STARBLAZER SPECIAL INDY III Spring 1985

SEAN CONNERY IS THE REAL JAMES BOND

Sean Connery is Back as the Bond we Love.

By TOM SCIACCA

In the darkened hall of the RKO Cinerama, on dangerous Broadway, New York City, the audience of young people awaited the showing of The Twilight Zone, The Movie. Loud,  brash, they suddenly hushed when the trailer started before the film. The announcer narrated; "Sean Connery is Ian Fleming's James Bond in Never Say Never Again." At that moment the audience of 19 year olds burst into applause, going wild when Connery said, "My name is Bond." They ate up the antics on the screen, the motorcycle jump, the fights, and the action. One young man screamed out, "Yeah-the real James Bond." Obviously a critic of the Octopussy trailer that had just been shown.

            Strangely enough, most of these people weren't even born when Connery first starred in Dr. No in 1962, and were no more than eight or nine years old in 1971 when Sean was last Bond, in Diamonds Are Forever.
            Proving once again, the popularity of Sean Connery, the legend goes on via television and videotape.
            When Connery first took on the mantle of 007, his salary was in the range of $50,000. For Diamonds are Forever it was over one million dollars, at that time the highest price paid to an actor. That million dollars was given to Connery's favorite charity, The Scottish Educational Trust, a fund that enables poor children in Connery's native Scotland to be educated.
            For Never Say Never Again Connery is receiving 5 million dollars in addition to total script, casting and direction approval.
            In contrast, Roger Moore was a certifiable star when he assumed the Bond mantle, after years of The Saint, Maverick, and The Persuaders. At Moore's start in Live and Let Die he received roughly half a million dollars, in addition to percentage points. For his six films, Roger's salary has risen to nearly 5 million for Octopussy: Roger doesn't have nearly the total power Connery has, though I'm sure he's quite comfortable.
            Contrary to rumor, Moore and Connery are not in competition, do not hate each other, in fact they have been good friends for over 25 years; Moore accompanied Connery to the Diamonds premiere in London, in addition, Connery, Moore and Michael Caine share the same agent!
            After Connery filmed Diamonds, it was 'never again'. However, Kevin McClory, who had co-written a script with Ian Fleming called "James Bond, Secret Agent" had other plans.
            Years before, Kevin McClory had been a brash, up and coming Irish film director, filming The Boy and the Bridge. McClory, Fleming, and another writer named Jack Whittingham had co-authored a screenplay for a proposed James Bond film in the 1950s. Nothing came of the script, and Fleming and McClory went their separate ways. Several years later, Thunderball was published. T-Ball was nearly exactly the script McClory had written with Fleming. There was a heated lawsuit, which stopped Broccoli and Saltzman from making T-Ball the first Bond film, Eventually, Fleming relented, and McClory was awarded the film rights to Thunderball. At one point in 1964 he attempted to get the production off the ground by himself, but without Sean Bond it was a no go. A deal was struck with Broccoli/Saltzman: McGlory would be co-producer of their production of Thunderball. After ten years, Kevin McGlory's rights would revert back to him; he'd be able to do a remake, or anything else. The reasoning behind this was thus, after ten years, Bond would be a dead issue, the fad'd be over. How shortsighted!
            Thunderball was a runaway hit, despite the lack of characterization and the abundance of machinery. McGlory took his money, went to the Bahamas, to re-emerge in ten years.
            But Bond didn't die. 007 continued, even the stray book not owned by United Artists, Casino Royale (1967) became a successful if not convoluted comedy.
            In 1975, Variety had an advertisement announcing that agent "Swifty" Lazar had read a script called "James Bond of the Secret Service" written by Sean Connery, Len Deighton and Kevin McClory.
            McClory had surfaced, his ten year period up, ready for Bondage renewed. And he had somehow convinced Connery to lend his name and expertise to the project. Well, Cubby Broccoli and United Artists hit the roof, and lawsuits galore ensued. Connery, naturally adverse to lawyers (his advice to his son Jason, an aspiring actor-"Don't trust lawyers!") Connery bowed out.
            At one point, the project was retitled Warhead, and Paramount Pictures had announced start of production, with Larry (" JR") Hagman as Felix Leiter and Orson Welles as Blofeld. That too, died as more lawsuits gummed the works. Paramount withdrew, and it seemed that Warhead would never be made. Connery wanted nothing to do with it if there were continual lawsuits. And that was the ploy of Broccoli and UA-keep the lawsuits up, and keep the film from being made. The ploy worked too, for seven years until a man named Jack Schwartzman came into the picture.
            A successful entertainment lawyer, Schwartzman, married to Talia Shire, Francis Ford Coppola's sister, was no babe in the woods. Partnering himself with McClory, he managed to knock aside the lawsuits from now MGM-UA, and get the ball finally rolling to get the film, now titled Never Say Never Again going. The toughest nut to crack turned out to be Connery himself. But it was Sean's beautiful French-Morrocan wife Micheline who convinced him to be 007 once more.
            Stated Connery," When Jack Schwartzman came to me to ask me to do Never Say Never Again Micheline encouraged me to think about it carefully. 'Why not play the role? What do you risk? After all these years it might be interesting.' The more I thought about it, the more I thought she was right. There was also a certain amount of curiosity in me about the role, having been so long away from 'it." Micheline also came up with the title of the film, and 'in' joke that reflects on Sean and 007.
            Directing the film was another story. Connery originally wanted Richard Donner (Superman) but Donner turned him down. Next in line was John Guillerman (Sheena) but that turned sour. Irvin Kershner was selected, his track record good and fresh from Empire Strikes Back, in many minds the best of the three films of the Star Wars saga.
            "I saw the chance to do something I had never done before, Kershner said, 'I thought it would be a real challenge to do a Bond film with Sean, particularly what I'm sure will be his last film as Bond. When I looked at the script, I was immediately interested in the characters because-though the action is important and there's lots of it in the film-I'm fascinated by the people in the story.”
            "As far as I'm concerned, this is the first Bond film ever made and I've tried to find a style that is appropriate to the story. The most important thing however has been to make it fun." said Kershner.
            The screenplay was by Lorenzo Semple Jr, (King Kong, Flash Gordon) and the script, according to Semple, was thrown out by Kershner. Other writers were brought in, uncredited.
            One can be assured that Connery has his own ideas how James Bond should be played, and this is what is reflected in NSNA.
            On September 27, 1982 filming began on NSNA in Nice, where James Bond would confront his enemy Largo (Klause Maria Brandauer). Other cast members are Barbara Carrera as Fatima Blush, Kim Basinger as Domino, Black actor Bernie Casey as Felix Leiter, Max Von Sydow as Blofeld, Edward Fox as M and Pamela Salem as Moneypenny.
            The story and characters of NSNA is similar to Thunderball, but elements of other Fleming/McClory manuscripts (ten in all) are being used.
            A comparison of the two stories are as follows: The Original Thunderball featured Bond, in the pre-title sequence, fighting and killing spy-killer Jacques Boouvier who in drag attempts to kill Bond. 007 escapes via use of a Bell Rocket Belt.
            Recovering from his wounds, Bond retires to Shrublands, where he uncovers a plot with Count Lippe to murder a NATO pilot and in the midst of this, Bond encounters the beautiful SPECTRE killer Fiona (Luciana Paluzzi).
            SPECTRE hijacks a NATO bomber with H-Bombs aboard. Bond goes off to the Bahamas after the criminal organization makes it's ransom demand of 100 million pounds. In Nassau, Bond meets Largo (Adolfo Celi) his mistress Domino (Claudine Auger) and uncovers the H-Bomb plot. After being pursued by Fiona, and various SPECTRE agents, Bond, with the help of the U.S. Marines, engages in a undersea battle, recovering the bombs and killing Largo.
            In Never Say Never...The story is similar, but updated to 1980s realities. This is the first Bond film to really deal with some of the problems of the Eighties, with terrorist organizations and the like.
            Terrorism is a pet project of Connery. He is interested in politics, at one time he was going to run for office in England. Some of his recent films, such as Cuba, Wrong is Right and Ransom reflect his interest in politics. As he said in 1975 concerning this subject; “Ransom was done as part of a deal with United Artists for Diamonds Are Forever. I did it when there was slightly more hijacking than there is now. I had originally wanted to do something on the terrorists at Lod Airport with Moshe Dayan. I had written a screenplay that frightened everyone because it was somewhat of a political sa statement. It was called The Israeli Story. "Interested in politics, Connery was and still is involved with the politics of Scotland, and the separtist movement is one of the issues.
            The new Bond film reflects these modern, political sensibilities. SPECTRE is not the pie in the sky criminal organization as in the former films, but a down and dirty group of political terrorists with large backing from certain Eastern governments.
            In the new version, James Bond is a dangerous man, not only to the bad guys, but to the Secret Service. He is an individual in a time when individuals are shunned in favor of computers and spy in the sky technology. Bond is a man working not on surveys and statistics-but the instinct for survival. In this new world, there is a new M head of the Service. He is a technocrat, into computers and health food, and would like nothing better than get rid of 007.
            Never Say Never begins without the obligatory 'shoot into the eye' and Monty Norman theme. Instead, we see a figure dart through the forest infiltrating a terrorist camp. Finally we see the figure-it is the real James Bond-Sean Connery (time to cheer!) Using a special pully, Bond catapults himself to the roof of the villa, and with a blinding grenade, smashes into the compound and machine guns the terrorists-all except one. The straggler grabs Bond and a good old Bond fight ensues.
            Bond gets out of the sticky situation with an incredible head-butt, and kills his assailant. We then see the object of his mission-a woman kidnapped by the terrorists. The beautiful girl, struggles to get free of her bonds, 007 begins to untie her when she pulls a hunting knife from a hidden sheath and knifes Bond.
            We think that old James has had it. Cut to London. A video replay of the entire incident is being watched by M. It all had apparently been a training mission. M tells Bond this is the second time being killed, Bond corrects him. In the previous mission he did not die. He only had his legs blown off.
            007 is ordered to Shrublands, a health clinic. There, he gets wind of something strange, overhearing a nurse Fatima, (Barbara Carrera) brutalizing an American Air Force officer, Jack Petachi. Bond is spotted by Fatima, and the next day while lifting weights, Bond is attacked by a S.P.E.C.T.R.E. agent. A fight ensues, whereas the two completely destroy the kitchens and supply rooms of Shrublands.
            Back in London, Bond is reprimanded by M for killing the goon, while at an Air Force base, Petachi reprograms the computer to arm two Cruise missles being loaded on to a B-1 bomber for a test.
            The two cruise missles are launched, and true to Petachi's new commands, are diverted to the Bahamas, and right into the hands of Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Max Von Sydow) and S.P.E.C.T.R.E.
            The terrorists ask the Western Powers for 10 Billion dollars or else the bombs will be exploded in two capitals.
            M reactivates 007, and he goes to the Bahamas to check up on multi Billionaire Largo (Klaus Maria Brandauer). In the interim, chief assasin for S.P.E.C.T.R.E. Fatima Blush tries to kill Bond twice, but fails in both attempts. Following Largo's trail, Bond travels to Monte Carlo, linking up with his old pal Felix Leiter (Bernie Casey). It's while Bond is spying on Largo that he sees Largo's mistress, Domino Petachi (Kim Basinger) Bond falls in love with her.
            At the Casino Royale, where Largo is holding a benefit, 007 sneaks in and confronts Largo, making it obvious that Bond wants Domino. The two powerful men know theirs is a game that will end in the death of one or the other. Largo suggests they play a video game, one of his own design. Called "Domination" the game is a holographic image of the world, and each player must protect his own territory, or face increasing agonizing pain. Bond loses the first match, and nearly falls unconscious from the electrical shocks. The second match, however, Bonds wins mightily. Largo writes him a check, and mentions, "Are you as graceful a loser as you are a winner, Mr. Bond." Bond answers, "I never lose-but I'll trade for one dance with Domino."
            During a tango with Domino (a delightfully staged scene) Bond tells Domino of her brother's murder by Largo.
            Meanwhile the stage is being set for another assasination attempt by Fatima.
            Bond returns to his villa, and finds his female agent-companion dead. Hearing footsteps, he rushes outside to see Fatima dart into her car. Unable to get out a shot, Bond hops onto his Bond cycle, a specially prepared Q-cycle, and goes off after her.
            It of course is all a trap. Two cars of Fatima's henchmen attempt to run Bond off the road, but Bond surprises them as the cycle is rocket- propelled. In an amazing stunt, Bond easily jumps over the bad guys.
            Chasing Fatima into a warehouse area, Bond is waylayed and trapped by the now insane Fatima. Forced to get on the ground, Fatima tells Bond to write a note telling the world that she was his greatest lover. Reluctant to do so, Bond pulls out his pen- another one of Q's little toys-and promptly blows her to smithereens.
            The next day, Bond tries to scuba dive and spy on Largo's ship, "The Flying Saucer". He gets sucked up into the ship, and becomes Largo's guest-prisoner.
            Bond is brought to Palmyra, Largo's Middle Eastretreat. It is here that Bond is left to the vultures and Domino sold into slavery by the arabs. Not to be left in this situation, 007 uses his laser watch to break out of bondage, and in a scene reminicient of "Goldfinger" waylays one of the guards.
            Mounting a horse, Bond rescues Domino like a modern Rudolf Valentino, and chased by crazed arabs, goes over a sheer wall in an incredibly dangerous stunt.
            Bond is rescued by the U.S. Navy and his pal Felix, and on board the submarine "the Flying Saucer" is trailed.
           The final confrontation takes place underground, where Largo plans to explode one of the Bombs in an ancient tomb, thereby irradiating the Middle East oil supply for the next thousand years or so.
            Bond, Leiter and the Navy commandoes attack the S.P.E.C.T.R.E. crew, blow the place up, and Domino gets her last licks by spearing Largo.
            Never Say Never Again emerges as one of the best Bond films to come out in years, and it captures much of the feel of the early Connery films.
            Barbara Cerrera is known as one of the sexiest actresses in films today. She has appeared in scores of films and TV, including I, the Jury, Matt Houston and Lone Wolf McQuade. In NSNA she is Fatima Blush, killer, "Fatima is not all good. In fact, she's a very bad lady. But she's exciting." said Ms. Carrera on her character. "She thinks of herself as a black widow spider of a praying mantis; so before she kills her victims she must make love to them."
            Of course, Fatima must kill Bond- .."She finds him terribly attractive," Ms. Carrera explains, "and she's very thrilled that she's the one who has been chosen to give him what she thinks of as the ultimate thrill: death. She sees the act of murder as a sort of ceremony and therefore there is a certain ritual to be gone through."
            On the other side of the coin is Bond's love interest, Domino, played by Kim Basinger. An actress and model, Ms. Basinger has appeared in several films of late, including Hard Country, Mother Lode with Charlton Heston, and the The Man Who Loved Women with Burt Reynolds. As a model, Basinger had a print contract with Revlon, but that was cancelled by the company when she appeared in the nude in a recent issue of Playboy, coincidentally publicizing Never.
            Following in the footsteps of Bernard Lee is famed British actor Edward Fox as "M", Fox became an international star when he starred in The Day of the Jackal, and Fox has also appeared in Battle of Britain, Oh! What a Lovely War, The Go-Between and A Bridge Too Far.
            "I was terribly surprised when I was asked if I would like to play "M", says Edward Fox. "It never occured to me that it might be a role for me." The idea of Fox being "M" was Sean Connery's idea. "I've enjoyed playing opposite Sean in 'Never Say Never Again!" says Fox. "Although we both appeared in 'A Bridge Too Far' we had no scenes together so we had hardly met before now. But I've always been a big fan of his." Fox also admits to being a big James Bond fan. "I've read all the Ian Fleming novels," he points out.
            The character "Q" does not appear in the film. Instead, Alec McCowan plays Algy the Armorer, inventor of gadgets for 007.
            Miss Moneypenny however does appear, and she is played by Pamela Salem, who worked with Connery in The First Great Train Robbery and appeared with Joan Collins in The Bitch.
            Topping the list of bad guys is Max Von Sydow, whose credits are among the top actors in the world. Von Sydow is the latest actor to be Ernst Stavro Blofeld.
            Never Say Never Again features Connery as Bond today, in the 1980s. "One must always use the humanity of the character as a base," Connery says. "We start with James Bond, the man, because however original the gadgets are, it's the human being, with all his human instincts, who has to overcome the obstacles. After all, that's what we all hope, isn't it?"
            It is now 12 years since Sean was last Bond. Has his approach to 007 changed with time? "Not really," he says.
            "I have not necessarily tried to play him as an older man," he asserts, "and nor do I feel that one should attach any major importance to the age factor.”
            Connery further states, “People ask me what place can there be for a man like James Bond in today's highly computerized world. Yet not so very long ago in London we had the case of a Bulgarian official who was murdered by a jab from an umbrella with a poisoned tip! And we've had people gunned down on the steps of the Dorchester Hotel. When all this is happening in real life, you can't tell me there's no place for a man like Bond."
            Since the release of Never, the worldwide gross is close to 100 million dollars, making it one of the most profitable Bond films ever. And recently, Kevin McClory announced the production of his new James Bond film, to be called SPECTRE. What with Roger Moore doing From A View To A Kill for 1985 release, it could be another battle of the Bonds.
            Never Say Never Again is now available on tape and disc, so, you too can take the real Bond home.
            A final question-will Sean Connery do Bond one more time? He says, "Wait until this one is over and then ask me." One can only hope.