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Diamonds Are Forever

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Diamonds Are Forever 1971 poster 8

Diamonds Are Forever is a 1971 spy film, the seventh in the James Bond series produced by Eon Productions. It is the sixth and final Eon film to star Sean Connery, who returned to the role as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond, having declined to reprise the role in On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969).

The film is based on Ian Fleming's 1956 novel of the same name and is the second of four James Bond films directed by Guy Hamilton. The story has Bond impersonating a diamond smuggler to infiltrate a smuggling ring and soon uncovering a plot by his old enemy Ernst Stavro Blofeld to use the diamonds to build a space-based laser weapon. Bond has to battle his enemy for one last time to stop the smuggling and stall Blofeld's plan of destroying Washington, D.C. and extorting the world with nuclear supremacy.

After George Lazenby left the series, producers Harry Saltzman and Albert R. Broccoli tested other actors, but studio United Artists wanted Sean Connery back, paying a then-record $1.25 million salary for him to return. The producers were inspired by Goldfinger; as with that film, Guy Hamilton was hired to direct, and Shirley Bassey performed vocals on the title theme song. Locations included Las Vegas, California, and Amsterdam. Diamonds Are Forever was a commercial success and received generally positive reviews initially, though retrospective reviews were more negative. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Sound.


Storyline[]

Plot[]

James Bond, equipped with an armoury of hi-tech gadgets, infiltrates a Las Vegas diamond-smuggling ring in a bid to foil a plot to target Washington with a laser in space. However, as 007 prepares to tackle the evil Blofeld, the mastermind who threatens to destabilise the world, he is captivated by the delicious Tiffany Case - but is she really a double agent?

Genres[]

  • Action
  • Spy
  • Science fiction
  • Adventure
  • Action/Adventure
  • Fantasy
  • Thriller

Motion Picture Rating[]

  • Atp (Argentina)
  • M (Australia)
  • 12 (Brazil)
  • PG (Canada) (Manitoba/Ontario)
  • A (Canada) (Nova Scotia)
  • G (Canada) (Quebec)
  • 15 (Denmark) (DVD and Blu-ray rating)
  • K-16 (Finland)
  • K-15/13 (Finland)
  • K-16/13 (Finland)
  • K-16 (Finland) (DVD and Blu-ray rating)
  • Tous publics (France)
  • 12 (Iceland)
  • U (India)
  • PG (Ireland) (DVD)
  • 12RA (Ireland) (VHS)
  • 12 (Ireland) (2012)
  • T (Italy)
  • G (Japan) (2015)
  • A (Mexico)
  • 12 (Netherlands)
  • 14 (Netherlands) (original rating)
  • AL (Netherlands) (2000, DVD rating)
  • PG (New Zealand)
  • 15 (Norway) (DVD and Blu-ray rating)
  • 12 (Norway) (recommended rating)
  • 16 (Norway) (1971, cinema rating)
  • Apt (Peru)
  • 16 (Poland) (self-applied)
  • M/12 (Portugal)
  • 15 (South Korea)
  • A (Spain)
  • 15 (Sweden) (1992, uncut)
  • 15 (Sweden) (1971, cut)
  • 7A (Turkey) (self-applied)
  • 12 (UK)
  • A (UK) (original rating, passed with cuts)
  • PG (UK) (TV rating)
  • 12 (UK) (2012)
  • PG (UK) (2001, video rating)
  • PG (UK)
  • GP (UK) (original rating)
  • PG (UK) (1994, re-rating)
  • 16 (West Germany) (nf)

Images[]

Cast and Crew[]

Director[]

  • Guy Hamilton

Writing Credits[]

  • Richard Maibaum (screenplay by) and
  • Tom Mankiewicz (screenplay by)

Cast[]

  • Sean Connery - James Bond
  • Jill St. John - Tiffany Case
  • Charles Gray - Blofeld
  • Lana Wood - Plenty O'Toole
  • Jimmy Dean - Willard Whyte
  • Bruce Cabot - Albert R. Saxby
  • Putter Smith - Mr. Kidd
  • Bruce Glover - Mr. Wint
  • Norman Burton - Leiter
  • Joseph Fürst - Dr Metz (as Joseph Furst)
  • Bernard Lee - 'M'
  • Desmond Llewelyn - 'Q'
  • Leonard Barr - Shady Tree
  • Lois Maxwell - Moneypenny
  • Margaret Lacey - Mrs. Whistler
  • Joe Robinson - Peter Franks
  • David de Keyser - Doctor (as David De Keyser)
  • Laurence Naismith - Sir Donald Munger
  • David Bauer - Mr. Slumber
  • Marc Lawrence - Slumber Inc. Attendant
  • Sid Haig - Slumber Inc. Attendant

Other Cast (in alphabetical order)[]

  • John Abineri - Airline Representative (uncredited)
  • Jack Arrow - Diamond Syndicate Guard (uncredited)
  • Ray Baker - Helicopter Pilot (uncredited)
  • Paul Baxley - CIA Agent (uncredited)
  • Ed Bishop - Klaus Hergersheimer (uncredited)
  • Nicky Blair - Doorman (uncredited)
  • Larry J. Blake - Water Balloon Game Barker-Operator (uncredited)
  • Ed Call - Maxie (uncredited)
  • Jennifer Castle - Shady Tree's Acorn (uncredited)
  • Melita Clarke - Diamond Girl (uncredited)
  • Terence Conoley - Cairo Casino Patron (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)
  • Keinosuke Enoeda - Japanese Agent (uncredited)
  • Fred Fisher - Fred (uncredited)
  • Brinsley Forde - Houseboy (uncredited)
  • Sig Frohlich - Casino Patron (uncredited)
  • Pat Gill - Shady Tree's Acorn (uncredited)
  • Constantine Gregory - Aide to Metz (uncredited)
  • Ron Gregory - Casino Patron (uncredited)
  • Bob Harks - Customs Inspector (uncredited)
  • Orwin C. Harvey - Irate Chevelle Driver (uncredited)
  • David Healy - Vandenburg Launch Director (uncredited)
  • Karl Held - Agent (uncredited)
  • Leroy E. Hollis - Las Vegas Sheriff (uncredited)
  • Lew Hooper - Casino Patron (uncredited)
  • Bill Hutchinson - Moon Crater Controller (uncredited)
  • Janos Kurucz - Aide to Metz (uncredited)
  • Lola Larson - Bambi (uncredited)
  • Debbie Letteau - Girl on the Corner (uncredited)
  • Martin Lyder - Croupier (uncredited)
  • Frank Mann - Moon Crater Guard (uncredited)
  • Connie Mason - Woman at Whyte House (uncredited)
  • Clyde McLeod - Casino Patron (uncredited)
  • Don Messick - Announcer at Circus Circus (uncredited)
  • Burt Metcalfe - Maxwell (uncredited)
  • Johnny Miller - Gunman (uncredited)
  • Terence Mountain - 1st Guard (uncredited)
  • Tony O'Leary - Diamond Syndicate Guard (uncredited)
  • Frank Olegario - Man in Fez (uncredited)
  • Gerald Paris - Surgeon's Assistant (uncredited)
  • Trina Parks - Thumper (uncredited)
  • Denise Perrier - Marie (uncredited)
  • Cassandra Peterson - Shady Tree's Acorn #2 (uncredited)
  • Shane Rimmer - Tom (uncredited)
  • Jack Ross - Casino Staff (uncredited)
  • Henry Rowland - Dr. Tynan (uncredited)
  • Gordon Ruttan - Vandenburg Aide (uncredited)
  • Pat Ryan - Man Coming Out of Customs Office (uncredited)
  • Jay Sarno - Sideshow Barker (uncredited)
  • Eddie Smith - Casino Patron (uncredited)
  • Tony Snell - Assistant (uncredited)
  • Owen Song - Casino Patron (uncredited)
  • Guy Standeven - Customs Officer (uncredited)
  • Tom Steele - W Technologies Gate Guard (uncredited)
  • Michael Stevens - CIA Agent (uncredited)
  • Jerry Summers - CIA Agent (uncredited)
  • Michael Valente - Slumber Inc. Attendant (uncredited)
  • Vincent Wong - Casino Groupier (uncredited)
  • E.J. 'Tex' Young - Craps Dealer (uncredited)

Producers[]

  • Albert R. Broccoli (produced by)
  • Harry Saltzman (produced by)
  • Stanley Sopel (associate producer)

Details[]

Countries[]

  • USA
  • UK

Language[]

  • English
  • Italian

Release Dates[]

  • December 14, 1971 (Turkey)
  • December 14, 1971 (West Germany)
  • December 17, 1971 (Canada)
  • December 17, 1971 (Denmark)
  • December 17, 1971 (Italy)
  • December 17, 1971 (USA)
  • December 20, 1971 (France)
  • December 20, 1971 (Greece)
  • December 20, 1971 (Sweden)
  • December 22, 1971 (Spain) (Madrid)
  • December 23, 1971 (Australia)
  • December 23, 1971 (Hong Kong)
  • December 23, 1971 (Netherlands)
  • December 24, 1971 (Belgium) (Gent)
  • December 25, 1971 (Colombia)
  • December 25, 1971 (Finland)
  • December 25, 1971 (Japan)
  • December 26, 1971 (Norway)
  • December 29, 1971 (Hungary)
  • December 30, 1971 (UK)
  • January 1, 1972 (Poland)
  • January 3, 1972 (Brazil)
  • January 6, 1972 (Argentina)
  • January 13, 1972 (Mexico)
  • January 14, 1972 (Ireland)
  • February 24, 1972 (Portugal)
  • June 15, 1972 (Uruguay)
  • September 5, 1975 (India)
  • August 29, 1984 (Spain) (re-release)
  • September 11, 2001 (Russia) (video premiere)
  • April 13, 2010 (Czechia) (DVD premiere)
  • September 15, 2015 (Singapore) (DVD premiere)

Also Known As[]

  • Diamonds Are Forever (original title)
  • Los diamantes son eternos (Argentina)
  • 007: Diamonds Are Forever (Australia) (TV title)
  • Diamonds Are Forever (Australia)
  • Agente 007 - Una cascata di diamanti (Italy)
  • 007 - Una cascata di diamanti (Italy) (alternative title)
  • Una cascata di diamanti (Italy) (short title)
  • Ian Fleming's Diamonds Are Forever (UK) (complete title)
  • Diamonds Are Forever (UK)
  • Ian Fleming's Diamonds Are Forever (USA) (complete title)
  • Diamonds Are Forever (USA)

Production[]

The producers originally intended to have Diamonds Are Forever re-create commercially successful aspects of Goldfinger, including hiring its director, Guy Hamilton. Peter R. Hunt, who had directed On Her Majesty's Secret Service and worked in all previous Bond films as editor, was invited before Hamilton, but due to involvement with another project could only work on the film if the production date was postponed, which the producers declined to do. As a condition for Hamilton directing after his difficulties with trade unions during the filming of Battle of Britain, Diamonds Are Forever was the first Bond production to be primarily based in the United States rather than the United Kingdom.

Writing[]

While On Her Majesty's Secret Service was in post-production, Richard Maibaum wrote several drafts about Bond avenging the death of his wife Tracy. The characters Irma Bunt and Marc-Ange Draco were set to return. Harry Saltzman had suggested Thailand and India as potential filming locations. When George Lazenby departed from the role prior to the film's release, a complete rewrite was requested, in addition to Maibaum's script failing to impress Albert R. Broccoli and Saltzman. Following this, Maibaum wrote an original script with Auric Goldfinger's twin seeking revenge for the death of his brother. In this version, Goldfinger's brother was a Swedish shipping magnate armed with a laser cannon held within the hull of a supertanker. The idea was borrowed from an early draft of On Her Majesty's Secret Service in which Ernst Stavro Blofeld was to be Goldfinger's twin brother, with Gert Fröbe set to return. The film would have ended with a boat chase of Chinese junks and Roman galleys on Lake Mead. The plot was later changed after Broccoli had a dream, where his close friend Howard Hughes was replaced by an imposter. Hence, the character of Willard Whyte was created, and Tom Mankiewicz was chosen to rework the script.

Mankiewicz says he was hired because Broccoli wanted an American writer to work on the script, since so much of it was set in Las Vegas "and the Brits write really lousy American gangsters" – but it had to be someone who also understood the British idiom, since it had British characters. David Picker, then-president of United Artists, had seen the stage musical Georgy written by Mankiewicz, and recommended him; he was hired on a two-week trial and kept on for the rest of the movie. The idea of Goldfinger's brother was scrapped, and Blofeld was written back into the script. Mankiewicz later estimated the novel provided around 45 minutes of the film's final running time. The adaptation eliminated the main villains from the source Ian Fleming novel, mobsters called Jack and Seraffimo Spang, but used the henchmen Shady Tree, Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd.

Casting[]

George Lazenby was originally offered a contract for seven Bond films but declined and left after just one, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, on the advice of his agent Ronan O'Rahilly. Producers contemplated replacing him with John Gavin, though actors Clint Eastwood, Adam West, Burt Reynolds, Robert Wagner, Brett Halsey, Malcolm Roberts, and Ranulph Fiennes had also been considered; Eastwood, Reynolds, and West had stated that Bond should not be played by an American actor. Michael Gambon rejected an offer, telling Broccoli that he was "in terrible shape". Producers Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman wanted to cast Roger Moore, but he was busy filming The Persuaders!.

Picker was unhappy with this decision and made it clear that Connery was to be enticed back to the role and that money was no object. When approached about resuming the role of Bond, Connery demanded the fee of $1.25 million. To entice the actor to play Bond once more, United Artists offered two back-to-back films of his choice. After both sides agreed to the deal, Connery used the fee to establish the Scottish International Education Trust, where Scottish artists could apply for funding without having to leave their country to pursue their careers. Since John Gavin was no longer in the running for the role, his contract was paid in full by United Artists. The first film made under Connery's deal was The Offence, directed by his friend Sidney Lumet.

Charles Gray was cast as villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld, after playing a Bond ally named Dikko Henderson in You Only Live Twice (1967). Jazz musician Putter Smith was invited by Saltzman to play Mr. Kidd, after a Thelonious Monk Band show. Musician Paul Williams was originally cast as Mr. Wint. When he couldn't agree with the producers on compensation, Bruce Glover replaced him. Glover said he was surprised at being chosen, because at first producers said he was too normal and that they wanted a deformed, Peter Lorre-like actor. Bruce Cabot, who played the part of Bert Saxby, died the following year; Diamonds turned out to be his final film role. Jimmy Dean was cast as Willard Whyte after Saltzman saw a presentation of him. Dean was very worried about playing a Howard Hughes pastiche, because he was an employee of Hughes at the Desert Inn.

Jill St. John had originally been offered the part of Plenty O'Toole but landed the female lead after Sidney Korshak, who assisted the producers in filming in Las Vegas locations, recommended his client St. John, who became the first American Bond girl. Linda Thorson met with Cubby Broccoli, hoping to be considered for the part of Case, but he never considered her for the role, although he did briefly list her as a possibility for the part of Plenty O'Toole. Some time later, Broccoli told Thorson she was never cast in a Bond film because she didn't have long hair. Lana Wood was cast as Plenty O'Toole, following a suggestion of screenwriter Tom Mankiewicz. Wood modeled her performance after Leigh Taylor-Young and Minnie Mouse. Denise Perrier, Miss World 1953, played "Marie", the woman in the bikini who is forced by Bond to disclose the location of Blofeld.

A cameo appearance by Sammy Davis Jr. playing on the roulette table was filmed, but his scene was eventually deleted.

Initially, the character of Miss Moneypenny did not feature in the movie, partly because Lois Maxwell had held out for a pay increase, but it was decided during production to add the scene where, disguised as a customs officer, Moneypenny gives Bond his travel documents at the port of Dover. The additional scene was a last-minute rewrite, as the producers felt it important to incorporate Maxwell after her issue was resolved. Maxwell and Connery filmed their lines separately for the short scene.

Filming[]

Filming began on 5 April 1971, with the South African scenes actually shot in the desert near Las Vegas. The scene was originally written to include Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd killing Dr. Tynan by forcing a scorpion down his mouth, but it was rewritten in order to be approved by British censors. The film was shot primarily in the United States, with locations including the Los Angeles International Airport, Universal City Studios and eight hotels of Las Vegas. Besides Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, other places in England were Dover and Southampton. The climactic oil rig sequence was shot off the shore of Oceanside, California. Other filming locations included Cap D'Antibes in France for the opening scenes, Amsterdam and Frankfurt Airport.

Filming in Las Vegas took place mostly in hotels owned by Howard Hughes, for he was a friend of Cubby Broccoli's. Getting the streets empty to shoot was achieved through the collaboration of Hughes, the Las Vegas police, and the shopkeepers' association. The Las Vegas Hilton doubled for the Whyte House, and since the owner of the Circus Circus was a Bond fan, he allowed the Circus to be used on film and even made a cameo. The cinematographers said filming in Las Vegas at night had an advantage: no additional illumination was required due to the high number of neon lights. Sean Connery made the most of his time on location in Las Vegas. "I didn't get any sleep at all. We shot every night, I caught all the shows and played golf all day. On the weekend I collapsed – boy, did I collapse. Like a skull with legs." He also played the slot machines, and once delayed a scene because he was collecting his winnings. While shooting in Las Vegas, Connery dated his co-star Lana Wood.

The home of Kirk Douglas was used for the scene in Tiffany's house, while the Elrod House in Palm Springs, designed by John Lautner, became Willard Whyte's house. The exterior shots of the Slumber mortuary were of the Palm Mortuary in Henderson, Nevada. The interiors were a set constructed at Pinewood Studios, where Ken Adam imitated the real building's lozenge-shaped stained glass window in its chapel. The Garden of Remembrance scene was shot at Palm Downtown Cemetery, Las Vegas. During location filming, Ken Adam visited several funeral homes in the Las Vegas area, and the inspiration behind the gaudy design of the Slumber mortuary, for example the use of tasteless Art Nouveau furniture and Tiffany lamps came from these experiences. Production wrapped with the crematorium sequence, on 13 August 1971.

Since the car chase in Las Vegas would have many car crashes, the filmmakers had a product placement arrangement with Ford to use their vehicles. Ford's only demand was that Sean Connery had to drive the 1971 Mustang Mach 1 which serves as Tiffany Case's car. A Mustang was used in Goldfinger and Thunderball, while a Mercury Cougar was used in On Her Majesty's Secret Service, and "Bond girls" drove each one. The Moon Buggy was inspired by the NASA Lunar rover, but with additions such as flailing arms since the producers didn't find the design "outrageous" enough. Built by custom car fabricator Dean Jeffries on a rear-engined Corvair chassis, it was capable of road speeds. The fibreglass tires had to be replaced during the chase sequence because the heat and irregular desert soil ruined them.

Hamilton had the idea of making a fight scene inside a lift, which was choreographed and performed by Sean Connery and stuntman Joe Robinson. During a car chase scene, where the police are chasing Bond in a small parking lot, the Mustang was to jump a small ramp over several cars. The hired stunt driver they had couldn't perform this and wrecked two or three cars in the process. The stunt team had only one automobile left so they called Bill Hickman, who drove for hours to the location, jumped into the Mustang, and did the stunt in one take. A continuity mistake during the same car chase made it into the film's final cut: when Bond drives the Mustang on two wheels through a narrow alley, the car enters the alley on its right side tires and exits driving on its left side.

While filming the scene of finding Plenty O'Toole drowned in Tiffany's swimming pool, Lana Wood actually had her feet loosely tied to a cement block on the bottom. Film crew members held a rope across the pool for her, with which she could lift her face out of the water to breathe between takes. The pool was steeped in a way that made the block move deeper with each take. Eventually, Wood was submerged but was noticed by on-lookers and rescued before actually drowning. Wood, being a certified diver, took some water but remained calm during the ordeal, although she later admitted to a few "very uncomfortable moments and quite some struggling until they pulled me out."

Release and reception[]

Diamonds are Forever was released on 14 December 1971 in Munich, West Germany and on 16 December in Sydney and Melbourne, Australia, before opening in 44 other cities in the United States, Canada and Europe on 17 December and 11 more cities in Japan, New Zealand and Europe on 18 December 1971. It grossed $2,242,557 in its opening six days worldwide, including $1,569,249 in its opening weekend in the United States and Canada, where it finished number one at the box office for the week. The film had its UK premiere at the Odeon Leicester Square on 30 December 1971. In its first 17 days in the United States and Canada to 2 January 1972 it grossed $16,238,915 and had grossed $8,330,000 overseas to the same date, for a worldwide total of $24,568,915, which United Artists claimed was a record in such a short period.

Diamonds are Forever was number one in the United States for seven consecutive weeks and went on to gross $116 million worldwide, of which $43 million was from the United States and Canada. In the United Kingdom Diamonds are Forever was the second highest grossing film of 1971, being beaten by On the Buses.

Contemporary reviews[]

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times noted, in a positive review, the irrelevance of the plot and "moments of silliness", such as Bond finding himself driving a moon buggy with antennae revolving and robot arms flapping. He praised the Las Vegas car chase scene, particularly the segment when Bond drives the Ford Mustang on two wheels.

Jay Cocks, reviewing for Time magazine, felt Diamonds Are Forever was "in some ways the best of the lot. It is by all odds the broadest—which is to say wackiest, not sexiest." He praised Connery as "a fine, forceful actor with an undeniable presence [who] turns his well-publicized contempt for the Bond character into some wry moments of self-parody. He is capable of doing better things, but whether he likes it or not, he is the perfect, the only James Bond." Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune wrote the film is "not merely bad Bond, it is a bad movie. A disjointed script competes with, of all things, a lack of action for responsibility for this failure. The women are unappealing even to Bond, judging from his lack of ardor and the villains are hardly threatening."

Peter Schjeldahl of The New York Times described Diamonds Are Forever as "a pretty good movie—not great art, but fantastic packaging. The best (or, anyway, the best worst) of the classic formulae—notably, gimmickry and exoticism a go go—have been retained, some up‐dating elements have been added and other elements have been fudged." Variety wrote that James Bond "still packs a lethal wallop in all his cavortings, still manages to surround himself with scantily-clad sexpots. Yet Diamonds Are Forever doesn't carry the same quality or flair as its many predecessors. Apparently Messrs. Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman, who have made a fortune producing these Ian Fleming-inspired mellers, have reached that point where a sustained story means little in prepping an 007 picture. That is what this latest in the series lacks, and for this reason there can be no suspense. But action there is, plenty of it in the familiar Bond manner."

The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Sound for Gordon McCallum, John W. Mitchell and Al Overton.

Retrospective reviews[]

Twenty-five years after its release, James Berardinelli criticised the concept of a laser-shooting satellite, and the performances of Jill St. John, Norman Burton and Jimmy Dean. Christopher Null called St. John "one of the least effective Bond girls – beautiful, but shrill and helpless".

According to Danny Peary, Diamonds are Forever is "one of the most forgettable movies of the entire Bond series" and that "until Blofeld's reappearance we must watch what is no better than a mundane diamond-smuggling melodrama, without the spectacle we associate with James Bond: the Las Vegas setting isn't exotic enough, there's little humour, assassins Mr. Kidd and Mr. Wint are similar to characters you'd find on The Avengers, but not nearly as amusing – and the trouble Bond gets into, even Maxwell Smart could escape." IGN chose it as the third worst James Bond film, behind only The Man with the Golden Gun and Die Another Day. Total Film listed Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd, and Bambi and Thumper, as the first and second worst villains in the Bond series (respectively).​ The film was more positively received by Xan Brooks of The Guardian, who said it was "oddly brilliant, the best of the bunch: the perfect bleary Bond film for an imperfect bleary western world."

On the review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 66% based on 47 reviews with an average rating of 6.3/10. The website's consensus states "Diamonds are Forever is a largely derivative affair, but it's still pretty entertaining nonetheless, thanks to great stunts, witty dialogue, and the presence of Sean Connery."

Company Credits[]

Production Companies[]

  • Eon Productions (made by) (as Eon Productions Ltd)

Distributors[]

Technical Specs[]

Runtime[]

  • 120 mins
  • 101 mins (France)

Color[]

  • Color

Sound Mix[]

  • Dolby Surround 7.1
  • Mono

Aspect Ratio[]

  • 2.39:1
  • 1.78:1 (16:9 widescreen prints)
  • 1.33:1 (4:3 Pan & scan prints, along with the opening and closing credits in proper CinemaScope aspect ratio with black bars)

Trivia[]

  • According to the 'making of' documentary on the DVD, the series producers originally intended Diamonds Are Forever as an extensive reboot of the Bond franchise to appeal to an American audience. Although this didn't happen, the Bond films of the 1970s, up to and including Moonraker would all feature either American settings or significant appearances by American characters.
  • In the first scene, the man that is being attacked by Bond speaks without moving his mouth in any way, suggesting that the voice over was dubbed on top after recording, or the man in question wasn't intended to have any lines.
  • No reference is made to Tracy Bond at all throughout the film, despite her death immediately prior being such an important moment in Bond's life. In fact, owing the film's opening scene taking place in Japan, it has been suggested by some that Diamonds Are Forever is actually intended as a direct sequel to You Only Live Twice, completely ignoring the events of On Her Majesty's Secret Service. However, the presence of Bond's Aston Martin DBS in Q's lab appears to contradict this theory. Fans would have to wait until The Spy Who Loved Me for the first post-OHMSS reference to Tracy.
  • John Gavin, an American actor, was originally cast as Bond. However, the producers were unhappy with this decision due to their experience with the similarly unknown George Lazenby in the previous film, and when Sean Connery made it known that he would be interested in returning, Gavin's contract was quietly bought out.
  • When first approached about resuming the role of Bond, Sean Connery half-jokingly demanded the astronomical fee of £2m ($4m or over $20m in 2005) and a production deal. Both demands were met and Connery used part of the fee to establish a charity to help deprived children in Edinburgh.
  • It was originally proposed for the previous film, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, to end before it does in its book form. The film would end with Bond and Tracy driving off after their wedding, and then the already-filmed sequence of Bond and Tracy pulling over, only to be shot at by Blofeld and Irma Bunt would provide the pre-title sequence for Diamonds Are Forever. The idea was dropped prior to the theatrical release of OHMSS, possibly because George Lazenby had yet to commit to any more films. As a different actor ultimately played Blofeld in Diamonds, this prevented a major continuity issue.
  • As was the case with OHMSS, an actor very different from his predecessor was cast as Blofeld. This is in keeping with how Fleming depicted Blofeld in his novels as frequently changing his appearance and even demeanor. The fact his scheming includes using plastic surgery to create doubles of himself further explains his change of appearance (which, among other things, included restoring his earlobes that had been removed as part of his scheme in OHMSS). The film avoids the question of whether the real Blofeld is apparently killed by Bond at the end or another double; when a Blofeld-like character (assumed to be the original) appears in the opening sequence of For Your Eyes Only, his poor physical condition would suggest he is the same individual seen in this film.
  • Albert R. Broccoli claimed to have literally dreamed up the plot for this film. A close friend of Howard Hughes, Broccoli dreamed that Hughes had been replaced by an imposter.
  • The exterior for the Whyte House Hotel is the Las Vegas Hilton (then called the Las Vegas International Hotel).
  • The Lufthansa flight that carries Bond and Tiffany, Wint and Kidd from Frankfurt to Los Angeles was LH450. To the present day (2019) this same flight number and route is still operated by Lufthansa.
  • Connery's final scene to be filmed - his last in an official EON produced Bond film - was the crematorium sequence. Somewhat fittingly, it was shot on Friday 13th, 1971.
  • Two villains in the Cartoon Network's animated series Codename: Kids Next Door, Mr. Fibb and Mr. Wink, are spoofs of Mr. Kidd and Mr. Wint.
  • Sammy Davis Jr.'s brief cameo appearance was cut from the theatrical release. It would later be restored on the DVD.
  • Scenes also cut from the theatrical release include Plenty O' Toole sneaking back into Bond's hotel room and searching through Tiffany Case's purse, and Plenty breaking into Tiffany's house.
  • The climax of the film was changed several times during pre-production. Early drafts included a boat chase on Lake Mead that ended with Blofeld getting trapped above Hoover Dam. When the climax was relocated to an oil rig, producers planned to have scuba divers leap from the attacking helicopters (explaining the presence of frogmen on the movie's poster) and plant mines on the rig's legs to destroy it, but this too was scrapped. Originally the oil rig finale also had Blofeld escape from the rig in his mini submarine, pursued by Bond who would hang from a weather balloon. Bond would eventually catch up to his nemesis in a salt mine where the two would finally fight to the death, with Blofeld falling into a rock crusher. The elimination of this entire sequence, and indeed of any death scene for Blofeld, leaves a major plothole in the film, as Blofeld simply disappears without explanation. A subsequent legal dispute ensured his death would not be seen until For Your Eyes Only.
  • The woman in the bikini named "Marie", who was in the beginning of the film who Bond "convinced" to give up the location of Blofeld was Denise Perrier, Miss World 1953.
  • The man who drowns in the mudbath was played by stuntman Max Latimer. The mud was actually bucketloads of mashed potatoes. Latimer had to hold his breath as he submerged under the substance each time. As the studio lamps were very hot, the mashed potato mixture started to cook due to the filming taking a long time, by the end of which it started to smell horrible.
  • The Jay Sarno, owner of the circus seen in this film insisted that he be allowed to display the scene featuring the Zambora attraction, in exchange for letting them use his circus as a set. He also plays a minor role in the film.
  • Beginning with Diamonds are Forever and ending with Octopussy, the franchise would alternate from film-to-film between being scored by John Barry or other composers.
  • During a late 1990s airing of the movie on TBS' "Dinner and A Movie", Bruce Glover recalled that while filming their scenes together, he and Putter Smith had Sir Sean Connery convinced that the two were actually openly homosexual. Glover added that a few years later while on an airline flight he was flirting with a female flight attendant, and suddenly heard a Scottish-accented voice saying, "You son of a bitch". Glover turned around and saw that the man was Connery.
  • Because of Sir Sean Connery's high fee, the special effects budget was significantly scaled back. Connery was reportedly paid $1,250,000 to return as James Bond, a figure unheard of in those days.
  • Mashed potatoes were used to replicate the consistency of the brown substance mud bath featured in the opening teaser. What the producers failed to take into account was that after twenty-four hours, and under all the hot lights, mashed potatoes emit an almost unbearable smell.
  • Sir Sean Connery made the most of his time on-location in Las Vegas: "I didn't get any sleep at all. We shot every night, I caught all the shows and played golf all day. On the weekend I collapsed, boy, did I collapse. Like a skull with legs." He also played the slot machines, and once delayed a scene because he was collecting his winnings.
  • During Bond's briefing with M at the beginning, M refers to Bond having just been on holiday, and later quipped how the Service had managed well during Bond's absence. These were inside jokes referring to Sir Sean Connery's absence in On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969).
  • Reportedly, the final scene Sir Sean Connery filmed as Bond (at least in the official film franchise) was the one in which an unconscious Bond is loaded into a coffin at the funeral home. So, Connery's last day of playing James Bond for EON Productions was Friday, August 13, 1971.
  • Producer Albert R. Broccoli hated the line "Alimentary, Dr. Leiter", which Bond says when asked the location of the diamonds concealed in a corpse. He thought no one would understand it referred to digestion. At the premiere, two people in the front row burst out laughing at the line, and Broccoli quipped, "Big deal, they're doctors."
  • Sir Sean Connery dated Jill St. John and Lana Wood during production.
  • Bond's escape through a moon landing "movie set" refers to the popular conspiracy theory of the time that the real moon landings were faked. The scene was filmed in a Johns-Manville gypsum plant located just outside of Las Vegas, Nevada. During filming, the moon buggy's wheels kept falling off. In one scene where a car turns over, you can see one of the wheels that had broken off the buggy rolling in the foreground. The moon buggy was discovered rotting in a farmer's field in Kent in the early 1990s, and completely restored in 1993 by the James Bond International Fan Club. In 2004, it was auctioned at Christie's and purchased by Planet Hollywood Las Vegas for $44,000.
  • This is the second of three James Bond title songs sung by Dame Shirley Bassey. The others being Goldfinger (1964) and Moonraker (1979). She also sang a version of the "Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" song for Thunderball (1965), which was not used. To date, Bassey is the only singer to have performed a Bond title song more than once.
  • Director Guy Hamilton didn't like big American cars, and took particular delight in trashing them in the movie's numerous car chase scenes.
  • Originally, this had been planned as a revenge movie, and Richard Maibaum's original treatment for the script had Bond mourning his dead wife Tracy and vowing revenge on Blofeld. However, with George Lazenby's departure from the role, the script was completely re-written, and there is no mention of Tracy and of her death deeply affecting Bond.
  • The original plot had Gert Fröbe returning as Auric Goldfinger's twin from Goldfinger (1964) seeking revenge for the death of his brother. This character was a Swedish billionaire with a laser mounted on a supertanker.
  • When Lana Wood was cast as Plenty O'Toole, she was told early on that the scene where she is thrown out of Bond's hotel room and lands in the pool required the stunt team to throw her into the pool "basically naked", but she was assured that no one outside of the crew would see her undressed in public, because the scene would be shot at night. Unfortunately for her, the scene was shot in Las Vegas, and as she noted, most of the people in Vegas were up at night, so contrary to what the filmmakers had promised her, she had to endure countless people watching her emerge from a pool soaking wet, clad in nothing but flimsy see-through underwear and high heels, from their hotel rooms.
  • George Lazenby was asked to make a second Bond movie but declined, due to a lengthy and restrictive potential contract. Burt Reynolds was the original choice to replace him but was unavailable. John Gavin was signed to play Bond in this movie, and had recently played the French Spy OSS 117 in the Eurospy flick OSS 117 Murder for Sale (1968). Adam West turned down the role because he felt that James Bond should be a British actor. Michael Gambon turned down the role because he was "in terrible shape" and "had tits like a woman." At the last minute, Sir Sean Connery agreed to return as Bond for the sixth time in a two-picture deal, at an astronomical salary for the time. Albert R. Broccoli insisted that Gavin be paid the full salary, for which his contract called.
  • Willard Whyte was based on Howard Hughes. Amongst the similarities; Whyte owned the Whyte House in this movie, Howard Hughes owned a real life Las Vegas Hotel, the Desert Inn. At the time of the movie, Jimmy Dean, who played Whyte, was an employee of Hughes at the Desert Inn. Dean confessed to being largely uneasy portraying a fictional version of his real-life boss.
  • Tiffany, being the first American Bond Girl, is argumentative, abrasive, loud, and brash when compared to previous Bond girls who were more demure. She is meant to be a commentary on American women, apparently.
  • Jill St. John and Lana Wood have been involved in a decades-long feud that began during the filming of this movie, throughout the spring of 1971, when both women were dating Sean Connery at the same time. In February 1982, less than three months after the mysterious drowning of Lana's sister Natalie Wood, St. John started a romance with Robert Wagner, Lana's brother-in-law, and eventually married him. At a Bond girl photo shoot reunion in September 1999 for Vanity Fair magazine, an altercation occurred between St. John and Wood when photographer Annie Leibovitz asked for a picture of them together. Reportedly, St. John was so adamantly opposed to the idea that it reduced Wood to tears. Family publicist Alan Nierob, however, said it was he who vetoed the photo because Mr. Wagner would prefer his present wife not be shot with his former sister-in-law. In February 2016, Wood crashed a benefit honoring St. John in Palm Springs and publicly confronted Wagner in front of cameramen over Natalie's death. (The case has been reopened since November 2011, initiated by yacht skipper Dennis Davern's admission that he originally lied to police.) Following the confrontation, Wood claimed she received a threatening phone call from an anonymous woman who told her to "lay off" Wagner "or something serious could happen to you." She reported the threat to authorities. "My first instinct was it might be Jill, trying to scare me off, and protect him. But I'd recognize Jill's voice. It wasn't her," Wood told RadarOnline in July 2016. Wagner was officially named a Person of Interest in Natalie Wood's death in February 2018. St. John reportedly slammed the door in LACSD homicide detectives Kevin Lowe and Ralph Hernandez's faces when they tried to question Wagner at the house she shares with him in Colorado. On July 25, 2018, Lana Wood appeared on Megyn Kelly Today (2017) and when asked by Kelly if she thinks Wagner "murdered" her sister, Lana said, "Yes." Despite this, Lt. Hugo Reynaga announced in May 2022 that the sheriff's department has cleared Wagner in its investigation into Wood's death and that the case remains cold.
  • When director Guy Hamilton couldn't remember a name he would call it "Hergerscheimer". Hence, the appearance of a doctor named Hergerscheimer in this movie is an in-joke from screenwriter Tom Mankiewicz.
  • Producers Harry Saltzman and Albert R. Broccoli cast Lana Wood as Plenty O'Toole after seeing her in Playboy Magazine. Her voice was dubbed in the movie, and she is standing on a box for some of her scenes with Sir Sean Connery because even in high heels, she was too small to fit into the frame with him. In the scene in Bond's hotel room she was unaware that her derrière would be visible through her pink panties.
  • Tiffany Case was blonde in the novel. In this movie, she's a redhead. This is addressed when Bond meets her ("Weren't you a blonde when I came in?")
  • Desmond Llewelyn confessed that the RPM controller that Q uses to cheat at slot machines was the one 007 gadget he wished actually worked.
  • Since the car chase in Las Vegas would have many crashes, the filmmakers had an arrangement with Ford to use their vehicles. Ford's only demand was that Sir Sean Connery had to drive the 1971 Mustang Mach 1 that served as Tiffany Case's car.
  • Instead of building their own oil rig, the production team hired a semi-portable one for forty thousand dollars a day, customized it, and then towed it to a location off the Southern California coast.
  • Charles Gray (Ernst Stavro Blofeld) played a Bond ally called Henderson in You Only Live Twice (1967). David Bauer (Morton Slumber) previously appeared uncredited as an American diplomat in You Only Live Twice (1967). Ed Bishop (Klaus Hergersheimer) also appeared uncredited as Hawaii CapCom in "You Only Live Twice" (1967).
  • Final Bond movie in which he is seen wearing a hat during the gun-barrel sequence. When Sir Roger Moore took over the role in Live and Let Die (1973), the sequence was filmed with Moore without wearing a hat, a tradition that continued with every subsequent Bond movie.
  • Lois Maxwell (Miss Moneypenny) wears a hat in her only scene to hide the fact that she had dyed her hair.
  • Tiffany's house belonged to Kirk Douglas.
  • Until Spectre (2015), this was the last James Bond movie made by EON Productions to officially use the S.P.E.C.T.R.E. criminal organization or the villain character Ernst Stavro Blofeld. The name S.P.E.C.T.R.E. is not mentioned at all in this movie, as Blofeld is apparently operating sans S.P.E.C.T.R.E. After this movie, writer Kevin McClory's legal claim against the Ian Fleming estate that he, and not Fleming, had created the organization for the novel "Thunderball" (1961) was upheld by the courts. Blofeld is seen, but not identified in For Your Eyes Only (1981), as EON's arrangements with the Ian Fleming estate at the time did not permit them to use McClory's works. The McClory-penned unofficial Bond movie Never Say Never Again (1983) made use of Blofeld and S.P.E.C.T.R.E., as it was a remake of Thunderball (1965).
  • Upon release, this movie broke Hollywood's three-day gross record.
  • After the disappointing box-office performance of On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) in the U.S., although it was a hit in other parts of the world, the producers of this movie went all-out to win back American audiences. This partly explains why the bulk of this film is set in the U.S., specifically Las Vegas, and because much of Ian Fleming's source novel takes place in Las Vegas or in the surrounding desert. Many of the James Bond movies have been known to have cast and crew participate in some high-stakes gambling. Shooting this movie in the Vegas casinos, however, was only permitted from the hours of 3:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. Strangely, the name "Las Vegas" is never spoken in this movie.
  • The outdoor elevator scenes were shot at the (now demolished) Landmark casino.
  • Sir Paul McCartney was the first choice to write the title song for this Bond movie, but this did not happen until Live and Let Die (1973).
  • Actresses considered for the role of Tiffany Case included Raquel Welch, Jane Fonda and Faye Dunaway. Jill St. John had originally been offered the part of Plenty O'Toole, but landed the lead after impressing Director Guy Hamilton during screentests. She became the first American Bond Girl.
  • The machine that Bond encounters in the oil pipeline looks like a robotic torture device is a Smart PIG (Pipeline Inspection Gauge) and is actually used to check the integrity of pipelines and also that they are free of blockages.
  • The laser satellite's reflector is actually the collapsible reflector from an old-fashioned camera flash-bulb attachment.
  • Miss Moneypenny was almost re-cast for this movie, as Lois Maxwell's agent held out for more money. Maxwell was disgruntled that several days working on each Bond movie disrupted her career.
  • Due to the height difference, Lana Wood had to stand on a box for most of her scenes with Sir Sean Connery. This proved to be problematic for the scene where Connery had to strip Lana out of her dress, and down to her underwear, because a body double would not have worked for obvious reasons. Ultimately, Lana was given extra high heels to wear in that scene.
  • Bond is correct when he describes Mouton Rothschild as a claret. It was officially elevated to that status in 1970, the year before this movie was released. A real sommelier would have known that. The fact that Mr. Wint didn't exposed him to Bond as a fraud.
  • For the deleted scene where Plenty O'Toole, soaking wet and wearing a white towel, returns to Bond's hotel room after being tossed in the pool in the hopes of retrieving her clothes, and to see if Bond is alright, Lana Wood was not wearing anything under the towel and she was genuinely cold.
  • Sir Roger Moore was offered the role of James Bond here, but he was unavailable due to his commitment to The Persuaders! (1971).
  • Despite being the main henchmen of the movie, Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd never share a scene with Blofeld.
  • It was originally revealed that Blofeld survived the end of the movie, and the filmmakers were planning on bringing him back for one last outing in the next movie, but the legal controversy made that impossible.
  • The Willard Whyte kidnapping plot was based on a dream of producer Albert R. Broccoli. He had known Howard Hughes in Hollywood, and dreamt he was going to meet his old friend in Las Vegas, but when he entered Hughes' room, it was occupied by an impostor. Hughes was flattered and allowed EON Productions to film inside his casinos, and at his other properties. His fee was reputed to be one 16mm print of this movie.
  • Lois Maxwell dyed her hair black for Endless Night (1972). As a result, she wears a hat as part of her disguise as a customs officer.
  • Given all of the business with caskets, cremation, et cetera, it's interesting to note that producer Albert R. Broccoli once worked as a salesman and manager for the Long Island Casket Company, and Sir Sean Connery once worked for an undertaker.
  • Musician Paul Williams was originally cast as Mr. Wint. However, when he couldn't agree with the producers on money concerns, Bruce Glover replaced him.
  • Mr. Wint originally killed Dr. Tynan by shoving the scorpion into his mouth.
  • There is a jewelery shop in London named after Wint and Kidd.
  • In this movie, Plenty O'Toole tries and fails to sleep with James Bond, only to end up losing her clothes and being thrown out of a window wearing nothing but her underwear and high heels for her trouble. In real life, Lana Wood, who played Plenty, claims to have had an affair with Sir Sean Connery.
  • Bruce Glover said he was surprised at having been cast, because at first the producers said he was too normal, and that they wanted a deformed, Peter Lorre-like actor.
  • When this movie aired on ABC, the network had the scene where Lana Wood walked around wearing nothing but a flimsy pair of see-through pink panties artificially altered, to make it appear as though she was wearing a black bra with black panties.
  • The alleyway car roll sequence was filmed in two locations. The entrance was at the car park at Universal Studios, and the exit was at Fremont Street, Las Vegas. It was filmed over a three-day period.
  • Ilse Steppat was supposed to reprise her role as Irma Bunt from On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969), but she died after that movie was completed. Presumably, Bond would kill her in revenge for Tracy's death.
  • A deleted scene shows how Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd killed Shady Tree, with a water pistol that turns out to be real.
  • FRANCHISE TRADEMARK: Bulky blond henchman Peter Franks (Joe Robinson) is one of the many franchise incarnations of the Donald "Red" Grant (Robert Shaw) character from From Russia with Love (1963), along with Hans in You Only Live Twice (1967); Erich Kriegler in For Your Eyes Only (1981); Venz in A View to a Kill (1985); Necros in The Living Daylights (1987), and Stamper in Tomorrow Never Dies (1997). Robinson taught Sir Sean Connery judo for You Only Live Twice (1967), and accidentally pulled off Connery's hairpiece during one take of the elevator fight.
  • During location filming, Ken Adam visited several funeral homes in the Las Vegas area. The inspiration behind the gaudy design of the Slumber mortuary (the use of tasteless Art Deco furniture and Tiffany lamps) came from these experiences.
  • This was the last official appearance by Sir Sean Connery as James Bond. Though it was made later in the film franchise, "Diamonds Are Forever" was only the fourth novel published, making it the first of the six Bond novels adapted with Connery.
  • This is the only Bond film in which Sean Connery's eyebrows weren't trimmed.
  • This movie boasts the most number of aliases used by James Bond. These were as Peter Franks, as Mr. Jones (and Tiffany Case as Mrs. Jones), as Klaus Hergescheimer at Whyte Techtronics, and as Burt Saxby on the telephone.
  • Mr. Wint in fact makes two slip-ups which raise James Bond's suspicions. A "claret" is a red Bordeaux wine, something a real sommelier (wine steward) would know, of course. But before that, he also makes a minor character error in serving the wine to Bond. The small silver saucer on the chain is a "tastevin", which the sommelier uses to check the wine after opening the bottle and before serving it. This practice has started dying out in fine establishments since this was released in 1971.
  • Mr. Wint in fact makes two slip-ups which raise James Bond's suspicions. A "claret" is a red Bordeaux wine, something a real sommelier (wine steward) would know, of course. But before that, he also makes a minor character error in serving the wine to Bond. The small silver saucer on the chain is a "tastevin", which the sommelier uses to check the wine after opening the bottle and before serving it. This practice has started dying out in fine establishments since this was released in 1971.
  • The distinctive Landmark Hotel can be seen briefly in the background of the Las Vegas gas station scene. It is the tower with saucer-shaped upper section visible behind Tiffany Case as she delivers the "Forget it, Curly..." line. The Landmark was built in 1963, didn't open until 1969 and was imploded in 1995 to allow for an expansion of the adjacent Las Vegas Convention Center parking lot.
  • In one scene, Q makes a passing reference to having grandchildren. The spin-off cartoon series James Bond, Jr. (1991) featured a character named "IQ", said to be Q's grandson.
  • The final mention of Ernst Stavro Blofeld in an Ian Fleming story was at the start of Fleming's "The Man with the Golden Gun" (1965) book, his final full Bond novel.
  • This movie is the fourth most watched movie to be broadcast on British television when it was shown on ITV on March 15, 1981. It attracted 22.15 million viewers.
  • Producer Harry Saltzman was said to strongly dislike the movie's theme song, believing its lyrics to be suggestive, and largely a double entendre regarding the penis. The theme song was used at the insistence of producer Albert R. Broccoli.
  • The two fighting girls in charge of watching Willard Whyte are named Bambi and Thumper. These characters were not in the novel, but were made up for this movie. Stuntwoman Donna Garrett was originally signed to play the character of Bambi. However, the last one (Trina Parks) had the name of her character changed in the Spanish-dubbed version, for uncertain reasons, to Pluto. "Bambi" and "Thumper" are two of the lead characters in the Disney animated classic Bambi (1942).
  • Screenwriter Tom Mankiewicz later estimated the novel provided around forty-five minutes of the movie's final running time.
  • First Bond movie to not use the villain from the novel of the same name. This movie features Blofeld as the villain, wheras the novel's villains were the Spang Brothers (although Wint and Kidd were in both the novel and movie).
  • In the original script, as Bond uses the piton gun to abseil across the sheer face of The Whyte House, he muttered "genuinely upset", "Q, if I fall, I'll kill you".
  • Jazz musician Putter Smith was invited by producer Harry Saltzman to play Mr. Kidd after a Thelonious Monk Band show.
  • The character of Shady Tree (Leonard Barr) is a reference to legendary Las Vegas entertainer Shecky Greene.
  • There was originally a comic coda to the scene where Tiffany escapes the "girl in a gorilla" sideshow: Maxwell and his partner collide with the girl (named "Goona" in the original script), who exclaims, "C'mon guys, what the hell is this?" "Let us through, we're agents", hollers Maxwell. "Hey, wait!" shouts the girl as the two run past "We need an agent!" "I guess they didn't dig the act", she laments.
  • This is the one of a few James Bond movies that does not feature champagne. The type of sherry served to James Bond, M, and Sir Donald Munger at dinner was a solera. Bond mentions solera in relation to sherry. Solera is a method of aging and blending wines in barrels. The year that Bond says was the original vintage on which the sherry was based was '51, not 1951, but 1851. The brand of wine served at the end of the movie was a Mouton Rothschild '55, a claret.
  • During the shooting period in Las Vegas, producer Albert R. Broccoli and wife Dana Broccoli were asleep in their hotel room suite one night when it was broken into and Dana's jewelry stolen.
  • "The Flying Palacios" at Circus Circus were originally to be called "The Flying Broccolis", but producer Albert R. Broccoli vetoed the idea and refused to even discuss it.
  • The Moon Buggy was inspired by the actual N.A.S.A. vehicle, but with additions such as flailing arms, since the producers didn't find the design "outrageous" enough. Built by custom-car fabricator Dean Jeffries on a rear-engined Chevrolet Corvair chassis, it was capable of road speeds. The fiberglass tires had to be replaced during the chase sequence because the heat and irregular desert soil ruined them.
  • The hotel under construction at the end of the street in the car chase, in what is now Old Las Vegas, was the hotel used in Back To The Future Part 2 as "Biff's Place."
  • Blofeld's quote, "Humility is the worst form of conceit", was from French writer François-Xavier de La Rochefoucault.
  • Some dialogue between Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd at the funeral parlor was cut from the script. As Bond passed them, they were arranging flowers. Mr. Wint said, "Mother loved Azalias, but they always made her sneeze." Mr. Kidd replied, "Now she can really enjoy them." After Mr. Wint knocks Bond out with the urn, he quipped, "Mother was always such a help."
  • The line about "La Rochefoucauld" was another hot-button dispute between producer Albert R. Broccoli and screenwriter Tom Mankiewicz. In the end, it was kept in because Mankiewicz convinced director Guy Hamilton to shoot the scene in a way that Broccoli had no choice but to let it stay. When this movie opened in France, Mankiewicz pointed out that that line got a huge laugh, to which Broccoli retorted that France was their least profitable market. Mankiewicz was only allowed to work on Live and Let Die (1973) on the condition that La Rochefoucauld never be mentioned in a script again.
  • This is one of the few Bond movies that has one predominant setting, which is Las Vegas, Nevada. It is only briefly set in other locations, such as Amsterdam, during the early part of the movie. Dr. No (1962) was mainly set in Jamaica, while On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) is the only Bond movie to be completely set in Europe.
  • Ninth James Bond movie, and the seventh movie in the EON Productions official film franchise. It was the seventh movie to feature Bernard Lee as M and Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny, and the sixth to feature Desmond Llewelyn as Q. It was the sixth James Bond movie to star Sir Sean Connery as James Bond, and the last for him in the EON Productions official film franchise.
  • The Blofeld double in the mud bath, at the start of this movie, is a reference to the novel, in which one of the diamond smugglers is killed at a mud bath.
  • Shady Tree was an ally of Bond in the book.
  • It was intended after this movie to bring back the character of Ernst Stavro Blofeld in The Spy Who Loved Me (1977). Early script drafts of "The Spy Who Loved Me" featured S.P.E.C.T.R.E., but these had to be removed for legal reasons due to a dispute with then rights owner Kevin McClory, who owned the movie remake rights to Thunderball (1965) (which he re-made as Never Say Never Again (1983)), as well as to the names "S.P.E.C.T.R.E." and "Ernst Stavro Blofeld". Screenwriter Richard Maibaum's original draft script for "The Spy Who Loved Me" featured an alliance of international terrorists entering S.P.E.C.T.R.E.'s headquarters and deposing Blofeld before trying to destroy the world for themselves to make way for a New World Order. This script was deemed too political by producer Albert R. Broccoli. Later, for legal reasons, the villain could not be called "Stavros", so the name had to be changed, resulting in his being called "Stromberg" (Curd Jürgens) instead, because of its similarity to "Stavro," the middle name of Ernest Blofeld. According to the book "The Complete James Bond Movie Encylopaedia" by Steven Jay Rubin, the initial hypothesized S.P.E.C.T.R.E. of "The Spy Who Loved Me" included "members of the Baader-Meinhof Gang, the Japanese Red Army, and other modern terrorist organizations." S.P.E.C.T.R.E. does appear briefly in the original Ian Fleming novel "The Spy Who Loved Me" (1962), one of the few Bond novels by Ian Fleming to do so.
  • Final theatrical movie of Bruce Cabot. NOTE: His character Albert R. Saxby was named after producer Albert R. Broccoli.
  • Jill St. John and Lana Wood were serial brides in youth, both being 16 years old when they married their first husbands. St. John was thrice-divorced by the age of 28, while Wood had two annulments and four divorces by age 34.
  • Tom Mankiewicz says he was hired because producer Albert R. Broccoli wanted an American writer to work on the script, since so much of it was set in Las Vegas "and the Brits write really lousy American gangsters," but it had to be someone who also understood the British idiom, because of British characters. David Picker, from United Artists, had seen the stage musical Georgy! written by Mankiewicz, and recommended him. He was hired on a two-week trial, and kept on for the rest of the movie.
  • On March 2, 1971, in London, United Artists President David V. Picker announced that Sir Sean Connery would be returning as James Bond.
  • The title was apparently inspired by an American magazine advertisement, which Ian Fleming saw. The tagline for the ad read "A Diamond is Forever", a common catchphrase in the diamond selling business. "Diamonds are Forever" was the fourth James Bond novel. It was first published on March 26, 1956, and this movie was only loosely based on it. Fleming also wrote a 1957 non-Bond book titled "The Diamond Smugglers", which dealt with the same subject of diamond smuggling.
  • Model and actress Valli Kemp (Vulnavia from Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972)) met with producers Harry Saltzman and Albert R. Broccoli in London, and was almost cast as Plenty O'Toole, until they saw Lana Wood in the April 1971 issue of Playboy Magazine.
  • According to Robbie Collin in the U.K. newspaper "The Telegraph", "Bond author Ian Fleming invented S.P.E.C.T.R.E. in 1959 to replace James Bond's usual Soviet enemies. Fleming believed the Cold War might be about to end and wanted to keep his spy thrillers relevant". Fleming's S.P.E.C.T.R.E. Executive Cabinet included "twenty-one people including former Gestapo members, Soviet spy group S.M.E.R.S.H., Josep Tito's (Josip Broz Tito's) secret police, Italian, Corsican and Turkish organized crime gangs". Its goals were "profiteering from conflict between the superpowers, eventual world domination" and its methods included "counter-intelligence, brainwashing, murder, extortion using weapons of mass destruction (nuclear, biological and orbital)."
  • The title song has been extensively covered, or sampled. It has been covered by David McAlmont, and can be heard on David Arnold's Bond song compilation album, "Shaken and Stirred: The David Arnold James Bond Project". It was also covered by the Arctic Monkeys at the 2007 Glastonbury Festival. It has been sampled in the song "Sexy Lady" by Yung Berg, and "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" by Ye. The song has also been used on the song "Psychology" by Dead Prez.
  • Jill St. John went on to marry Robert Wagner, who appeared in the Austin Powers film franchise, which spoofed the James Bond movies (and who was represented by Albert R. Broccoli when he was working as a talent agent in the 1950s). St. John was also childhood friends with Wagner's late wife Natalie Wood, who drowned in 1981. This makes co-star Lana Wood his former sister-in-law.
  • Tiffany Case's lack of experience with weapons and fighting saves both Bond's life and her own in the final scene. When Mr. Wint is trying to strangle Bond, rather than trying to hit him with something hard like a wine bottle or a dinner knife, she chooses what seems to be the least harmful item in the room (something that looks like a light and fluffy dessert). This distracts Mr. Wint (who, of course knows that there is a real bomb in "la bombe surprise"), allowing Bond to gain the upper hand and also revealing the existence of the hidden bomb when the fake dessert breaks apart. If she had hit Mr. Wint with any of the other items and knocked him out or killed him, she and Bond would have had no idea about the bomb that's about to explode.
  • Vehicles included Tiffany Case's red 1971 Ford Mustang Mach 1 "Fastback"; a silver and white MoonBuggy; a 1968 Cadillac hearse; a Hughes 500/OH-6A Cayuse; various Ford makes including a 1971 Thunderbird driven by Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd, a 1971 Econoline van, 1969 and 1971 sedans and various 1970 and 1971 Custom 500s as police vehicles; Honda US 90 ATC; one Bell 206B JetRanger, two UH-1H Huey and three OH-6A Cayuse helicopters for the oil rig attack; Blofeld's one-seater Bathosub mini-submarine; an airplane and cameo appearances of a new yellow Triumph Stag in Amsterdam and Aston Martin DBS in Q's workshop.
  • According to the documentary, Adam West was also offered the role of James Bond for this movie. Jill St. John and Sid Haig were guest stars on Batman (1966).
  • This is the only instance to date that a leading James Bond villain has been seen in drag (in Thunderball (1965)'s opening sequence, Bob Simmons played a minor male villain henchman impersonating Madame Boitier).
  • This movie boasts not one, but two sets of henchmen/henchwomen who act in pairs, the only Bond movie to do so. These are Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd and Bambi and Thumper. Octopussy (1983) featured knife-throwing twins Mischka and Grishka, which were originally intended for Moonraker (1979), while Dr. No (1962) had the triplet assassins, a.k.a. the Three Blind Mice. Rumors of a pair of Bond Girl twins were in existence during pre-production of Quantum of Solace (2008).
  • Later in the movie, Blofeld says (referring to Tiffany): "What a pity, such nice cheeks too. If only they were brains." Jill St. John (Tiffany Case) has a registered IQ of 162.
  • A "5x Blue Chip Stamps" sign is visible in the gas station scene. Blue Chip was a brand of trading stamps, a customer loyalty program used before credit cards and computerized sales terminals became commonplace. Retailers gave the stamps to customers in proportion to the amount they spent, and the stamps could later be exchanged for merchandise.
  • This movie marks the first time that the circus was used as an integral part of the plot. Circuses also featured in Moonraker (1979) (although not integral to the plot) and Octopussy (1983).
  • The surname of the Ernst Stavro Blofeld character was allegedly named after Thomas Blofeld, with whom James Bond creator Ian Fleming went to school at Eton College. He was a Norfolk farmer, a fellow member of Boodle's and the Chairman of the Country Gentleman's Asssociation. His son is cricket commentator Henry Blofeld. Ernst Blofeld's date of birth is the same as Fleming's, May 28, 1908. In addition, a man named Ernest Cuneo was a friend of Fleming's. According to the book "Martinis, Girls and Guns: 50 Years of 007" (2003) by Martin Sterling and Gary Morecambe: "Cuneo may have also have inspired Blofeld's forenames. It is but a short leap from Ernest Cuneo to Ernst Stavro." According to the book "For Your Eyes Only: Ian Fleming + James Bond" (2009) by Ben Macintyre: "Alternatively, Blofeld may owe his name to China scholar John Blofeld, who was a member of Fleming's club Boodles, and whose father was named Ernst." In addition, the book "The Bond Code: The Dark World of Ian Fleming and James Bond" (2008) by Philip Gardner states: "The name is also revealing in a psychological way. Ernst is Teutonic for 'earnest', and Stavros is Greek for 'victor', and so he is the 'earnest victor'", and "the name Blofeld means 'blue field', a swipe at his own blue-blood rampant in the field, like heraldry", and "As the creator of S.P.E.C.T.R.E., Blofeld is in reality the spectre of Ian Fleming that looms ever present within his divided mind."
  • The main villains from the novel were called "Jack and Seraffimo Spang". In a rare occurrence in an EON Productions official franchise adaptation of an original Ian Fleming novel, their names were not used for this movie. However, pretty much all of the supporting villains (Shady Tree, Mr. Wint, and Mr. Kidd) were. Ernst Stavro Blofeld takes the Spang brothers' place in this movie.
  • Actress Phylis Davis said producers originally cast her in the role of Plenty O'Toole, but then suddenly changed their minds. "I was the only one they tested and I was told I had it when, all of a sudden, they gave it to (Lana Wood)! I don't know what happened, I was so disappointed. I still get residuals from it, even though I never did the role." Six years later both Davis and Wood auditioned for the role of a dominatrix in The Choirboys, only that time Davis got it instead of Wood.
  • According to the CD soundtrack sleeve notes, the title song debuted on the U.K. charts on January 15, 1972, and it peaked at the number thirty-eight spot. It debuted on the U.S. charts on January 29, 1972, and it peaked at the number fifty-seven spot. The soundtrack album debuted on the U.S. charts on January 8, 1972, and went to number seventy-four.
  • The first scene in the Amsterdam sequence opens with a shot of a pleasure boat named the Prins Willem-Alexander (Prins means Prince). This was the four-year-old grandson of Queen Juliana and the son of her successor, the then Princess Beatrix (Queen Beatrix). In 2013, upon his mother's abdication, he ascended the throne as King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands.
  • Jill St. John was recommended by Sidney Korshack, a legal advisor enlisted for the Las Vegas location shoot.
  • 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.
  • Uncredited theatrical movie debut of Valerie Perrine (Shady Tree's Acorn).
  • The character of Dr. Metz, an expert on laser refraction, may be an homage to the Metz corporation (Metz-Werke GmbH & Co. KG), a well-known manufacturer of professional-quality camera flash equipment.
  • According to the book "James Bond: A Celebration" (1987) by Peter Haining, Jules Verne's Captain Nemo was the inspiration for Ernst Stavro Blofeld, who was originally intended to be the villain in The Spy Who Loved Me (1977).
  • The Ernst Stavro Blofeld villain character returns to the official film franchise in Spectre (2015), but since Blofeld last appeared in this official series movie and informally in For Your Eyes Only (1981), and the unofficial entry Never Say Never Again (1983), Blofeld has appeared in three James Bond video games: GoldenEye: Rogue Agent (2004)), this time with the likeness of Donald Pleasence (from You Only Live Twice (1967)), voiced by Gideon Emery. Blofeld is a playable multiplayer character in GoldenEye (2010) for the Wii, with the likeness of Charles Gray (from this movie). Blofeld is one of the main characters in 007 Legends (2012), featured in the mission, based on On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969), in which the character was an amalgamation of the three actors who had appeared in the official film franchise, Telly Savalas, Charles Gray, and Donald Pleasence). Throughout the game, he is voiced by Glenn Wrage.
  • Spectre (2015) is the second of two major appearances of the Ernst Stavro Blofeld character in the official James Bond film franchise in which Blofeld is seen with hair, as he had been in this movie, where he was played by Charles Gray. In You Only Live Twice (1967) and On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969), Blofeld was bald, being portrayed by Donald Pleasence and Telly Savalas, respectively. In minor roles and appearances, Blofeld was bald in his unofficial appearance in For Your Eyes Only (1981), but had hair in Thunderball (1965), From Russia with Love (1963), and the unofficial movie, Never Say Never Again (1983).
  • John Abineri was dubbed.
  • Filming of the moon buggy chase took place on July 20, 1971, the second anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission which landed men on the moon. Six days after the filming Apollo 15 was launched, which was the first "J" mission to use the Lunar Roving Vehicle. In real life, the mission was originally slated as Apollo 19, but the cancellation of three Apollo flights (the original Apollo 15 mission was scheduled as an H4 mission, and Apollo 20 was the first one to be cancelled, since it was reassigned to the Apollo Applications Program, which the Skylab space station was launched).
  • The Japanese agent Bond beats up in the first scene is karate master Keinosuke Enoeda.
  • Gadgets, weapons and equipment featured in this film included a Piton firing gun with pitons; Willard Whyte's multi-purposeful gadget throne; a pipeline Scouring pig; a Bombe Surprise bomb dessert; an orbiting diamonds satellite weapon with diamond laser-beam death ray; an audio cassette tape; an electromagnetic RPM controller magnetic device to rig poker machines; a voice changing voice simulator voice box; an elevator gas chamber; a silver icosahedron wave walker pod with three red-and-white parachutes; a fingerprint scanner and viewer; missiles equipped to an Aston Martin DB5; fake skin fingerprints; a pocket mousetrap finger clamp clapper device and a six round magazine 7.65mm calibre 6.7 inch long 3.93 inch high Walther PPK with attachable silencer.
  • Frank Finlay was one of the producer's choices to play Blofeld.
  • The first line of the short story read: "With its two fighting claws held forward like a wrestler's arms, the big pandinus scorpion emerged with a dry rustle from the finger-sized hole under the rook." The last lines read: "For Bond, it was just the end of another adventure. Another adventure for which a wry phrase of Tiffany Case might be the epitaph. He could see the passionate, ironical mouth saying the words: 'It reads better than it lives.'"
  • When Felix asks where the diamonds are, Bond says, "Alimentary, Dr. Leiter." He is referring to the alimentary canal, or the bottom.
  • Shane Rimmer plays the uncredited role of "Tom" (can be seen in the scene where Walter Whyte and Bond tour the lab for the missing laser device.) He also played Commander Carter, a U.S. navy submarine commander in The Spy Who Loved Me.
  • Dame Shirley Bassey sang the opening sequence for the second time in the Bond film franchise. Her previous singing opening sequence is Goldfinger (1964).
  • Tiffany calls Bond "Superman". Guy Hamilton declined directing The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) to direct Superman (1978), although legal problems meant he had to drop out. Screenwriter Tom Mankiewicz served as creative consultant and as an uncredited screenwriter for Superman (1978) and Superman II (1980).
  • The desert chase of Bond by Tectronics security men features the Honda US90 3-wheel all-terrain vehicle (ATV). This was the first ever consumer-grade ATV, created to give Honda dealers a marketable item during the winter months when motorcycles sell poorly. They had a dangerous tendency to tip over on turns if ridden aggressively, and Honda ceased production of 3-wheel ATVs in the 1980s.
  • The name of the mob fronted mortuary, Slumber Inc, is an allusion to the mob organization called Murder, Inc.
  • The word "diamond" or "diamonds" is said a total of 28 times. 40 times if you include Shirley Bassey singing the words.
  • A 1986 James Bond novel, written by John Gardner, has the similarly worded title "Nobody Lives for Ever" while a 1992 James Bond novel, by the same author, was called "Death is Forever".
  • The score was recorded at CTS Studios, Bayswater, London, in October 1971. The recording sessions were engineered by John Richards. The Orchestral Contractor was regular John Barry collaborator and violinist Sidney Margo.
  • Bruce Cabot's final screen appearance.
  • The character of Ernst Stavro Blofeld has appeared in the following major and/or official James Bond movies and video games (in order): From Russia with Love (1963), Thunderball (1965), You Only Live Twice (1967), On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969), this movie, informally in the official movie For Your Eyes Only (1981), in the unofficial movie Never Say Never Again (1983), GoldenEye (2010), GoldenEye: Rogue Agent (2004), 007 Legends (2012), and Spectre (2015).
  • Due to the deleted scene in which Plenty O'Toole returns to Bond's hotel room wearing nothing but a white towel, after being thrown into the pool by Tiffany's thugs, the viewer is left with the incorrect impression that she was basically forced to abandon her clothes, as it seemed there was no time or chance for her to return to Bond's room, resulting in her low-cut purple dress remaining with Bond.
  • During the theatrical season of the James Bond movie Spectre (2015), a special event was organized titled "The Black Women of Bond". It starred Miss Moneypenny (Naomie Harris) from Skyfall (2012) and Spectre (2015), who is the first black British actress in the film franchise, as well as Halle Berry (Jinx from Die Another Day (2002)), Gloria Hendry (Rosie Carver from Live and Let Die (1973)), who was Bond's first African-American love interest, and Trina Parks (Thumper from this movie, who was the first major black Bond Girl. The event was hosted by the African-American Film Critics Association at the California African-American Museum, as a tribute to the Black Women of Bond. Not present at the event were Nicaise Jean-Louis (one of Drax's Girls from Moonraker (1979)), Grace Jones (May Day from A View to a Kill (1985)) and Sylvana Henriques (the Jamaican Girl from On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)), the first Black Bond Girl.
  • In the Castilian Spanish dubbed version, Blofeld is voiced by Constantino Romero, who would famously be the voice of Roger Moore's Bond, starting with the next film, Live and Let Die (1973).
  • There are several painfully obvious overdubs and mismatched audio and video throughout the film, yet it still was nominated for the Best Sound Academy Award.
  • Marks the first time an actor (Sir Sean Connery) returned to playing James Bond after another actor (George Lazenby) had played him.
  • The Lufthansa airliner is a Boeing 707.
  • A handful of villains and henchmen in the James Bond universe have had a "Mr." attached to their name. The Mr. Hinx henchman (Dave Bautista) and Mr. White (Jesper Christensen) appeared in Spectre (2015). Spectre (2015) also featured a henchman called Mr. Guerra (Benito Sagredo), resulting in the movie having three characters that have a "Mr." in their names. Mr. White appeared in three Daniel Craig James Bond movies: Casino Royale (2006), Quantum of Solace (2008), and Spectre (2015), the most Bond movies for any henchman-type character after Jaws, who appeared in two Bond movies. In Dr. No (1962), there was a henchman called Mr. Jones (Reggie Carter); in Goldfinger (1964), there was a henchman called Mr. Ling (Burt Kwouk); in You Only Live Twice (1967) there was a villain called Mr. Osato (Teru Shimada); in The World is Not Enough (1999) there were two: Mr. Bullion (Goldie) and Mr. Lachaise (Patrick Malahide); in Die Another Day (2002) there was a henchman called Mr. Kil (Lawrence Makoare); in Live and Let Die (1973), as with its source Ian Fleming novel of the same name, the archvillain was called Mr. Big, but in the movie version he was also known as Dr. Kananga, with the character's real full name in the source book being Buonaparte Ignace Gallia; in this movie, there were two henchmen, Mr. Wint (Bruce Glover) and Mr. Kidd (Putter Smith), who functioned as a buddy-team henchmen double-act; in Fleming's novel "The Spy Who Loved Me" (1962), the villain's employer was Mr. Sanguinetti, but this character did not appear in The Spy Who Loved Me (1977).
  • Felix Leiter's first appearance since Thunderball (1965).
  • Pro wrestler Tessa Blanchard used a theme song that mashed up this movie's theme with the theme of the Four Horsemen in the former WCW, since her father Tully Blanchard was one of the original members of the group. One of their catchphrases was, "Diamonds are forever and so are the Four Horsemen". There is also a picture of a diamond on the back of her trunks.
  • Natalie Wood who is Lana Wood's sister appeared in Meteor (1979), with Sean Connery. Robert Wagner who was Natalie Wood's husband would marry Jill St. John in 1990, who played Tiffany Case.
  • When Plenty O'Toole is being forced out of Bond's bedroom wearing nothing but her panties and her high heels, her necklace is missing. A few minutes later, her necklace can be seen on a table in Bond's bedroom.
  • After the China missiles explode at 1:36:50, the sign over the guard gate reads [according to google translate] "People of the world unite".
  • The film's portrayal of Mr Wint and Mr Kidd has often been denounced as homophobic.
  • With Skyfall (2012) and Spectre (2015), Ralph Fiennes became the seventh major actor or actress who appeared in both the "James Bond" and "The Avengers" universes, the latter being the English spy one, and not the comic superheroes one. From the original television series The Avengers (1961), two actresses and one actor appeared in Bond movies: Honor Blackman played Pussy Galore in Goldfinger (1964), Patrick Macnee portrayed Sir Godfrey Tibbett in A View to a Kill (1985), and Dame Diana Rigg played Tracy Di Vicenzo in On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969), which also featured as The English Girl Joanna Lumley, who appeared in The New Avengers (1976), which also starred Macnee. Nadim Sawalha appeared in The Avengers (1998), as well as two Bond movies: The Living Daylights (1987) and The Spy Who Loved Me (1977). Fiennes appeared in The Avengers (1998), co-starring with former James Bond Sir Sean Connery, who played the villain Sir August de Wynter. Of these seven actors and actresses, Fiennes and Macnee portrayed The Avengers' character of John Steed, in the theatrical movie, and television series, respectively, with the latter also voicing the Invisible Jones character in The Avengers (1998). In this movie, John Steed (Fiennes) and Emma Peel (Uma Thurman) get across the frozen river by "walking" on the surface inside inflatable plastic bubbles, which is similar to how James Bond gets aboard Ernst Stavro Blofeld's (Charles Gray's) oil rig in this movie.
  • George A. Cooper is often wrongly credited with being in this movie. Undeniably, this is due to confusion with an actor with a similar name.
  • Sammy Davis Jr did a scene playing roulette in Diamonds Are Forever but it was cut.
  • The hovercraft Bond uses in the film was a Saunders Roe Nautical-4 Mountbatten class hovercraft - the largest commercial hovercraft in the world and with some 15200 horsepower one of the most powerful. The actual craft was Seaspeed's Princess Margaret - a craft that survived right up until her eventual scrapping in 2018. Her sister craft, the Princess Anne still survives and is located at the hovercraft museum in Lee-On-Solent in the UK
  • Two early Batman TV episodes (1966) also showed a gent's journey down a conveyor belt towards flames, courtesy of the bad guys. "Fine Feathered Finks" and "Penguin's a Jinx" both featured the villain Penguin, and Bruce Wayne was the unfortunate victim. In both productions, particular attention was paid to the person's shoes in the final shots. This begs the question...did Cubby Broccoli watch the TV series? Or did the Batman writers read the original Fleming novel?
  • The treatment of Plenty O'Toole during the scene where she is caught by Tiffany's thugs, wearing nothing but her underwear and high heels, has been interpreted by some fans and critics as having misogynistic undertones and that her sexual humiliation was being played for laughs, as she was violently forced out of Bond's hotel room almost completely naked and was more cruel than funny. This also holds true during the opening teaser, where Bond interrogates Marie by ripping off her bikini top.
  • The credits list an "irate Chevelle driver" but the car is a Mercury Montego not a Chevy. Mercury was a division of Ford, which sponsored most of the cars in this movie. The exception is the briefly-seen CIA agents' car when they meet Bond at Hertz, which is a Plymouth Fury III.
  • Film debut of Putter Smith.
  • Valerie Perrine's debut.

Connections[]

Follows[]

Followed by[]

References[]

  • Bambi (1942) - The two henchwomen that Bond encounters at the pool are named Bambi and Thumper.
  • Casablanca (1942) - Tiffany Case's line while in bed with Bond for the first time: "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful relationship"
  • Ocean's Eleven (1960) - "Treasure" in coffin going to a crematorium in Las Vegas

Referenced in[]

  • Enter The Dragon (1973) - The Bond style Dr. No like villain has a white cat.
  • Girls in the Night Traffic (1976) - Poster seen on wall.
  • Magnum, P.I.: Memories Are Forever (1981) (TV Episode) - The episode title is a pun on the movie title.
  • Only Fools and Horses: Diamonds Are for Heather (1982) (TV Episode) - title
  • Octopussy (1983)
  • The Rock (1996) - In the scene where John Mason first meets Goodspeed in the FBI interrorgation room at the beggining of the film, Mason says "But of course you are" when Goodspeed introduces himself. Connery also used the same line in Diamonds are Forever when Plenty O'Toole introduces herself in the casino for the first time.
  • Diagnosis Murder: Murder on the Hour (1999) (TV Episode) - Sloan suggests to the couple if they want to live out a Bond fantasy to use this movie as a guide instead.
  • The World is Not Enough (1999) - When Bond is about to enter the underground silo, he is once again asked where his radiation shield is, in the same way that the real Dr. Hergersheimer asks Bond where his radiation shield is in Diamonds Are Forever.
  • Finding Forrester (2000) - Sean Connery's character delivers the remark, "Of course you are."
  • Die Another Day (2002) - While fencing with Bond, Graves says, "Well, diamonds are for everyone." Much of the plot involves diamonds and smuggling them. A large satellite is uncovered in space and has the power to harness the sun's rays and project them as a fine laser to destroy any given target. In the "High Life" magazine article for Gustav Graves' diamond company, the caption at the bottom says, "Diamonds are forever, but life isn't." A villain changes his appearance. One character calls another "Bitch!" in a single line.
  • Marks and Spencer James Bond 'Die Another Day' Television Commercial (2006) (Video) - Appearance of sparkling crystal, diamonds, and jewellery. This James Bond theme television commercial feature's Pink's "Let's Get This Party Started" sung by Dame Shirley Bassey who previously sung the title song for this James Bond movie.
  • Skyfall (2012) - Bond hitches a ride on a lift from the outside.
  • Spectre (2015) - SPECTRE criminal organization and arch villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld; Mr Hinx's name evokes Mr Witt & Mr Kidd; Nehru collarless jacket of main villain; James Bond wears a white tuxedo; Ernst Stavro Blofeld has hair rather than being bald; James Bond talks to a mouse like Bond did to a rat
  • Fast & Furious 8 (2017) - Letty drives on two side wheels in the New York City chase, like James Bond did in this movie.
  • No Time to Die (2021) - Paloma (Ana de Armas) extensively wears diamonds.

Spoofed in[]

  • Transformers (2007) - Bumblebee speeds down a tunnel on two side wheels, a move James Bond pulls in this movie.
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