Thunderball (1965)

Director:

Terence Young

Writers:

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

Release Date:

29 December 1965 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Thriller

Tagline:

Look Up! Look Down! Look Out! Here Comes The Biggest Bond Of All! ["Look" is formed from the 007 logo]

Plot:

James Bond heads to The Bahamas to recover two nuclear warheads stolen by SPECTRE agent Emilio Largo in an international extortion scheme.

Plot Keywords:

Title Mentioned In Song | Terrorism | Beach | Casino Owners | Underwater Flare

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 3 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Sean Connery	...	James Bond
Claudine Auger	...	Dominique 'Domino' Derval
Adolfo Celi	...	Emilio Largo, SPECTRE #2
Luciana Paluzzi	...	Fiona Volpe
Rik Van Nutter	...	Felix Leiter
Guy Doleman	...	Count Lippe
Molly Peters	...	Patricia Fearing
Martine Beswick	...	Paula Caplan
Bernard Lee	...	M
Desmond Llewelyn	...	Q
Lois Maxwell	...	Miss Moneypenny
Roland Culver	...	Foreign Secretary
Earl Cameron	...	Pinder
Paul Stassino	...	Major Francois Derval / Angelo Palazzi
Rose Alba	...	Madame Boitier
Philip Locke	...	Vargas
George Pravda	...	Wladislav Kutze
Michael Brennan	...	Janni
Leonard Sachs	...	Group Captain Pritchard
Edward Underdown	...	Air Vice Marshal Sir John
Reginald Beckwith	...	Kenniston
Harold Sanderson	...	Hydrofoil Captain
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Anthony Bailey	...	Radar Navigator (uncredited)
Gábor Baraker	...	SPECTRE #11 (uncredited)
Amelia Bayntun	...	Mrs. Karlski (uncredited)
Anthony Blackshaw	...	Sentry at RAF Base (uncredited)
Dana Broccoli	...	Woman dancing at the Cafe Martinique (uncredited)
Courtney Brown	...	SPECTRE Diver (uncredited)
Ian Bulloch	...	SPECTRE Henchman (uncredited)
Clive Cazes	...	SPECTRE #9 (uncredited)
Cecil Cheng	...	SPECTRE #7 (uncredited)
Michael Culver	...	Vulcan Bomber Crewman (uncredited)
Bill Cummings	...	Quist (uncredited)
Anthony Dawson	...	Ernst Stavro Blofeld (uncredited)
Henry Ford II	...	Extra at the Nassau Casino (uncredited)
Jack Gwillim	...	Senior RAF Staff Officer (uncredited)
Neil Hallett	...	Vulcan Bomber Pilot (uncredited)
Diane Hartford	...	Girl in Kiss Kiss Club (uncredited)
Philo Hauser	...	Mr. Karlski (uncredited)
Patrick Holt	...	Group Captain Dawson (uncredited)
Suzy Kendall	...	Prue (uncredited)
George Leech	...	Disco Volante Crewman (uncredited)
André Maranne	...	SPECTRE #10 (uncredited)
Kevin McClory	...	Man smoking at the Nassau Casino (uncredited)
Albert Michel	...	Priest at Bouvar's funerals (uncredited)
Mitsouko	...	Madame LaPorte (uncredited)
Derek Partridge	...	Vulcan Bomber Crewman (uncredited)
Eric Pohlmann	...	Ernst Stavro Blofeld (voice) (uncredited)
Lloyd Reckord	...	Pinder's Assistant (uncredited)
Robert Rietty	...	Emilio Largo (voice) (uncredited)
Charles Russhon	...	Air Force Officer (uncredited)
Bill Sawyer	...	Ambulance Attendant (uncredited)
Bob Simmons	...	Colonel Jacques Bouvar, SPECTRE #6 (uncredited)
Philip Stone	...	SPECTRE #5 (uncredited)

Directed by
Terence Young

Writing credits
Kevin McClory		(story) and
Jack Whittingham		(story) and
Ian Fleming		(story)
Jack Whittingham		(original screenplay)
Richard Maibaum		(screenplay) and
John Hopkins		(screenplay)

Produced by
Kevin McClory	....	producer
Albert R. Broccoli	....	producer (uncredited)
Harry Saltzman	....	producer (uncredited)
Stanley Sopel	....	associate producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
John Barry

Cinematography by
Ted Moore		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Peter R. Hunt

Production Design by
Ken Adam

Art Direction by
Peter Murton

Set Decoration by
Peter Lamont		(uncredited)

Costume Design by
Anthony Mendleson

Makeup Department
Basil Newall	....	makeup artist
Paul Rabiger	....	makeup artist
Eileen Warwick	....	hair stylist

Production Management
David Middlemas	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Gus Agosti	....	assistant director
Peter R. Hunt	....	second unit director (uncredited)
Richard Jenkins	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Freda Pearson	....	set dresser
Michael White	....	assistant art director
John Chisholm	....	property master (uncredited)
William Creighton	....	carpenter: Vulcan Bomber mock-up (uncredited)
Peter Lamont	....	chief draughtsman (uncredited)
Ron Quelch	....	production buyer (uncredited)

Sound Department
Maurice Askew	....	sound recordist
Harry Miller	....	dubbing editor
Bert Ross	....	sound recordist
Norman Wanstall	....	dubbing editor
Lionel Strutt	....	re-recording engineer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
John Stears	....	special effects
Frank George	....	special effects (uncredited)
Garth Inns	....	special effects (uncredited)
Bert Luxford	....	special effects technician (uncredited)
Jimmy Snow	....	special effects (uncredited)
Jimmy Ward	....	special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Cliff Culley	....	optical effects supervisor (uncredited)
Roy Field	....	visual effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Ray Andrew	....	stunt diver (uncredited)
Bernard Barnsley	....	stunts (uncredited)
Evelyne Boren	....	underwater sequences stunt double: Claudine Auger (uncredited)
Courtney Brown	....	stunt diver (uncredited)
Courtney Brown	....	stunts (uncredited)
Ian Bulloch	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tom Clegg	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tim Condren	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bill Cummings	....	stunts (uncredited)
Joe Dunne	....	stunts (uncredited)
Richard Graydon	....	stunts (uncredited)
Arthur Howell	....	stunts (uncredited)
George Leech	....	stunts (uncredited)
John McLaughlin	....	underwater sequences stunt double: Largo (uncredited)
Nosher Powell	....	stunts (uncredited)
Harold Sanderson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bill Sawyer	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jack Silk	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Simmons	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bill Suiter	....	flying stuntman (uncredited)
Gordy Yeager	....	rocket belt pilot (uncredited)
Dick Ziker	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Lamar Boren	....	underwater camera operator
John Winbolt	....	camera operator
Egil S. Woxholt	....	camera operator: second unit (as Egil Woxholt)
Ray Andrew	....	clapper loader (uncredited)
Oscar Barber	....	camera operator: second unit (uncredited)
Edmund Gibson	....	underwater photographer (uncredited)
Richard Moore	....	underwater camera operator (uncredited)
George Pink	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
John Brady	....	wardrobe master
Eileen Sullivan	....	wardrobe mistress

Editorial Department
Peter R. Hunt	....	supervising editor (as Peter Hunt)
Ben Rayner	....	assembly editor
Steve Cuiffo	....	negative cutter (uncredited)

Music Department
John Barry	....	conductor
Vic Flick	....	musician: guitar (uncredited)
Sidney Margo	....	music contractor (uncredited)
Monty Norman	....	composer: James Bond theme (uncredited)

Other crew
Maurice Binder	....	title designer: main titles
Ricou Browning	....	director of underwater sequences
Joan Davis	....	continuity girl
Frank Ernst	....	location manager
Huntington Hartford	....	producer: Paradise Island sequences (as Mr. Huntingdon Hartford)
Jordan Klein Sr.	....	underwater engineer (as Jordan Klein)
Bob Simmons	....	action sequences
Anthony Sinclair	....	suits: Sean Connery
Lamar Boren	....	double: Claudine Auger (uncredited)
Ian Bulloch	....	double: Sean Connery (uncredited)
Charles Russhon	....	technical advisor (uncredited)
Ivan Tors	....	supplier: divers and diving equipment (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Danjaq (as "Danjaq S.A.")
• Eon Productions

Distributors

• United Artists Corporation (1965) (UK) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1965) (USA) (theatrical)
• C.B. Films (1965) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Kommunenes Filmcentral (KF) (1965) (Norway) (theatrical)
• Tuschinski Film Distribution (1965) (Netherlands) (theatrical) (as Nova)
• United Artists (1965) (Australia) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1965) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1965) (France) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1965) (Italy) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1971) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1974) (USA) (TV) (original airing) (pan/scan)
• Home Box Office (HBO) (1981) (USA) (TV) (cable television)
• RCA (1981) (USA) (video) (Selectavision videodisc)
• CBS/Fox Home Video (1983) (USA) (video)
• Warner Home Video (1983) (Australia) (video)
• MGM Home Entertainment (Europe) (2000) (UK) (DVD) (Special Edition)
• Warner Home Video (2000) (Germany) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2002) (Brazil) (DVD) (Special Edition)
• Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) (2006) (worldwide) (DVD) (Ultimate Edition)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2006) (Australia) (DVD) (Ultimate Edition)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2006) (UK) (DVD) (Ultimate Edition)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2000) (Australia) (DVD) (Special Edition)
• Audio Visual Enterprises (Greece)
• CBS/Fox (USA) (VHS)
• CBS/Fox (USA) (laserdisc)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (laserdisc)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (video)
• Warner Home Video (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Mi Casa Multimedia  DVD audio restoration & mastering 5.1
• Branwell Film Productions Limited  location facilities
• Ivan Tors Underwater Studios Ltd.  underwater sequences
• Panavision  filmed in
• Pinewood Studios  studio
• Royal Air Force  co-operation
• Royal Navy  co-operation
• The Gate Recording Theatre  sound recorded at
• The United States Air Force  co-operation
• United States Coast Guard  co-operation

Also Known As:

Ian Fleming's Thunderball (UK) (complete title)
James Bond, Secret Agent (International: English title) (original script title)
Longitude 78 West (UK) (original script title)

Runtime:

130 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Germany:12 (DVD rating) | Brazil:12 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | West Germany:16 (nf) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | South Korea:15 | Singapore:PG | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 (re-rating) | Norway:16 (original rating) | Peru:14 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG (video rating) (1987) | USA:Approved (original rating) | USA:GP (re-rating) (1970) | USA:PG (re-rating) (1994) | UK:A (original rating) (cut)

Filming Locations:

Anet, Eure-et-Loir, France

Company:

Danjaq

Trivia:

According to Behind the Scenes with 'Thunderball' (1995) (V), in the scene were Bond climbs out of the shark tank right as a shark makes a run at him, the shark in question is dead, and pulled by a wire.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The Panamanian flag on the Disco Volante is upside-down throughout the film. It flew in that configuration only in 1903.

Quotes:

[first lines]
French Woman: The coffin, it has your initials, J.B.
Bond: At the moment, rather him than me.
French Woman: At least you've been saved the effort of removing him. Colonel Bouvar passed away in his sleep, so they tell me.
Bond: Mm...
French Woman: You sound disappointed you did not kill him yourself.
Bond: I am. Jacques Bouvar murdered two of my colleagues.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Thunderball Boat Show Promo (2006) (V)

Soundtrack:

Thunderball

My favorite Connery Bond movie.

Out of Connery's Bond movies this one is my personal favorite. It has the best location, the best action, and the best women. Sure it also has lots of flaws, but I still really enjoy this one. SPECTRE has hijacked some nuclear weapons and is threatning to use them if they do not get what they want. So Bond has to find the missles and put a stop to SPECTRE's plans once again. Almost the entire movie takes place on a tropical island, much like Dr. No, but this one has a better plot and a great underwater fight scene at the end that make it a much better film than Dr. No. From beginning to end I find this one of the most enjoyable Bond flicks.