UK, 1983
131m
35mm film, 70mm film (blow-up), Panavision (anamorphic), Metrocolor, 2.35:1
70mm 6-Track, “recorded in Dolby Stereo”, English
A British borderline science fiction film directed by John Glen. It is the thirteenth film in the official James Bond series.
Plot Summary
009 is found murdered, clutching a rare Faberge egg. James Bond is sent to investigate and comes up against the exiled Indian Prince, Kamal Khan, who is snapping up the eggs that have suddenly turned up on the auction circuit. Khan is in league with a renegade Soviet General with plans to invade Europe, starting by detonating a nuclear weapon on a USAF base in West Berlin. But to get the weapon in place, he needs a cover – which is provided by the circus run by the mysterious Octopussy…
Credits
Crew
Directed by: John Glen
© MCMLXXXIII [1983] Danjaq S.A.
United Artists presents. Albert R. Broccoli presents. Made by Eon Productions Ltd. “Octopussy” from MGM/UA
Executive Producer: Michael G. Wilson
Produced by: Albert R. Broccoli
Associate Producer: Thomas Pevsner
Screen Story and Screenplay by: George MacDonald Fraser and Richard Maibaum & Michael G. Wilson
Stories [Octopussy and The Property of a Lady]: Ian Fleming [credited with possessory above title]
Director of Photography: Alan Hume
Supervising Editor: John Grover
Editors: Peter Davies, Henry Richardson
Music Composed and Conducted by: John Barry
The James Bond Theme written by Monty Norman
Song: “All Time High” performed by Rita Coolidge, music by John Barry, lyrics by Tim Rice
Sound Recordist: Derek Ball
Costumes Designed by: Emma Porteus
Makeup Supervisor: George Frost
Hairdressing Supervisor: Christopher Taylor
Special Effects Supervisor: John Richardson
Main Title Designed by: Maurice Binder
Production Designed by: Peter Lamont
Made at Pinewood Studios [007 Stage] and on location in India [Udaipur], Germany [Checkpoint Charlie, West Berlin; Charlottenburg, Berlin], USA [Utah] and England [Black Park Country Park, Buckinghamshire; London; Nene Valley Railway, Peterborough (train scenes); Norholt Air Force Base (scene at horse track and Feldstadt, West German airbase); Oakley, Buckinghamshire, England, UK (aircraft hanger); USAF Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire, England, UK (circus parade scene)
Cast
Roger Moore (James Bond)
Maud Adams (Octopussy)
Louis Jordan (Kamal [Khan])
Kristina Wayborn (Magda)
Kabir Bedi (Gobinda)
Steven Berkoff (General Orlov)
David Meyer (twin one)
Tony Meyer [opening credits] Anthony Meyer [end credits] (twin two)
Paul Hardwick (Soviet chairman)
Douglas Wilmer (Fanning)
Robert Brown (M)
Walter Gotell (Gogol)
Desmond Llewelyn (Q)
Geoffrey Keen (minister of defence)
Albert Moses (Sadruddin)
Lois Maxwell (Miss Moneypenny)
Michaela Clavell (Penelope Smallbone)
Vijay Amritraj (Vijay)
Andy Bradford (009)
Philip Voss (auctioneer)
Alternative Titles
James Bond – Octopussy – German title
Octopussy operazione piovra – Italian title
Links
Dr. No (1962)
From Russia with Love (1963)
Goldfinger (1964)
Thunderball (1965)
You Only Live Twice (1967)
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)
Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
Live and Let Die (1973)
The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
Moonraker (1979)
For Your Eyes Only (1981)
Sequels
A View to a Kill (1985)
The Living Daylights (1987)
Licence to Kill (1989)
GoldenEye (1995)
Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
The World Is Not Enough (1999)
Die Another Day (2002)
Casino Royale (2006)
Quantum of Solace (2008)
Skyfall (2012)
Spectre (2015)
No Time to Die (2021)
Extracts included in
The James Bond Story (1999)
Precious Images (1986)
Premiere Bond: Die Another Day (2002)
The Screen Test episode broadcast on 5 October 1983
The World of James Bond (1995)
Production Notes
On her now defunct website The Pitt of Horror, Ingrid Pitt claimed that hers is the voice heard saying “All together girls – in, out, in, out…” at the end of the film.
References
Periodicals
The Hollywood Reporter 12 April 1982 pp.3, 9 – interview with Albert Broccoli (by Robert Osborne)
Screen International no.359 (4-11 September 1982) p.12 – credits (In production)
Newspapers
Daily Mail 30 May 1983 – review
Books
The Bond Files: The Unofficial Guide to Ian Fleming's James Bond by Andy Lane and Paul Simpson pp.204-209 – review, synopsis, credits
The Espionage Filmography: United States Releases, 1898 through 1999 by Paul Mavis p.227-228
The Films of the Eighties by Robert A. Nowlan and Gwendolyn Wright Nowlan p.408
The Incredible World of 007 by Lee Pfeiffer and Philip Lisa pp.146 – illustrated article
The International Spy Guide 002 by Richard Rhys Davies p.661 – illustrated credits, note
The James Bond Bedside Companion by Raymond Benson pp.232-237 – illustrated article
Nuclear Movies: A Filmography by Mick Broderick p.96
