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Never Say Never Again Trailer

Bond theme songs

Synopsis:

• SPECTRE agents under of Blofeld infiltrate a US air force base located in the UK and steal two Tomahawk cruise missiles. When NATO is held to a huge ransom, the Brits reactive their "00" agents and send James Bond to retrieve the warheads and kill Blofeld.

Director:

• Irvin Kershner (who also directed 'The Empire Strikes Back' - the only Star Wars movie Lucas didn't personally butcher)

Starring:

• Sean Connery

Villain:

• Max von Sydow as Blofeld
• Klaus Maria Brandauer as Maximilian Largo

Bond Girls:

• Barbara Carrera as Fatima Blush
• Kim Bassinger as Domino Petachi

Supporting Cast:

• Edward Fox as M
  
• Alec McCowen as Q

Best Gadget:

• The rocket pen with the union jack on it.

Filming Locations:

Best Quotes:

• Nurse: "Mr. Bond, I need a urine sample. If you could fill this beaker for me?"

James Bond:"From here?"

• Fatima Blush: "Oh, how reckless of me. I made you all wet."

James Bond: "Yes, but my martini is still dry. My name is James."

Nigel: Sorry Im Late, but I took the pre-caution of not being followed.
Bond: That's why you shouted my name half way across the harbor?
Nigel: Did I? I'm sorry! Damn! Damn! Sorry, I rather new to all this.......

Best Mistake:

• When Fatima skis into him in the bar, Bond is drinking a martini in a martini glass. After some dialogue, in which he refers to the martini, he is drinking a smaller golden drink in a different glass.
• When the guard comes into the prison after Bond cuts himself loose, he does not have a magazine in his AK-47 rifle.

Distinguishing Feature:

• It is an unnofical Bond film.

Vital Statistics:

• Conquests: 3
  
• Martinis:
  
• Kills:
  
• "Bond, James Bond": 1
  

Background and History:

Did you know this was a semi-official Bond film? Originially known as Thunderball, Connery came back (a little long in the tooth too) after several Roger Moore films to reprise the role one last time. Bully for us.

Producer Kevin McClory had originally helped to develop the storyline for a proposed movie, back in the late 50s with Ian Fleming; that movie project didn't materialize and Fleming later used the story for the book "Thunderball".

That led to McClory filing a lawsuit which was settled when McClory retained the rights to the novel "Thunderball," which he immediately made plans to make into a film, wanting to cash in on the popularity of the Danjaq films. Danjaq producers Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman had originally wanted to make "Thunderball" the first James Bond film, but due to the McClory lawsuit, they shelved those plans and instead produced "Dr. No." McClory wanted to make his "Thunderball" film with Sean Connery, but as the Bond star was under contract to Broccoli and Saltzman, he was unavailable. So, a compromise was reached between Broccoli/Saltzman and McClory. McClory was given producer credit on the 1965 movie Thunderball, while the Danjaq partners would "present" the film, with the stipulation that McClory not try and re-make "Thunderball" for ten years (Broccoli and Saltzman not supposing that the series would last that long!). Once that restriction expired, McClory began to create his own James Bond movie scenario using the characters and situations that he was legally allowed, first as "James Bond of the secret service," then as "Warhead." Collaborating on this screenplay were spy writer Len Deighton, as well as Sean Connery. Suits and counter-suits were filed between McClory and Bond producer Albert Broccoli's EON Productions (Saltzman having sold his rights after "The Man with the Golden Gun."). Finally, once all the legal dust had settled McClory had the freedom in 1983 to make "Never Say Never Again"- which is essentially a remake of Thunderball. (Whew! Got all that?)

Wait. It gets worse. McClory tried for many years afterwards to make ANOTHER remake of "Thunderball," with the title "Warhead," going so far as to sell his "Thunderball" rights to Sony Pictures. Once again, a long protracted legal battle ensued with the issue coming down to who really had the rights to make James Bond movies. After years of litigation, EON came out with that distinction, with the added bonus of retaining the rights to the only Fleming title not under their blanket deal, "Casino Royale," which had been made into a 1967 spoof by Sony's picture-making acquisition, Columbia Pictures. AND, they were given the rights to "Never Say Never Again," as well! (See how this all comes around?)

Ironically, EON Productions' Bond-producing partners United Artists and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer acquired both studios in a take-over, and when it came time to make the first "official" "Casino Royale" film, it was done under the auspices of their once-legal-nemesis, Sony-Columbia Pictures. It's a funny old world, ain't it?

Never Say Never Again wound up being released in 1983, which was also when Octopussy was released.