Release Information - Thunderball
In the trailer for the film, Bond says the line, "The things
I do for England." The line was cut from the final version
of the film, and then used in the next Bond film, You Only Live
Twice.
In different versions, Bond says a different line when he escapes
from Largo's shark pool. Some versions also feature a comment
that Felix makes when he and Bond see a manta-ray from the helicopter.
There are also alternate takes of a scene with Largo on his boat
in different versions. Many of the versions released on VHS did
not feature the original score for the underwater battle at the
climax. All the aforementioned differences appear in the 1992
MGM/UA UK VHS release.
An underwater scene featuring Bond and Domino making love behind
a rock was on the request of Cubby Broccoli who considered it
a little too suggestive - it featured a huge explosion of bubbles
rising to the surface, followed by Domino's bathing costume.
A scene shot but not used featured Domino showing around Bond
on the Disco Volante. According to the documentary on the DVD
special edition, the footage is presumably lost, but a few rare
publiclity stills remain. The UK cinema release was cut to recieve
an "A" rating, but all video releases were uncut.
Closing credits on British prints use the James Bond Theme, whereas
international prints use an instrumental version of Thunderball.
Current prints on VHS videocassette in the USA use the James Bond
Theme, but earlier prints on VHS use an instrumental version of
Thunderball.
The CBS/FOX video version omits the scene immediately after Bond
traps Lippe in the sauna, where Bond is massaging Pat with the
mink glove.
On some versions of the 1993-era MGM/UA VHS release (stock M202729),
Sean Connery's name (as well as Broccoli & Saltzman) does
not appear in the opening credits.
Broadcasts on ABC in the mid-1970s featured a censored version
of the gunbarrel opening that omitted all footage of Connery walking
across the screen and firing. Instead, all viewers saw were the
initial dots moving across the screen, then a cut to the start
of the pre-credits sequence.
International Release Dates
| Country |
Release Date |
Foreign Title |
| Denmark |
17 December 1965 |
Agent 007 i ilden |
| Finland |
25 December 1965 |
Pallosalama |
| France |
17 December 1965 |
Opération Tonnerre |
| Germany |
17 December 1965 |
Feuerball |
| Ireland |
10 February 1966 |
|
| Japan |
9 December 1965 |
Thunderball sakusen |
| Norway |
26 December 1965 |
Operasjon Tordensky |
| Sweden |
17 December 1965 |
Åskbollen |
| UK |
29 December 1965 |
|
| USA |
21 December 1965 (New York City)
29 December 1965 |
|
