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Film
cuts / script changes - certain cuts were
made to the film before release
The end
shot of the pre-title sequence was cut -
this was a sweeping shot following the
Aston Martin escaping Bouvoir's men:
A scene with Bond
and Pat Fearing at 'Shrublands' where
Fearing is using the mink glove on Bond
was cut:
Shrublands reception
scenes trimmed from the final print -
thankyou to Stephen Oxenrider:
In the trailer, Bond
quips 'the things I do for England' -
this was the end of the scene with Fiona
Volpe in the hotel bathroom, which was
cut (although it was later incorporated
into 'You Only Live Twice'):
Also seen in the
trailer but trimmed later was a shot of
Largo (below) at Palmyra, probably around
the pool area. Largo only wore the white
shirt when showing Bond around Palmyra
and must have been shot as part of that
sequence:
A sequence where
Bond is shown around the 'Disco Volante'
was cut.
Three
photos below courtesy of Lee Pfeiffer and
the fantasticCinema
Retrosite. Third
photo along courtesy of Marc Schaison:
Apparently, the
number of scenes with Felix Leiter were
cut down (including one with 'Q' and
Leiter). Also, the scene where Bond and
Domino meet underwater (after Bond and
Leiter find the Vulcan) was to show
Domino's swimming costume also rise to
the surface - in the final cut we only
see bubbles.
Film cuts /
script changes - there were several
differences between the shooting script
and the finished film
In the
pre-title sequence, the action with Bond
and Bouvoir was to have been set in an
oriental strip club / gambling den in
Hong Kong with Bouvoir disguised as a
cabaret artiste dressed in a peacock
costume.
Bouvoir was
originally to be strangled with his own
bra rather than the poker that was
eventually used.
Paula Caplan was
originally Paula Roberts and Fiona Volpe
was originally Fiona Kelly in early
scripts. Also, Jacques Boitier became
Bouvoir, Count Lipson became Lippe and
Major Palazzi became Major Derval.
At Shrublands, Bond
was originally to have impersonated one
of the cockney staff when trapping Lippe
in the sauna and was to sing 'We're
having a heatwave, a tropical heatwave'
as he leaves him baking.
The conference hall
scene, where Bond and the other double-O
agents are briefed, was originally to
feature several famous actors, in cameo,
who had previously played on-screen
secret agents.
There was to be
another scene in the Bahamas with Bond
meeting Paula for the first time - set in
a beach bar, she was to spell out '007'
in the sand as a recognition sign.
There were to be
additional scenes between 'M' and the
Foreign Secretary involving the
collection and delivery of the diamonds
by armoured car.
Both Bond AND Pinder
were to have descended on 'Palmyra' for
the night sortie. They were to have got
to a boathouse to see what had made two
tracks in the sand. They find it is just
a pedalo but accidentally set off the
alarm and in the following gun battle on
the beach Pinder is killed. The scene
would have ended in the same way as the
film with Bond jumping free of the shark
pool - although the line he was to have
said was: 'Sorry you'll have to order
something else.'
Originally, Bond was
to escape from Volpe, after bedding her,
by escaping down his hotel corridor,
dressed in costume for the Junkanoo. He
was to pick up a cookstove from a nearby
waiters trolley and use this is as a
weapon, although Volpe did manage to get
a shot at him - which would have led into
the Junkanoo sequence.
Film cuts / script
changes - the ending for the film had
several differences between what was
planned and what was filmed
Having been
rescued from the underwater cave, Bond
joins Leiter on a hovercraft and they
team up with the aquaparas for the final
battle as SPECTRE try to drop the first
bomb in a sunken wreck. Largo escapes to
the 'Disco Volante', but before it leaves
Bond gets on board. Largo is killed by
Domino, and Bond and Domino jump to
safety from the hydrofoil which is now
out of control. Kutze is left on board
and destroys the ship by detonating the
fuel tanks. After Domino and Bond are
picked up by Leiter in the hovercraft,
there is a final scene shown as the
credits roll: the ransom is dropped by an
air force plane and the package sinks to
the sea bed where it is intercepted by a
two man SPECTRE sub. As the mechanical
arm extends to grab the package, it
explodes.
Versions -
'Thunderball' doesn't always sound the
same - there are differing versions of
the soundtrack
Alternate
line
As Bond
exits Largo's shark pool, he is heard to
say:
'Sorry old
chap, better luck next time'
and as an
alternate version: 'Now you can tell
about the one that got away'.
Extra manta ray
line
When Bond and Leiter
are looking for the Vulcan, the line
'manta ray - unusual to see them as far
out as this' is spoken by Earl Cameron
(Pinder), although he is not in the
helicopter.
Certainly more
recent (DVD) releases have had this line
removed.
Score-less
underwater sequence
A sequence
underwater, where Largo sees Bond and
sends a diver after him, is without the
John Barry score.
More recent releases
have the music restored.
Edited line
As the cocoon is
jettisoned, Largo is heard to say:
'Come on, I'll take
over. We've got away from them, we've
still got one bomb aboard'
and as an alternate
version this line has been edited down
into: 'we've got away from them, we've
still got one bomb aboard'.
Alternative end
theme
The British end
theme of the film differed from overseas
- the UK version used the original Monty
Norman 'James Bond theme' whereas
internationally an edited instrumental of
'Thunderball' was used.
ITV has broadcast a
version with the alternate line ('Now you
can tell about the one that got away'),
the extra 'manta ray' line, the full
version of the 'bombs' line, the
score-less section underwater and the
instrumental 'Thunderball' theme over the
end credits. This has been broadcast
since 'at least' Christmas Day 2002.
Since 'at least' November 2011, ITV now
broadcasts the 'standard' version with
'James Bond theme' ending.
Release
history - UK versions
Warner Home
Video (1989)
MGM/UA Home
Video (1992)
MGM/UA Home
Entertainment (1995)
Special
Edition DVD (1999)
Ultimate
Edition DVD (2006)
Blu-ray Disc
(2008)
Alternate
line
Now you can
tell about the one that got away
Now you can
tell about the one that got away
Sorry old
chap, better luck next time
Sorry old
chap, better luck next time
Sorry old
chap, better luck next time
Sorry old
chap, better luck next time
Manta
ray?
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
Score-less?
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
Edited
line
Come on,
I'll take over. We've got away
from them, we've still got one
bomb aboard
Come on,
I'll take over. We've got away
from them, we've still got one
bomb aboard
We've got
away from them, we've still got
one bomb aboard
We've got
away from them, we've still got
one bomb aboard
We've got
away from them, we've still got
one bomb aboard
We've got
away from them, we've still got
one bomb aboard
End theme
JB
TB
JB
JB
JB
JB
End credit tag -
James Bond will be back 'On Her Majesty's
Secret Service'
At the end
of each Bond film (from 'From Russia With
Love' through to 'Octopussy') the next
film's title was announced. 'Thunderball'
was originally to be the first James Bond
film but, because of the litigation
between McClory and Fleming at the time,
'Dr. No' was produced instead.
'On Her Majesty's
Secret Service' was originally to follow
'Goldfinger', which the initial prints of
that film showed. But, as a result of
McClory failing to get 'Thunderball' made
independently and on agreement with
Saltzman and Broccoli, plans for the Piz
Gloria adventure were shelved.
'Thunderball' was made instead.
'On Her Majesty's
Secret Service' was then to follow but
problems were encountered when the
filming of 'Thunderball' overran.
Scheduling winter shooting for the film
was not possible and so 'On Her Majesty's
Secret Service' was again postponed. The
end titles of 'Thunderball' were amended
- this time though, instead of them being
re-done (as in the case of 'Goldfinger'),
early prints of the announcement of the
next film ('On Her Majesty's Secret
Service') were 'wiped' - the caption at
the end of the film being removed...
As 'The End' caption
appears at the top of the cast/crew
listing after the 'wipe', was the missing
caption similar to the original
'Goldfinger' ending (aswell as the ending
of 'You Only Live Twice') whereby it is
simply stated that 'James Bond will be
back "On Her Majesty's Secret
Service"'?
Missing end caption
(possibly):
Professor
Ladislav Kutze
Previously
based in Warsaw; last seen jumping from
SPECTRE boat the 'Disco Volante' before
its explosion in the waters around the
Bahamas - no known whereabouts.
Wanted in connection
with the capture of two atomic weapons
(MOS type - numbers 456 and 457) from
hijacked NATO flight 759. Vulcan bomber,
Ramjet MBX79, had been on a training
sortie and was taken off course 45
minutes from its point of return.
Continuity -
chronological
As the
doorman opens the chateau door one of the
crew lights reflects off the glass:
Bouvoir's veil is
knocked off when the bookcase falls on
him. After Bond pulls the bookcase away
the veil is back on his head:
Bond pushes the jet
pack into the boot of the Aston Martin
but you can just see that the boot won't
close over it. It is closed in the next
shot when the bullet shield is activated:
At 'Shrublands',
when the 'bandage man' enters Lippe's
room, Bond is seen reaching for his gun
from his holster. However, a wide shot
inserted shows Bond's arm by his side:
Lippe's towel, when
in the steamer, is first seen as white.
As Bond adjusts the temperature control
it has turned blue:
Lippe is seen with
several guns through the film - first he
has a Walther PPK with silencer. Later
on, it has changed to what looks like a
Beretta. In the car chase, he has a
snubnosed revolver:
One close up shot of
Bond's arms unwrapping Derval's bandages
shows him with long sleeves - although he
was wearing his top with the sleeves
having been rolled up:
Palazzi straps
himself into the cockpit of the Vulcan
with a white safety harness. The shot of
him reaching for the Gamma gas cannister
has the white harness missing:
There are two
different watches on Palazzi's wrist in
different shots when he is caught
underwater:
Lippe's 1957 Ford
Skyliner (in the sequence where Lippe and
Bond are chasing each other) is missing
its numberplate. Only a close up shot,
once the car is hit by Volpe's rocket,
sees the car with the numberplate:
Bond is wearing
black flippers when he first meets Domino
underwater. The shots of him talking to
Domino as she climbs aboard her boat show
him without them:
You can just see a
mans head appear from within Domino's
boat (to the left of the wheel) when its
turned around after she and Bond come
ashore:
For the shots of
Bond and Felix taking a look at 'Palmyra'
from the helicopter the film print has
been reversed:
After finding Paula
dead at 'Palmyra', Bond exits via a hatch
which swings back. As Largo approaches
seconds later the hatch is closed:
When Bond finds
Volpe in his bath he is at the doorway.
After saying the line 'not from where I'm
standing' he moves closer, but he's back
at the door when asked by Volpe for
something to wear:
When Bond escapes
from Volpe and company he is shot in the
right leg. But thereafter it is his left
leg that has been wounded:
Within the Junkanoo
sequence, there is a shot of a dog
'relieving' itself and a group holding
'007' placards in the background. Also,
the film print has been reversed again
with a shot of a placard reading
'Galliano' shown backwards:
The shots of Bond
and Volpe dancing at the 'Kiss Kiss Club'
just before (and as) Bond swings Volpe
around to shield himself from the bullet
are reversed:
Leiter is wearing
shorts in the helicopter when they look
for the Vulcan. But when Bond jumps into
the water Leiter can be seen in black
trousers. When Bond gets out of the water
after finding the Vulcan there is a shot
again of Leiter with the black trousers:
Whilst underwater in
the Vulcan, the close up shot of Palazzi
shows Bond wearing a watch:
As Bond reaches the
surface, he hands the tag and watch to
Leiter who slings them in the helicopter.
A shot later Bond has them in his hands
again:
When Domino spikes
her foot on an egg spine, it is her right
one. But when they reach the beach, Bond
sucks the poison from the left foot:
When Bond swims to
the breakwater he is bare footed but the
next shot of him on the steps sees him in
sandals:
After leaving the
water Bond's swim shorts are obviously
wet. After crossing the bridge and down
the steps they are completely dry:
Bond is wearing a
watch on his left wrist (see image
above). Later on, once aboard the Disco
Volante, he is sporting 'Q's watch on his
right wrist:
In the underwater
battle a frogman smashes another diver's
mask with a harpoon gun - in the next
shot we see the mask intact:
Bond wears a blue
mask and flippers in the underwater
battle. When Largo grabs Bond's mask,
Bond takes a black mask from a SPECTRE
frogman - however there are several shots
of Bond still wearing the blue mask:
In the fight aboard
the Disco Volante, the captain loses his
cap a couple of times as the shots are
inter-cut: