I was listening to a new episode of James Bond & Friends (one where I don’t appear so this is not me stroking my own ego) and discussion moved to Moonraker posters.
The question was raised why some actors (Michael Lonsdale and Richard Kiel in this case) have their character names mentioned while others (Lois Chiles and Corinne Clery) did not.
The answer is: That’s often the result of negotiations between agents, studios and lawyers. Normally, every credit is subject to such review.
In fact, things get more complicated than that. For example, there’s A View To a Kill. Look at this poster:
Christopher Walken played the movie’s lead villain, Max Zorin. But “after the title,” Walken’s name was the fourth listed after Tanya Roberts, Grace Jones and Patrick Macnee. But Walken’s name, at least on many poster, was in a box.
Yet, when it came time to put together A View to a Kill’s end titles, Walken’s name suddenly was ranked No. 2 behind Roger Moore.
Years earlier, there was a preliminary poster for The Spy Who Loved Me. After the title, it had Curt Jurgens first while saying the movie was “introducing” Barbara Bach.
But in the final version, Barbara Bach got the No. 2 billing while Curt Jurgens came after (with “as Stromberg”). The poster also lost the “Assistant to the Producer Mike Wilson” credit. Wilson would be back on the Moonraker poster (with a new title, executive producer, and an expanded name, Michael G. Wilson.) He’s been on all the Eon-made Bond posters since as either executive producer, screenwriter or producer.
The version below of Spy’s poster may have been from a re-release given the “MGM/UA” studio credit.
UPDATE: Reader Gary J. Firuta passes along a couple of other poster credits tidbits.
With Goldfinger, Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman alternated their “present” and “produced by” credits on the poster. Broccoli is listed first for “present” while Saltzman is first for “produced by.”
With You Only Live Twice, Sean Connery is the only member of cast referenced (“Sean Connery Is James Bond”).
Filed under: James Bond Films | Tagged: A View To A Kill, Christopher Walken, Moonraker, The Spy Who Loved Me |
The Spy Command 
Yes and interestingly on the UK DAF poster both Jill St John’s and Lana Wood’s characters are stated, but not the others. 1971 equality! 😀
Barbara Bach had a number of Italian film credits prior to TSWLM. The excising of “and introducing” was certainly appropriate.