Diamonds Are Forever (1971)

Director:

Guy Hamilton

Writers:

Richard Maibaum (screenplay) and
Tom Mankiewicz (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

17 December 1971 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

"Diamonds Are Forever"...forever...forever...forever...

Plot:

A diamond smuggling investigation leads James Bond to Las Vegas, where he uncovers an extortion plot headed by his nemesis, Ernst Stavro Blofeld.

Plot Keywords:

Diamond | Smuggling | James Bond | British | Casino

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Sean Connery	...	James Bond
Jill St. John	...	Tiffany Case
Charles Gray	...	Ernst Stavro Blofeld
Lana Wood	...	Plenty O'Toole
Jimmy Dean	...	Willard Whyte
Bruce Cabot	...	Bert Saxby
Putter Smith	...	Mr. Kidd
Bruce Glover	...	Mr. Wint
Norman Burton	...	Felix Leiter
Joseph Fürst	...	Dr. Metz (as Joseph Furst)
Bernard Lee	...	M
Desmond Llewelyn	...	Q
Leonard Barr	...	Shady Tree
Lois Maxwell	...	Miss Moneypenny
Margaret Lacey	...	Mrs. Whistler
Joe Robinson	...	Peter Franks
David de Keyser	...	Doctor (as David De Keyser)
Laurence Naismith	...	Sir Donald Munger
David Bauer	...	Morten Slumber
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sammy Davis Jr.	...	Casino Player (scenes deleted)
Sid Haig	...	Slumber Inc. Attendant (uncredited: in closing credits)
Marc Lawrence	...	Slumber Inc. Attendant (uncredited: in closing credits)
John Abineri	...	Airline Representative (uncredited)
Ray Baker	...	Helicopter Pilot (uncredited)
Ed Bishop	...	Klaus Hergersheimer (uncredited)
Nicky Blair	...	Doorman (uncredited)
Larry J. Blake	...	Water Balloon Game Barker-Operator (uncredited)
Ed Call	...	Maxie (uncredited)
George Lane Cooper	...	SPECTRE Agent (uncredited)
Dick Crockett	...	Crane Operator (uncredited)
Catherine Deeney	...	Welfare Worker (uncredited)
Gary Dubin	...	Boy (uncredited)
Clifford Earl	...	Immigration Officer (uncredited)
Mark Elwes	...	Sir Donald's Secretary (uncredited)
Brinsley Forde	...	Houseboy (uncredited)
Constantine Gregory	...	Aide to Metz (uncredited)
David Healy	...	Vandenburg Launch Director (uncredited)
Karl Held	...	Agent (uncredited)
Roy Hollis	...	Las Vegas Sheriff (uncredited)
Bill Hutchinson	...	Moon Crater Controller (uncredited)
Janos Kurucz	...	Aide to Metz (uncredited)
Lola Larson	...	Bambi (uncredited)
Debbie Letteau	...	Girl on the Corner (uncredited)
Frank Mann	...	Moon Crater Guard (uncredited)
Connie Mason	...	Woman at Whyte House (uncredited)
Neil McCarthy	...	Guard on Blofeld's left (uncredited)
Don Messick	...	Announcer at Circus Circus (uncredited)
Burt Metcalfe	...	Maxwell (uncredited)
Johnny Miller	...	Gunman (uncredited)
Frank Olegario	...	Man in Fez (uncredited)
Trina Parks	...	Thumper (uncredited)
Denise Perrier	...	Marie (uncredited)
Valerie Perrine	...	Shady Tree's Acorn (uncredited)
Shane Rimmer	...	Tom (uncredited)
Henry Rowland	...	Dr. Tynan (uncredited)
Gordon Ruttan	...	Vandenburg Aide (uncredited)
Jay Sarno	...	Sideshow Barker (uncredited)
Tom Steele	...	W Technologies Gate Guard (uncredited)
Michael Valente	...	Slumber Inc. Attendant (uncredited)
E.J. 'Tex' Young	...	Craps Dealer (uncredited)

Directed by
Guy Hamilton

Writing credits
Ian Fleming		(novel) uncredited
Richard Maibaum		(screenplay) and
Tom Mankiewicz		(screenplay)

Produced by
Albert R. Broccoli	....	producer
Harry Saltzman	....	producer
Stanley Sopel	....	associate producer

Original Music by
John Barry

Cinematography by
Ted Moore		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Bert Bates
John W. Holmes		(as John W.Holmes)

Casting by
Weston Drury Jr.		(uncredited)

Production Design by
Ken Adam

Art Direction by
Bill Kenney
Jack Maxsted

Set Decoration by
John P. Austin		(as John Austin)
Peter Lamont

Makeup Department
Basil Newall	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Eileen Warwick	....	hair stylist (uncredited)

Production Management
Milton Feldman	....	production manager
Claude Hudson	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Derek Cracknell	....	assistant director
Jerome M. Siegel	....	assistant director
Raymond Becket	....	third assistant director (uncredited)
Richard Jenkins	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Ron Quelch	....	production buyer (as Ronnie Quelch)
Ted Ambrose	....	draughtsman (uncredited)
Ivor Beddoes	....	sketch artist (uncredited)
John Chisholm	....	prop man (uncredited)
Roy Walker	....	assistant art director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Christopher Lancaster	....	dubbing editor
Teddy Mason	....	dubbing editor
Gordon K. McCallum	....	dubbing mixer (as Gordon McCallum)
John W. Mitchell	....	sound recordist (as John Mitchell)
Al Overton	....	sound recordist
Jim Shields	....	dubbing editor (as Jimmy Shields)
John Hayward	....	sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Les Hillman	....	special effects (as Leslie Hillman)
Whitey McMahon	....	special effects
Bert Luxford	....	assistant physical special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Wally Veevers	....	visual effects
Albert Whitlock	....	visual effects
Jim Danforth	....	model animator: submarine (uncredited)
Roy Field	....	optical cinematography (uncredited)
Charles Staffell	....	optical/projection effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Paul Baxley	....	stunt arranger
Bob Simmons	....	stunt arranger
Craig R. Baxley	....	stunts (uncredited)
Paul Baxley	....	stunts (uncredited)
Lightning Bear	....	stunt driver (uncredited)
Johnny Bossle	....	stunt driver (uncredited)
Monty Bossle	....	stunt driver (uncredited)
Buzz Bundy	....	stunts (uncredited)
Richard E. Butler	....	stunt double (uncredited)
Dennis Camsey	....	stunts (uncredited)
George Lane Cooper	....	stunt: Blofeld Goon in pre-title sequence (uncredited)
George Lane Cooper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Gerry Crampton	....	stunt double (uncredited)
Leslie Crawford	....	stunts (uncredited)
Everett Creach	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dick Crockett	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bill Cummings	....	stunts (uncredited)
Vince Deadrick Sr.	....	stunts (uncredited)
Nick Dimitri	....	stunts (uncredited)
Eddie Eddon	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bud Ekins	....	stunts (uncredited)
Patty Elder	....	stunts (uncredited)
Donna Garrett	....	stunts (uncredited)
Reg Harding	....	stunts (uncredited)
Orwin C. Harvey	....	stunt double: high fall from oil rig (uncredited)
Bob Herron	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bill Hickman	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jazzer Jeyes	....	stunts (uncredited)
Max Latimer	....	stunt double: Charles Gray (uncredited)
George Leech	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jimmy Lodge	....	stunts (uncredited)
Carey Loftin	....	stunt driver (uncredited)
Johnny Miller	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bill Morgan	....	stunts (uncredited)
Victor Paul	....	stunts (uncredited)
Eddie Powell	....	stunts (uncredited)
Nosher Powell	....	stunts (uncredited)
Glenn Randall Jr.	....	stunts (uncredited)
Doug Robinson	....	stunts (uncredited)
George Robotham	....	stunts (uncredited)
Ronnie Rondell Jr.	....	stunts (uncredited)
Wally Rose	....	stunts (uncredited)
Fred Scheiwiller	....	stunts (uncredited)
Alex Sharp	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jack Sholomir	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Simmons	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tom Steele	....	stunts (uncredited)
Roy Street	....	stunts (uncredited)
Fred Stromsoe	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jerry Summers	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chuck Waters	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chris Webb	....	stunts (uncredited)
Joe Williams	....	stunt driver (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Bill Johnson	....	camera operator
Bob Kindred	....	camera operator
Harold E. Wellman	....	camera operator: second unit (as Harold Wellman)
Mike Roberts	....	focus puller (uncredited)
George Whitear	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Donfeld	....	costumes: Miss St. John (as Don Feld)
Elsa Fennell	....	wardrobe supervisor
Ted Tetrick	....	wardrobe supervisor
Ray Beck	....	wardrobe master (uncredited)

Music Department
John Barry	....	conductor
John Barry	....	music arranger
Shirley Bassey	....	singer: title song
Don Black	....	lyrics by
Monty Norman	....	composer: The James Bond theme
Sidney Margo	....	music contractor (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Gene Clinesmith	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Maurice Binder	....	title designer: main title
Albert R. Broccoli	....	presenter
Bernard Hanson	....	location manager
Del Ross	....	continuity
Eddie Saeta	....	location manager
Harry Saltzman	....	presenter
Elaine Schreyeck	....	continuity
Dominic Santarone	....	caterer (uncredited)
Ruth Santarone	....	caterer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Eon Productions (made by) (as Eon Productions Limited)
• Danjaq (as Danjaq S.A.) (uncredited)

Distributors

• United Artists Corporation (1971) (UK) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1971) (USA) (theatrical) (released thru) (as United Artists Entertainment from Transamerica Corporation)
• United Artists (1971) (France) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1971) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (1983) (Australia) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1991) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1993) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2000) (Australia) (DVD) (Special Edition)
• MGM Home Entertainment (Europe) (2000) (UK) (DVD) (Special Edition)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2000) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• 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)
• C.B. Films (1971) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical) (35mm print)
• Kommunenes Filmcentral (KF) (1971) (Norway) (theatrical)
• Tuschinski Film Distribution (1971) (Netherlands) (theatrical) (as Nova)
• United Artists (1971) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1971) (Italy) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1975) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Audio Visual Enterprises (Greece)
• CBS/Fox Home Video (1983) (USA) (video)
• CBS/Fox (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Home Box Office (HBO) (1981) (USA) (TV) (cable television)
• RCA (1981) (USA) (video) (Selectavision videodisc)
• Warner Home Video (2000) (Germany) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Mi Casa Multimedia  DVD audio restoration & mastering 5.1 (uncredited)
• Aston Martin Lagonda  the producers gratefully acknowledge the help and co-operation of
• C.T.S. Studios  music recorded at (as C.T.S. Studios, London, England)
• Circus Circus  the producers gratefully acknowledge the help and co-operation of (as Circus Circus, City of Las Vegas)
• David Morris Jewellers  the producers gratefully acknowledge the help and co-operation of
• Dover Harbour Board  the producers gratefully acknowledge the help and co-operation of (as The Dover Harbour Board)
• Dunes Hotel, Casino and Country Club  the producers gratefully acknowledge the help and co-operation of (as The Dunes Hotel, City of Las Vegas)
• Ford Motor Company  the producers gratefully acknowledge the help and co-operation of (as The Ford Motor Company)
• Honda Motor Company  the producers gratefully acknowledge the help and co-operation of
• International Hotel, The  the producers gratefully acknowledge the help and co-operation of (as The International Hotel, City of Las Vegas)
• Landmark Hotel, The  the producers gratefully acknowledge the help and co-operation of (as The Landmark Hotel, City of Las Vegas)
• Mint Hotel, The  the producers gratefully acknowledge the help and co-operation of (as The Mint Hotel, City of Las Vegas)
• P & O - Orient Lines  the producers gratefully acknowledge the help and co-operation of (as P & O Lines)
• Riviera Hotel, Las Vegas  the producers gratefully acknowledge the help and co-operation of (as The Riviera Hotel, City of Las Vegas)
• Sands Hotel, The  the producers gratefully acknowledge the help and co-operation of (as The Sands Hotel, City of Las Vegas)
• Tropicana Hotel, The  the producers gratefully acknowledge the help and co-operation of (as The Tropicana Hotel, City of Las Vegas)

Also Known As:

Ian Fleming's Diamonds Are Forever (UK) (complete title) (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

120 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English | German

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Iceland:12 | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Canada:G (Quebec) | West Germany:16 (nf) | South Korea:15 | Brazil:12 | New Zealand:PG | UK:PG (tv rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 | Norway:16 (1971) | Peru:14 | Spain:T | Sweden:15 | UK:PG (video rating) (1987) | USA:GP (original rating) | USA:PG (re-rating) (1994) | UK:A (original rating) (passed with cuts)

Filming Locations:

3rd Floor, Reguliersgracht 36, Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands

Company:

Eon Productions

Trivia:

Product placements, brand integrations and promotional tie-ins for this movie include Lufthansa Airlines; Rolex Watches, James Bond wears a Rolex Submariner; Martini & Rossi Vermouth; Playboy Clubs; Hertz Rent-a-car; Las Vegas strip casinos and nightclubs such as the Riviera Hotel & Casino, Tropicana Hotel & Casino and Circus Circus Casino; Mouton Rothschild Wine; Seaspeed Hovercrafts; Courvoisier Cognac; Honda Motorbikes; Shell Oil; Bell Helicopters; and Ford cars including Mustang, Thunderbird and other makes.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the chase scene in the desert where James Bond is being tailed by sedans, Bond makes a jump that causes one of the cars to flip and roll behind him. Once it rolls down the dune, a spare tire not matching the size or tread of the rolled car rolls into the shot for no apparent reason. The rolled car did not even lose a tire.

Quotes:

[first lines]
James Bond: [tossing chinese man around] Where is he? I shan't ask you politely next time. Where is Blofeld?
Chinese Man: Ca-Ca-Cairo.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Double-O Stunts (2000) (V)

Soundtrack:

DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER

Not the best Bond movie of Sean Connery

In 1967 Sean Connery quits the role of James Bond. Panic! Producers replace him with Australian born George Lazenby, who makes "On Her Majesty Secret Service". This film does reasonably well at the box office, but not as well as the previous episodes... Furthermore, a big part of the audiences and many critics savage Lazenby's performance, rather pale compared to Connery's Bond portrait. "OHMSS" has been revalued since, but at the time of the release it's perceived like a disappointment.

In '71 producers hire American actor John Gavin for "Diamonds are forever" (DAF), but at the very last minute Sean Connery decides to come back to the role for one time only...

The film is a kind of remake of "Goldfinger" -there is Sean, of course; director Guy Hamilton; Shirley Bassey sings the theme; the story takes place in America; here too we have glamorous elements (diamonds instead of gold).

The movie is funny, Sean looks amused and quite relaxed in traveling between Amsterdam and Las Vegas to investigate about a diamond illegal traffic.

Nevertheless it's the "worst" of his Bonds... It's his less interesting outing as 007. When we think about him as Bond we think about the episodes of the Sixties, when the series was at its beginning. "Diamonds" has not the classical atmosphere of "Goldfinger" and "Thunderball" -the rhythm of DAF is not constant, there are also too many jokes, and a more American humor of the movie spoils the "Britishness" of 007. The first part of the film is boring, the second half has more action -although the final battle scene is not very well done.

Sean is Sean, but here he looks older than his age -curiously he looks fitter and more charming in "Never say never again", an "unofficial" Bond done 12 years later! By the way his presence in this film saves the show completely and a good entertainment is guaranteed.