The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)

Director:

Guy Hamilton

Writers:

Richard Maibaum (screenplay) and
Tom Mankiewicz (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

20 December 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Thriller

Tagline:

He never misses his target, and now his target is 007.

Plot:

Bond is led to believe that he is targeted by the world's most expensive assassin and must hunt him down to stop him.

Plot Keywords:

Gambling Casino | Official James Bond Series | Island | Pun | Casino Owners

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Roger Moore	...	James Bond
Christopher Lee	...	Francisco Scaramanga
Britt Ekland	...	Mary Goodnight
Maud Adams	...	Andrea Anders
Hervé Villechaize	...	Nick Nack (also as Herve Villechaize)
Clifton James	...	Sheriff J.W. Pepper
Richard Loo	...	Hai Fat
Soon-Tek Oh	...	Lieutenant Hip (as Soon-Taik Oh)
Marc Lawrence	...	Rodney
Bernard Lee	...	'M'
Lois Maxwell	...	Miss Moneypenny
Marne Maitland	...	Lazar
Desmond Llewelyn	...	'Q'
James Cossins	...	Colthorpe
Yiu Lam Chan	...	Chula (as Chan Yiu Lam)
Carmen du Sautoy	...	Saida (as Carmen Sautoy)
Gerald James	...	Frazier
Michael Osborne	...	Naval Lieutenant
Michael Fleming	...	Communications Officer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sonny Caldinez	...	Kra (uncredited)
Leslie Crawford	...	Cowboy in Fun House (uncredited)
Gordon Everett	...	Gibson (uncredited)
Michael Goodliffe	...	Bill Tanner (uncredited)
Ray Marioni	...	Al Capone (uncredited)
Joie Pacharintraporn	...	Cha, Hip's Niece #2 (uncredited)
Terence Plummer	...	Beirut Thug (uncredited)
George Silver	...	Fat Beirut Thug (uncredited)
Rocky Taylor	...	Beirut Thug (uncredited)
Francoise Therry	...	Chew Mee (uncredited)
Master Toddy	...	Martial Arts Student who fights Hip's nieces (uncredited)
Wei Wei Wong	...	Bottoms Up Waitress (uncredited)
Qiu Yuen	...	Nara, Hip's Niece #1 (uncredited)

Directed by
Guy Hamilton

Writing credits
Ian Fleming		(novel) uncredited
Richard Maibaum		(screenplay) and
Tom Mankiewicz		(screenplay)

Produced by
Albert R. Broccoli	....	producer
Charles Orme	....	associate producer
Harry Saltzman	....	producer

Original Music by
John Barry

Cinematography by
Ted Moore		(director of photography)
Oswald Morris		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Raymond Poulton
John Shirley

Casting by
Weston Drury Jr.		(as Weston Drury Jnr)
Maude Spector

Production Design by
Peter Murton

Art Direction by
John Graysmark		(co-art director)
Peter Lamont		(co-art director)

Makeup Department
Paul Engelen	....	chief makeup
Mike Jones	....	hair stylist
Nick Maley	....	makeup artist: title sequence (uncredited)

Production Management
Claude Hudson	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Derek Cracknell	....	assistant director
Raymond Becket	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
Terence Churcher	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
Ray Freeborn	....	first assistant director: second unit (uncredited)

Art Department
Leon Davis	....	construction manager
Patrick Weymouth	....	props
Ernest Archer	....	assistant art director (uncredited)
Peter Childs	....	draughtsman (uncredited)
John Chisholm	....	prop man (uncredited)
Peter Howitt	....	set dresser (uncredited)

Sound Department
Ken Barker	....	dubbing mixer
Charles Crafford	....	dubbing editor
Gordon Everett	....	sound recordist
Christopher Lancaster	....	dubbing editor
Jim Shields	....	dubbing editor (as Jimmy Shields)

Special Effects by
John Stears	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Derek Meddings	....	miniatures
Cliff Culley	....	matte artist (uncredited)
Roy Field	....	opticals (uncredited)

Stunts
W.J. Milligan Jr.	....	stunt coordinator
Gillian Aldam	....	stunts (uncredited)
Leslie Crawford	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bill Cummings	....	stunts (uncredited)
Eddie Eddon	....	stunts (uncredited)
Martin Grace	....	stunt double: Roger Moore (uncredited)
Christopher Lee	....	stunt driver (uncredited)
W.J. Milligan Jr.	....	stunt double: Roger Moore (uncredited)
W.J. Milligan Jr.	....	stunt driver (uncredited)
Eddie Powell	....	stunts (uncredited)
Nosher Powell	....	stunts (uncredited)
Doug Robinson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Roy Street	....	stunts (uncredited)
Rocky Taylor	....	stunts (uncredited)
Paul Weston	....	stunts (uncredited)
'Bumps' Williard	....	stunt driver (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
John Harris	....	camera operator: second unit
Bob Kindred	....	camera operator
Bert Bosher	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Bob Penn	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Mike Roberts	....	focus puller (uncredited)
David Wynn-Jones	....	focus puller (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Elsa Fennell	....	wardrobe supervisor
Evelyn Gibbs	....	wardrobe assistant (uncredited)

Music Department
John Barry	....	conductor
John Barry	....	music arranger
Monty Norman	....	composer: James Bond theme
Vic Flick	....	musician: guitar (uncredited)
Sidney Margo	....	music contractor (uncredited)

Other crew
Brian Bailey	....	production accountant
Reginald A. Barkshire	....	assistant to producers (as Reginald Barkshire)
Maurice Binder	....	title designer: main titles
Albert R. Broccoli	....	presenter
Frank Ernst	....	location manager
Santa Pestonji	....	production coordinator: Bangkok
Eric Rattray	....	location manager
Harry Saltzman	....	presenter
Elaine Schreyeck	....	continuity
Geoff Freeman	....	unit publicist (uncredited)
Josie Fulford	....	continuity: second unit (uncredited)
Doris Spriggs	....	assistant: Roger Moore (uncredited)
Michael G. Wilson	....	technical consultant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Danjaq (as "Danjaq S.A.") (uncredited)
• Eon Productions

Distributors

• United Artists Corporation (1974) (UK) (theatrical)
• C.B. Films (1974) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Kommunenes Filmcentral (KF) (1974) (Norway) (theatrical)
• Les Artistes Associés S.A.B. (1974) (France) (theatrical)
• Tuschinski Film Distribution (1974) (Netherlands) (theatrical) (as Nova)
• United Artists (1974) (Australia) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1974) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1974) (Italy) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1974) (USA) (theatrical) (as United Artists An M G M Company)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1977) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Home Box Office (HBO) (1981) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• RCA (1981) (USA) (video) (Selectavision videodisc)
• CBS/Fox Home Video (1983) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1983) (Australia) (VHS)
• CBS/Fox Home Video (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Video (1991) (Germany) (video) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Video (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2000) (Australia) (DVD) (Special Edition)
• MGM Home Entertainment (Europe) (2000) (UK) (DVD) (Special Edition)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2000) (Germany) (DVD) (Special Edition)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2000) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD) (Special Edition)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2002) (USA) (VHS)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (VHS)
• Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) (2006) (worldwide) (DVD) (Ultimate Edition)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2006) (Australia) (DVD) (Ultimate Edition)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2006) (UK) (DVD) (Ultimate Edition)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (VHS)
• CBS/Fox (????) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (????) (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Mi Casa Multimedia  DVD audio restoration & mastering 5.1
• American Motors  the producers gratefully acknowledge the assistance and co-operation of
• American Thrill Show J M Productions  stuntmen furnished by
• C.T.S. Studios  music recorded at (as CTS Studios, Wembley)
• Calibri Lighters  golden gun made by (as Colibri Lighters, London, U.K.)
• Calspan Corporation  AMC Astro Spiral Jump - mathematical and computer technology furnished by (as Calspan Corporation, Buffalo, New York)
• Deluxe  colour
• Panavision  filmed in

Also Known As:

Ian Fleming's The Man with the Golden Gun (UK) (complete title) (USA) (complete title)
Homme au pistolet d'or, L' (Canada: French title) (France) [fr]
007 - O Homem da Pistola Dourada (Portugal) [pt]
007 Contra o Homem com a Pistola de Ouro (Brazil) [pt]
007 ja kultainen ase (Finland) [fi]
Agente 007, l'uomo dalla pistola d'oro (Italy) [it]
Altin tabancali adam (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Czlowiek ze zlotym pistoletem (Poland) [pl]
Hombre de la pistola de oro, El (Spain) [es]
Hombre del revólver de oro, El (Argentina) [es]
Home de la pistola d'or, L' (Spain: Catalan title) [ca]
Ish Ba'al Ekdah Ha-Zahav, Ha- (Israel: Hebrew title) [iw]
James Bond 007 - Der Mann mit dem goldenen Colt (West Germany) [de]
James Bond, praktor 007: O anthropos me to hryso pistoli (Greece) [el]
James Bond: O anthropos me to hryso pistoli (Greece) (DVD title) [el]
Manden med den gyldne pistol (Denmark) [da]
Mannen med den gyldne pistol (Norway) [no]
Mannen med den gyllene pistolen (Sweden) [sv]

Runtime:

125 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English | Thai

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | UK:PG (1987) (video rating) | South Korea:15 | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Brazil:12 | Iceland:L | USA:PG (certificate no. 24040) | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Ireland:PG | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Norway:16 (1974) | Peru:14 | Sweden:15 | West Germany:16 | UK:A (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Andaman Sea, Thailand

Company:

Danjaq

Trivia:

The brand of sparkling white wine that James Bond and Mary Goodnight have at dinner in Bangkok was a Phuyuck '74. The wine bottle's label says that it is manufactured by Anand Products Co. Ltd. of Bangkok, Thailand.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Absolute zero cannot be "maintained" since it has never been "reached". Even if that was permissible in the movie, it wouldn't require a man's body temperature to raise it, as the temperature of the surrounding air would already have done the trick.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Francisco Scaramanga: Nick Nack! Tabasco!
Nick-nack: Right away, Monsieur Scaramanga.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Ed, Edd, 'n' Eddy: Pop Goes the Ed (#1.4)" (1999)

Soundtrack:

The Man With The Golden Gun

Underrated Moore Bond

Altho there's a lot of hate for this second Moore 007, I never understood it. For a change, most of the witty dialogue works well. I think it's one of Moore's best Bond performances.

So let's break it down: The Good: - Roger Moore is witty and action ready. His fight scene in the belly dancer's room is pretty good. Tough and violent. Don't know about that cigar, but it adds a little extra somethin'.

- Herve Villechieze as Knick Knack. Not threatening, but a fun memorable sidekick with lots of playful malevolence. I love it when he shushes Bond.

- Christopher Lee. Nuff said, tho they didn't build up this character to the level they could have. Where are those deleted scenes between him and Moore (from the trailer and photos)that obviously exist?

- John Barry. Yes, Lulu's song is ridiculous. Still, I love the brassy music and this is one of Barry's most memorable catchy Bond scores. Especially during the karate scenes and the jazzy swing of Scaramenga's fun parlor.

- Kung fu. The Bond films always lucked out when it came to latching onto the culture of the day. 1974 was the height of kung fu exploitation and Bond was there. Still have BLACK BELT magazine featuring this on the cover...

The Bad: - Miss Goodnight. Giving Bond a ditzy helper...well, bad night.

- Lack of compelling plot. The energy cell and Scaramanga are too loosely tied together and the film shouldn't have tried to pull a Blofeld at the end.

- Production design. Ken Adams is sorely missing here. And what's with that ONE GUARD in the massive solar laser set? Missed opportunity there.

The Ugly: - JW Pepper.

- Slide whistle.