Live and Let Die

Live and Let Die is a James Bond novel by Ian Fleming, and the eighth movie in the EON Productions Bond franchise. This is the first movie to star Roger Moore as British Secret Service Agent, Commander James Bond. Loosely based on the book, the film was released in 1973 and was produced by Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman.

Film plot summary

Several British agents monitoring the operations of Dr Kananga, the dictator of a small Caribbean island called San Monique, are murdered in mysterious circumstances. James Bond is sent to New York, where the last agent was killed and where Kananga is currently visiting the UN, to investigate. As soon as Bond arrives in New York, his driver is killed while taking him to meet Felix Leiter of the CIA. The driver's killer leads Bond to Mr Big, a gangster who runs a chain of restaurants throughout the US. It is during his confrontation with Mr Big that Bond first meets Solitaire, a beautiful tarot expert who has the uncanny ability to see the future. Bond follows Kananga back to San Monique where he seduces Solitaire (it had been foretold in the cards), which, by "compelling to earthly love", takes away her power. It transpires that Kananga is producing massive amounts of heroin and is protecting the poppy fields through fear of voodoo and the occult. Through his alter ego, Mr Big (Kananga in disguise) he would distribute the heroin from his chain of Fillet Of Soul restaurants for free until the number of drug addicts doubles and his rival drug lords are put out of business, leaving Kananga with a monopoly.

In the closing scene of the film, the central voodoo character, Baron Samedi, is seen perched on the front of the speeding train in which Bond and Solitaire are travelling in, in his voodoo outfit and laughing mysteriously, despite having been killed by Bond during the film's climax.

Theme music

The film is notable for its title song, written by Paul McCartney and Linda McCartney and performed by Paul and his group, Wings. McCartney reportedly composed and recorded the song unsolicited and then offered it to the producers. Taking a temporary hiatus from scoring Bond films, John Barry subsequently passed the baton over to McCartney's producer, George Martin.

Cars & gadgets

• Magnetic Watch - Given to Bond by M when turned on it could snag any light weight metallic item. In theory, Bond claims it can even deflect a bullet. It also has a saw built into it.
• Bug Sweeper - Bond uses a handheld device that can sweep a room for electronic microphones.

Locations

• London England
• New Orleans, Louisiana
• San Monique (Fictional country)
• New York City, New York

Cast & characters

• James Bond - Roger Moore
• M - Bernard Lee
• Miss Moneypenny - Lois Maxwell
• Felix Leiter - David Hedison
• Kananga/Mr. Big - Yaphet Kotto
• Solitaire - Jane Seymour
• Sheriff J.W. Pepper - Clifton James
• Tee Hee - Julius Harris
• Baron Samedi - Geoffrey Holder
• Rosie Carver - Gloria Hendry
• Quarrel Jr. - Roy Stewart
• Miss Caruso - Madeline Smith

Directed by: Guy Hamilton

Written by: Ian Fleming

Screenplay by: Tom Mankiewicz

Produced by: Albert R. Broccoli, Harry Saltzman

Sountrack: George Martin

Theme Song: Paul McCartney & Wings

This is the first time in any James Bond movie that Q was absent entirely. This is the first of two films to feature David Hedison as Felix Leiter. He would later reprise the role in the Bond film Licence to Kill. No other actor has ever play Felix Leiter more than once. This is the also the first of two films to feature Sheriff J.W. Pepper. Clifton James would play the role again in the sequel, The Man With The Golden Gun. The character, Quarrel Jr., is the son of Quarrel who is in Dr. No.

Trivia

• The producers made a conscious effort to distance the new James Bond from the character made famous by Sean Connery, perhaps in an effort to avoid a repeat of the George Lazenby fiasco. For example: Bond never orders a vodka martini "shaken, not stirred"; the character of Q is dropped from the film (though he is still mentioned); the mission briefing takes place in Bond's home (seen for the first time since Dr. No); Moore's Bond does not wear a hat; Bond smokes cigars; and Bond is portrayed as very much the proper English gentleman in this first film. Over time, many of the familiar Bond-isms would return and some of the new elements would be dropped, as Moore grew into the role.
• In addition, Roger Moore was also asked to tone down some of the mannerisms he made famous in his longtime role as Simon Templar, The Saint, in particular his method of cocking his eyebrow.

Publication order

External links

• Live and Let Die (1973) (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070328/) at the Internet Movie Database
• MGM Official Site: Live and Let Die (http://www.mgm.com/title_title.do?title_star=LIVEANDL)

de:Leben und sterben lassen