Jump to content


This is a read only archive of the old forums
The new CBn forums are located at https://quarterdeck.commanderbond.net/

 
Photo

Was a Bond film ever released on a double bill with a nonBond


9 replies to this topic

#1 George White

George White

    Midshipman

  • Crew
  • 95 posts

Posted 13 May 2014 - 09:55 AM

i.e. a non-Bond film as a support feature, or were there always sijngles/re-releases with another Bond?



#2 Guy Haines

Guy Haines

    Commander

  • Veterans
  • PipPipPipPip
  • 3075 posts
  • Location:"Special envoy" no more. As of 7/5/15 elected to office somewhere in Nottinghamshire, England.

Posted 13 May 2014 - 03:37 PM

Back in 1972 I can remember You Only Live Twice being shown at my local cinema in a double bill with the controversial and violent western Soldier Blue. The only link between the two movies I could think of was that they both starred Donald Pleasance. It was deeply frustrating for this then ten year old, though. YOLT was the only one of the  Bonds at that time that I hadn't yet seen, yet because it was in a double bill with an X (i.e. 18) certificate movie, I couldn't go and see it. Fortunately YOLT returned later in the year in a double bill with From Russia With Love. Went to see them both, box ticked, result!

 

(Incidentally, the poster advertising Soldier Blue was placed next to a standard poster on the wall at the cinema boasting "Wholesome family entertainment".(!?) I've never seen Soldier Blue but friends who have assure me you could never mistake it for a film made by Walt Disney! ;) )



#3 SAWfinger

SAWfinger

    Midshipman

  • Crew
  • 48 posts

Posted 13 May 2014 - 05:21 PM

Yes, I remember going to my local Odeon in the late 1970s, probably around '78-79, and seeing 'The Spy Who Loved Me' in a double-bill with a Peter Sellers Inspector Clouseau film (both were United Artists films, of course).



#4 Turn

Turn

    Commander

  • Veterans
  • PipPipPipPip
  • 6837 posts
  • Location:Ohio

Posted 13 May 2014 - 09:30 PM

I can't recall any Bonds being paired with a non-Bond features in cinemas, but there were a few at drive-in theaters here in the U.S. The one I recall is a Kirk Douglas film called The Final Countdown that came out in the summer of 1980 and TSWLM as the second feature. At that time it was the only Bond I'd never seen and I couldn't get anybody to take me to see it as I was just a kid. I waited a few more months and saw it on its television premiere.

 

And when FYEO came out I saw it at a drive-in and it was paired with The Gumball Rally, a car chase comedy, and later on with the Ringo Starr comedy Caveman.



#5 Simon

Simon

    Commander

  • Veterans
  • PipPipPipPip
  • 5884 posts
  • Location:England

Posted 14 May 2014 - 11:46 AM

In the UK, there were a fair number of such releases.

 

Goldfinger / For a Few Dollars More

From Russia with Love / Hang 'Em High

You Only Live Twice / A Fistful of Dollars

Diamonds Are Forever / Gold

Spy Who Loved Me / Pink Panther Strikes Again.

 

Think that was about all from the offical point of view.

 

There may have been other unoffical pairings such as, from the looks of it, the Soldier Blue pairing where some non-thinking cinema manager was not thinking clearly.  All the above named official pairings had posters printed for their release.



#6 jrcjohnny99

jrcjohnny99

    Lieutenant

  • Crew
  • PipPip
  • 856 posts
  • Location:Los Angeles

Posted 14 May 2014 - 04:17 PM

In the UK, there were a fair number of such releases.

 

Goldfinger / For a Few Dollars More

From Russia with Love / Hang 'Em High

You Only Live Twice / A Fistful of Dollars

Diamonds Are Forever / Gold

Spy Who Loved Me / Pink Panther Strikes Again.

 

Think that was about all from the offical point of view.

 

There may have been other unoffical pairings such as, from the looks of it, the Soldier Blue pairing where some non-thinking cinema manager was not thinking clearly.  All the above named official pairings had posters printed for their release.

 

I have that Spy/Pink Pather SA double bill quad, been after the others for a while but they are much harder to track down; the Diamonds/Gold one shows up every so often but usually in the 250-300 GBP range...

 

In the UK the trend was for the Bond films to be released as a double bill in an off-Bond year with the 2nd and 3rd oldest pics on the bill;

so in 1976 Diamonds and LALD, 78 LALD & TMWTGG, 80 TMWTGG & TSWLM, 82 TSWLM & MR etc, I saw several of these double bills;

The Odeon would always run them in those non-Bond summers.... 



#7 Godhammer

Godhammer

    Cadet

  • Crew
  • 6 posts
  • Location:Crystal Lake, Illinois

Posted 14 May 2014 - 06:10 PM

THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN was re-released widely in the U.S. with Clint Eastwood's THUNDERBOLT AND LIGHTFOOT in 1975. Both released by United Artists in 1974 and both considered box-ofice under-achievers. The double-bill was unusual in that the family-friendly PG-rated Bond was paired with the harder R-rated Eastwood picture.



#8 MicroGlobeOne

MicroGlobeOne

    Lt. Commander

  • Crew
  • Pip
  • 293 posts
  • Location:Connecticut, USA

Posted 15 May 2014 - 05:26 PM

Double bills, of course, are still the norm for drive-ins. About ten years ago I went to see Die Another Day paired with Bulletproof Monk (2003).



#9 George White

George White

    Midshipman

  • Crew
  • 95 posts

Posted 04 September 2014 - 01:43 PM

Any more?



#10 DLibrasnow

DLibrasnow

    Commander

  • Enlisting
  • PipPipPipPip
  • 16568 posts
  • Location:Washington D.C.. USA

Posted 05 September 2014 - 01:02 AM

I remember seeing posters for "The Spy Who Loved Me" and "Pink Panther Strikes Again" at my local cinema growing up but the only double bills I have ever actually seen are "Superman/Superman II" and "Star Wars/The Empire Strikes Back"