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Diamonds Are Forever was released in 1971, and opened on
December 17th in the U.S. and December 30th in the UK. The
Scottish Gala Premiere in aid of the Scottish International
Educational Trust and the Edinburgh Press Charities Committee
was held at the Odeon Theatre, Clerk Street, Edinburgh and was
attended by Sean Connery. |
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On location in Nevada, Sean Connery prepares to shoot
the Moon Buggy chase sequence. |
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(above & top centre) Thursday 20th July 1971: 'B'
Stage Pinewood Studios - Sean Connery prepares for the Moon
Buggy 'break out' scene. |
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The Moon Buggy was prominently featured in the film
trailer for Diamonds Are Forever. |
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Golfing on the Moon! Sean Connery relaxes between
takes at Pinewood Studios. |
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Call Sheet for the day's shooting at Pinewood Studios. |
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The Moon Buggy was used as the
centrepiece of the film's advertising poster campaign around
the world from the UK to.... |
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....Italy to.... |
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....Japan to.... |
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....Germany to - everywhere on
the planet! |
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Sean Connery attempts to cool
down while on location in the Nevada desert. |
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The Moon Buggy featured in a
concept poster artwork for
Diamonds Are Forever
that was only ever used on
the UK Pan paperback cover. |
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The Moon Buggy's size
specifications. |
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Stuntman George Leech inside the
Moon Buggy at Pinewood Studios. |
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"Get him off that machine -
that isn't a toy!"
"Get out of that Moon
Buggy!"
Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
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| Corgi
Toys issued their first version of the Moon Buggy vehicle six
months after the release of the film for the princely sum of
£1.20, and.... |
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....spared no expense in advertising the fact in publications
like the Radio Times. |
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original 1972 model in its display box can now command high
prices on the collectors' market. |
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| Corgi
released a new edition of their Moon Buggy vehicle in 1997. |
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....and once again in
new packaging during 1999. |
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The Moon
Buggy with prototype wheels. |
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June
24th 1993: 007 MAGAZINE Editor & Publisher Graham Rye tries
the Moon Buggy out for size on its first day out of the
renovation workshop, and.... |
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....later at Pinewood Studios, where it was stored before its
10-year tenure at Planet Hollywood, Las Vegas, Nevada. |
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| First
day out of the renovation workshop and ready for action! |
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| 22 years
later after its original appearance in Diamonds Are
Forever, the Moon Buggy returns in 1993 to Pinewood
Studios. |
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| The Moon
Buggy leaves Pinewood Studios on the first leg of its ocean
voyage to Planet Hollywood. |
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24th
July 1994: 007 MAGAZINE Editor & Publisher Graham
Rye attends
the grand opening of Planet Hollywood at Caesar's Palace, Las
Vegas, Nevada. |
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| 12th
December 1993: Before the Moon Buggy left for Las Vegas it was
showcased at The James Bond 007 International Fan Club's
'22-Carat Diamonds Are Forever Christmas Lunch' at
Pinewood Studios. |
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The Moon Buggy in
situ during its decade at Planet Hollywood, Caesar's
Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada. |
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The Moon Buggy was
displayed at Planet Hollywood - Las Vegas from 1993 to 2003. |
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While investigating multimillionaire
recluse Willard Whyte's Tectronics Space Centre outside Las Vegas in
the Nevada desert, his cover blown, James Bond (Sean Connery) finds
it necessary to make a hasty exit. Finding himself in an artificial
moonscape complete with trainee astronauts, Bond dashes for a nearby
Moon Buggy vehicle and crashes out of the centre and into one of the
007 films' most famous chase scenes. |
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Sean Connery returned to
the role which made him famous for his final outing as Secret Agent
007 in the official EON Productions series of James Bond movies -
for the then record-breaking salary of $1.25 million dollars (and a
percentage of the gross!), which enabled Sir Sean to establish his
Scottish Educational Trust. |
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Production Designer Ken Adam's
concept sketch on which custom-car designer Dean Jeffries based the
physical structure of the Moon Buggy |
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The Moon Buggy was
conceptualised by Oscar-winning Production Designer Ken Adam, and
engineered and built by famed movie custom-car designer Dean
Jeffries in his California workshop. Unlike any other famous Bond
vehicle the Moon Buggy is truly unique - there was only ever one
built! In addition to its appearance in the 1971 film, it was used
as the centrepiece of the worldwide advertising campaign for Diamonds Are Forever.
After a worldwide publicity tour to promote the film,
the Moon Buggy
was discarded and allowed to fall into a state of disrepair. The
vehicle was eventually located by Graham Rye, editor and publisher
of 007 MAGAZINE, who organised the restoration to its original
condition. The Moon Buggy was displayed as the impressive
centrepiece in Planet Hollywood's restaurant at Caesar's Palace in
Las Vegas from 1993 to 2003. |
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Finally, offered in
auction at CHRISTIE'S 'Film and Entertainment' sale on December 14th
2004, the Moon Buggy sold for £23,000 and was purchased by Planet
Hollywood owner Robert Earl for display at the Planet Hollywood Las
Vegas casino. Former owner, 007 MAGAZINE publisher Graham Rye
said, "It's great news for James Bond fans the world over. This sale
guarantees that the time and effort I put into having the vehicle
restored to its former glory have been well worth the effort, as now
millions of people will be able to see the Moon Buggy for decades to
come." "I'm over the moon that the Moon Buggy has been purchased for
such a high-profile venue. This move will undoubtedly give Bond fans
a unique chance for a great photo opportunity when they visit the
Planet Hollywood casino." |
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TRIVIA NOTES:
In the Diamonds Are Forever script given to Dean Jeffries,
the Moon Buggy was to burst out through a breakaway wall and drive
off down a service road before turning on to a main highway and
disappearing from view. It was only when film's director Guy
Hamilton saw the location that it was decided to stage a chase over
the rocky and duned desert terrain. Unfortunately Dean hadn't
constructed the vehicle to take that kind of punishment, and much to
his displeasure (and the filmmakers) the Moon Buggy kept breaking
down during filming. On one occasion during filming the vehicle
broke down out of shot, but the rear wheel which had come off can be
clearly seen bouncing back into shot in the finished film! Watch out
for it the next time you see the movie on TV or DVD.
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EXTERIOR LOCATION SHOOTING:
The Moon Buggy scene was filmed on location over Saturday 1st to
Tuesday 4th May 1971, at the 'John Mansville Gypsum Plant' outside
Las Vegas standing in for Willard Whyte's Techtronics Plant.
INTERIOR SHOOTING:
The moonscape from which James Bond (Sean Connery) escapes in the
Moon Buggy was filmed on 'B' Stage at Pinewood Studios on Thursday
20th July 1971.
Diamonds Are Forever
Worldwide Box Office: $116 million
US Release Date: 17th December 1971
UK Release Date: 30th December 1971
JAMES BOND
Sean Connery
JAMES BOND GIRLS
Tiffany Case (Jill St John)
Plenty O'Toole (Lana Wood)
JAMES BOND VILLAIN
Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Charles Gray)
JAMES BOND VILLAIN'S HENCHMEN
Mr Wint (Bruce Glover) & Mr Kidd (Putter Smith)
THE MI6 TEAM
'M' (Bernard Lee)
Miss Moneypenny (Lois Maxwell)
'Q' (Desmond Llewelyn)
MAIN TITLE SONG PERFORMED BY:
Shirley Bassey
MUSIC SCORE BY:
John Barry
FURTHER BOX-OFFICE INFORMATION:
In January 1972 United Artists announced in UK trade journals that
Diamonds Are Forever had achieved "the greatest 7-day gross in
the history of motion pictures," when the film grossed $10,438,536
in the first seven days of its release over 23 countries (not
including the UK).
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