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

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:

Kevin McClory, Ian Fleming and Jack Whittingham collaborated on an original story and screenplay for what would have been the very first 007 film, entitled "James Bond, Secret Agent". McClory reportedly wanted Richard Burton to play James Bond. For whatever reasons, the movie was never made. Fleming had previously cannibalized plots prepared for two other abandoned Bond spin-off projects, a newspaper comic strip and a television series, for 007 novels, and similarly turned this one into his novel "Thunderball". However, in this case his right to do so was not so clear. When Harry Saltzman bought the film rights to the Bond novels from Fleming and went into partnership with Albert R. Broccoli, McClory initiated legal action. Although Thunderball (1965) was a fairly faithful adaptation of the published novel, McClory's suit resulted in only the earlier screenplay being credited as source material. McClory's producer credit on that movie is possibly just another term of the settlement. The case was settled out of court.

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:

Fatima Blush: Now write this: "The greatest rapture of my life was afforded me on a boat in Nassau by Fatima Blush," and sign it "James Bond, 007."
James Bond: I just remembered. It's against Service policy to give endorsements.
Fatima Blush: WRITE!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Lucky Number Slevin (2006)

Soundtrack:

Une Chanson D'amour

BOND Plan B: renew Connery, remake Thunderball

MASTER PLAN: blackmail the world after stealing two nuclear warheads. Haven't we heard this plan before? Yes, in "Thunderball"(65). And, wow, two Bond films in the same year (the other was "Octopussy") - what can it mean? This is now a curiosity in the Bond film series (and not a part of the canon series), an anomaly, an oddity, a film stemming from the real-life battles between Eon Productions and their nemesis, producer McClory, who won rights to remake the earlier film. It probably would have been better if he'd succeeded earlier - say, around 1976 or so; as it is, Connery, who managed to equal Roger Moore's number of Bond portrayals with this film, is a full dozen years older since his previous Bonder "Diamonds Are Forever," and it shows. This isn't really a parody, like "Casino Royale" from 1967, though there are some too-cute moments, right up to the conclusion, a freeze-frame of Bond winking at us. There are also elements of a weird re-start, such as the first scene with Bond and M, who mentions he is new to the position, much like the Bond & female M scene in "GoldenEye." In this version, M (Fox) is still male, though he's a stuffy high-strung bureaucrat, opposed to double-0 agents, and looks a bit younger than Bond. This is a bit strange to take in, just on its own. Q is played by one of the best British actors, McCowen, so his scenes have a nice flair, though he has a silly name, Algernon.

There's no teaser sequence or fancy credits such as we're used to - in fact, the beginning is so mundane, it's as if we're watching a typically substandard seventies thriller, with a wretched song and an awful score. Many of the early scenes are perfunctory; in other words, they're presented as the stuff we're used to seeing in a Bond film (Bond shoots bad guys, Bond is eyed by the ladies, Bond is menaced by sharks), but without the style and panache of the regular film series. As in "Thunderball," Bond is sent to a health spa early in the film. In an early action scene, he's attacked by a brawny assassin/henchman in the 'Oddjob/Jaws' mold who seems unstoppable, and things appear to be picking up, until he's stopped by a silly gag. I admit I did laugh when I saw this in the theater way back when - but I don't nowadays. I also get the impression of a conspiracy by the producer to throw in some banal stuff amid the standard spy action, not helped any by what seems like in-joking involving Bond's aging hero bit, including M's comically shrill disapproval. It mirrors the problem with Moore in his last couple of Bonders, where the audience is laughing at the hero - undesirable conditions for a Bonder. Things seem to improve again in the middle half, as much of the action here is dominated by the female villain, Blush (actress Carrera in her best role). She exults in her performance as the persistent killer with some odd sexual preoccupations, anticipating the much later lethal ladies such as Onatopp in "GoldenEye."

But, the best performance is by Brandauer as the main villain, Largo - a much different Largo than the one in "Thunderball." He's almost on another, superior level from the rest of the cast, suggesting insanity better than most other Bond villains, somewhat effeminate in some of his gestures, but also magnetic when sparring with Bond, especially in their memorably electrifying video game duel, a bizarre yet entrancing confrontation. Von Sydow, always good, has a much briefer role as famous uber-villain Blofeld, staying behind the scenes for most of the movie. Basinger as Domino the Bond girl is, unfortunately, similar to many of the Bond girls of that period: nice to look at, but usually helpless and kind of an airhead, though she demonstrates fear convincingly. Connery, looking his age (early fifties), goes through the motions here, but hey, it's still Connery as Bond; he can do this kind of thing in his sleep (which he nearly does) and is always watchable, with that easy charisma. The pace is actually pretty good for awhile up until the climactic shoot-out, in spite of some cheap production values. The finale, underwater with Largo, is murky stuff, with no tension, as if the filmmakers just gave up by this point and wanted to get it over with. We kind of forget what the threat is about half-an-hour before the end. Oh, and, Atkinson is his small role is abominable, like nails on chalkboard. Connery would not return. Bond:7 Villain:9 Femme Fatales:5 Henchwoman/men:8 Leiter:6 Fights:5 Stunts/Chases:6 Gadgets:4 Auto:5 Locations:6 Pace:6 overall:6