20 Things You Didn't Know About Licence To Kill (1989)

3. A Farewell To Arms

James Bond Timothy Dalton Carey Lowell Pam Bouvier Licence To Kill
MGM/UA

Even though it is well-known for being Timothy Dalton’s second and last film as James Bond, Licence to Kill was also the last entry in the franchise for a number of other cast and crew members.

Robert Brown - who had portrayed Admiral Hargreaves in The Spy Who Loved Me and later adopted the role of M in Octopussy (1983) - gave his last performance as Double-0 Seven’s crusty superior, whilst Caroline Bliss stepped out from behind Miss Moneypenny’s desk.

John Glen, who had directed all of Double-0 Seven's onscreen adventures during the 1980s, stepped away from the camera lens. He holds the record for directing the most Bond films, having helmed five of them.

Screenwriter, Richard Maibaum and titles designer, Maurice Binder - who had both been with the series since Dr. No (1962) - passed away in 1991.

Cubby Broccoli’s health was also declining; during production in Mexico, the poor air quality forced him to return home to Los Angeles, accompanied by his wife, Dana and their daughter, Barbara. He took an overall leadership position during the making of GoldenEye, but his stepson, Michael G. Wilson and Barbara performed the on-set work for Pierce Brosnan’s debut as James Bond.

Tragically, Licence to Kill was the last time that he attended a Bond set and the poor response to it deeply affected him. He passed away in 1996 and Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) is therefore dedicated to his memory.

Sadly, this film’s references to Ernest Hemingway's renowned 1929 novel, A Farewell to Arms may have been more prophetic than they were originally intended to be.

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