless old lady, and drop a poisonous scorpion down the back of Dr. Tynan. These things combined with their enjoyment of their sadism make it all very effective and well done, and Bond makes sure their deaths are delivered in an equally sadistic fashion- 4.5/5
MUSIC- If DAF shines anywhere, it's here. Barry had been in an incredible and rarified zone in his creativity that few composers in history have ever reached. The title song featuring Dame Shirley Bassey is timeless and her performance gives me the same goosebumps that Goldfinger did. Standout tracks using the theme song such as "Bond And Tiffany" are filled with the classy piano arrangements of prior films such as he used in Thunderball and "Try" from OHMSS. Anywhere he uses the theme is memorably well done, and it's a good thing once again that Broccoli kept Saltzman from having input in this area, as the man clearly had no taste. Barry also unleashes some dark entries such as "Death At The Whyte House" and "Bond Smells A Rat" that add menace when Wint and Kidd are prowling about or in action. And then there's his Vegas themed music such as "The Whyte House" that perfectly captures the feel of Sin City. I almost thought Bond would walk by a room and hear Dean singing my favorite all time mob song "Ain't That A Kick In The Head". To me, this is Barry's best Bond soundtrack, not a single just OK track in all of it and I listen to this one more than any other. I'd give it a 6 if I could- 5/5
LOCATIONS- Bond starts out in Amsterdam, and then zips off to Las Vegas. Both are used and filmed quite well, and invite the viewer to visit them. Secondary locations were mostly used for background shots- 2.5/5
GADGETS- Other than Q's ingenious fake fingerprints and a voice altering device, Bond doesn't use any others. Tiffany has her print comparison machine, Q tests out his sonic agitator ring at the casino, and Blofeld has his laser and his own voice machine. Not a lot, but it all works well within the story- 2.5/5
SUPPORTING CAST- Other than more excellent and humorous performances from M, Q, and Moneypenny, I find the late entertainer and breakfast entrepreneur Jimmy Dean quite funny as Willard Whyte. Also nice to see Sir Laurence Naismith get a bit part. Based on humor alone it could be ranked highly as an overall effort, but I need more than that to give it better than average- 3/5
OVERALL SCORE AND RECOLLECTIONS- I definitely remember being thrilled and excited that I would get to see my hero one more time in the role, and ever better as a early holiday gift. At that time, I probably thought it was better than it was. Years later after rediscovering OHMSS, I realized it was simply awful in the areas that make for a great entry and that Tracy's death was truly paid nothing more than lip service by a few winks and nods. Upon joining the old Forum in 2008, it had ranked as the worst film in the series for me until I came to realize that if I could watch it not as a sequel and without an overly serious eye and just enjoy the spirit of the film, that it really wasn't too bad and had more going for it than a few other films in the series. Still, when Bond, the women, and the villains are generally as bad as this, and the tremendous sequel they had set up is largely ignored, it's only the specialty areas that keep it from being a complete and utter disaster. It scores a meager 30 out of 50 points for me, for an average of 3.0, and is definitely in the bottom five in my personal rankings.
Keep up the good work all, I love reading your thoughts. It makes me realise I really did missing something though, I'm not going to lie, it's great being the age I am and having 22 films and counting to watch.
Bond for life indeed.
The experience of watching the classic films on the big screen is still available though if you are lucky enough to live within driving distance. Hopefully where I saw GF this summer will do another series next summer. The hype and omnipresence of the series back then has yet to be duplicated to that degree, and likely never will. That's why we try to impart that, and hopefully combined with the UDVD features the younger fans who missed out can feel more a part of it.
I would still love less action and more thriller. Since Brosnan's era it's been overdone but I guess this is another topic for discussion. In short, I think many younger fans are on the same lines but, as you say, not all.
If ever there was a chance to see a classic Bond on the Silver screen, I would jump at the chance. At 13, I turned down the chance to see Die Another Day. Believe it. Even then, I knew something was off.
The special features on the DVDs help a great deal. In the coming years I hope EON add more. Those who even miss this current Craig era would want to see what it was like, I'd guess.
How did you know if you hadn't seen it?
What I heard about it around school and read about it. Invisible cars, CGI. Non of it interested me. It didn't sound like Bond to me one bit.
I know I didn't. I rented the DVD on day 1 and watched in horror and spilt my drink down me at the start due to a CGI bullet. Then I knew, we were in trouble. The number 40 isn't even that big anyway! My thoughts afterwards were "Christ, if this is the 40th anniversary I dread to think what they're going to do for the 50th".
I was almost unhappy or maybe even sad that Bond was, were it was at that moment in time. It had seen much better days and I only knew this through watching all the past films a week at a time on ITV a few years beforehand! I'm so very pleased as I started to follow Bond online, there was talk of another direction. That kept my hopes alive and the wait was worth every second.
Rant over. My apologies for derailing your thread @SirHenryLeeChaChing.
I know how you feel but for me, if it's a Bond film, I'll go and see it. I thought TND sounded crap but I went to see it and really enjoyed it. DAD, I wasn't expecting it to be the way it was because so many critics were praising the film. Lots of them said it took a nose dive when they got to Iceland but I thought "it can't be that bad", I was wrong.
The invisible car though, never bothered me that much. I thought if there could be an underwater car or a remote control car, then an invisible car wasn't too far fetched. What bothered me was the whole Icarus story and the bad special effects.
I am now in my 2nd day of holiday and will be writing Goldfinger review today. More to come this week as I get caught up ... cheers to everyone! (Bond and Olympics are my priorities just now.) :)