Never Say Never Again (1983)

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:

Nuclear Warhead | British | Bahamas | U.S. Air Force | Missile

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Sean Connery	...	James Bond
Kim Basinger	...	Domino Petachi
Klaus Maria Brandauer	...	Maximilian Largo
Barbara Carrera	...	Fatima Blush
Max von Sydow	...	Ernst Stavro Blofeld (as Max Von Sydow)
Bernie Casey	...	Felix Leiter
Alec McCowen	...	'Q' Algy
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
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	...	Receptionist at Health Spa
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)
Andy Bradford	...	Spectre Henchman (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

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)
Marc Jenny	....	second 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)
Michael Finlay	....	painter (uncredited)
Dave Midson	....	chargehand dressing prop (uncredited)
Denis Rich	....	storyboard artist (uncredited)
Peter Russell	....	draughtsman (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	....	optical special effects production supervisor (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)
Smokey Stover	....	visual effects (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)
Vic Armstrong	....	stunt double: Gavan O'Herlihy (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 Forrestal	....	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)
Robert Trahan	....	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
Isabelle Devinck	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

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 Mendes	....	music producer: title song (as Sergio Mendez)

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)
• Woodcote (made by) (as Woodcote Productions Limited)

Distributors

• Warner Bros (1983) (USA) (theatrical)
• Adams Filmi (1983) (Finland) (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 Films (1983) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (1983) (Sweden) (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)
• Concorde Video (198?) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• FS Film (2001) (Finland) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2000) (Canada) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2009) (Canada) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2003) (Germany) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (198?) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1993) (1994) (2000) (2003) (2007) (Finland) (TV)
• Nordic Video (1980s) (Finland) (VHS)
• Omaxi (1980s) (Finland) (VHS)
• Orion Pictures Corporation (2000) (Non-USA) (all media) (through MGM)
• Producers Sales Organization (PSO) (1983) (worldwide) (all media) (sales)
• Roadshow Home Video (1984) (Australia) (VHS)
• Sub (2011) (Finland) (TV)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• VTC-Video (1980s) (Finland) (VHS)
• Video for Pleasure (VFP) (198?) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (198?) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Video (19??) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Apogee Productions (optical effects by) (as Apogee Inc.)

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 designed and produced by
• Thorn EMI Elstree Studios  sound re-recording

Also Known As:

Runtime:

134 min | Germany:121 min (cut version)

Country:

UK | USA | West Germany

Language:

English | French | Spanish | Arabic

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

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

Certification:

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

Filming Locations:

Alpes-Maritimes, France

Company:

PSO International

Trivia:

MGM bought complete ownership of the movie in December of 1997 from Taliafilm Inc. for $15 million.

Goofs:

Continuity: Just before James Bond enters the room filled with enemies during his training exercise at the beginning of the film, he throws a grenade from the rooftop through the window. The grenade lands on a table with a chessboard used by two foes. When Bond swings through the same window in the next scene it gets clear that it was impossible for him to throw the grenade right on the chessboard because the table is too far away from the window.

Quotes:

Fatima Blush:Jack must do as he's told to keep his FAST CARS and his PRETTY CLOTHES. And if he wants to keep his sister alive...
Jack Petachi:You leave Domino out of this or I'll...
[He attacks Fatima but she quickly beats him up]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Rhinestone (1984)

Soundtrack:

Never Say Never Again

Not exceptional... but there's Connery!

In 1965 producer Kevin McLory -who owns a part of the Bond cinematic rights- associate with EON Productions (Harry Saltzman and Albert Broccoli) for making "Thunderball", the fourth film of the 007 franchise. The star is Sean Connery, of course.

In 1982 McLory wins a legal battle and can produce an "independent" Bond film. "Never say never again" (NSNA) is one of the two "unofficial" 007 films made outside EON (the other is the 1967 comedy spoof "Casino Royale"). NSNA is a remake of "Thunderball" and stars the original Bond, Sean Connery -who comes back to the role after many years of absence.

The film is released some months after "Octopussy" with Roger Moore, the 13th episode of the EON series. At the time press calls it "War of the Bonds"... Both films are a big success in 1983, even if "Octopussy" earns more money at the box office.

NSNA is a luxurious film made by excellent technicians -director Irvin Kershner who led "The Empire strikes back", Douglas Slocombe -cinematographer of "Raiders of the lost Ark"-, and screenwriter Lorenzo Semple Jr -who wrote "The three days of the Condor"- among others...

The cast is excellent with Connery, a then relatively unknown Kim Basinger, Barbara Carrera, Klaus Maria Brandauer, Max Von Sydow, Edward Fox...

Although all that the film remains inferior to the original "Thunderball". It lacks many fundamental ingredients for being a real Bond movie: there's not the traditional gun barrel sequence, there's not the "James Bond theme", M and Q are not played by the traditional actors... It's a copyright reason: EON only is allowed to use these elements. Briefly, NSNA lacks the classic cinematic 007 atmosphere.

On the other hand the film is exciting and enjoyable. Brandauer is a very good villain and the women (Basinger and Carrera) are sensual and gorgeous. But the main highlight is Sean Connery! He's once again wonderful in the role, he's older but looks fitter and nicer here than in "Diamonds are forever", his last performance in the role of the British super-spy before NSNA.