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:

Bond | James Bond | British | Steal | Bahamas

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 2 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Sat. Nov. 28

2:30 AM

SYFY

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

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 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)
• 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:

This film is a remake of Thunderball (1965), with some differences. Claudine Auger played "Domino" in the original movie, while Kim Basinger plays the character, now renamed "Domino Petachi". Adolfo Celi, played "Emilio Largo" in the original, while Klaus Maria Brandauer played the character in this film, now renamed "Maximillian Largo".

Goofs:

Factual errors: When the SPECTRE technician is tracking the two cruise missiles by ship-borne radar, the radar dish is sweeping back and forth on a roughly 90 degree angle, but the radar scope is showing a full sweep in one direction (not to mention the strobe light in the center of the radar dish, which has nothing to do with transmitting radar energy).

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

References Jaws (1975)

Soundtrack:

Une Chanson D'amour

The only Bond remake. Pointless but fun.

Never Say Never Again got its title because Sean Connery had said in the 1970s (shortly after Diamonds Are Forever) that he would "never" do another Bond film. However, in 1983 he was persuaded to return to the role for a one-off special, a remake of his fourth entry Thunderball, and his wife rather humorously said to him that in the future he should make a point never to say never again. This film actually came out close to a Roger Moore entry in the series (Octopussy), and although Connery had more admirers as 007 than Moore, it was surprisingly Octopussy that scored a bigger box office hit.

Connery's Bond is older and more vulnerable than we remember him. His boss, M, doesn't hold him in very high regard and actually suggests that he take some time off in a plush health spa. During his time here, Bond uncovers a strange plot and the further he delves into the mystery the more he discovers. It seems that his old adversaries SPECTRE, fronted by the nefarious Blofeld (Max Von Sydow) have stolen two nuclear warheads which they will detonate if they are not paid an extortionate ransom. Chief overseer of this hideous plan is Emile Largo (Klaus Maria Brandeur), and Bond pursues Largo around the globe in an attempt to stop him, visiting such places as Monte Carlo and North Africa during the course of the mission.

The music by Michel Legrand is poor by series standards. It sounds rather similar to his music for the sleazy 1981 movie Your Ticket Is No Longer Valid, and is really ill-suited to this Bond production. However, in terms of villains, they've come with a couple of great ones for this film. Largo, as personified by Brandeur, is smooth but deadly, and hench-woman Fatima Blush (the sensual Barbara Carrera) is uncommonly disturbing. Rowan Atkinson also has a fairly good role as a dim-witted agent assigned to "help" Bond. The big action sequences are quite good, especially the horse chase around the North African sea-fortress and the motorbike chase, although some of the underwater moments are tough to understand because it's hard to figure out who is who behind the diving masks.