20 replies to this topic

[Jaws0178]

Okay, let me say this first. I do not usually nitpick regarding movies, but I saw a couple of things while watching Thunderball and was a little bit confused.

I have a few questions and observations concerning Thunderball:

1. In the pts, how did Bond get the jetpack onto the roof and get to where "Madame Boitier"

2. Am I the only one who thinks the clock that Bond looks at during the "rack" part looks like the clock from Goldfingers plane?

3. If the flight that Derval\Mr. Angelo is on is a "normal training sortie" then why do they have live atomic bombs on the plane in the first place? That'd be like giving people playing a war game live ammo.

4. This one is purely for the British members: what is the deal with the "very good, sir" comment that is given during the movie? Is that a British thing or what?

5. This one is an observation&\a question: I used to own the VHS copy of this movie, and watched it pretty regularly. Out of all the times that I watched it, I never noticed that Count Lippe was standing practically next to Bond while he was removing the gauze from around Dervals head. Was it just me not paying attention, or is that normal for the transition from VHS to DVD?

Again, please understand I enjoy Thunderball, but I recently noticed these things and really thought about them. Also is it just me, or does M seem to be jealous of Bond during the briefing with Colonel Smithers in Goldfinger

[TCK]

1. Remember Q in The world is not enough, "always have an escape plan".

The others ones I don't know. Perhaps they used live atomic bombs to put pressure on pilots and make them more concentrated ?

[Baccarat]

My favourite Bond, but full of continuity errors and other editing peculiarities.

Did you also notice that Bond gets shot in the right leg, but bandages up his left? Or that Domino gets "stung" in her right foot, but Bond sucks the poison out of her left? Then there's Leiter's shorts changing in the scene where Bond dives the Vulcan, Derval's watch changing between a Breitling on a leather strap and a (Rolex?) on a steel bracelet when he is killed in the cockpit by Largo, Bond's scuba mask changing between blue and black, the list goes on...

The clock is the same prop.

The Brits are respecting and accepting authority.

I always assumed the jet pack was stashed in advance for the getaway and it was a "live" training mission (probably best not to dwell on such matters in any Bond film ).

The shot in which we see both Lippe and Bond when Derval is "unmasked" is clearly an impossibility, given that Lippe should be standing in the steam room.

What I've always wanted to know is just what the hell the Moneypenny line "On yoghurt and lemon juice" means in response to Bond's threat to put her over his knee.

Edited by Baccarat, 05 June 2011 - 12:34 PM.

[The Shark]

1. By pointing his jetpack's directional thrusters toward the chosen pickup point. That meant flying over the chateau, and away from the heavies.

2. It's likely the same prop, or one from the same stock. The production teams were very economical in those early Bond films.

3. Yep, this is a real head scratchier. My (albeit cynical) answer is - plot contrivance. Even then, there could be real-life precedents in the post-war period with nuclear scenarios featuring live warheads, instead of dummies.

4. This is a traditional formality associated with butlers, chauffeurs, or the upper class in general, in the media and literature.

5. Could this be an aspect ratio thing? The sides of the screen being cutoff for some of the VCR releases, so you're not getting the full composition (Bond in background, Lippe in foreground with gun)?

Also is it just me, or does M seem to be jealous of Bond during the briefing with Colonel Smithers in Goldfinger

There's often that undercurrent with Bernard Lee's M and Connery's Bond. M getting pissed off by Bond acting like a know-it-all schoolboy.

[Bond... Raybond]

"What I've always wanted to know is just what the hell the Moneypenny line "On yoghurt and lemon juice" means in response to Bond's threat to put her over his knee."

Assuming your query is not tongue in cheek, the answer is that she's questioning Connery-Bond's ability to give Moneypenny a hiding on a diet of 'only yoghurt and lemon juice'.

BTW, it took me years to figure out what she actually said when she spoke that line because of her accent and her pronunciation of 'yo-ghurt' rather than 'yogh-urt'.

[ryanparsons]

I've always thought that the ''on yoghurt and lemon juice'' line referred to the fact Bond was supposed to be on some kind of heath weekend and was on a diet there of yoghurt's and fruit juices etc, so he wouldn't have had the energy to do anything to Moneypenny......he certainly is in the book.

[Jaws0178]

That was my thought as well. Thanks for the answers, guys. My third question is the ultimate headscratchr for me as well.

[Mr. Blofeld]

I always took it that Moneypenny had some bizarre food fetish; she wanted to be put across Bond's knee and smeared with yogurt and...

...you know what? Never mind.

There's often that undercurrent with Bernard Lee's M and Connery's Bond. M getting pissed off by Bond acting like a know-it-all schoolboy.

That's what I liked about the scene at Quarterdeck in OHMSS; M is actually impressed that Bond knows something about his own hobbies, rather than being inordinately pissed off at him.

[MajorB]

For the first question, I always assumed Bond flew to the chateau using the jet pack, which is how he was able to get there ahead of the "widow." Bond stashed the pack and helmet outside on the terrace, slipped in, and waited. The Asian woman drove the Aston-Martin from the chapel to the chateau, and arrived a few minutes later, probably just before or after "Madame" did. She waited for Bond at a prearranged place outside, so Bond knew exactly where to fly to when he made his escape.

Of course, this assumes that (1) the jet pack had an extraordinary range, since presumably the chateau was miles from the chapel; (2) the servants inside the chateau were so hard of hearing that the sound of a rocket landing outside attracted no attention; and (3) Bond somehow knew exactly what room to be waiting in when "Madame" arrived. But that's Bond for you.

[Jeff007]

The yogurt line is from the novel.

[Binyamin]

As for the "training sortie," it was the Cold War. Not sure about the Brits, but the U.S. Air Force flew live nukes all the time. There were live nuclear warheads over Alaska and Canada literally at all times, on rotation, in case the Ruskies got frisky.

[Guy Haines]

Concerning your query about the Vulcan - I've dipped into a book about the aircraft (the V bomber force being one of my interests). As far as I'm aware live nuclear weapons were available during training exercises so that the aircrew and ground crews knew the routine of loading them in the event of a "dispersal" - when the "V" force aircraft were dispersed from their home bases to various points across the UK to await their final orders.

However, according to ex Vulcan command pilot Squadron Leader John Reeve, although ground crews sometimes loaded genuine nuclear bombs among the dummy warheads, "on an exercise, any genuine nuclear weapon would be downloaded and returned to the bomb dump before the aircraft flew" from its home base to its dispersal point. My source is "The Avro Vulcan: A Complete History" by Tim McLelland.

So the answer seems to be no, real "nukes" would not have been used on a "routine training sortie", as it is described in TB. As far as I am aware!

As for the expression "Very good, sir" - simple British politeness. And, if used by lower ranks to an officer, to be expected, along with a salute, probably!

[Major Tallon]

As for the jet pack, the Bell Rocket Belt had only enough fuel for 21 seconds of flight, whereupon it would burn out, so it's unlikely that Bond could have flown it onto the roof and then used it to make his escape. Besides, the belt wasn't exactly quiet, so Bond's entry into the chateau would hardly have been unobtrusive. That means he'd have had to enter the chateau when the staff was distracted, or perhaps have pretended to be a tradesman, delivering a large piece of equipment. Implausible, however you look at it.

I've got a couple of questions of my own:

1. "Derval's" base pass was for RAF Waddington, located south of Lincoln, hardly convenient for a base near a health club located in "the south of England." Has SPECTRE no better grasp of English geography than this?

2. When lunching with Domino by the pool, Bond is seen drinkng red wine with his conch chowder. Has he decided that Grant may have been on to something after all?

[The Shark]

2. When lunching with Domino by the pool, Bond is seen drinkng red wine with his conch chowder. Has he decided that Grant may have been on to something after all?

A conch is a mollusc, not a fish.

[Major Tallon]

2. When lunching with Domino by the pool, Bond is seen drinkng red wine with his conch chowder. Has he decided that Grant may have been on to something after all?

A conch is a mollusc, not a fish.

Brilliant! Thanks for that!

[Guy Haines]

As for the jet pack, the Bell Rocket Belt had only enough fuel for 21 seconds of flight, whereupon it would burn out, so it's unlikely that Bond could have flown it onto the roof and then used it to make his escape. Besides, the belt wasn't exactly quiet, so Bond's entry into the chateau would hardly have been unobtrusive. That means he'd have had to enter the chateau when the staff was distracted, or perhaps have pretended to be a tradesman, delivering a large piece of equipment. Implausible, however you look at it.

I've got a couple of questions of my own:

1. "Derval's" base pass was for RAF Waddington, located south of Lincoln, hardly convenient for a base near a health club located in "the south of England." Has SPECTRE no better grasp of English geography than this?

2. When lunching with Domino by the pool, Bond is seen drinkng red wine with his conch chowder. Has he decided that Grant may have been on to something after all?

I must admit I didn't notice the RAF pass being valid for Waddington - which at the time was one of the major V bomber bases in the RAF. Lincolnshire has the nickname "Bomber County" because of the preponderance of bomber bases situated there, especially during the Second World War. When the Vulcan flew on its one and only operational mission as a bomber - the "Black Buck" raid during the Falklands War - it was from RAF Waddington that Vulcan 607 began that mission.

And it is definitely south of Lincoln! I've been to Waddington quite a few times - I'm going next month in fact for the annual air show. Only about and hour and a bit from my home.

PS air show link attached for all you wing nuts out there. And if anyone from SPECTRE is reading this, look it up on Google or make sure your sat-nav is working properly - though that's no guarantee you wouldn't still end up "near a health clinic, conveniently located in the south of England".
http://www.waddingtonairshow.co.uk/

[Mr. Blofeld]

As for the jet pack, the Bell Rocket Belt had only enough fuel for 21 seconds of flight, whereupon it would burn out, so it's unlikely that Bond could have flown it onto the roof and then used it to make his escape. Besides, the belt wasn't exactly quiet, so Bond's entry into the chateau would hardly have been unobtrusive. That means he'd have had to enter the chateau when the staff was distracted, or perhaps have pretended to be a tradesman, delivering a large piece of equipment. Implausible, however you look at it.

My guess is, the French assistant and Bond hightailed it the hell out of the chapel on a back road, in order to beat Bouvar to the chateau; as most of Bouvar's staff were in the car with him, Bond then used the rocket belt to get up to the roof, landed, stashed it behind a pillar, and made his way to the sitting-room, where he waited.

[Jump James]

I have seen that clock that is mentioned, it was at the For Your Eyes Only exhibition at the Imperial War Museum. Used in a couple of the films and if I recall correctly it was donated by EON. They must keep the important props locked up someone in their own archive. If anyone has a key let me know....

[Miles Miservy]

"What I've always wanted to know is just what the hell the Moneypenny line "On yoghurt and lemon juice" means in response to Bond's threat to put her over his knee."

Assuming your query is not tongue in cheek, the answer is that she's questioning Connery-Bond's ability to give Moneypenny a hiding on a diet of 'only yoghurt and lemon juice'.

BTW, it took me years to figure out what she actually said when she spoke that line because of her accent and her pronunciation of 'yo-ghurt' rather than 'yogh-urt'.

It is taken from the Fleming book. That is what James Bond was forced to eat while he was at Shrublands.

[Jaws0178]

And if anyone from SPECTRE is reading this, look it up on Google or make sure your sat-nav is working properly - though that's no guarantee you wouldn't still end up "near a health clinic, conveniently located in the south of England".

Blast, Blofeld told number 13 to program the ruddy thing correctly!!

[Pussfeller]

Yeah, that "yogurt and lemon juice" line was completely bizarre in the context of the film, since Bond was not shown to have been on a restricted diet. When I first saw the film, having never read the book, I assumed that it was some twee idiomatic way of asking, "Really and truly?"