The Living Daylights

Although not entirely without unnecessary gadgets,the juvenile humour that is so evident in the Moore era is largely gone, and the film relies upon a good story rather than disconnected set pieces and is backed by a John Barry score that really makes The Living Daylights feel like a 007 film.

Although the pre-titles sequence is everything it should be, the title song by A-ha must rank as one of the weakest of the series and the sequence that is directly based on Ian Fleming’s finest short story is rather wasted as it discards the build up of tension in favour of some rather hasty action Dalton certainly looks the part, playing the role with a much harder edge than was in evidence during the Roger Moore years, and stands head and shoulders above any of Pierce Brosnan’s films.

What we say

Timothy Dalton’s first outing as James Bond demonstrates a return to par that had sadly been lacking for much of Roger Moore’s reign.

Locations

Original release

Premiere: 29th June 1987 at the Odeon Leicester Square
UK:  30th June 1987
US: 31st July 1987

Principal crew

Director John Glen
Screenplay Richard Maibaum & Michael G Wilson
Producer Albert R Broccoli & Michael G Wilson
Music John Barry
Editing Peter Davies & John Grover
Production design Peter Lamont
Cinematography Alec Mills

Cast

Timothy Dalton James Bond
Maryam d’Abo Kara Milovy
Jeroen Krabbé General Georgi Koskov
Joe Don Baker Brad Whitaker
John Rhys-Davies General Leonid Pushkin
Art Malik Kamran Shah
Andreas Wisniewski Necros
Thomas Wheatley Saunders
Desmond Llewelyn Q
Robert Brown M
Geoffrey Keen Minister of Defence
Walter Gotell General Anatol Gogol
Caroline Bliss Miss Moneypenny
John Terry Felix Leiter
Virginia Hey Rubavitch
John Bowe Colonel Feyador
Julie T. Wallace Rosika Miklos
Belle Avery Linda
Catherine Rabett Liz
Dulice Liecier Ava
Nadim Sawalha Tangier Chief of Security
Alan Talbot Koskov’s KGB Minder
Carl Rigg Imposter
Tony Cyrus Chief of Snow Leopard Brotherhood
Atik Mohamed Achmed
Michael Moor Kamran’s Man
Sumar Khan Kamran’s Man
Ken Sharrock Jailer
Peter Porteous Gasworks Supervisor
Antony Carrick Blayden Male Secretary
Frederick Warder 004
Glyn Baker 002
Scott Hoxby Sergeant Stagg
Bill Weston Blayden Butler
Richard Cubison Trade Centre Toastmaster
Heinz Winter Vienna Hotel Concierge
Leslie French Lavatory Attendant

Drinks

  • Vodka martinis (one of them spiked with chloral hydrate
  • Jim Beam
  • Champagne

Cars


Aston Martin V8 Vantage Coupe (1987)

Quotes

  • “Why didn’t you learn the violin?”
  • “I’ve had a few optional extras installed”
  • ‎”Hold on you’re dead!”
  • “You should have brought lilies.”
  • “We have an old saying too, Georgi. And you’re full of it.”
  • “This is a mission, not a fancy dress ball!”
  • “Sorry, old man, section 26, paragraph 5. Need-to-know. Sure you understand.”
  • “If he fires me I’ll thank him.”
  • “That must have scared the living daylights out of her.”
  • ‎”I’ll report in an hour… Better make that two.”
  • “They’re looking for a foreign car… A man and a woman…”
  • “He met his Waterloo”

Buy The Living Daylights DVD/Blu-Ray from Amazon

Poster Art


Buy a The Living
Daylights poster or print.

Soundtrack


Read more about the The Living Daylights Soundtrack or buy it online.

A View To A Kill | Licence To Kill

David Leigh founded The James Bond Dossier in 2002. A fan of 007 since the age of 8, he is also author of The Complete Guide to the Drinks of James Bond. You can order a copy here if you don't own it already.


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