Live and Let Die was released in 1973. Since You Only Live Twice up until this, each Bond film came out with a two-year intermission. (I know The Spy Who Loved Me came out three years after this one.)
So why the rush? I'm sure what makes this film one of the weaker James Bond flicks is because of scheduling. I mean, the transitions in the opening are really weak, from Scaramanga just talking to Bond barging into M's office.
Moore was 46-47 when it was made. Maybe they wanted to make as many movies with him before he hit 50?
(Moore was 3 years older than Connery)
Or maybe Live and Let Die did so well they wanted another movie right away?
(Live and Let Die made was made for $7 million, and grossed $161.8 million.)
The Man with the Golden Gun had the same budget but only made $97.6 million.
On Her Majesty's Secret Service was made for the same $7 million, and only made $82 million, but it was far
superior film in my opinion.
It's sad Lazenby left after one movie. Diamonds, LALD, MWTGG all probably would have been better and hopefully more
serious outings.
Live and Let Die (LALD) was released in the summer of 1973
It was so successful, that the producers wanted to quickly do the next film, to strike while the iron was hot
Director Guy Hamilton and screenwriter Tom Mankiewicz returned from LALD
They started filming the second unit scenes on TMWTGG in the fall of 1973, just a few months after LALD came out
The film makers quickly threw it together, to make money, and it was released in December 1974, not 1975
Unfortunately, it was not a big hit
It was the first Bond film not to be in the Top 20 films of the year, in terms of box office receipts