Diamonds Are Forever
(United Artists, 1971)
Induced both by a dearth of other roles, and UA's then-record $1 1/4M salary offer, Sean Connery was dragged back to playing 007 one more time in this one. It was a much lighter take on the role, coupled with Connery having gotten notably heavier.
It was also, due to legal wrangling, the last time Blofeld and SPECTRE make an appearance, and until they do, it's a more mundane cops and robbers sort of case, although the locations and beauties keep up the Bond standard.
Long-time recluse Howard Hughes is somewhat parodied in the film, but in actuality was friends with one of the producers, Jimmy Dean playing him was working for Hughes in Vegas at the time, and Hughes' used his influence to get streets closed in Vegas for the car chase scenes, which were decently done (although even MAD Magazine joked that the two-wheel Mustang stunt owed more to Connery's added weight than 007's driving skill), and the oil rig lair attack was fairly involved and rather spectacular.
This one was a bridge from the more serious early Bond flicks to a decidedly lighter side in subsequent ones.
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