Diamonds
Are Forever
50th Anniversary 1971-2021

ABOVE: AN ANGLO-AMERICAN CAST – (clockwise) Scottish-born actor Sean Connery returns as James Bond Secret Agent 007 after a one-film absence; American actress Jill St. John as Tiffany Case; English actor Charles Gray as Ernst Stavro Blofeld [Gray returned to the series after playing Henderson in You Only Live Twice (1967) and is one of a handful of actor to make repeat appearances as different characters in the franchise; American jazz bassist, music teacher, author, and actor Patrick ‘Putter’ Smith played Mr Kidd alongside American character actor Bruce Glover as Mr Wint. In Diamonds Are Forever (1971) the openly gay couple are main villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld's henchmen, though the characters share no scenes with and are not seen taking instructions from him; American actress Lana Wood [the younger sister of actress Natalie Wood (1938-1981)] played the doomed Plenty O'Toole; English actor, martial artist and former professional wrestler Joe Robinson played diamond smuggler Peter Franks; New York-born actor Norman Burton as Bond's CIA ally Felix Leiter - the fourth actor to appear in the role; and American country music singer, television host, actor and businessman Jimmy Dean played billionaire Willard Whyte - a character loosely based on the American aviator, aerospace engineer, business magnate, film producer, and investor Howard Hughes (1905-1976), who was a friend of producer Albert R. Broccoli.

BELOW: AN ECLECTIC ROGUES GALLERY - (top row L-R) American film actor Bruce Cabot, best remembered as Jack Driscoll in the classic King Kong (1933), played Albert R. “Bert” Saxby - Willard Whyte's casino manager. Diamonds Are Forever (1971) was his final film role. Lola Larson (a stage name used by the gymnast Mary Hiller) and Trina Parks appeared as Bambi and Thumper, who filmed at the Elrod House in Palm Springs, Nevada, which stood in as Willard Whyte's home. (bottom row L-R) Austrian-born actor Joseph Furst played Professor Dr. Metz, the world's leading expert on laser refraction, and a scientist on Blofeld's payroll. British-based American film, stage and television actor David Bauer played Morton Slumber, president of Slumber Incorporated, a funeral home in Nevada which fronts for Blofeld's diamond smuggling operation. Bauer had earlier appeared uncredited as the American Diplomat in the pre-credit sequence of You Only Live Twice (1967). American stand-up comedian, film actor, and dancer Leonard Barr made his film debut as Shady Tree in Diamonds Are Forever (1971). Leonard Barr was the uncle of popular American singer, actor, comedian and television host Dean Martin (1917-1995).

ABOVE: THE OLD GUARD (top) UK Quad-crown poster for Diamonds Are Forever (1971) with artwork by American illustrator Robert McGinnis. (bottom left) English character actor Bernard Lee reprised his role as M for the seventh time in Diamonds Are Forever. (bottom centre) Playing Miss Moneypenny was Canadian-born actress Lois Maxwell who filmed her brief scenes at Dover Docks. As the film did not feature the obligatory scene in M's office, it was decided to have Moneypenny appear in uniform as a customs officer. (bottom right) Returning as gadget-master Q was Welsh-born actor Desmond Llewelyn.

ABOVE: BEHIND-THE-SCENES – In addition to its diverse international cast, Diamonds Are Forever (1971) was produced by an equally talented crew – most of whom who had worked on earlier films in the series.

(1) Producers Harry Saltzman & Albert R. Broccoli with Guy Hamilton who returned to the series after directing Goldfinger (1964), going on to helm the next two films starring Roger Moore as James Bond.
(2) South African-born Director of Photography Ted Moore [pictured right wearing a white hat] returned to the series after a one-film absence.
(3) German-born Production Designer Ken Adam [pictured left with Sean Connery] also returned to the franchise after a one-film absence.
(4) Stunt co-ordinator Bob Simmons [pictured rehearsing with Charles Gray and Sean Connery] also returned to the series with Diamonds Are Forever (1971), but as this was a joint British and US production, he shared the role with American actor and stunt coordinator Paul Baxley, who choreographed stunt sequences in the United States.
(5) American screenwriter Tom Mankiewicz joined the franchise with Diamonds Are Forever (1971) co-writing the screenplay with series veteran Richard Maibaum. Mankiewicz then received sole writing credit for Live And Let Die (1973), shared credit with Maibaum on The Man With The Golden Gun (1974), and did an uncredited rewrite on The Spy Who Loved Me (1977).
(6) American graphic designer Maurice Binder created the diamond themed main title sequence for the seventh James Bond which was his fifth credit on the series. He would remain with the franchise until 1989, creating iconic title sequences and trailers for the subsequent nine films.