JAMES BOND 007 MAGAZINE | Never Say Never Again 40th Anniversary 1983-2023

The Bond ‘regulars’ – M, Q, and Miss Moneypenny also had to be cast to rival roles that were defined by Bernard Lee, Desmond Llewelyn, and Lois Maxwell respectively. The distinguished stage actor Edward Fox, who enjoyed international stardom after appearing in the 1973 film The Day of The Jackal was cast as M. Fox claimed he was a Fleming fan, and prior to playing M, had read all the Ian Fleming novels. Sean Connery commented upon the choice of Edward Fox, “He’s exactly right as the clinical computerised Englishman. We have to believe Bond has moved with the times and Edward was a first choice to contrast with the grey type character Fleming created played by old Bernie [Bernard Lee (1908-1981)].” The role of Q, or Algernon as the character is oddly referred to in Never Say Never Again, was portrayed quirkily by Alec McCowen (1925-2017). Shortly before his death Desmond Llewelyn said that he very much enjoyed McCowen’s portrayal of Q, finding him very funny. Miss Moneypenny was played by Pamela Salem, who told 007 MAGAZINE in 1984, “I had seen Moneypenny before of course in the earlier films played by Lois Maxwell, at first they [the media] tried to stir things up between us, it was absolute nonsense and Lois did write me a very nice letter.”

Edward Fox as M, Pamela Salem as Moneypenny and Alec McCowen at Q (Algernon) in Never Say Never Again (1983)

ABOVE: THE OLD GUARD (top left) Edward Fox as M with Sean Connery as James Bond, (right) Sean Connery with Pamela Salem as Moneypenny, and (bottom left) Alec McCowen at Q (Algernon) in Never Say Never Again (1983).

Bernie Casey was cast as the first black actor ever to play Bond’s CIA ally Felix Leiter. Peter Janson-Smith of Glidrose, the agency handling the rights to the Ian Fleming novels told the Sunday Mirror on November 28, 1982, “It’s extraordinary to change Leiter’s colour. It’s like saying James Bond himself might be a black man. We are very concerned about the misuse of any of the characters.” He was also quick to point out that Fleming described Leiter in the novel CASINO ROYALE as having a mop of straw coloured hair. Jack Schwartzman defended his choice, “Both Sean and I thought it might be a good idea to have a black actor play Felix, and Bernie is perfect. It was never specified that Felix was not black.” Janson-Smith continued, “I would like to know how many black men there are with a mop of straw coloured hair?” Casey revealed an interesting conversation he had with Sean Connery during pre-production, “He (Connery) said Felix Leiter had been in all the Bond films he’s made, and I said ‘Really?’ He said since Felix Leiter is not memorable; let’s make him black, and at least that will make him more noticeable and therefore more memorable. It changes nothing in the texture of the story. I think it’s a nice move.”

Bernie Casey as Felix Leiter in Never Say Never Again | Valerie Leon and Sean Connery

Credited only as ‘Lady in the Bahamas’, former Hammer horror star Valerie Leon has earned the achievement of appearing in three James Bond films, Casino Royale (1967), The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), and Never Say Never Again (1983). But what makes her achievement most notable is that different production companies made all three films! It’s interesting to note that Sean Connery even considered a cameo performance for his favourite co-star Ursula Andress. He commented, “A cameo role would have been nice, but then you start getting into dangerous water.” He even thought of asking Roger Moore to make a brief appearance in the final scene, “I thought it would be great to have me walking down the street with Domino and have Roger wag an accusing finger and saying ‘Never!’’’

Roger Moore and Sean Connery photographed in 1983

On September 27, 1982, with a script and cast in place, Schwartzman, Kershner, and Connery, were able to begin rolling the cameras on the James Bond movie that nobody believed would ever be made. Cubby Broccoli, Michael G. Wilson, and director John Glen, were simultaneously hard at work with Roger Moore on Octopussy on location in India, Germany, and of course Pinewood Studios. The press were adamant to stir up rivalry between the two Bond stars, and headlines soon heralded ‘The Battle of The Bonds.’ Connery was adamant that before shooting that any rivalry was dismissed. Andrew Yule, in his book Sean Connery: Neither Shaken Nor Stirred, commented that Sean had suggested that Roger and himself pose for a photograph together and issue a joint statement. Although photographs of the two James Bonds were taken the statement was never issued. Roger Moore didn’t seem bothered by the attention, “Does John Gielgud complain because Laurence Olivier is playing Hamlet at the same time?”

In the last of the summer sunshine, Kershner, with the aid of his largely British crew, began to capture Connery on celluloid as 007 for the first time in 12 years. Based in Nice, the production was to utilise many locations on the French Riviera. While the main unit shot the casino sequence in Monte Carlo, Schwartzman dispatched the Second Unit to shoot the motorbike chase, which was filmed at various Riviera locales, from Cap Antibes to Menton. The sequence consisted of 007 chasing Fatima Blush, who is escaping in a striking red Renault 5 Turbo. Carrera said of her role, “For this film I had to do things I never imagined I’d do. I have a fear of deep water, yet I did scuba diving. I’m not fond of snakes, yet I allowed myself to be kissed by a boa constrictor. I had to drive with a manual gearbox – I didn’t quite learn that one.” Her then husband and agent, Nicholas Mavroleon, who was with Carrera for most of the shoot added, “Barbara ran through three Renault gearboxes trying.”

Barbara Carrera as Fatima Blush in Never Say Never Again (1983)

Irvin Kershner was aided by a fantastic array of British film technicians, including his Director of Photography Douglas Slocombe, one of the most distinguished cinematographers in the business. His career has included many highly acclaimed films, among which he has received two Academy Award nominations, for Raiders of The Lost Ark (1981), and Travels With My Aunt (1972), and BAFTA awards for The Servant (1963) and Julia (1977). Filming continued in and around Nice for most of autumn. In the ancient fishing village of Villefranche, the Citadelle doubled as the exterior of ‘Palmyra’, Maximillian Largo’s retreat. The locals were absolutely amazed to witness the biggest and most expensive yacht of its time sail into their tiny harbour. The ‘Nabila’, the floating palace of Saudi Arabian billionaire Adnan Khashoggi (1935-2017), doubled for Largo’s yacht ‘The Flying Saucer’.

Sean Connery was concerned about how to approach James Bond, a character he hadn’t played in over a decade, “I was totally open about how he should look. I thought about not having the hair-piece, of adding a moustache or a beard, but decided to let him be just as he was before – but at the age of 53.” He continued, “I did consider making him really over the hill. We thought about Bond preparing to get into bed with a woman, taking vitamin C pills and doing his press-ups in preparation. That would have been funny, but if you weighed up the laughs against the kind of picture you’d make, you’d end up with a parody, with a man who is less than he should be.”

CONTINUED

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007 MAGAZINE – The James Bond Films: Exhibitors’ Campaign Books (UK) Volume 4
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