Moonraker
Synopsis
When the Moonraker space shuttle is hijacked, M sends Bond to the shuttle’s manufacturer, Hugo Drax, to investigate. Bond follows clues that lead him first to Venice, where he discovers Drax’s laboratory manufacturing a highly toxic nerve gas, and then to Rio, where he teams up with CIA agent and astrophysicist Holly Goodhead. At every turn they are attacked by Jaws on Drax’s orders. Bond goes into the jungle to find the source of the nerve gas, but instead discovers that Drax is launching multiple space shuttles filled with couples who will find safe haven in his secret space station. Drax plans to send pods containing deadly nerve gas to Earth to destroy the human race, and will later repopulate it with his master race of perfect physical specimens. A platoon of US marines arrive in a shuttle and defeat Drax’s men in a laser battle, while Bond and Dr. Goodhead track and destroy the deadly gas.
Cast
Roger Moore, Lois Chiles, Michael Lonsdale, Richard Kiel, Corinne Cléry, Bernard Lee, Desmond Llewelyn, Lois Maxwell, Toshirô Suga, Geoffrey Keen, Emily Bolton, Michael Marshall, Walter Gotell, Blanche Ravalec
Producer
Albert R. Broccoli
Director
Lewis Gilbert
Release Date
26 June 1979 (UK)
29 June 1979 (USA)
World Premiere
26 June 1979, Odeon Leicester Square, London
Locations
France; Brazil; Venice, Italy; Guatemala; the USA; England; outer space
Music
“Moonraker” – performed by Shirley Bassey, lyrics by Hal David, composed by John Barry
Vehicles
The ‘Bondola’; Glastron boat/hang glider; space shuttle, MP Lafer, Drax’s Hispano Suiza
Gadgets/Weapons/Technology
- Walther PPK 7.65mm
- Jaws’ metal teeth
- Centrifuge trainer
- Wrist dart gun
- X-ray safe-cracking device concealed within a cigarette case
- Seiko digital LCD M354 watch with detonating cord, detonating cable and explosive device
- Assassin’s weapon coffin
- A mini-camera imprinted with 007
- Laser rifle and pistols that can be shot in space
- Exploding bolas
- Mexican machine gun
- A machine gun hidden in a mannequin
- Gold pen with poison hypodermic needle
- Christian Dior atomizer that shoots flames
- Notebook that shoots a small dart
- Transmitter hidden in Holly Goodhead’s handbag• Gravity control unit
- Drax space shuttle and NASA space shuttle
- Laser canon
- Cloaking device
- Nerve gas globes
Trivia
The Spy Who Loved Me was originally intended to be followed by For Your Eyes Only, but with the increasing popularity of science fiction, Broccoli changed course to Moonraker
The movie was filmed in four studios across three countries
The pre-title parachute sequence, conceived by Michael G. Wilson, was filmed as an experiment in advance of principal photography in case it wasn’t successful
Lois Chiles (Holly Goodhead) was cast after meeting director Lewis Gilbert on a plane
The crew customised four gondolas, which travelled at speeds of up to 60mph in the Venice canals
It took five attempts to film the gondola turning into a hovercraft and mounting the street, with Moore capsizing and falling into the water four times
The film marked the 11th and final appearance of Bernard Lee as M
At the time, the film featured the largest amount of breakaway glass in any scene, and the largest simulated weightless scene ever filmed
