Live and Let Die (1973) - 12 trivia entries

Part of Roger Moore's contract for "Live And Let Die" allowed him an unlimited supply of hand rolled cigars.

On a previous scouting mission for the film, the team passed a roadside sign on a gate which read "Trespassers Will Be Eaten" - this transpired to be a Jamaican crocodile farm, owned by one Ross Kananga. His father had been eaten by one of these beasts - he was always quick to point out which of the 1500 or so - and with his disregard for the dangers involved with his profession, he was widely regarded by the crew as being a lunatic. He obviously made an impression, though, as it was decided that his farm would be written into the script and even his name was used for that of the villain. Most of the stunts performed with these crocodiles in the film were done by Kananga himself. For one shot, however, Moore was required to stand on an island, surrounded by hungry reptiles. The actor suggested that a nice touch would be for him to wear crocodile shoes for the scene. The live animals were removed and replaced with fakes, and Moore placed on the island. Once the cameras started to roll, some of the fake crocodiles began edging towards the actor .

Demond Lewellyn, who played "Q", only failed to make an appearance in two of the first 19 Bond Movies. He wasn't in "Dr. No" (1962) because the character had not yet been created, and this film, because of the stupid belief by the producers that Bond fans wanted fewer gadgets.

With so many black actors, most of which were cast as villains in the film, producers wanted to write in another character, a comedy part, to draw attention away. New York actor Clifton James was cast in the role of "Sherriff J W Pepper", (he was so popular that he would turn up again the next Bond film).

Bond uses a Smith and Wesson Model 29, .44 "Magnum" revolver when rescuing "Solitaire" near the end of the film, the same type of gun used by Clint Eastwood in the film "Dirty Harry".

During the boat chase, Bond slides over an island on which there is a wedding ceremony. One of the other boatmen following bond slides into the wedding cake, destroying it. The bride grabs onto her husband and bursts out crying. You may notice that the groom begins to laugh just as the shot ends.

Roger Moore and Jane Seymour caught dysentery while making this film.

Bernard Lee was very ill during filming, causing the producers to consider replacing him as M with Kenneth More.

Before the film went into production, and when the film makers still thought Sean Connery would come back, the initial idea was to ask Ursula Andress to also come back as Honey Ryder (from the first Bond film, Dr No). When Roger Moore was instead cast the idea still stood until a few weeks/months later when it was scrapped, after they decided not to "saddle down" Roger Moore with leftovers from previous films.

Timonthy Dalton was supposed to play Bond in this film but turned it down thinking he was too young.

During the high-speed chase using the speed boats, one of them performed a jump which set what was then a world record.

With the exception of the Cadillac pimpmobile in the beginning of the film, everyone, in all the locations of this film, drives a 1973 Chevrolet. In the taxi scene in New York, the entire highway is all full size 1973 Chevrolets, and the same thing goes on in the Louisiana scenes. In the airport scene there is one of each 1973 model - Nova, Malibu, Impala and a pickup. Chevrolet too-obviously paid for the product-placement advertising.