EVERYTHING OR NOTHING (1979)
In early 1978, Kevin McClory and Sean Connery finally get what they’ve wanted for almost a decade: The cinematic rights to Thunderball. Eagerly imagining a competitor series to the EON films, the two quickly create their own production company, Tam O’Shanter Films, and begin to approach the studios for marketing and distribution rights. After going through seven studios, it is finally picked up by Warner Bros., who insist, despite worrying the film might bomb in comparison to the upcoming EON Moonraker, that the duo begin filming in nine months.
Deciding to get fresh new talent, the two quickly score a major coup by picking up young rising filmmaker Steven Spielberg as director, and this quickly starts a snowballing of media flurry. Proclaiming this film to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to appear alongside Sean Connery as James Bond, the producers are mobbed with thousands of requests, eventually picking both classic (Trevor Howard, Michael York, Joss Ackland) and popular (Bo Derek, Helen Mirren, Ian Hendry, Lynda Carter) actors to appear in key roles.
As production gears up, writers such as Ian Le Frenais and Ronald Hardy contribute to the script, with Anthony Barwick doing one final polish during filming. All seems to go well at first; unfortunately, about a week before shooting is due to begin, Sean Connery gets in a car accident and breaks his leg in seven places. With no way to wait for Connery to recuperate, McClory is forced to find another actor to play James Bond; through the Scotsman’s friend Michael Caine, McClory eventually decides on Roger Moore to play the famous role.
Work begins on October 12, 1978 in Egypt, with the train chase scene, then quickly moves to the Moroccan and New Orleans shoots. Interior scenes are shot at Elstree Studios, with the Russian scenes being filmed around a park in Sheffield, and the climactic helicopter finale is shot on a completely white soundstage using mockups of choppers and dry ice. As production wraps, producer Sean Connery thinks up a mocking title, which Kevin McClory is only delighted to second: Everything or Nothing.
After shooting is finished, the score is written; John Williams, brought over by director Spielberg, records a bombastic score filled with sweeping themes and Bond-esque moments, which the producers promptly remove from sections of the film and replace with disco-inspired music by record producer Robert Stigwood once the Bee-Gees are signed on to perform the title song.
In early July, the producers, in a stroke of luck, are licenced use of the Bond theme by Monty Norman himself – but for one occasion only. Seeing their chance, they bring Jerry Goldsmith in to perform the theme for the iconic teaser trailer: As an announcer intones, “This summer… there is one man… you can always count on…”, a Lazenby-lookalike strolls through the gunbarrel, then is shot; the scene then cuts to a smoking gun, as the renowned Bond theme begins, and the camera dollies up and back to reveal none other than a sly-looking Roger Moore, who quips, “You were expecting someone else?”
The film opens on September 22, 1979, and stars Roger Moore as James Bond, David Hemmings as Johann Wertler, Bo Derek as Dominique St. Germaine, Victor Buono as Nikolas Brulzinski, Helen Mirren as Kaya Kalavikova, Trevor Howard as M, Alec McCowen as Algernon, Ian Hendry as Turtelbaut, Michael York as 003, Lynda Carter as Agent Starling, Martin Shaw as Lippe, Vivian Stanshall as Fran
Edited by coco1997, 01 March 2008 - 05:15 AM.
