Film cuts / script changes - certain cuts were made to the film before release

The end shot of the pre-title sequence was cut - this was a sweeping shot following the Aston Martin escaping Bouvoir's men.

A scene with Bond and Pat Fearing at 'Shrublands' where Fearing is using the mink glove on Bond was cut.

A sequence with Largo showing Bond around the 'Disco Volante' was cut.

Apparently, the number of scenes with Felix Leiter were cut down (including one with 'Q' and Leiter).

In the trailer, Bond quips 'the things I do for England' - this was the end of the scene with Fiona Volpe in the hotel bathroom, which was cut before release (although it was incorporated into 'You Only Live Twice').

The scene where Bond and Domino meet underwater (after Bond and Leiter find the Vulcan) was to show Domino's swimming costume also rise to the surface - in the final cut we only see bubbles.

Black and white image of Bond being shown around the 'Disco Volante', below left, courtesy of Marc Schaison.

Film cuts / script changes - there were several differences between the shooting script and the finished film

In the pre-title sequence, the action with Bond and Bouvoir was to have been set in an oriental strip club / gambling den in Hong Kong with Bouvoir disguised as a cabaret artiste dressed in a peacock costume.

Bouvoir was originally to be strangled with his own bra rather than the poker that was eventually used.

Paula Caplan was originally Paula Roberts and Fiona Volpe was originally Fiona Kelly in early scripts. Also, Jacques Boitier became Bouvoir, Count Lipson became Lippe and Major Palazzi became Major Derval.

At Shrublands, Bond was originally to have impersonated one of the cockney staff when trapping Lippe in the sauna and was to sing 'We're having a heatwave, a tropical heatwave' as he leaves him baking.

The conference hall scene, where Bond and the other double-O agents are briefed, was originally to feature several famous actors, in cameo, who had previously played on-screen secret agents.

There was to be another scene in the Bahamas with Bond meeting Paula for the first time - set in a beach bar, she was to spell out '007' in the sand as a recognition sign.

There were to be additional scenes between 'M' and the Foreign Secretary involving the collection and delivery of the diamonds by armoured car.

Both Bond AND Pinder were to have descended on 'Palmyra' for the night sortie. They were to have got to a boathouse to see what had made two tracks in the sand. They find it is just a pedalo but accidentally set off the alarm and in the following gun battle on the beach Pinder is killed. The scene would have ended in the same way as the film with Bond jumping free of the shark pool - although the line he was to have said was: 'Sorry you'll have to order something else.'

Originally, Bond was to escape from Volpe, after bedding her, by escaping down his hotel corridor, dressed in costume for the Junkanoo. He was to pick up a cookstove from a nearby waiters trolley and use this is as a weapon, although Volpe did manage to get a shot at him - which would have led into the Junkanoo sequence.

Film cuts / script changes - the ending for the film had several differences between what was planned and what was filmed

Having been rescued from the underwater cave, Bond joins Leiter on a hovercraft and they team up with the aquaparas for the final battle as SPECTRE try to drop the first bomb in a sunken wreck. Largo escapes to the 'Disco Volante', but before it leaves Bond gets on board. Largo is killed by Domino, and Bond and Domino jump to safety from the hydrofoil which is now out of control. Kutze is left on board and destroys the ship by detonating the fuel tanks. After Domino and Bond are picked up by Leiter in the hovercraft, there is a final scene shown as the credits roll: the ransom is dropped by an air force plane and the package sinks to the sea bed where it is intercepted by a two man SPECTRE sub. As the mechanical arm extends to grab the package, it explodes.

Versions - 'Thunderball' doesn't always sound the same - there are differing versions of the soundtrack

Alternate Line

As Bond exits Largo's shark pool, he is heard to say:

'Sorry old chap, better luck next time'

and as an alternate version: 'Now you can tell about the one that got away'.

Extra Manta Ray Line

When Bond and Leiter are looking for the Vulcan, the line 'manta ray - unusual to see them as far out as this' is spoken by Earl Cameron (Pinder), although he is not in the helicopter.

Certainly more recent (DVD) releases have had this line removed.

Score-less Underwater Sequence

A sequence underwater, where Largo sees Bond and sends a diver after him, is without the John Barry score.

More recent releases have the music restored.

Edited Line

As the cocoon is jettisoned, Largo is heard to say:

'Come on, I'll take over. We've got away from them, we've still got one bomb aboard'

and as an alternate version this line has been edited down into: 'we've got away from them, we've still got one bomb aboard'.

Alternative End Theme

The British end theme of the film differed from overseas - the UK version used the original Monty Norman 'James Bond theme' whereas internationally an edited instrumental of 'Thunderball' was used.

ITV1 has broadcast a version with the alternate line ('Now you can tell about the one that got away'), the extra 'manta ray' line, the full version of the 'bombs' line, the score-less section underwater and the instrumental 'Thunderball' theme over the end credits. Most recenly transmitted in the UK: Saturday February 23rd 2008, Saturday July 30th 2005, Monday July 28th 2003, Christmas Day 2002.

Release history - UK versions

End credit tag - James Bond will be back 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service'

At the end of each Bond film (from 'From Russia With Love' through to 'Octopussy') the next film's title was announced. 'Thunderball' was originally to be the first James Bond film but, because of the litigation between McClory and Fleming at the time, 'Dr. No' was produced instead.

'On Her Majesty's Secret Service' was originally to follow 'Goldfinger', which the initial prints of that film showed. But, as a result of McClory failing to get 'Thunderball' made independently, he agreed to make the film with Saltzman and Broccoli and plans for the Piz Gloria adventure were shelved.

The film was then to follow 'Thunderball' but, because of problems in scheduling winter shooting, 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service' was again postponed. Were the end titles of 'Thunderball' amended? This time though instead of them being re-done (as in the case of 'Goldfinger'), did Peter Hunt simply 'wipe' over the caption at the end of the film?

As 'The End' caption appears at the top of the cast/crew listing after the 'wipe', was the missing caption similar to the original 'Goldfinger' ending (aswell as the ending of 'You Only Live Twice') whereby it is simply stated that 'James Bond will be back "On Her Majesty's Secret Service"'?

Missing end caption (possibly):

Professor Ladislav Kutze

Previously based in Warsaw; last seen jumping from SPECTRE boat the 'Disco Volante' before its explosion in the waters around the Bahamas - no known whereabouts.

Wanted in connection with the capture of two atomic weapons (MOS type - numbers 456 and 457) from hijacked NATO flight 759. Vulcan bomber, Ramjet MBX79, had been on a training sortie and was taken off course 45 minutes from its point of return.

Continuity / dubbing - chronological

In the pre-title sequence, Bond is dubbed as saying 'As I said, later - come on' to La Porte on the balcony but his lips say something different (this is the first in quite a few lines that are noticeably dubbed - I'm not going to list them all, well maybe a couple).

As the chateau glass door is opened by the butler, one of the crews lights is seen in the door reflection.

Within the chateau, although Bond is pinned to the bookcase with a knife, there is no sign of the damage to Bond's right cuff in the following fight.

Bouvoir's veil is knocked off when the bookcase falls on him but when Bond pulls it off, the veil is back on his head.

Bond pushes the jet pack into the boot of the Aston Martin but you can just see that the boot won't close over it - it is closed in the shot when the bullet shield comes up.

At 'Shrublands', as the door opens and the 'bandage man' appears in the doorway, Bond reaches for his gun in his inside pocket. A wide shot next sees Bond's arm by his side, but the next shot again shows it back in his inside pocket.

When Bond is 'pulled' on the traction bed there are 2 shots of Lippe's hand pulling at the traction control - the first shows it being pulled all the way and the shorter second shows it being pulled to the top setting again.

Bond enters the 'Massage' room to find Lippe, but on exiting the same room, supposedly the same way, its a different door which reads 'Sitz Bath and Heat Treatment'.

Lippe's towel, when in the steamer, is white but as Bond reaches for the broom it has turned blue.

Derval is called in his hotel and told 'Your car's waiting', a womans voice. After getting up off the bed there is a knock at the door, Derval says 'I told HIM I'd be down'.

When Major Derval is killed his eyes remain open, although when Volpe bandages his head his eyes are closed. When the body is taken to 'Shrublands', Bond unravels the bandages to reveal his eyes open again.

Derval's head is wrapped by Volpe in bandages from the forehead, but when Bond finds the body at 'Shrublands' they have been done up differently.

One close up shot of Bond's arms unwrapping Derval's head shows him with long sleeves although he is wearing a short sleeved top.

When the camera focuses in on Derval removing the Gamma gas from his trouser, his white safety harness is missing.

When Lippe's 1957 Ford is hit by Volpe's rocket the car is seen without numberplate and hubcaps. The numberplate reappears as the car is seen exploding.

Although Bond wears flippers when he first meets Domino underwater, as she climbs on board her boat you can glimpse him without them (he then swims to his boat with them on).

You can just see a mans head appear from within Domino's boat when its turned around after she and Bond come ashore.

Before 'Q' gives Bond the radioactive homing device he says 'Now pay attention' but you don't see him speak (another dub).

For the shots of Bond spying 'Palmyra's shark pool from the helicopter, the film print has been reversed.

After finding Paula dead at 'Palmyra', Bond exits via a hatch which swings back silently. As Largo approaches seconds later the hatch is closed.

When Bond finds Volpe in his bath he is at the doorway - after saying 'not from where I'm standing' he moves closer, but he's back at the door when asked by Volpe for something to wear.

When Bond escapes from Volpe and company he is shot in the right leg, but thereafter it is his left leg that has been wounded (he bandages his left leg in the gents of the 'Kiss Kiss Club').

Shortly after a shot of Bond's wounded left leg, there is a shot of a dog 'relieving' itself and a group holding '007' placards in the background.

Within the junkanoo sequence, the film print has been reversed again with a shot of a placard reading 'Galliano' shown backwards.

The last couple of shots of Bond and Volpe dancing at the 'Kiss Kiss Club' just before (and as) Bond swings Volpe around to shield himself from the bullet are again reversed.

Leiter is wearing shorts in the helicopter when they look for the Vulcan. But when Bond jumps into the water Leiter can be seen sporting black trousers. When Bond gets out of the water after finding the plane there is a shot again of Leiter with the black trousers.

On finding the Vulcan, there's a shot of Bond freeing Derval's mask and reaching for his ID tag - he is wearing a watch. But previous and subsequent to this he is not wearing one.

As Bond reaches the surface, he hands the tag and watch to Leiter who slings them in the helicopter, a shot later Bond has them in his hands again.

When Domino spikes her foot on an egg spine, it is her right one. But when they reach the beach, Bond sucks the poison from the left foot.

When Bond swims to the cove where the SPECTRE frogmen meet he is bare footed but the next shot of him on dry land sees him in sandals.

After leaving the water at the cove, Bond's swim shorts are obviously wet. After crossing the road from the cove and down some steps they are completely dry.

At the cove, Bond is seen wearing a watch on his left wrist. Later on, once aboard the Disco Volante, he is sporting 'Q's watch on his right wrist.

While battling, a frogman smashes another diver's mask with a harpoon gun - in the next shot we see the mask intact.

Bond wears red, white and a blue mask and flippers in the underwater battle. At the end, when Largo grabs Bond's mask, Bond takes a black mask from a SPECTRE frogman, but the shots after that still have him wearing a blue one.

In the fight aboard the Disco Volante, the captain loses his cap a couple of times as the shots are inter-cut.