Except for a few brief close-ups, the entire sequence of Bond, Jaws and the pilot falling from the plane, with Bond and the pilot fighting for a single parachute, was shot in free fall. The seven-pound camera for these sequences was mounted on the helmet of another skydiver, and a few shots are of the cameraman's own arms and legs. Stuntmen Jake Lombard and B.J. Worth wore parachutes concealed within their suits. The "parachute" over which they fight is actually a dummy chute, which had to be removed before the stuntman could use the real parachute underneath. Stuntman Jake Lombard would don and remove the dummy chute up to three times in a single jump. The actual parachutes used by the stuntmen had a main and reserve chute concealed within the suit-coats. A breakaway seam ran down the back, which allowed the parachute to be opened without the need to remove the coat. There were only 60 to 70 seconds of free fall time, between when the stunt performers exited the aircraft and when they had to activate their chutes. After factoring in the time needed to get the performers and cameraman into position after leaving their plane, only a few seconds of film could be shot per jump. Therefore, the entire sequence required 88 jumps, and five weeks to film, just to produce the two minutes of footage in the final movie.
The cable that Jaws bites is actually made of licorice.
The scene in which the gondola converts into a hovercraft, and elevates out of the water, succeeded with the fifth attempt. During the first four takes, the vehicle was so unstable that Sir Roger Moore fell into the water, and he needed to have his silk suit replaced for each take. It was fortunate that the stunt worked during the fifth take, because he was wearing the last available silk suit.
The cost for this movie was $30 million, nearly as much as the first eight films combined, without taking into account inflation.
Producer Albert R. Broccoli complained that Maurice Binder's title sequence cost more than the entire budget of James Bond 007 contre Dr. No (1962).
Melinda Maxwell: The daughter of Lois Maxwell (Miss Moneypenny) as one of Drax' Master Race specimens.
Albert R. Broccoli: Long-time James Bond producer as a man at St. Mark's Square wearing a untucked light blue shirt.
Victor Tourjansky: The Italian second unit director as Man with Bottle (uncredited) in the second of three appearances, starting with L'espion qui m'aimait (1977), and lastly with Rien que pour vos yeux (1981).
Dana Broccoli: As a woman at St. Mark's Square, along with family members Albert R. Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson.
Michael G. Wilson: Makes three cameo appearances: one as a man outside Venini Glass, St. Mark's Square; one as a man on a canal bridge, while M and James Bond talk; and one as a NASA technician in the central control room.