Diamonds Are Forever

Director: Guy Hamilton Guy Hamilton

Overview

After George Lazenby portrayed James Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Sean Connery returned to the tux, gimmicks, and catchphrases of Secret Agent 007 in his penultimate Bond outing, Diamonds Are Forever. Fragments of Ian Fleming's original 1954 novel remain, including the characters of the alluring Tiffany Case (Jill St. John) and fey hitmen Wint (Bruce Glover) and Mr. Kidd (Putter Smith). The remainder of Richard Maibaum and Tom Mankiewicz's script diverges dramatically from the novel, involving Bond in a scheme by the insidious Ernst Blofeld (Charles Gray) to force the world powers to disarm so that he can take over the globe. Folksinger Jimmy Dean shows up briefly as a Howard Hughes-like reclusive billionaire, while Lana Wood (Natalie's sister) participates in one of the film's edgiest cliffhangers. Agreeing to make Diamonds Are Forever only because of the money offered him, Sean Connery parted company with the role for 12 years after this film; he returned to the role once more in 1983, for Irvin Kershner's Thunderball remake Never Say Never Again.

Product Details

Release Date:	09/15/2015
UPC:	0883904333371
Original Release:	1971
Rating:	PG
Source:	Mgm (Video & Dvd)
Language:	English
Sales rank:	4,470

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Sean Connery	James Bond
Jill St. John	Tiffany Case
Lana Wood	Plenty O'Toole
Jimmy Dean	Willard Whyte
Bruce Cabot	Saxby
Putter Smith	Mr. Kidd
Bruce Glover	Mr. Wint
Norman Burton	Leiter
Joseph Furst	Dr. Metz
Bernard Lee	M
Desmond Llewelyn	Q
Lois Maxwell	Miss Moneypenny
Leonard Barr	Shady Tree
Laurence Naismith	Sir Donald Monger
Burt Metcalfe	Maxwell
Margaret Lacey	Mrs. Whistler
Joe Robinson	Peter Franks
Donna Garratt	Bambi
Trina Parks	Thumper
Ed Bishop	Klaus Hergersheimer
Larry Blake	Barker,Water Balloon Game Barker-Operator
Henry Rowland	Dentist
Nicky Blair	Doorman
Constantin de Goguel	Aide to Metz
Shane Rimmer	Tom
Clifford Earl	Immigration Officer
David De Keyser	Doctor
Karl Held	Agent
John Abineri	Airline Representative
Max Latimer	Blofeld's Double
Bill Hutchinson	Moon Crater Controller
Frank Mann	Moon Crater Guard
David Bauer	Slumber
Mark Elwes	Sir Donald's Secretary
Frank Olegario	Man in Fez
David Healy	Vandenburg Launch Director
Gordon Ruttan	Vandenburg Aide
Brinsley Forde	Houseboy
Marc Lawrence	Attendant
Sid Haig	Attendant
Michael Valente	Attendant
Edward Call	Maxie,Maxie
Ray Baker	Helicopter Pilot
Gary Dubin	Boy
Catherine Deeney	Welfare Worker
Jay Sarno	Sideshow Barker
Denise Perrier	Marie
Tom Steele	Guard
George Lane Cooper	SPECTRE Agent,SPECTRE Agent
Dick Crockett	Crane Operator
Janos Kurucz	Aide to Metz
Joseph Fürst	Dr. Metz
Sammy Davis Jr.	Casinogast
Constantine Gregory	Aide to Metz
Roy Hollis	Las Vegas Sheriff
Jack Arrow	Diamond Syndicate Guard
Melita Clarke	Diamond Girl
Terence Conoley	Cairo Casino Patron
Tom Mankiewicz	Actor
David de Kayser	Actor
Charles Gray	Ernst Blofeld
Donna Garrett	Bambi
John Barry	Composer

Technical Credits

Richard Maibaum

Tom Mankiewicz

Ian Fleming

Guy Hamilton	Director
Paul Baxley	Stunts
Albert R. Broccoli	Producer
Les Hillman	Special Effects,Special Effects
Whitey McMahon	Special Effects
Harry Saltzman	Producer
Bob Simmons	Stunts
Wally Veevers	Special Effects
Albert Whitlock	Special Effects,Special Effects
Al Overton	Sound/Sound Designer,Sound Effects
Gordon K. McCallum	Sound/Sound Designer,Sound Effects
John Mitchell	Sound/Sound Designer,Sound Effects,Sound/Sound Designer
Richard Maibaum	Screenwriter
Tom Mankiewicz	Screenwriter
Christopher Lancaster	Sound Effects
Ian Fleming	Screenwriter
Alex Clifton	Special Effects
Teddy Mason	Sound Effects
Stanley Sopel	Producer
Whitney McMahon	Special Effects
Paul Baxley Jr.	Stunts
Gerry Crampton	Stunts
Bud Ekins	Stunts

Editorial Reviews

Many people pinpoint Live and Let Die as the start of the self-deprecating campiness that soon came to dominate the James Bond series, but this trend really began with its predecessor, Diamonds Are Forever. As a result, Sean Connery's final official go-round as Bond is nowhere near as satisfying as classics like From Russia With Love or Goldfinger. The biggest problem with Diamonds Are Forever is its muddled script. The plot confusingly juggles a diamond-smuggling scheme, an attempt to ransom the world with an intergalactic weapon (an element recycled from You Only Live Twice), and the return of arch-villain Blofeld, while the dialogue overdoes with it plethora of corny one-liners and groan-worthy puns. The film also suffers from an unwieldy tone that veers between bluntly sadistic violence and cartoonish slapstick, never finding a comfortable balance between the two. Worst of all, Connery seems bored with his role and delivers a performance that is competent but lifeless. Despite these problems, Diamonds Are Forever still offers a few diversions for the action fan. Individual action scenes are quite thrilling, the most memorable being a showdown between Bond and two female kung-fu fighters and a high-speed car chase through the streets of Las Vegas. There are also some colorful supporting performances, the best being Jimmy Dean's charming work as the country-boy millionaire Willard Whyte and the flamboyantly bizarre turns from Bruce Glover and Putter Smith as gay hitmen Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd. Ultimately, Diamonds Are Forever is one of the lesser entries in the Bond series, but boasts enough style and action to satisfy the series' hardcore fans.

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