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Thunderball

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Thunderball 1965 poster 5

Thunderball is a 1965 spy film and the fourth in the James Bond series produced by Eon Productions, starring Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. It is an adaptation of the 1961 novel of the same name by Ian Fleming, which in turn was based on an original screenplay by Jack Whittingham devised from a story conceived by Kevin McClory, Whittingham, and Fleming. It was the third and final Bond film to be directed by Terence Young, with its screenplay by Richard Maibaum and John Hopkins.

The film follows Bond's mission to find two NATO atomic bombs stolen by SPECTRE, which holds the world for ransom of £100 million in diamonds under its threat to destroy an unspecified metropolis in either the United Kingdom or the United States (later revealed to be Miami). The search leads Bond to the Bahamas, where he encounters Emilio Largo, the card-playing, eyepatch-wearing SPECTRE Number Two. Backed by CIA agent Felix Leiter and Largo's mistress, Domino Derval, Bond's search culminates in an underwater battle with Largo's henchmen. The film's complex production comprised four different units and about a quarter of the film comprises underwater scenes. Thunderball was the first Bond film shot in widescreen Panavision and the first to have a running time of over two hours.

Although planned by Bond film series producers Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman as the first entry in the franchise, Thunderball was associated with a legal dispute in 1961 when former Fleming collaborators McClory and Whittingham sued him shortly after the 1961 publication of the novel, claiming he based it upon the screenplay the trio had written for a cinematic translation of James Bond. The lawsuit was settled out of court and Broccoli and Saltzman, fearing a rival McClory film, allowed him to retain certain screen rights to the novel's story, plot, and characters, and for McClory to receive sole producer credit on this film; Broccoli and Saltzman instead served as executive producers.

The film was exceptionally successful: its worldwide box office receipts of $141.2 million exceeded not only that of every one of its predecessors but that of every one of the five Bond films that followed it. Thunderball remains the most financially successful film of the series in North America when adjusted for ticket price inflation. In 1966, John Stears won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects and BAFTA nominated production designer Ken Adam for an award. Some critics and viewers praised the film and branded it a welcome addition to the series, while others found the aquatic action repetitious and the film's length excessive. In 1983, Warner Bros. released a second film adaptation of the novel under the title Never Say Never Again, with McClory as executive producer.

Storyline[]

Plot[]

Led by one-eyed evil mastermind Emilio Largo (Adolfo Celi), the terrorist group SPECTRE hijacks two warheads from a NATO plane and threatens widespread nuclear destruction to extort 100 million pounds. The dashing Agent 007, James Bond (Sean Connery), is sent to recover the warheads from the heart of Largo's lair in the Bahamas, facing underwater attacks from sharks and men alike. He must also convince the enchanting Domino (Claudine Auger), Largo's mistress, to become a key ally.

Genres[]

  • Action
  • Adventure
  • Spy
  • Science fiction
  • Thriller
  • Action Thriller
  • Crime Fiction

Motion Picture Rating[]

  • 14 (Argentina)
  • A (Argentina) (original rating)
  • PG (Australia) (1986, re-rating)
  • 12 (Brazil)
  • PG (Canada) (Manitoba/Ontario)
  • A (Canada) (Nova Scotia)
  • G (Canada) (Quebec)
  • PG (Canada) (video rating)
  • 11 (Denmark)
  • K-16 (Finland)
  • K-15/13 (Finland)
  • K-16/13 (Finland)
  • Tous publics (France)
  • 12 (Germany) (1991, re-rating, uncut)
  • 12 (Iceland)
  • UA (India) (re-rating)
  • A (India) (1967, original rating)
  • 12 (Ireland) (DVD rating)
  • PG (Ireland) (2012, re-rating)
  • T (Italy)
  • G (Japan) (2015)
  • B (Mexico) (original rating)
  • A (Mexico) (re-rating)
  • 12 (Netherlands)
  • 14 (Netherlands) (original rating)
  • AL (Netherlands) (2000, DVD rating)
  • PG (Nigeria)
  • 15 (Norway) (DVD and Blu-ray rating)
  • 9 (Norway) (recommended rating)
  • 16 (Norway) (1965, cinema rating)
  • 14 (Peru)
  • 12 (Poland) (self-applied)
  • M/12 (Portugal)
  • PG (Saudi Arabia)
  • PG (Singapore)
  • PG (South Africa)
  • 15 (South Korea)
  • 13 (Spain)
  • 18 (Spain) (original rating, ICAA)
  • 15 (Sweden)
  • 7A (Turkey) (self-applied)
  • PG (UK)
  • A (UK) (original rating, passed with cuts)
  • PG (UK) (1987, re-rating, video)
  • Approved (USA) (original rating)
  • PG (USA) (1994)
  • GP (USA) (1970, re-rating)
  • 16 (West Germany) (original rating, nf)
  • 12 (West Germany) (1983, VHS, cut)

Images[]

Cast and Crew[]

Director[]

  • Terence Young

Writing Credits[]

  • Richard Maibaum (screenplay by) and
  • John Hopkins (screenplay by)
  • Jack Whittingham (based on an original screenplay by)
  • Kevin McClory (based on the original story by) &
  • Jack Whittingham (based on the original story by) and
  • Ian Fleming (based on the original story by)

Cast[]

  • Sean Connery - James Bond
  • Claudine Auger - Domino
  • Adolfo Celi - Largo
  • Luciana Paluzzi - Fiona
  • Rik Van Nutter - Felix Leiter
  • Guy Doleman - Count Lippe
  • Molly Peters - Patricia
  • Martine Beswick - Paula
  • Bernard Lee - 'M'
  • Desmond Llewelyn - 'Q'
  • Lois Maxwell - Moneypenny
  • Roland Culver - Foreign Secretary
  • Earl Cameron - Pinder
  • Paul Stassino - Palazzi
  • Rose Alba - Madame Boitier
  • Philip Locke - Vargas
  • George Pravda - Kutze
  • Michael Brennan - Janni
  • Leonard Sachs - Group Captain
  • Edward Underdown - Air Vice Marshal
  • Reginald Beckwith - Kenniston
  • Harold Sanderson - Hydrofoil Captain

Other Cast (in alphabetical order)[]

  • François Avazeri - Brinon (uncredited)
  • Anthony Bailey - Vulcan Radar Navigator (uncredited)
  • Gábor Baraker - SPECTRE #13 (uncredited)
  • Billy Bates - Swimmer in Title Sequence (uncredited)
  • Amelia Bayntun - Mrs. Karlski (uncredited)
  • Victor Beaumont - SPECTRE #3 (uncredited)
  • Neville Becker - SPECTRE #4 (uncredited)
  • Joe Beckett - Casino Patron (uncredited)
  • Paul Beradi - Casino Patron (uncredited)
  • Tasma Bereton - Casino Patron (uncredited)
  • Anthony Blackshaw - Sentry at RAF Base (uncredited)
  • Evelyne Boren - Domino (Underwater Sequences) (uncredited)
  • Dana Broccoli - Cafe Martinique Dancer (uncredited)
  • Courtney Brown - SPECTRE Diver / Palazzi (Underwater Sequences) (uncredited)
  • Ian Bulloch - Largo's Henchman (uncredited)
  • Peter Burton - RAF Officer in Car (uncredited)
  • Clive Cazes - SPECTRE #9 (uncredited)
  • Pauline Chamberlain - Casino Patron (uncredited)
  • Cecil Cheng - SPECTRE #7 (uncredited)
  • Tom Clegg - Largo's Henchman (uncredited)
  • Catherine Clemence - Madame LaPorte (voice) (uncredited)
  • Gary Colleano - SPECTRE #11 (uncredited)
  • Frank Cousins - James Bond (Underwater Sequences) (uncredited)
  • Harold Coyne - Casino Patron (uncredited)
  • Michael Culver - Vulcan Bomber Crewman (uncredited)
  • Bill Cummings - Quist (uncredited)
  • Anthony Dawson - Ernst Stavro Blofeld (uncredited)
  • Micky De Rauch - Swimmer in Title Sequence (uncredited)
  • Jack Dearlove - Shrublands Patient (uncredited)
  • Peter Dolphin - Air Marshal's Aide (uncredited)
  • Rani Dubé - Swimmer in Title Sequence (uncredited)
  • King Errisson - Bongo Player at Kiss Kiss Club (uncredited)
  • Peter Forbes-Robertson - SPECTRE #12 (uncredited)
  • Henry Ford II - Casino Patron (uncredited)
  • Richard Graydon - Largo's Henchman (uncredited)
  • Hilda Green - Woman at Displaced Persons Agency (uncredited)
  • Jack Gwillim - Senior RAF Staff Officer (uncredited)
  • Neil Hallett - Vulcan Bomber Pilot (uncredited)
  • Paul Hansard - Clerk at Displaced Persons Agency (uncredited)
  • Aidan Harrington - Clerk at Displaced Persons Agency (uncredited)
  • Diane Hartford - Girl in Kiss Kiss Club (uncredited)
  • Philo Hauser - Mr. Karlski (uncredited)
  • George Hilsdon - Casino Patron (uncredited)
  • Patrick Holt - Group Captain Dawson (uncredited)
  • Arthur Howell - Gunner on Disco Volante (uncredited)
  • Barbara Jefford - Patricia Fearing (voice) (uncredited)
  • Bari Jonson - Pinder's Radio Man (uncredited)
  • Pat Judge - Casino Patron (uncredited)
  • Murray Kash - SPECTRE #11 (uncredited)
  • Suzy Kendall - Prue - Casino Patron (uncredited)
  • John Ketteringham - Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)
  • Roy Lansford - Casino Patron (uncredited)
  • Guy Laure - Bouvar's Butler (uncredited)
  • Ken Lawton - Casino Patron (uncredited)
  • John Le Mesurier - Man at Army Meeting (uncredited)
  • George Leech - Largo's Crewman (uncredited)
  • Terence Maidment - Casino Patron (uncredited)
  • André Maranne - SPECTRE #10 (uncredited)
  • Kevin McClory - Man Smoking at Nassau Casino (uncredited)
  • Willie Meyers - Palazzi (Underwater Sequences) (uncredited)
  • Albert Michel - Priest at Bouvar's Funeral (uncredited)
  • Mitsouko - Mlle. LaPorte (uncredited)
  • Mark Moss - Vulcan Air Electronics Officer (uncredited)
  • Jackie Noble - Secretary at Displaced Persons Agency (uncredited)
  • David Orchard - Swimmer in Title Sequence (uncredited)
  • Derek Partridge - Vulcan Navigator Plotter (uncredited)
  • Eric Pohlmann - Ernst Stavro Blofeld (voice) (uncredited)
  • Charles Price - Double-O Agent (uncredited)
  • Lloyd Reckord - Pinder's Assistant (uncredited)
  • Robert Rietty - Emilio Largo (voice) (uncredited)
  • Janette Rowsell - Shrublands Patient (uncredited)
  • Peter Roy - Double-0 Agent 006 (uncredited)
  • Charles Russhon - U.S. Air Force General (uncredited)
  • Pat Ryan - Naval Officer in Situation Room (uncredited)
  • Bill Sawyer - Ambulance Attendant (uncredited)
  • Bob Simmons - Colonel Jacques Bouvar - SPECTRE #6 (uncredited)
  • Philip Stewart - Casino Patron (uncredited)
  • Philip Stone - SPECTRE #5 (uncredited)
  • William P. Suitor - Jet Pack Pilot (uncredited)
  • Nikki Van der Zyl - Dominique 'Domino' Derval (voice) (uncredited)
  • Pearl Walters - Casino Patron (uncredited)
  • Sheree Winton - Woman at Café Martinique (uncredited)
  • Jaron Yaltan - SPECTRE #14 (uncredited)

Producers[]

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

Details[]

Countries[]

  • UK
  • USA

Language[]

  • English
  • Italian

Release Dates[]

  • December 9, 1965 (Japan) (Tokyo) (premiere)
  • December 11, 1965 (Japan)
  • December 15, 1965 (Italy)
  • December 17, 1965 (Denmark)
  • December 17, 1965 (France)
  • December 17, 1965 (Sweden)
  • December 17, 1965 (West Germany)
  • December 20, 1965 (Canada)
  • December 21, 1965 (USA) (New York City, New York)
  • December 22, 1965 (USA)
  • December 23, 1965 (Australia)
  • December 23, 1965 (Spain) (Barcelona)
  • December 23, 1965 (Spain) (Madrid)
  • December 25, 1965 (Finland)
  • December 26, 1965 (Norway)
  • December 29, 1965 (UK) (London) (premiere)
  • December 29, 1965 (Greece)
  • December 30, 1965 (UK)
  • January 6, 1966 (Colombia)
  • January 17, 1966 (Brazil)
  • February 10, 1966 (Ireland) (Dublin) (premiere)
  • February 11, 1966 (Ireland)
  • February 25, 1966 (Belgium) (Gent)
  • March 14, 1966 (UK)
  • March 30, 1966 (Netherlands) (Rotterdam)
  • April 6, 1966 (Argentina)
  • April 7, 1966 (Netherlands)
  • May 26, 1966 (Portugal)
  • April 6, 1967 (Mexico)
  • September 22, 1967 (India)
  • January 1, 1968 (Uruguay)
  • November 16, 1968 (Turkey)
  • February 12, 1969 (South Korea)
  • February 7, 1970 (Iceland)
  • November 11, 1971 (Argentina) (re-release)
  • December 23, 1976 (Spain) (re-release)
  • December 29, 1990 (Poland)
  • October 19, 1999 (Singapore) (DVD premiere)
  • December 19, 2001 (Russia) (DVD premiere)
  • August 1, 2007 (United Arab Emirates) (DVD premiere)
  • May 2, 2015 (Spain) (Barcelona) (re-release)

Also Known As[]

  • Thunderball (original title)
  • Operación Trueno (Argentina)
  • 007: Thunderball (Australia) (alternative title)
  • Thunderball (Australia)
  • Ian Fleming's Thunderball (UK) (alternative title)
  • Thunderball (UK)
  • Thunderball (USA)

Production[]

Legal disputes[]

Originally meant as the first James Bond film, Thunderball was the centre of legal disputes that began in 1961 and ran until 2006. Former Ian Fleming collaborators Kevin McClory and Jack Whittingham sued Fleming shortly after the 1961 publication of the Thunderball novel, claiming he based it upon the screenplay the trio had earlier written in a failed cinematic translation of James Bond. The lawsuit was settled out of court; McClory retained certain screen rights to the novel's story, plot, and characters. By then, Bond was a box-office success, and series producers Broccoli and Saltzman feared a rival McClory film beyond their control; they agreed to McClory's producer's credit of a cinematic Thunderball, with them as executive producers.

Later, in 1964, Eon producers Broccoli and Saltzman agreed with McClory to cinematically adapt the novel; it was promoted as "Ian Fleming's Thunderball". Yet, along with the official credits to screenwriters Richard Maibaum and John Hopkins, the screenplay is also identified as 'based on an original screenplay by Jack Whittingham' and as 'based on the original story by Kevin McClory, Jack Whittingham, and Ian Fleming'. To date, the novel has twice been adapted cinematically; the 1983 Jack Schwartzman-produced Never Say Never Again features Sean Connery as James Bond, but is not an Eon production.

Casting[]

Guy Hamilton was invited to direct, but considered himself worn out and "creatively drained" after the production of Goldfinger. Terence Young, director of the first two Bond films, returned to the series. Coincidentally, when Saltzman invited him to direct Dr. No, Young expressed interest in directing adaptations of Dr. No, From Russia with Love and Thunderball. Years later, Young said Thunderball was filmed "at the right time", considering that if it was the first film in the series, the low budget (Dr. No cost only $1 million) would not have yielded good results. Thunderball was the final James Bond film directed by Young.

Filming commenced on 16 February 1965, with principal photography of the opening scene in Paris. Filming then moved to the Château d'Anet, near Dreux, France, for the fight in precredit sequence. Much of the film was shot in the Bahamas; Thunderball is widely known for its extensive underwater action scenes which are played out through much of the latter half of the film. The rest of the film was shot at Pinewood Studios, Buckinghamshire, Silverstone racing circuit for the chase involving Count Lippe, Fiona Volpe's RPG-armed BSA Lightning motorcycle and James Bond's Aston Martin DB5 before moving to Nassau, and Paradise Island in the Bahamas (where most of the footage was shot), and Miami. Huntington Hartford gave permission to shoot footage on his Paradise Island and is thanked at the end of the film.

When special-effects coordinator John Stears provided a supposedly dead shark to be towed around the pool, the shark, which was still alive, revived at one point. Due to the dangers on the set, stuntman Bill Cummings demanded an extra fee of £250 to double for Largo's sidekick Quist as he was dropped into the pool of sharks.

The climactic underwater battle was shot at Clifton Pier and was choreographed by Hollywood expert Ricou Browning, who had worked on Creature From the Black Lagoon in 1954 and other films. He was responsible for the staging of the cave sequence and the battle scenes beneath Disco Volante and called in his specialist team of divers who posed as those engaged in the onslaught. Voit provided much of the underwater gear, including the Aqua-Lungs, in exchange for product placement and film tie-in merchandise. The ability to breathe underwater for extended periods of time was a new product that had previously been used by underwater explorer Jacques Cousteau and using it in a movie was a new approach. Lamar Boren, an underwater photographer, was hired to shoot all of the sequences. Filming ceased in May 1965, and the final scene shot was the physical fight on the bridge of Disco Volante.

While in Nassau, during the final shooting days, special-effects supervisor John Stears was supplied experimental rocket fuel to use in exploding Largo's yacht. Ignoring the true power of the volatile liquid, Stears doused the entire yacht with it, took cover, and then detonated the boat. The resultant massive explosion shattered windows along Bay Street in Nassau roughly 30 miles away. Stears went on to win an Academy Award for his work on Thunderball.

As the filming neared its conclusion, Connery had become increasingly agitated with press intrusion and was distracted with difficulties in his marriage of 32 months to actress Diane Cilento. Connery refused to speak to journalists and photographers who followed him in Nassau, stating his frustration with the harassment that came with the role; "I find that fame tends to turn one from an actor and a human being into a piece of merchandise, a public institution. Well, I don't intend to undergo that metamorphosis." In the end he gave only a single interview, to Playboy, as filming was wrapped up, and even turned down a substantial fee to appear in a promotional TV special made by Wolper Productions for NBC, The Incredible World of James Bond. According to editor Peter R. Hunt, Thunderball's release was delayed for three months, from September until December 1965, after he met David Picker of United Artists, and convinced him it would be impossible to edit the film to a high enough standard without the extra time.

Release and reception[]

The film premiered on 9 December 1965 at the Hibiya Theatre in Tokyo and opened on 29 December 1965 in the UK. It was a major success at the box office with record-breaking earnings. In its opening in Tokyo in one theatre, it grossed a Japanese record opening day of $13,091 and the following day set a record one-day gross of $16,121. It grossed $63.6 million in the United States, equating to roughly 58.1 million admissions, and became the third-highest grossing film of 1965, only behind The Sound of Music and Dr. Zhivago. In total, the film has earned $141.2 million worldwide, surpassing the earnings of the three preceding films in the series—easily recouping its $9 million budget—and remained the highest-grossing Bond film until Live and Let Die (1973) assumed the record. After adjusting its earnings to 2011 prices, it has made around $1 billion, making it the second-most financially successful Bond film after Skyfall.

Thunderball won an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects awarded to John Stears in 1966. Ken Adam, the production director, was also nominated for a Best Production Design BAFTA award. The film won the Golden Screen Award in Germany and the Golden Laurel Action Drama award at the 1966 Laurel Awards. The film was also nominated for an Edgar Best Foreign Film award at the Edgar Allan Poe Awards.

Contemporary reviews[]

Upon its release, the film received generally positive reviews. Dilys Powell of The Sunday Times remarked after seeing the film that "The cinema was a duller place before 007." David Robinson of the Financial Times criticised the appearance of Connery and his effectiveness to play Bond in the film, remarking: "It's not just that Sean Connery looks a lot more haggard and less heroic than he did two or three years ago, but there is much less effort to establish him as connoisseur playboy. Apart from the off-handed order for Beluga, there is little of that comic display of bon viveur-manship that was one of the charms of Connery's almost-a-gentleman 007."

Bosley Crowther of The New York Times found the film to be more humorous than its previous instalments and felt "Thunderball is pretty, too, and it is filled with such underwater action as would delight Capt. Jacques-Yves Cousteau." He further concluded his review with praise for the principal actors and wrote "The color is handsome. The scenery in the Bahamas is an irresistible lure. Even the violence is funny. That's the best I can say for a Bond film." Variety felt Thunderball was a "tight, exciting melodrama in which novelty of action figures importantly." Philip K. Scheuer, reviewing for the Los Angeles Times, was less impressed with the film writing, "It is the same as its predecessors, only more–too much of everything, from sudden desire to sudden desire." Additionally, he wrote: "The submarine sequences are as pretty as can be in Technicolor, featuring besides fish and flippered bipeds, all sorts of awesome diving bells and powered sea sleds – not to mention an arsenal of lethal spear guns. If I could have just known more than half the time what, precisely, they were doing, the effect could have been prettier yet." Time applauded the film's underwater photography, but felt the "script hasn't a morsel of genuine wit, but Bond fans, who are preconditioned to roll in the aisles when their hero merely asks a waiter to bring some beluga caviar and Dom Pérignon '55, will probably never notice. They are switched on by a legend that plays straight to the senses, and its colors are primary."

Retrospective reviews[]

According to Danny Peary, Thunderball "takes forever to get started and has too many long underwater sequences during which it's impossible to tell what's going on. Nevertheless, it's an enjoyable entry in the Bond series. Sean Connery is particularly appealing as Bond – I think he projects more confidence than in other films in the series. Film has no great scene, but it's entertaining as long as the actors stay above water."

Critics such as James Berardinelli praised Connery's performance, the femme fatale character of Fiona Volpe, and the underwater action sequences, remarking that they were well choreographed and clearly shot. He criticised the length of the scenes, stating they were in need of editing, particularly during the film's climax. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a "Certified Fresh" 87% rating based on 52 reviews with an average rating of 6.70/10. The website's consensus reads: "Lavishly rendered set pieces and Sean Connery's enduring charm make Thunderball a big, fun adventure, even if it doesn't quite measure up to the series' previous heights." On Metacritic the film has a score of 64 out of 100 based on reviews from 9 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". In 2014, Time Out polled several film critics, directors, actors, and stunt actors to list their top action films; Thunderball was listed at number 73.

Company Credits[]

Production Companies[]

  • Eon Productions (made by) (as An Eon Production)

Distributors[]

Technical Specs[]

Runtime[]

  • 130 mins

Color[]

  • Color

Sound Mix[]

  • Mono
  • 6-Track Stereo

Aspect Ratio[]

  • 2.39:1
  • 4:3 (Pan & scan prints, along with the opening and closing credits in proper scope aspect ratio with black bars)

Trivia[]

  • At the last minute, a reference to the then-recent Great British Train Robbery was inserted into the SPECTRE briefing near the beginning of the film.
  • In the conference room, Agent 007 sits in the 7th chair.
  • Throughout the entire film, James Bond never introduces himself as "Bond, James Bond".
  • The name of Emilio Largo's yacht, the Disco Volante, means "Flying Saucer" in Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish. In the 1983 remake Never Say Never Again, Largo's ship is named the Flying Saucer.
  • Some prints of this film are lacking the trademark "James Bond will return" message at the end, while others include it.
  • Thunderball was delayed from an October 1965 release to December 1965. Peter Hunt stated this was due to the film running long; Variety reported the runtime to be four and half hours.
  • After the film's release, there was some confusion as to whether the "rebreather" actually existed and worked. In the real world, a rebreather could not be that small, as it would not have room for a breathing bag. It was made with two CO2 bottles glued together and painted, with a small mouthpiece attached. For this reason, when the Royal Corps of Engineers asked Peter Lamont how long a man could use the device underwater, the answer was "As long as you can hold your breath."
  • While being detained by Fiona Volpe, Bond states the actions he did were for King and Country, however this is incorrect as Queen Elizabeth II had been on the Throne since 1952 with the death of her father, King George VI.
  • In Italian, "Disco Volante" translates as "Flying Saucer".
  • The line where Fiona derides Bond's ability to turn women to the side of right and virtue was taken from a critique of Goldfinger (1964), where the critic derided Bond's ability to turn Pussy Galore away from Goldfinger.
  • The girl with whom Sir Sean Connery was dancing, when Bond was escaping from Fiona, also appeared in Casino Royale (2006), playing poker with Daniel Craig. She was the wife of Huntington Hartford II, whose estate in the Bahamas appeared in both films.
  • Sir Sean Connery performed the gun-barrel sequence for the first time because of the new Panavision process used in the movie. Beginning with this movie, the sequence would be performed by the actor playing Bond in the movie.
  • For the opening main title sequence, title designer Maurice Binder filmed swimmers swimming naked in black and white before adding in the color by an optical process.
  • In the underwater scenes, where Bond encounters sharks, Sir Sean Connery was supposed to be protected by clear plastic panels shielding him from sharks in close-ups. However, the panels only extended about three feet in height and sharks could swim over them. As a result, in some scenes (notably during the pool fight at Largo's mansion), Connery got much closer to the real sharks than he wanted. Director Terence Young said in an interview that scenes used in this movie where Bond reacts in fright at the approach of a shark were miscues, in which Connery was reacting with genuine terror as a shark approached unobstructed by plastic shielding.
  • Final James Bond movie directed by Terence Young.
  • The gun-barrel sequence that opens this movie marks not only the first time the actor portraying Bond performed the scene, but is also the first instance in the film franchise where the dot opens up to reveal the first scene in the story.
  • This movie and From Russia with Love (1963) are the only Bond movies to use the wipe editing technique in scene transitions.
  • Some release prints did not show "James Bond will be back in On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)" at the end of the credits. Difficulties in scheduling and shooting during winter meant that movie was postponed, and You Only Live Twice (1967) became the next James Bond movie. The solution put forward by supervising editor Peter R. Hunt was simply to remove the title from the final credits.
  • First time a Bond movie was released in the U.S. before the U.K.
  • This is the first James Bond movie to be shot in Panavision.
  • Most of the underwater scenes had to be done at lower tides, due to the sharks in the Bahamian Sea.
  • First 007 movie in which Bond doesn't smoke. Interestingly though, a large papier-mache Marlboro box can be spotted on the right side of the screen during a festival.
  • Second movie in which Bond drives his Aston Martin DB5. The others being Goldfinger (1964), GoldenEye (1995), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), The World Is Not Enough (1999), Casino Royale (2006), Skyfall (2012), and Spectre (2015). The DB5 has appeared with three different licence plates; BMT 216A (Goldfinger (1964), this movie, Skyfall (2012), Spectre (2015)), BMT 214A (GoldenEye (1995), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), The World Is Not Enough (1999)), and 56526 (Casino Royale (2006)), which was the unique DB5 for being the only left hand drive DB5 Bond drives. Therefore, with eight movies, the DB5 car has appeared in more Bond movies than any actor who has played Bond.
  • The title song was sung by Sir Tom Jones. A song called "Thunderball" sung by Johnny Cash was submitted to the filmmakers, but was rejected. A cover version of the title song sung by Martin Fry can be heard on the David Arnold Bond song compilation album "Shaken and Stirred: the David Arnold James Bond Project". Another cover of the theme song was apparently recorded by Mr. Bungle, but it has never been released.
  • The opening sequence, in earlier versions of the script, was set in Hong Kong at a fan-tan parlor strip joint. The man-in-drag story element was the same, though. He was dressed in a peacock outfit and sat in a gold cage.
  • Sir Tom Jones is the first male singer for the movie's opening sequence. Although Matt Munro sang the theme to From Russia with Love (1963), his version did not appear during the opening credits.

Connections[]

Follows[]

Followed by[]

References[]

  • Goldfinger (1964)
  • My Fair Lady (1964) - 007 says "I guess I've grown accustomed to your face" which references professor Higgins' song about Eliza.

Referenced in[]

  • On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)
  • RoboCop 3 (1993)
  • True Lies (1994)
  • The Rock (1996)
  • Bad Company (2002)
  • Die Another Day (2002) - The jet pack in Q's workshop. Bond uses a pen-like underwater breathing system. After Bond comes through the window of the medical facility in Cuba, he grabs a few grapes, as he did before making his exit from a room in the medical center in 'Thunderball' (1965).
  • Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) - Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is a song from the Thunderball soundtrack.
  • The Simpsons Movie (2007) - When Homer enters the supplybunker, the jetpack from Thunderball is hanging on the wall.
  • The Dark Knight (2008) - Batman & Lau are picked up by an airplane via a long cable attached to an inflatable device.
  • Skyfall (2012) - Bond picks up clues about Sévérine based on tattoos, the same way as Count Lippe
  • Spectre (2015) - SPECTRE criminal organization and arch villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld; Octopus insignia on SPECTRE ring of evil; Funeral of a SPECTRE agent and Bond seeking out the widow afterwards; Arch villain introduced in silhouette; Ejector seat in Aston Martin car
  • No Time to Die (2021) - Of the classic gun-metal gray classic James Bond car, the Aston Marting DB5, seen in the movie, special effects supervisor Chris Corbould has said: "Q Branch gadgets on the DB5 include...traditional smoke screen, mines dropping from under the rear bumper and an LED number plate creating a modern take on the 'Goldfinger' [1964] revolving version."

Featured in[]

Spoofed in[]

  • Spy Hard (1996)
  • Zoolander (2001)
  • Duck Dodgers (2003) (TV Series) - Tom Jones singing a James Bond-inspired theme song. He sang the theme song for Thunderball.
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