Particularly sadistic entry in the cycle with Connery enticed back to the 007 role. This one concerns diamond smuggling. My choice for best title theme. The moon-buggy chase is great too - watch close for bloopers.
Bond has to battle Blofeld in Las Vegas to prevent him using a fortune in diamonds to power a laser weapon and blackmail the world’s governments.
Weak entry in many respects, though still watchable, mainly thanks to Connery's charm and some decent car chases. The female leads are dull, Gray makes an enjoyable but toothless villain, and the film shows a regrettable tendency to lapse into slapstick and silliness. This path was unfortunately followed with Roger Moore, and indeed his first two efforts as Bond are the nadir of the series. Definitely the least of the Connery Bonds. Glover and Smith’s gay villain couple is a bit cringeworthy to watch a half-century on, as well.
Note: The credit for Catherine Deeney as "welfare worker" for this film has long confused me. The IMDb credit is a mistake in that it should go under crew, as Mrs. Deeney was a long-time on-set teacher (often referred to as a welfare worker) for child actors (on Lassie, Family Affair and The Waltons, to name a few shows). I strongly doubt she was on-screen, and I have removed the credit.
Also, though it seems to have been laid to rest, neither Valerie Perrine nor Cassandra Peterson (aka 'Elvira, Mistress of the Dark') are playing Shady Tree's Acorns. This is a relic of early days at IMDb, when clueless people would submit unverified info that ended up seeming to be fact because it was on IMDb. Perrine has stated she is not in the film, though the IMDb trivia section for this film still states it is her film debut. Peterson has stated she worked as an extra, and footage of her showgirl routine was filmed. I believe she is visible in the final print, but she is not one the Acorns.