‘THUNDERBALL’ 50th anniversary Retrospective
Since 2012, production companies and fans celebrate the 50th anniversary of the James Bond film series with themed events all around the world. For the past three years, it was a birthday that we were able to celebrate each year since there was only one year between the first four Bond films between 1962 and 1965. For now, ‘THUNDERBALL’ will be the last 50th birthday to celebrate until 2017. Time for ‘Eye on Bond‘ to look back at one of the most defining 007 thrillers that would raise the bar for future films of the franchise.
SWINGING SIXTIES SPY VIBE
Big Band music extravaganza, political conflict, glamorous film stars, the Cold War, sexual revolution, the Wall, high society style, the killing of a President – the 1960s were a decade of extreme contrasts. Compared to any other decade in the history of cinema and television, it was by far the best for extraordinary spy thrillers. A global phenomenon. Not only did the 1960s mark the beginning of the James Bond film series with the release of ‘DR. NO’ in 1962, but also that of the Harry Palmer series, Mission Impossible, and a broad variety of spy spoofs like the Matt Helm films starring Dean Martin, ‘OUR MAN FLINT’, not forgetting the courageous ‘CASINO ROYALE‘ (1967) starring Peter Sellers, David Niven and first ever Bond Girl Ursula Andress. As a not entirely serious response to the Bond films, the Eurospy genre came into existence in 1964 but was only short-lived.
Ursula Andress in ‘CASINO ROYALE’ Photo: © 1967 Columbia Pictures
“What more could you ask for? If it’s good enough for the President, it’s good enough for me.” – John F. Kennedy
Before his untimely death in 1963, American President John F. Kennedy (1917-1963) was an avid admirer of Ian Flemings James Bond novels, listing ‘FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE’ as number nine of his ten most favourite books. When the first Bond film ‘DR. NO’ was released in 1962, the world was on the brink of a nuclear war during the Cuban Missile Crisis. President Kennedy skillfully averted escalation and like in a good spy thriller, it was literally a close call at the eleventh hour. It is only because of him, that you are able to read this text right now. Tragically, he was struck down by an assassin’s bullet on that fateful day – November 22, 1963 – a date forever etched on the memory of an entire nation. Until today, the exact circumstances are still shrouded in mystery – a complex and intricate thriller in itself.
HERE COMES THE BIGGEST BOND OF ALL
© 1965 Metro Goldwyn Mayer, United Artists, Danjaq LLC.
The poster campaign for ‘THUNDERBALL’ made it unmistakably clear: the new Bond film was a blockbuster. An expensive one. With a budget of $9 million, it left the previous film ‘GOLDFINGER’ (1964) way behind with only $3 million. Filming began in February 1965 and concluded three months later – a very short time compared to production schedules of today. After the film had premiered in Tokyo in December, it immediately became a box office success around the world and people were seen queueing up to get tickets for a screening. A film producers dream come true. In total, ‘THUNDERBALL’ brought home $1 billion worldwide in box office earnings when adjusted to inflation. This makes it the second most successful Bond film after ‘SKYFALL’ (2012).
The story of the film could have not been more influenced by political events of the 1960s and it cleverly subjected audiences to the ultimate terror plot of which many were afraid: the plunder of nuclear missiles and the threat of a devastating attack. It is once again the evil terror organisation S.P.E.C.T.R.E. who holds the world ransom and James Bond is the only man able to save the day. Worshipping the hero might have been one characteristic of cinema audiences, hoping that Good would always triumph over Evil was however an ever-present mindset apart from the silver screen. Although we face many threats of different natures in today´s world, it is still hard to imagine seeing a film like ‘THUNDERBALL’ in a time where international tensions were boiling up to critical levels. Audiences in 1965 faced the terrible perception, that the plot of the film could actually become reality. In this regard, ‘THUNDERBALL’ delivered.
Over the course of three years and four films, James Bond had become an icon and a guarantee for success. Bondmania was in full swing when ‘THUNDERBALL’ was released. Sadly, it died down afterwards.
MIXING THE BOND COCKTAIL
If you´re thinking of James Bond´s signature drink right now, I admit that the headline is slightly misleading. But just like the famous Vesper Martini, the Bond films are made up of a number of fine ingredients. ‘THUNDERBALL’ is no exception. Glamourous women, exotic locations, dangerous villains, ingenious gadgets and of course the return of the Aston Martin DB5 all represent the cocktail a Bond film is ideally made of. What set ‘THUNDERBALL’ apart from the previous three films in the series was the high-end production resulting from the enormous $9 million budget. The special effects were of an outstanding quality for 1965, earning the film a well-deserved Academy Award for Visual Effects in 1966.
Photo: © 1965 Metro Goldwyn Mayer, United Artists, Danjaq LLC.
The costume design was wonderful, especially with the leading ladies Luciana Paluzzi and Claudine Auger who both delivered memorable Bond Girl performances. In his role as villain Emilio Largo, actor Adolfo Celi expertly gives you the feeling of a ruthless and menacing character you most certainly would never buy the proverbial car from. Sadly, his character seems undeveloped at times which prevents the final pinch of sublime evilness from appearing. The cinematography was brilliant, especially in the massive underwater scenes which were shot in the Bahamas. But with a runtime of 130 minutes, the longest of the first four Bond films, ‘THUNDERBALL’ could have profited from a few careful trims here and there as certain scenes just feel too long and it takes a while until the film unfolds its full potential. While choreography and cinematography of the underwater battle was by far a marvellous achievement, it can quite easily bore you after a couple of minutes in which you have desperately tried to follow the action.
Photo: © 1965 Metro Goldwyn Mayer, United Artists, Danjaq LLC.
The most important ingredient of the mix is James Bond himself, or rather the actor portraying him. Originally not keen on the idea to commit to a series of films, Sean Connery knew that Bond would positively influence his career and signed a 7-film deal which was later changed by producers Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman so that Connery could leave the role after ‘YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE’ in 1967. One of the reasons behind this was Connery´s opinion that there was a lack in character development. His performance in ‘THUNDERBALL’ is subject to debate. He comes across as mildly unimpressive, a somewhat understated version of the dashing gentleman character we had seen in the earlier films. On the other hand, many think that this film features his best performance as 007. Tastes differ.
Highly praised is the musical score by John Barry who found himself confronted with a very narrow timeframe to compose. Nevertheless, he managed to add a moody and exciting feel to the film through music. The theme song was performed by Welsh singer Tom Jones who, famously, almost passed out while singing the last note of the song. Like Shirley Bassey with ‘GOLDFINGER’, Jones still performs the song ‘THUNDERBALL’ today – evidence for it being a recognizable ingredient forever linked with Bond.
What you get with ‘THUNDERBALL’ is a solid mix of the typical James Bond ingredients. It is an enjoyable film with an interesting storyline, a stellar cast with international actors and actresses as well as wonderful music. Entertainment on a very high level.
‘THUNDERBALL’ at 50
With the new film ‘SPECTRE’ being released soon and various events surrounding James Bond, this year is really THE year for Bond fans. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of ‘THUNDERBALL’ in style, several screenings will be held to honour the fourth Bond film. ‘Eye on Bond‘ will monitor the dates and locations and update you accordingly. Don´t miss your chance to join one of these exclusive events!
We´d love to hear your opinions on the film, your favourite quote or scene. Feel free to leave us a comment below.