The transition of James Bond actors has resulted in a media circus since Sean Connery's original departure from the series after You Only Live Twice (1967). But few generated the intense scrutiny of The Living Daylights (1987), made in the wake of Roger Moore's departure from the role after A View to a Kill (1985). At the time, the 007 series was still sticking to its pattern of a new film every two years, so the rush to find a new actor led to speculation that the role would go to Pierce Brosnan, who was starring in NBC's Remington Steele at the time. The temporary cancellation of that series left Brosnan open to play the role, but the network intervened and decided to keep him on for one final, sixth season. Producer Albert Broccoli's decree to the press that "Remington Steele would not be James Bond" stuck, though Brosnan would go on to inherit the role of Bond in GoldenEye (1995). The shoes of 007 for this adventure ended up being filled by Welsh-born Timothy Dalton, a seasoned stage and screen performer best known for his work with the Royal Shakespeare Company and such films as The Lion in Winter (1968), Flash Gordon (1980) and The Doctor and the Devils (1985).

In keeping with the previous three Moore outings, which also included For Your Eyes Only (1981) and Octopussy (1983), the screenplay by Richard Maibaum and Michael G. Wilson takes inspiration from a short story by 007 creator Ian Fleming. The series had exhausted Fleming's full-length novels with Moonraker (1979), and in this case both the title and the opening defection/attempted assassination sequence came from his 1962 short story, "The Living Daylights." Also carried over from Fleming was the nefarious organization SMERSH, which had been changed into the later SPECTRE in earlier Bond adaptations.

Returning to the fold was director John Glen, who had helmed the last three Bond titles and would repeat again for Dalton's next and final 007 film, Licence to Kill (1989). The recent conflicts in Afghanistan at the time fueled the storyline with multiple double crosses involving arms trading and insurrections in the area involving the Soviets, with Bond helping the local rebellious Taliban-- which, of course, comes off quite a bit different today compared to when the film opened as with the similar Rambo III (1988).

Dalton's intention to go back to the more hard-edged, serious tone of the literary Bond character was met with some resistance at the time among audience members accustomed to the suave and jokey persona of Roger Moore for the past 14 years. The similar approach of Daniel Craig many years later would be met with critical acclaim, but this film still fared well at the box office with much buzz about its production, including an on-set visit from Prince Charles (whose off-camera participation pulled off the "ghetto blaster" scene). Dalton's debut was also the subject of considerable press coverage over his monogamy, a stark contrast to the bed-hopping antics of his predecessors who bedded at least two or three women per film. Apart from an implied liaison at the close of the pre-titles sequence, he's completely chaste through the film and develops a burgeoning romance with his leading lady unseen since the glory days of On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969). The push towards gender equality was mirrored by the fact that--to accompany the then-obligatory Playboy feature for the film (including star Maryam d'Abo)--actor Andreas Wisniewski was prominently showcased in the official movie magazine wearing nothing but a skimpy speedo. Finally, press photographers and reporters also covered an ambitious "flying carpet" scene during the Tangier chase, which was absent from the final cut but has since been included as an extra on home video releases.

This film holds a special place in the hearts of many Bond fans as the final entry scored by John Barry, whose bold, brassy sound had defined the series since its inception. In fact, Barry was musically involved in all but three of the films to that point with hands-on involvement in the title songs as well. Here, he brought a sparing but dramatic electronic presence to the score, which comes to the forefront during action scenes including the rousing "Ice Chase" track. Originally the British duo Pet Shop Boys were rumored to be in the running for the title song, which inspired them to record a demo that ultimately transformed into the track "This Must Be the Place I Waited Years to Leave" on their 1990 album, Behaviour. Instead the song was performed and co-written by Norwegian trio a-Ha, whose creative friction with Barry led to two different studio versions: the string-heavy version heard in the film and a rock variation on their album Stay on These Roads. Despite the bumps in its creation, the song has, like the film itself, gone on to become a fond fan favorite and is often cited as a highlight among one of the screen's most enduring and successful series.

By Nathaniel Thompson