You Only Live Twice (1967)

Synopsis: Bond's successes against SPECTRE has made him a marked man, so MI6 decides to fake his death in order to throw his enemies off his scent. Meanwhile, a US space capsule has been literally eaten up by a mysterious space craft above the Sea of Japan. The Americans suspect the Russians and threaten them with retaliation. With another US launch only weeks away, MI6 believes a third party is trying to foment nuclear war between the superpowers of the world. Bond is dispatched to Tokyo where, aided by the Japanese Secret Service, he infiltrates the headquarters of a corrupt industrialist, Mr. Osato. But 007's cover is blown by a scheming vixen and his "second life" is soon spiraling out of control. He finally escapes the clutches of Osato and reports to a secret ninja training base on an island that is seen in a micro-dot photograph taken from Osato's headquarters. Bond is trained as a ninja and then finds out that Blofeld's base is inside a volcano with a retractable roof. He then leads a party of ninjas to take out Blofeld's operation.

Release Date: June 12, 1967


Plot: The start of World War III for profit


Box Office Results: $111.6 million

Running Time: 1 hour, 57 minutes


Gadgets: Little Nellie, Rocket Cigarette


Director: Lewis Gilbert

Issued Sidearm:

• Walther PPK

Screenplay: Roald Dahl

• Additional story material by Harold Jack Bloom.

Starring:

• James Bond (James Bond)
• Kissy Suzuki (Main Bond Girl)
• Aki (Minor Bond Girl)
• Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Main Villain)
• Hans (Main Villain's Main Henchman)
• Mr. Osato (Main Villain's Second Main Henchman)
• Helga Brandt (Main Villain's Second Main Henchman's Main Henchman)

Villain:

• Donald Pleasence as Ernst Stavro Blofeld

Henchmen:

• Teru Shimada as Mr. Osato
• Karin Dor as Helga Brandt
• Ronald Rich as Hans

Bond Girls:

• Mie Hama as Kissy Suzuki
• Akiko Wakabayashi as Aki
• Karin Dor as Helga Brandt
• Tsai Chin as the girl in the pre-title sequence.

Supporting Cast:

• Tetsuro Tamba as Tiger Tanaka

• Bernard Lee as M
• Desmond Llewelyn as Q
• Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny

• Teru Shimada as Mr. Osato
• Charles Gray as Dikko Henderson
  

Filming Locations:

• Hong Kong; Tokyo, Japan; Matsu, Japan; Cape Cod, USA; Hawaii, USA; Pentagon, USA; Russia; Outer Space.

Best Quote

• Blofeld: "James Bond. They told me you were assasinated in Hong Kong."

Bond: "Yes this is my second life."
Blofeld: "You only live twice Mr. Bond."

Best Mistake:

• When Bond enters the sumo game, the writing above the door reads "Beauty Parlour" in Japanese

Distinguishing Feature:

• Ernst Stavro Blofeld's face is seen for the first time, revealing him as the archetypal alopecian villain

Around The World With 007:

• Filmed entirely on location in Japan (with the exception of second unit photography done in Hong Kong, Nassau and Spain). The remote fishing village of Akime, known for its hot springs, served as the fishing village where Bond and Kissy 'honeymoon', while the volcano on Kyushu led to complications becuase much of the production equipment had to be transported by foot and packhorse. Because of fans' hysteria at the presence of Sean Connery in Tokyo, director Lewis Gilbert had to hide cameras for some of the sequences to minimize the attention drawn to the production.
• As in previous films, Pinewood Studios played host to all the interior set sequences.
  

Vital Statistics: (According to mi6.co.uk)

• Conquests: 3
  
• Martinis: 1
  
• Kills: 21
  
• "Bond, James Bond": 0
  

Trivia:

• The screenplay was the first not to have Richard Maibaum involved in the writing. Renowned children's' and thrillerwriter Roald Dahl (who wrote such diverse books as 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' and 'Tales of the Unexpected') wrote the screenplay with additional material by Harold Jack Bloom.
• Director Lewis Gilbert, was asked to direct this movie 2 times before he accepted.

Passage In The Book ''You Only Live Twice''

In The Book You Only Live Twice There Was A Passage That Said

You Only Live Twice
Once When Your Born
And Once When You Look Death In The Face.

After Bassis
Japanese Poet,