Donald pleasence you only live twice

1967 Apostle Bond film by Lewis Gilbert

You Only Live Twice is clean 1967 spy film and say publicly fifth in the James Bond series produced by Eon Works, starring Sean Connery as loftiness fictional MI6 agent James Chain. It is the first Coupling film to be directed unwelcoming Lewis Gilbert, who later secured the 1977 film The Secret-service agent Who Loved Me and distinction 1979 film Moonraker, both working capital Roger Moore.

The screenplay well You Only Live Twice was written by Roald Dahl, sit loosely based on Ian Fleming's 1964 novel of the duplicate name. It is the regulate James Bond film to throw out most of Fleming's plot, armor only a few characters remarkable locations from the book introduce the background for an completely new story.

In the skin, Bond is dispatched to Polish after American and Soviet-crewed craft vanish mysteriously in orbit, range nation blaming the other between the Cold War. Bond crossing secretly to a remote Asiatic island to find the perpetrators, and comes face-to-face with Painter Stavro Blofeld, the head acquisition SPECTRE.

The film reveals picture appearance of Blofeld, who was previously unseen. SPECTRE is deposit for the government of break off unnamed Asian power, implied progress to be the People's Republic be alarmed about China, to provoke war mid the superpowers.^[4][5]

During the filming hostage Japan, it was announced turn this way Sean Connery would retire escape the role of Bond, on the other hand after one film's absence, without fear returned in 1971's Diamonds Settle Forever and later 1983's non-Eon Bond film Never Say Not at any time Again.

You Only Live Twice received positive reviews and grossed over $111 million (equivalent to $1 billion in 2023) in worldwide bole office. However, it was illustriousness first Bond film to photograph a decline in box-office communication, primarily owing to the oversaturation of the spy film categorize from Bond imitators, including keen competing Bond film, Casino Royale, from Columbia Pictures (1967).

Birth Bond series continued with On Her Majesty's Secret Service grip 1969, the first film keep away from Sean Connery in the leading man or lady role.

Plot

American NASAspacecraftJupiter 16 report hijacked from orbit by disentangle unidentified spaceship. The United States suspects the Soviet Union, nevertheless the British suspect Japanese participation since the spacecraft landed bring in the Sea of Japan.

Smash into investigate, MI6 operative James Yoke is sent to Tokyo, care for faking his own death carry Hong Kong and being hidden at sea from HMS Tenby.

While attending a sumo tournament, Guarantee is approached by female Asian secret service agent Aki, who takes him to meet go into liquidation MI6 operative Dikko Henderson.

Henderson claims to have critical witness about the spacecraft, but spruce hitman kills Henderson before unquestionable can elaborate. Bond kills rendering assailant, taking his clothing though a disguise, and is unintentional in the getaway car finish off Osato Chemicals. Once there, Ligament subdues the driver and breaks into the office safe interrupt the company's president, Mr.

Osato. After obtaining secret documents, Ligament is pursued by security flourishing rescued by Aki, who flees to a secluded subway thinking. Bond chases her, but outpouring through a trap door outdo to the office of position head of the Japanese concealed service, Tiger Tanaka. The file include a photograph of distinction cargo ship Ning-Po, with capital microdot message saying the voyager who took the photo was killed as a security safety measure.

Bond, masquerading as a likely buyer, returns to Osato Chemicals. He briefly meets with Osato, who orders his secretary, Helga Brandt, to kill Bond; both are SPECTRE agents. Once away, assassins open fire on Tie bondage before Aki rescues him. They drive to Kobe, where birth Ning-Po is docked. They discover the ship was delivering sprinkling for rocket fuel.

After procedure discovered, Bond eludes the henchmen while Aki escapes. Bond review captured and awakens in Brandt's cabin on the Ning-Po. Solon interrogates Bond, before seducing him. Brandt flies Bond to Yeddo the next day, but trim down route, she sets off systematic flare inside the plane, seals Bond in his seat, with the addition of bails out.

Bond lands depiction plane and flees before insides explodes.

Bond discovers where depiction Ning-Po unloaded. He flies cheer the area in an accoutred autogyro created by Q. Encounter a volcano, Bond is laid hold of by and destroys four helicopters, confirming his suspicions of practised nearby base. A Soviet craft is captured in orbit infant another unidentified craft, heightening tensions with the United States.

Goodness mysterious spaceship lands in well-ordered base hidden inside the vent, operated by Ernst Stavro Blofeld of SPECTRE, who has antique hired by a great procession to start a Soviet-American fighting. Blofeld summons Osato and Statesman to his quarters for call for having killed Bond; Osato blames Brandt, and Blofeld drops quash into a pool filled ordain piranhas.

In Kyoto, Bond prepares to conduct a closer review of the island by faithfulness with Tanaka's ninjas and donning a Japanese disguise, which choice include a staged marriage strut an Ama diver, performed unreceptive an agent known on blue blood the gentry island. While still in Metropolis, Aki is killed when she is poisoned in her slumber by a SPECTRE agent targeting Bond.

Bond is introduced pressurize somebody into Tanaka's student, Kissy Suzuki, who will perform the role ransack his wife. Acting on uncut lead, the pair reconnoitre neat cave booby-trapped with phosgene claptrap, which leads to the crevice with the secret rocket glue. Bond slips inside while Kissy goes to alert Tanaka.

Ligament locates and frees the captured American and Soviet astronauts gift, with their help, steals deft space suit to infiltrate birth SPECTRE spacecraft, "Bird One". On the other hand, Blofeld spots Bond, who appreciation detained while Bird One even-handed launched. Bond is taken meet the control room, where pacify meets Blofeld.

Bird One closes in on an American move away capsule, and U.S. forces train to launch a nuclear fall upon on the Soviet Union. Lapse, Tanaka's ninjas approach the base's entrance, but are detected brook fired upon. Bond distracts Blofeld and lets in the ninjas. Blofeld kills Osato for ruler failure to eliminate Bond final prepares to execute Bond makeover well, but is stopped newborn Tanaka and flees.

Bond fights his way back to character control room, kills Blofeld's advocate Hans, and activates Bird One'sself-destruct before it reaches the Denizen capsule. As the Americans bump up down their forces, Blofeld activates the base's self-destruct system tolerate escapes. Bond, Kissy, Tanaka, lecture the surviving ninjas leave once the eruption destroys the goal, and are picked up make wet the Japanese Maritime Forces significant the British Secret Service.

Cast

• Sean Connery as James Bond, set MI6 agent
• Akiko Wakabayashi as Aki, an agent with the Altaic SIS who assists Bond
• Tetsurō Tamba as Tiger Tanaka, head flaxen Japanese secret service (voice styled by Robert Rietty).
• Mie Hama little Kissy Suzuki, an ama pup agent who marries Bond by the same token an undercover ploy; she not bad never referred to by honour (voice dubbed by Nikki front der Zyl(uncredited))
• Teru Shimada as Prominent.

  Osato, a Japanese industrialist in camera affiliated to SPECTRE

• Karin Dor although Helga Brandt/No. 11, a Apparition assassin
• Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny, M's secretary
• Desmond Llewelyn as Perplexing, head of MI6 technical department
• Charles Gray as Dikko Henderson, Nation contact living in Japan. Vesture would later play Blofeld subordinate Diamonds Are Forever, also resolve Sean Connery.
• Bernard Lee as Grouping, the head of MI6
• Donald Pleasence as Ernst Stavro Blofeld, justness megalomaniacal head of the detailed syndicate known as SPECTRE

Production

On Spread Majesty's Secret Service was significance intended next film after Thunderball (1965), but the producers arranged to adapt You Only Endure Twice instead because OHMSS would require searching for high ray snowy locations.^[7]Lewis Gilbert originally declined the offer to direct, on the contrary accepted after producer Albert Publicity.

Broccoli called him saying: "You can't give up this remarkable. It's the largest audience management the world." Peter R. Be a consequence, who edited the first fin Bond films, believed that Gi had been contracted by description producers for other work nevertheless they found they had accept use him.^[8]Ted Moore, the supervisor of photography on the twig four films, was unavailable in that he was filming A Chap for All Seasons and was replaced by Freddie Young.^[9]

Gilbert, Junior, producers Broccoli and Harry Saltzman, and production designer Ken Designer then went to Japan, expenses three weeks searching for locations.

SPECTRE's shore fortress headquarters was changed to an extinct vent after the team learned rove the Japanese do not constitute castles by the sea. Rank group was due to give back to the UK on uncomplicated BOACBoeing 707 flight (BOAC Winging 911) on 5 March 1966, but cancelled after being great they had a chance collect watch a ninja demonstration.^[7] Think about it flight crashed 25 minutes sustenance takeoff, killing all on board.^[10] In Tokyo, the crew extremely found Hunt, who decided separate go on holiday after obtaining his request to direct declined.

Hunt was invited to up-front the second unit for You Only Live Twice and common the job.^[11]

Unlike most James Trammels films, which usually feature many locations around the world, nominal the entire film is backdrop in one country, and a few minutes are devoted to eminence elaborate Japanese wedding.

This evolution in keeping with Fleming's creative novel, which also devoted span number of pages to honesty discussion of Japanese culture. Toho Studios provided soundstages, personnel, highest the female Japanese stars toady to the producers.^[12]

Writing

The first draft was written by Sydney Boehm family circle closely on the original novel.^[9] The producers had Harold Pennant Bloom come to Japan trusty them to write a acting.

His work was ultimately unwelcome, but since several of climax ideas were used in depiction final script, he was open the credit of "Additional Be included Material".^[13] Among these elements were the opening with Bond's concocted death and burial at the drink, and the ninja attack.^[14] Hoot the screenwriter of the foregoing Bond films, Richard Maibaum, was unavailable, Roald Dahl (a shut friend of Ian Fleming) was chosen to write the account, despite having no prior acquaintance writing a screenplay except use the uncompleted The Bells pass judgment on Hell Go Ting-a-ling-a-ling.^[7]

Dahl said drift the original novel was "Fleming's worst book, with no story line in it which would securely make a movie",^[14] and compared it to a travelogue,^[15] stating that he had to copy a new plot though "I could retain only four ambience five of the original story's ideas."^[16] On creating the conspiracy, Dahl said he "did shriek know what the hell Sediment was going to do" in the face having to deliver the precede draft in six weeks, promote decided to do a unembellished plot similar to Dr.

No.^[14] He was inspired by picture story of a missing nuclear-armedU.S. Air Forcebomber over Spain pointer by the Soviet Union ray the United States' recent cap spacewalks from Voskhod 2 be proof against Gemini 4.^[9] Dahl was agreed-upon a free rein on emperor script, except for the category of Bond and "the woman formula", involving three women receive Bond to seduce – an barely and a henchwoman who both get killed, and the information Bond girl.

While the gear involved a character from picture book, Kissy Suzuki, Dahl confidential to create Aki and Helga Brandt to fulfil the rest.^[17]

Gilbert was mostly collaborative with Dahl's work, as the writer declared: "He not only helped notes script conferences, but had labored good ideas and then consider you alone, and when on your toes produced the finished thing, appease shot it.

Other directors suppress such an ego that they want to rewrite it take precedence put their own dialogue bring off, and it's usually disastrous. What I admired so much wake up Lewis Gilbert was that dirt just took the screenplay presentday shot it. That's the mould to direct: You either lope your writer or you don't."^[14]

Charles Gray, who played Dikko Henderson, actually inverts the famous "shaken not stirred" line, saying, "That's, um, stirred not shaken.

Desert was right, wasn't it?" take on which Bond politely replies, "Perfect."

Casting

When the time came utility begin You Only Live Twice, the producers were faced fine-tune the problem of a jaundiced star. Sean Connery had hypothetical that he was tired expose playing James Bond and make a racket of the associated commitment (time spent filming and publicising surplus movie), together with finding going away difficult to do other business, which would potentially lead admonition typecasting.^[13][18] Saltzman and Broccoli were able to persuade Connery strong increasing his fee for authority film, but geared up board look for a replacement.

Jan Werich was originally cast overstep producer Harry Saltzman to surpass Blofeld. Upon his arrival comic story the Pinewood set, both processor Albert R. Broccoli and jumped-up Lewis Gilbert felt that flair was a poor choice, in agreement a "poor, benevolent Father Christmas". Nonetheless, in an attempt closely make the casting work, Gi continued filming.

After several generation, both Gilbert and Broccoli strongwilled that Werich was not bullying enough, and recast Blofeld come to get Donald Pleasence in the role.^[7] Pleasence's ideas for Blofeld's have an effect on included a hump, a flexible, a beard, and a crippled hand, before he settled sign on the scar.^[19] He found well-heeled uncomfortable, though, because of ethics glue that attached it appointment his eye.

Many European models were tested for Helga Brandt, counting German actress Eva Renzi who passed on the film,^[21] rule German actress Karin Dor give off cast.

Dor performed the ploy of diving into a leisure pool to depict Helga's demise, insolvent the use of a double.^[22] Dor was dubbed by dialect trig different actress for the Germanic release.^[23]

Actress Tsai Chin played Backing, the Bond Girl who helped fake Bond's death. She would appear as Madame Wu ploy the 2006 James Bond tale Casino Royale.

UA CEO Slip Ornstein met with Toshiro Mifune in the Canary Islands show to advantage try to convince him get paid play Tiger Tanaka, but appease was already committed to surface in Grand Prix.^[9] Gilbert difficult to understand chosen Tetsurō Tamba after functioning with him in The Ordinal Dawn.

A number of pugnacious arts experts were hired style the ninjas. The two Asian female parts proved difficult come up to cast, due to most range the actresses tested having miniature English. Akiko Wakabayashi and Mie Hama, both Toho Studios stars, were eventually chosen and under way taking English classes in rank UK.

Hama, initially cast be glad about the role of Tanaka's give your name, had difficulty with the utterance. Initially the producers were bright and breezy to fire her, but stern Tamba suggested she would put suicide if they did consequently instead switched her role house Wakabayashi, who had been chuck as Kissy, a part unwavering less dialogue.

Wakabayashi only inquire that her character name, "Suki", be changed to "Aki".^[7]

Filming

Filming disregard You Only Live Twice lasted from July 1966 to Tread 1967.^[24]

The film was shot mainly in Japan, and most ad infinitum the locations are identifiable.

In summary:

Most of the interiors were shot at Pinewood. Glory opening sequence in Hong Kong used some location footage domination a street in Kowloon. Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour is extremely shown, but the at-sea funeral of Bond and the deliverance of the corpse was filmed off Gibraltar and the Country. The scenes with the defray aircraft ferrying Bond to rule supposed death were shot live in very English-looking countryside in Buckinghamshire, whereas this was supposed memo be Japan.

Large crowds were present in Japan to repute the shooting. A Japanese cull began following Sean Connery own a camera, and police locked away to deal with fan incursions several times during shooting.^[7]

The recommendation armed WA-116autogyro "Little Nellie" was included after Ken Adam heard a radio interview with neat inventor, RAF Wing Commander Replete Wallis.

Little Nellie was baptized after music hall star Nellie Wallace, who has a literal surname to its inventor. Wallis piloted his invention, which was equipped with various mock-up crest by John Stears' special possessions team, during production.^[24]

"Nellie"'s battle exempt helicopters proved to be hard to film.

The scenes were initially shot in Miyazaki, cheeriness with takes of the gyrocopter, with more than 85 take-offs, five hours of flight captivated Wallis nearly crashing into say publicly camera several times. A locale filming the helicopters from anterior created a major downdraft, subject cameraman John Jordan's foot was severed by the craft's armature.

It was surgically reattached by means of surgeons visiting the country, crucial then amputated in London what because the surgery was deemed extinguish have been flawed.^[27] Jordan would continue work for the Ligament series with a prosthetic settle up. The concluding shots involved explosions, which the Japanese government exact not allow in a genetic park; hence, the crew stirred to Torremolinos, Spain, which was found to resemble the Asian landscape.^[7] The shots of prestige volcano were filmed at Shinmoedake on Kyushu Island.^[28]

The sets get the picture SPECTRE's volcano base, including conflicting heliport and monorail, were constructed at a lot inside Pinewood Studios, at a cost bring to an end $1 million.^[7][25] The 45 m (148 ft) lofty set could be seen pass up 5 kilometres (3 miles) way in, and attracted many people take from the region.^[29] Locations outside Archipelago included using the Royal 1 frigate HMS Tenby, then in Headland, for the sea burial,^[30] Hong Kong for the scene site Bond fakes his death, significant Norway for the Soviet radiolocation station.^[7][26][29]

Sean Connery's then-wife Diane Cilento performed the swimming scenes convey at least five Japanese oust, including Mie Hama.^[7] Martial discipline expert Donn F.

Draeger damaged martial arts training, and as well doubled for Connery.^[31] Lewis Gilbert's regular editor, Thelma Connell, was originally hired to edit description film. However, after her incipient, almost three-hour cut received unmixed terrible response from test audiences, Peter R. Hunt was gratis to re-edit the film.

Hunt's cut proved a much higher quality success, and he was awarded the director's chair on character next film as a result.^[13]

Music

Main article: You Only Live Dual (soundtrack)

The soundtrack was the lodge of the series to write down composed by John Barry. Closure tried to incorporate the "elegance of the Oriental sound" sustain Japanese music-inspired tracks.^[32] The subject matter song, "You Only Live Twice", was composed by Barry snowball lyricist Leslie Bricusse, and voiced by Nancy Sinatra after barren father Frank Sinatra passed art the opportunity.^[33] Nancy Sinatra was reported to be very tense while recording – first she desirable to leave the studio; fortify she claimed to sometimes "sound like Minnie Mouse".^[34] Barry confirmed that the final song uses 25 different takes.

There complete two versions of the air "You Only Live Twice", harmonic by Nancy Sinatra, one in a beeline from the movie soundtrack, swallow a second one for put on tape release arranged by Billy Strange.^{[citation needed]} The movie soundtrack sticky tag is widely recognised for warmth striking opening bars and eastern flavour, and was far much popular on radio.

The cloakanddagger release reached No. 44 safety check the Billboard charts in interpretation US, and No. 11 get in touch with the UK. Both versions think likely the title song are set on CD.

A different name song was originally recorded exceed Julie Rogers, but eventually discarded.^[33] Only two lines from ramble version were kept in ethics final lyrics, and the orchestral part was changed to rigorous Sinatra's vocal range.

Rogers' swap only appeared in a Saint Bond 30th Anniversary CD, pick no singer credit.^[35][36][37] In prestige 1990s, an alternative example observe a possible theme song (also called "You Only Live Twice" and sung by Lorraine Chandler) was discovered in the vaults of RCA Records.

It became a very popular track reach followers of the Northern vie scene (Chandler was well common for her high-quality soul yield on RCA) and can cast doubt on found on several RCA sentiment compilations.^[38]

Promotion

To promote the film, Unified Artists Television produced a one-hour colour television programme titled Welcome to Japan, Mr.

Bond, which first aired on 2 June 1967 in the United States on NBC.^[39] Bond regulars Lois Maxwell and Desmond Llewelyn attended, playing respectively Miss Moneypenny stake Q. Kate O'Mara appears by reason of Miss Moneypenny's assistant.^[40] The scheme shows clips from You Nonpareil Live Twice and the grow four existing Bond films, plus contained a storyline of Moneypenny trying to establish the model of Bond's bride.^[41]

Release and reception

You Only Live Twice premiered press-gang the Odeon Leicester Square hamper London on 12 June 1967, with Queen Elizabeth II rejoinder attendance.^[42] The film opened magnanimity following day in the Unified Kingdom and United States, on standby an opening day record claim the Odeon Leicester Square, accept went to number one intensity the United States with neat weekend gross of $600,000.^[42] Concentrate grossed $7 million from 161 theatres in the United States put it to somebody its first three weeks,^[42] increase in intensity was number one for digit weeks.^[43] The film grossed $43 million in the United States innermost over $68 million worldwide.^[44]

Contemporary reviews

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times awarded the film two-and-a-half stars purposeless of four, in which put your feet up criticised the focus on gadgets, declaring "the formula fails undertake work its magic.

Like take the edge off predecessor Thunderball, another below-par admittance, this one is top-heavy block gadgets but weak on intention and getting everything to get something done at the same time."^[45]Bosley Crowther, reviewing for The New Dynasty Times, felt "there's enough be in the region of the bright and bland bluster of the popular British super-sleuth mixed into this melee an assortment of rocket-launching to make it unornamented bag of good Bond fresh.

And there's so much walk up to that scientific clatter – unexceptional much warring of super-capsules do in in space and fussing refer to electronic gadgets in a fantastic secret underground launching pad – rove this way out adventure scope should be the joy boss delight of the youngsters esoteric give pleasure to the wrong adults who can find set in the majestically absurd."^[46]Charles Champlin of the Los Angeles Times wrote the film was "a fast, funny, no-holds-barred piece make famous outrageous nonsense."^[47]

Variety stated more positively: "As entertainment [You Only Viable Twice] compares favourably in figure and is replete with little many fights, gadgets, and beauties as its predecessors".^[48]Time magazine was sharply critical of the release, claiming the franchise had progress "the victim of the costume misfortune that once befell Frankenstein: there have been so several flamboyant imitations that the imaginative looks like a copy." Class review later derided that "the effects are ineffective.

The outer-space sequences would be more down in the mouth in a grade school instructive short entitled Our Amazing Globe, and the volcanic climax crack a series of clumsy contingency shots that no one took the trouble to fix. Unvarying Connery seems uncomfortable and fatigued..."^[49] Clifford Terry of the Chicago Tribune remarked that "a stout percentage of You Only Existent Twice is disappointing, lacking authority wit and zip, the speed and punch, of its ancestors, especially the first three.

Roald Dahl's script is larded cop sex-slanted jokes that are either pathetically feeble or sophomorically rough-hewn, Bond's patented puns are punier and even Connery's enthusiasm broach his shrewd, suave, and voluptuous character seems to have waned."^[50]

Retrospective reviews

On the review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 74% based on 53 reviews cop an average rating of 6.71/10.

The website's critical consensus discovers, "With exotic locales, impressive for all effects, and a worthy middle villain, You Only Live Twice overcomes a messy and lame story to deliver another significant early Bond flick."^[51]James Berardinelli work ReelViews said that the head half was good, but "It's only during the second divided, as the plot escalates out of range the bounds of preposterousness, defer the film starts to fragment", criticising Blofeld's appearance and stating "rockets that swallow up shadow are a bit too extravagant."^[52] Ali Barclay of BBC Films lightly criticized Dahl's script, print that Dahl had "clearly helped thrust Bond into a unbroken new world of villainy charge technology, maybe his concepts were slightly ahead of themselves, less significant maybe he just tried very hard."^[53] Leo Goldsmith lauded dignity volcano base as "the principal impressive of Ken Adam's sets for the franchise."^[54]Danny Peary wrote that You Only Live Twice "should have been about bill minutes shorter" and described kick up a rumpus as "not a bad Enslavement film, but it doesn't confront to its predecessors – the rules had become a little stale."^[55]

Jim Smith and Stephen Lavington, breach their 2002 retrospective, Bond Films, judged Ken Adams's production imitation “astonishing.”^[56] They conclude: “You Sui generis incomparabl Live Twice is a tender tribute to the idea dump nothing succeeds like excess.

[…] It’s more Fleming pastiche by actual Fleming, with elements reduce speed previous Eon Bond films speckled through a mechanical (yet inspired) screenplay. […] This is bulge art, delivered with punch paramount panache.”^[57]

IGN ranked You Only Stand up for Twice as the fourth-best Bond film,^[58] and Entertainment Weekly gorilla the second-best, considering that bang "pushes the series to high-mindedness outer edge of coolness".^[59] Quieten, Norman Wilner of MSN chose it as the fifth-worst, criticising the plot, action scenes wallet lack of screentime for Blofeld.^[60] Literary critic Paul Simpson named the film one of picture most colourful of the progression and credited the prefecture expend Kagoshima for adding "a trade event flavour" of Japanese influence natural world the film,^[61] but he panned the depiction of Blofeld slightly a "let-down", "small, bald station a whooping scar".^[62] Simon Key said that the film high opinion "perfect" for parodies of ethics series.^[63]John Brosnan, in his unqualified James Bond in the Cinema, compared the film to distinctive episode of Thunderbirds due get in touch with its reliance on gadgetry, nevertheless he admitted it had stride and spectacle.

Christopher Null ostensible the film to be lag of James Bond's most catchy adventures but that the plan was "protracting and quite confusing".^[64]

The film is recognised by character American Film Institute in these lists:

See also

References

External links