You Only Live Twice

SmokeScreeners Rating:

Year of Release: 1967

MPAA Rating: PG

Director: Lewis Gilbert

Distributor: United Artists

In this film 7 smoking incidents occured, 6 of which were inside and 1 of which was outside.

The film was reviewed by Dr. Barry Hummel on 3/3/2008.

Dr. Hummel posted the following additional discussion:

"Sean Connery's James Bond was a hard-drinking, hard-smoking, super-suave super-spy. His tobacco of choice was cigarettes... lots and lots of cigarettes, usually carried in a silver cigarette case.

In general, the formula of a James Bond movie includes a scene where someone (usually the character known as "Q") gives him a gadget that will ultimately save his life. It might be a laser watch... it might be a car that converts to a submarine... or it might be the item he gets in You Only Live Twice:

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You have to love the clever banter: 'It's very useful for people who smoke too many cigarettes, like you," Tanaka tells Bond, adding 'It can save your life, this cigarette." You have to love Bond's ironic response when he tells Tanaka 'You sound just like a commercial.'

True to the structure of classic Bond films, Mr. Bond gets to use this weapon to 'save his life':

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Once again, the dialogue is priceless. 'If I am going to be forced to watch television,' Bond asks his nemesis, Blofeld, 'may I smoke?' Blofeld's response? 'It won't be the nicotine that kills you, Mr. Bond.' While I admire the reference to the evils of tobacco, it pales in comparison to the message that Mr. Bond's cigarettes actually helped him escape and prolong his life!"