20 Things You Didn’t Know About For Your Eyes Only (1981)

19. "He's On Our Records. A Professional Killer."

James Bond For Your Eyes Only
MGM/UA

During pre-production, the filmmakers considered whether Richard Kiel’s Jaws should return again, having successfully captured audiences' imaginations in Roger Moore’s previous two Bond films.

It was ultimately decided that his presence would not fit the tone of the grittier Bond film that they were hoping to make, since he had bordered on being a slapstick character in The Spy Who Loved Me before becoming a comic figure in Moonraker. Audience members would therefore expect more of the same in For Your Eyes Only.

The strong, silent killer that they were hoping for was created in the form of Erich Kriegler (John Wyman), an East German Olympic-class biathlete who is secretly a KGB agent. Despite this, shades of Jaws’s character remain in Kriegler, particularly his apparent indestructibility and his skill at lifting incredible weights right over his head, including motorbikes and stone plant pots.

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I started writing for WhatCulture in July 2020. I have always enjoyed reading and writing. I have contributed to several short story competitions and I have occasionally been fortunate enough to have my work published. During the COVID-19 lockdown, I also started reviewing films on my Facebook page. Numerous friends and contacts suggested that I should start my own website for reviewing films, but I wanted something a bit more diverse - and so here I am! My interests focus on film and television mainly, but I also occasionally produce articles that venture into other areas as well. In particular, I am a fan of the under appreciated sequel (of which there are many), but I also like the classics and the mainstream too.