Never Say Never Again (1983)

User Rating:

6.0/10   

Director:

Irvin Kershner

Writers:

Kevin McClory (story) &
Jack Whittingham (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

7 October 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Thriller

Tagline:

If you haven't seen Sean Connery in 'Never Say Never Again' then you haven't seen James Bond 007!

Plot:

A SPECTRE agent has stolen two American nuclear warheads, and James Bond must find their targets before they are detonated.

Plot Keywords:

Bond | James Bond | British | Steal | Bahamas

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 2 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Mon. July 27

8:30 AM

USA

Cast

Sean Connery	...	James Bond
Klaus Maria Brandauer	...	Maximilian Largo
Max von Sydow	...	Ernst Stavro Blofeld (as Max Von Sydow)
Barbara Carrera	...	Fatima Blush
Kim Basinger	...	Domino Petachi
Bernie Casey	...	Felix Leiter
Alec McCowen	...	Q 'Algy' Algernon
Edward Fox	...	'M'
Pamela Salem	...	Miss Moneypenny
Rowan Atkinson	...	Nigel Small-Fawcett
Valerie Leon	...	Lady in Bahamas
Milos Kirek	...	Kovacs (as Milow Kirek)
Pat Roach	...	Lippe
Anthony Sharp	...	Lord Ambrose
Prunella Gee	...	Patricia Fearing
Gavan O'Herlihy	...	Jack Petachi
Ronald Pickup	...	Elliott
Robert Rietty	...	Italian Minister
Guido Adorni	...	Italian Minister
Vincent Marzello	...	Culpepper
Christopher Reich	...	Number 5
Billy J. Mitchell	...	Captain Pederson
Manning Redwood	...	General Miller
Anthony Van Laast	...	Kurt
Saskia Cohen Tanugi	...	Nicole
Sylvia Marriott	...	French Minister
Dan Meaden	...	Bouncer at Casino
Michael Medwin	...	Doctor at Shrublands
Lucy Hornak	...	Nurse at Shrublands
Derek Deadman	...	Porter at Shrublands
Joanna Dickens	...	Cook at Shrublands
Tony Alleff	...	Auctioneer
Paul Tucker	...	Ship's Steward
Brenda Kempner	...	Masseuse
Jill Meager	...	Health Spa Receptionist
John Stephen Hill	...	Communications Officer
Wendy Leech	...	Girl Hostage
Roy Bowe	...	Ship's Captain
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Roy Alon	...	Prison Guard Thrown into Sea (uncredited)
Tony Cyrus	...	Arab Buyer (uncredited)
Amy Irving	...	Female Computer Eye Scan Voice (uncredited) (unconfirmed) (voice)
Rocky Taylor	...	Hostage Guard (uncredited)

Directed by
Irvin Kershner

Writing credits
Kevin McClory		(story) &
Jack Whittingham		(story) &
Ian Fleming		(story)
Lorenzo Semple Jr.		(screenplay)
Ian La Frenais		uncredited &
Dick Clement		uncredited

Produced by
Michael Dryhurst	....	associate producer
Kevin McClory	....	executive producer
Jack Schwartzman	....	producer

Original Music by
Michel Legrand

Cinematography by
Douglas Slocombe		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Ian Crafford

Casting by
Maggie Cartier

Production Design by
Stephen B. Grimes		(as Stephen Grimes)
Philip Harrison

Art Direction by
Leslie Dilley		(supervising art director)
Roy Stannard
Michael White

Set Decoration by
Peter Howitt

Costume Design by
Charles Knode

Makeup Department
Robin Grantham	....	chief makeup artist
Ilona Herman	....	hair stylist: Mr. Connery
Ilona Herman	....	makeup artist: Mr. Connery
Stephanie Kaye	....	chief hair stylist
Sue Love	....	hair stylist
Christine Allsopp	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Jean-Pierre Avice	....	production manager: France (as Jean Pierre Avice)
Malcolm J. Christopher	....	production manager: Bahamas (as Malcolm Christopher)
John Davis	....	production manager: UK
Alexander De Grunwald	....	production supervisor (as Alex De Grunwald)
Evzen Kolar	....	unit manager: second unit
Apolinar Rabinal	....	production manager: Spain
Arnold Ross	....	production manager: Spain

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Roy Button	....	assistant director
Carlos Gil	....	assistant director
Steve Harding	....	assistant director
Michael D. Moore	....	second unit director (as Michael Moore)
David Tomblin	....	first assistant director
Raoul Girard	....	first assistant director (uncredited)
Christopher Newman	....	assistant director: second unit (uncredited)
Christopher Newman	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
Asad Qureshi	....	third assistant director (uncredited)
Carlos Scola	....	second assistant director: Spain (uncredited)
Julian Wall	....	second second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Robert Betts	....	stand-by crew
Joe Dipple	....	stand-by crew
George Djurkovic	....	assistant art director
Don Dossett	....	assistant art director
George Gibbons	....	stand-by crew
Peter Hancock	....	property master
Stephen Hargreaves	....	stand-by crew
Robert Hill	....	stand-by crew
John Lanzer	....	property buyer
Bill Welch	....	construction manager
Alan Williams	....	stand-by crew (as Allan Williams)
John Wood	....	assistant art director
Alan Booth	....	construction manager (uncredited)
Dave Midson	....	chargehand dressing prop (uncredited)
Denis Rich	....	storyboard artist (uncredited)
Cameron Striewski	....	art director: world domination game sequence (uncredited)

Sound Department
David Allen	....	sound mixer
Taffy Haines	....	sound maintenance
Simon Kaye	....	sound recordist
Ray Merrin	....	dubbing assistant
John Poyner	....	dubbing editor
Bill Rowe	....	dubbing mixer
David Sutton	....	sound boom
Norman Wanstall	....	dubbing editor
Lionel Strutt	....	adr mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
David Beavis	....	special effects technician
David Harris	....	special effects technician
Branwell McClory	....	special effects technician
Trevor Neighbour	....	special effects technician (as Trevor Neighbor)
Roger Nichols	....	special effects technician (as Roger Nicholls)
David H. Watkins	....	special effects technician (as David Watkins)
Ian Wingrove	....	special effects supervisor
Michael Dawson	....	special effects administrator (uncredited)
Yves De Bono	....	special effects technician (uncredited)
Steve Hamilton	....	special effects technician (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Roger Dorney	....	optical supervisor
David Dryer	....	special visual effects supervisor
Robert Shepherd	....	production supervisor: optical special effects (as Robert R. Shepherd)
Douglas Smith	....	optical chief camera operator
Michael Backauskas	....	visual effects assistant editor (uncredited)
David Bartholomew	....	visual effects assistant editor (uncredited)
Alan Church	....	optical camera (uncredited)
Denny Kelly	....	visual effects editor (uncredited)
Michael Douglas Middleton	....	visual effects still photographer (uncredited)
Tom Pahk	....	model maker (uncredited)

Stunts
Roy Alon	....	stunts
Vic Armstrong	....	stunt coordinator
Dickey Beer	....	stunts (as Dickie Beer)
Marc Boyle	....	stunts
Edward Garcia Garcia	....	stunts
Frank Henson	....	stunts
Billy Horrigan	....	stunts
Wendy Leech	....	stunts
Glenn Randall Jr.	....	stunt consultant: first & second units (as Glenn Randall)
Michael Runyard	....	motorcycle stunts (as Mike Runyard)
Vic Armstrong	....	high fall on horseback stunt double: Sean Connery (uncredited)
Andy Bradford	....	additional stunts (uncredited)
Terry Cade	....	stunts (uncredited)
Clive Curtis	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jim Dowdall	....	additional stunts (uncredited)
Tracey Eddon	....	high fall on horseback stunt double: Kim Basinger (uncredited)
Terry Forestal	....	additional stunts (uncredited)
Alan Gold	....	additional stunts (uncredited)
Nick Hobbs	....	additional stunts (uncredited)
George Leech	....	additional stunts (uncredited)
Jimmy Lodge	....	additional stunts (uncredited)
Wayne Michaels	....	additional stunts (uncredited)
Valentino Musetti	....	additional stunts (uncredited)
Dinny Powell	....	additional stunts (uncredited)
Eddie Powell	....	additional stunts (uncredited)
Greg Powell	....	additional stunts (uncredited)
Doug Robinson	....	additional stunts (uncredited)
Tony Smart	....	additional stunts (uncredited)
Stuart St. Paul	....	stunts (uncredited)
Roy Street	....	additional stunts (uncredited)
Rocky Taylor	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tip Tipping	....	additional stunts (uncredited)
Terry Walsh	....	additional stunts (uncredited)
Bill Weston	....	additional stunts (uncredited)
Nick Wilkinson	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Peter Allwork	....	aerial photographer
Paul Beeson	....	director of photography: second unit
Keith Blake	....	focus puller
Wally Byatt	....	camera operator
Martin Evans	....	electrical gaffer
Michael Ferris	....	underwater camera operator (as Mike Ferris)
Jordan Klein Sr.	....	underwater camera operator (as Jordan Klein)
Ray Meehan	....	best boy
Brian Osborne	....	camera grip
Bob Penn	....	still photographer
Robert Steadman	....	director of photography: underwater sequences (as Bob Steadman)
Montie Taylor	....	underwater gaffer
Robin Vidgeon	....	focus puller
Chic Waterson	....	camera operator
Paul Beeson	....	additional photographer (uncredited)
Tony Brown	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Wick Finch	....	electrician (uncredited)
Martin Kenzie	....	second assistant camera: second unit (uncredited)
Jordan Klein Jr.	....	underwater assistant camera (uncredited)
Nigel Seal	....	focus puller (uncredited)
Jimmy Worley	....	electrician (uncredited)

Casting Department
Jane Feinberg	....	casting: USA
Mike Fenton	....	casting: USA

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ron Beck	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Bill Barringer	....	assistant film editor
Annie Charvein	....	assistant film editor
Robert Lawrence	....	supervising editor
Nick Moore	....	assistant film editor (as Nicholas Moore)
Peter Musgrave	....	additional editor
Wally Nelson	....	assistant film editor
John Nuth	....	assistant film editor
Kant Pan	....	assistant film editor
Joe Seaton	....	assistant film editor

Music Department
Herb Alpert	....	music producer: title song
Herb Alpert	....	musician: trumpet solo, title song
Keith Grant	....	music mixer
Michel Legrand	....	conductor
Valerie Lesser	....	music editor
Sergio Mendez	....	music producer: title song

Transportation Department
Gerry Turner	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Guy Alimo	....	technical advisor
Jill Bender	....	production assistant
Ricou Browning	....	underwater sequence director
Scott Carpenter	....	underwater consultant
Gilly Case	....	assistant: Mr. Kershner (as Gillian Case)
Ira Curtis-Coleman	....	television, computer and electric effects (as Ira Coleman)
Rob Dickinson	....	electronic graphics supervisor (as Rob Dickenson)
Jeff Freedman	....	merchandising coordinator
Beatrice Geffriaud	....	production assistant
Anne Glanfield	....	location consultant
Moby Griffin	....	boat master (as 'Moby' Griffin)
Sara Keene	....	unit publicist
Pamela Mann	....	script supervisor (as Pamela Mann Francis)
Kevin McClory	....	presenter
Yvonne McGeeney	....	assistant: Mr. Schwartzman
Gavin McKinney	....	dive master
Gladys Pearce	....	production coordinator
Julian Plowden	....	associate: Mr. Schwartzman
Linda Rabin	....	production assistant
Micheline Roquebrune	....	titles (as Micheline Connery)
Jack Schwartzman	....	presenter
Anne Schwebel	....	assistant: Mr. Schwartzman
Talia Shire	....	consultant to producer (as Talia Shire Schwartzman)
Jack Smith	....	production controller
Anne Marie Stein	....	assistant: Mr. Kershner
Paul Tucker	....	production accountant
Brian O. Haynes	....	location manager (uncredited)
Alex Matcham	....	assistant accountant (uncredited)
Guy Pechard	....	location manager (uncredited)
Gail Samuelson	....	secretary: Sean Connery and Michael Dryhurst (uncredited)
Steven Seagal	....	martial arts instructor (uncredited)

Thanks
Adnan Khashoggi	....	thanks (as 'A.K.')
Robert A. Shaheen	....	thanks

Production Companies

• PSO International (in association with) (as Producers Sales Organisation)
• TaliaFilm II Productions (as Taliafilm)
• Warner Bros. Pictures
• Woodcote (made by) (as Woodcote Productions Limited)

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1983) (USA) (theatrical)
• Cidif (1983) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Columbia-EMI-Warner (1983) (UK) (theatrical)
• Concorde Film (1983) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• M Export (1983) (Yugoslavia) (theatrical)
• Neue Constantin Film (1984) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Roadshow Entertainment (1983) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (1983) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Village Roadshow Entertainment (1983) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1983) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Warner Sogefilms S.A. (1983) (Spain) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (Brazil) (DVD)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1986) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2003) (Germany) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (198?) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Orion Pictures Corporation
• Roadshow Home Video (1984) (Australia) (VHS)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (198?) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Video (19??) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Apogee Productions

Other Companies

• Atari  acknowledgement
• Dolby Laboratories  sound post-production
• Fendi  furs
• General Screen Enterprises  additional opticals
• Hertz  acknowledgement
• Lee Electrics  lighting equipment supplied by (as Lee Electric, London)
• Mayflower Recording  adr recording
• R/Greenberg Associates  main and end titles
• Thorn EMI Elstree Studios  sound re-recording

Also Known As:

James Bond 007 - Sag niemals nie (West Germany)
James Bond of the Secret Service (UK) (working title)
James Bond, Secret Agent (UK) (working title)
Warhead (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

134 min | Germany:121 min (cut version)

Country:

UK | USA | West Germany

Language:

English | French | German

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Iceland:12 | South Korea:15 | West Germany:12 (f) | Netherlands:12 | Brazil:12 | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | USA:PG | Australia:M | Singapore:PG | UK:PG (cut)

Filming Locations:

Alpes-Maritimes, France

Company:

PSO International

Trivia:

Maximilian Largo's North African estate was called Palmyra. This was also the name of Emilio Largo's Bahamas estate in the original Thunderball (1965).

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: During the computer game the movements of Bond and Largo with their joysticks don't match the movements of the computer screens before them.

Quotes:

Miss Moneypenny: Have you got a mission, James?
James Bond: Yes. I am to eliminate all free radicals.
Miss Moneypenny: Ooh. Do be careful.

Movie Connections:

References "Climax!: Casino Royale (#1.3)" (1954)

Soundtrack:

Never Say Never Again

Ringing the Changes on a Familiar Theme

The year 1983 saw a strange phenomenon; two rival Bond films. "Octopussy", starring Roger Moore, was part of the official Cubby Broccoli Bond franchise. "Never Say Never Again", made by a rival producer, is, apart from the awful "Casino Royale", the only Bond movie which does not form part of that franchise. Its big attraction was that it brought back the original Bond, Sean Connery; its title reputedly derived from Connery's remark after "Diamonds Are Forever" that he would never again play the role. Some have complained that Connery was, at 53, too old for the role, but he was in fact three years younger than his successor Moore, who not only made "Octopussy" in the same year but went on to make one further Bond film, "A View to a Kill", two years later.

The film owes its existence to the settlement of a lawsuit about the film rights to Ian Fleming's work. It is perhaps unfortunate that the terms of the settlement included a clause that the new film had to be a remake of "Thunderball", as that was perhaps not the greatest of the Connery Bonds. (A remake of "Dr No" or "Goldfinger" might have worked better). The plot is much the same as that of the earlier film; the terrorist organisation SPECTRE, acting together with a megalomaniac tycoon named Largo, have stolen two American nuclear warheads and are attempting to hold the world's governments to ransom by threatening to detonate them unless they receive a vast sum of money. It falls to Bond, of course, to save the world by tracking down the missing missiles.

The film is fortunate in that it has not just one but two of the most beautiful Bond girls of all, Barbara Carrera as the seductive but lethal Fatima Blush and Kim Basinger as Largo's girlfriend Domino who defects to Bond's side after learning of her lover's evil plans. A number of the Bond films have a plot that hangs upon the hero's ability to win over the villain's mistress or female accomplice- there are similar developments, for example, in "Goldfinger", "Live and Let Die" and "The Living Daylights". In the official series, Bond's ally is normally regarded as the female lead, but here Carrera, playing the villainess, is billed above Basinger, who was a relatively unknown actress at the time. Basinger, of course, has gone on to become one of Hollywood's biggest stars, whereas Carrera is one of a number of Bond girls who have somewhat faded from view.

Of the villains, Max von Sydow makes an effective Blofeld, the head of SPECTRE, but Klaus Maria Brandauer seemed too bland and nonthreatening as Largo, except perhaps during the "Domination" game, a more sophisticated variant on those violent computer games such as "Space Invaders" that were so popular in the early eighties. Brandauer can be an excellent actor in his native German, in films such as "Mephisto" and "Oberst Redl", but he does not comes across so expressively in English.

One of the film's features is that it both follows the normal Bond formula and, at times, departs from it. There is the standard world-in-peril plot, chase sequences, a series of exotic locations, glamorous women, sinister villains and a specially written theme song based on the film's title. There is, however, no extended pre-credits sequence, and we see some familiar characters in a new light. For example, Bond's boss M becomes a languid, supercilious aristocrat, his American colleague Felix Leiter is shown as black for the only time, and the scientist Q is portrayed by Alec McCowen as a disillusioned cynic with (despite his characteristically upper-class Christian name of Algernon) a distinctly working-class accent. There is also an amusing cameo from Rowan Atkinson as a bumbling British diplomat. Although Connery was perhaps not quite a good here as he was in some of his earlier films in the role, this ringing the changes on the familiar theme makes this one of the more memorable Bonds. 7/10

A goof. Rowan Atkinson's character states that he is from the British Embassy in Nassau. As, however, the Bahamas is a Commonwealth country, Britain would have a High Commission in its capital, not an Embassy.