For Your
Eyes Only
 40th Anniversary 1981-2021

Another nod to the past was the acknowledgement of the absence of Bernard Lee who had played M in the previous eleven James Bond films. Lee arrived on set to film his scenes on Friday November 7, 1980 - but it was clear to all that he was too ill to continue and he bowed out of the series. The much-loved character actor passed away two months later, and out of respect ‘Cubby’ Broccoli, at this stage, refused to recast him and his dialogue went to James Villiers as Chief-of-Staff Bill Tanner, with the script changed to explain that M was on leave.

With much of the action in For Your Eyes Only performed for real, including the keel-hauling sequence filmed in The Bahamas, the bulk of film still stands up well 40 years later. However, when faced with a practical problem the filmmakers overcame it with a simple and creative solution. Actress Carole Bouquet suffered from an inner-ear problem which meant she could not spend any time underwater. Therefore, all of her ‘underwater’ close-ups were filmed in the studio, and shot through a fish tank with air hoses blowing her hair. Filmed at high-speed, and with the addition of air bubbles in post-production, the resulting footage when played at normal speed was surprisingly convincing. Derek Meddings also filmed believable miniatures of the sinking of the St. Georges (and later its wreck) in the water tank at Pinewood Studios, along with miniature models of Bond and Melina as they escape the wreck. It is a testament to this smoke-and-mirrors approach to filmmaking that was still being pioneered by the Bond series, that many of these effects still remain very convincing to this day. Many simple practical effects have aged far better than some of the more expensive Computer-Generated Effects that would come to the fore in the next decade.

With production ending at Pinewood Studios in early 1981, the ski unit continued working in Cortina with Willy Bogner returning to the series after his ground-breaking ski action for On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969). For Your Eyes Only featured ski chases involving motorbikes, and a breath-taking sequence which involved Bogner skiing down a bobsled run to film the action, whilst attached to the bob in front of him. However, the first take of this spectacular sequence was marred by a tragic accident when the bobsleigh overturned, trapping 23-year-old Italian stuntman Paolo Rigoni underneath and dragging him down the track. Rigoni died from his injuries and this fatality highlighted the real dangers faced by stunt performers. Roger Moore's own stunt double Martin Grace was also seriously injured on the next James Bond film Octopussy (1983), when he hit a concrete pylon at the side the track as he hung off the side of a fast moving train during the sequence filmed on the Nene Valley Railway.

By the end of April 1981 the twelfth James Bond film was edited, and its title sequence slotted into place ready for its Royal Charity Premiere on June 24, 1981. With long-time composer John Barry unavailable Barry suggested American composer Bill Conti, whose disco infused score was a little left field, and one of the elements of the film that has dated. However, some of his incidental music has fared better, including the track entitled ‘Take Me Home’ with Derek Watkins’ flugelhorn solo that accompanied the beach scenes with Roger Moore and Cassandra Harris. Conti’s orchestral version of the main theme and much of the music that underscored the climbing sequences in Greece is also well-used in the film. Sheena Easton’s title song was later nominated for an Academy Award in 1982. Another nod to the past took place at the premiere held at the ODEON Leicester Square, where many attending (this writer included) were surprised to see Harry Saltzman (together with his youngest son Christopher and daughter Hilary) among the invited guests. It was actor Topol who suggested to producer Albert R. Broccoli that he should invite his former partner, and the pair were reunited for the first time in several years. The For Your Eyes Only premiere was one of Saltzman's first public appearances following the death of his wife Jacqueline in 1980. Following the release of Dr. No in 1962, producers Saltzman & Broccoli founded a company responsible for the copyright and trademarks to the characters, elements, and other material related to James Bond on screen. The company was called DANJAQ, a combination of Broccoli’s and Saltzman's respective wives’ names - Dana and Jacqueline. Their sister company EON Productions was responsible for the actual production of the films. In 1975 Harry Saltzman's personal financial difficulties forced him to sell his 50% share of DANJAQ to United Artists, resulting in the acrimonious split between the two James Bond producers.

For Your Eyes Only was well-received when originally released and a worldwide commercial hit, and at the time became the second-most successful James Bond film behind Moonraker. The back-to-basics approach had clearly paid off and proved that incorporating elements of Ian Fleming’s unused stories was a viable concept, one which would be repeated with varying degrees of success with subsequent films. For many fans For Your Eyes Only remains Roger Moore’s strongest performance as James Bond and the film stands up well when compared with the two misjudged entries that followed. The film is perhaps the best cast of any James Bond film since On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969), and remained so until 2006, when Casino Royale also went back-to-basics (and a return to Ian Fleming source material) after Pierce Brosnan’s overblown swansong Die Another Day (2002).

FACT FILES