“Diamonds are Forever” is the seventh James Bond film telling the story of 007 battling a plot by old nemesis Ernst Stavro Blofeld to use diamonds as a space-based laser weapon to destroy Washington, D. C. Director Guy Hamilton (“Goldfinger” 1964) gives this film the usual Bond flair, from a decent screenplay by Richard Maibaum and Tom Mankiewicz.
Sean Connery is in his sixth Bond role, after skipping “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” (1969). The supporting cast is populated by Jill St. John as Tiffany Case, Lana Wood as Plenty O’Toole, Jimmy Dean as the Howard Hughes clone Willard Whyte, Norman Burton as Felix Leiter, Bruce Cabot as Bert Saxby, Leonard Barr (Dean Martin’s uncle) as Shady Tree, and Margaret Lacey as a little-old-lady diamond smuggler. Returnees include Bernard Lee as M, Desmond Llewelyn as Q, and Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny. A scene with Sammy Davis Jr. in a cameo was deleted, but can be viewed on the DVD extras.
The soundtrack was once again composed by John Barry, his sixth time for a Bond picture. The title song for the film was performed by Shirley Bassey, her second after “Goldfinger” (1964). Shirley’s third and final Bond theme song would be for “Moonraker” (1979).
The smashing “Diamonds are Forever” was a massive hit at the box office for producers Harry Saltzman and Albert R. “Cubby” Broccoli, Eon Productions, and United Artists. This would be Sean Connery’s final Bond project until “Never Say Never Again” in 1983, which, of course, is a non-Eon Productions film.
Diamonds are Forever (1971)
cinema
My Review
“Diamonds are Forever” is the seventh James Bond film telling the story of 007 battling a plot by old nemesis Ernst Stavro Blofeld to use diamonds as a space-based laser weapon to destroy Washington, D. C. Director Guy Hamilton (“Goldfinger” 1964) gives this film the usual Bond flair, from a decent screenplay by Richard Maibaum and Tom Mankiewicz.
Sean Connery is in his sixth Bond role, after skipping “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” (1969). The supporting cast is populated by Jill St. John as Tiffany Case, Lana Wood as Plenty O’Toole, Jimmy Dean as the Howard Hughes clone Willard Whyte, Norman Burton as Felix Leiter, Bruce Cabot as Bert Saxby, Leonard Barr (Dean Martin’s uncle) as Shady Tree, and Margaret Lacey as a little-old-lady diamond smuggler. Returnees include Bernard Lee as M, Desmond Llewelyn as Q, and Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny. A scene with Sammy Davis Jr. in a cameo was deleted, but can be viewed on the DVD extras.
The soundtrack was once again composed by John Barry, his sixth time for a Bond picture. The title song for the film was performed by Shirley Bassey, her second after “Goldfinger” (1964). Shirley’s third and final Bond theme song would be for “Moonraker” (1979).
The smashing “Diamonds are Forever” was a massive hit at the box office for producers Harry Saltzman and Albert R. “Cubby” Broccoli, Eon Productions, and United Artists. This would be Sean Connery’s final Bond project until “Never Say Never Again” in 1983, which, of course, is a non-Eon Productions film.