Queue Tips: Have a Ball

So near the beginning of "Thunderball", James Bond is strapped onto a contraption by some kind of a health worker.  And then she just leaves him.  Where did she go?  To the bathroom?  Isn't she at work?  The guy almost dies because somebody messes with the settings.  Of course, he could have just shot or stabbed or choked him.

Did the audiences realize how camera tricks were done?  Did they recognize when the film was sped up?  Did they notice when a scene had rear screen projection?  Did they know when they were matted out?  I think they definitely knew when actions were done by stunt men.  It's pretty obvious when it's shot wide and you can't see the characters' faces.

Anyways, the underwater scenes were cool.  I definitely remember watching them as a child.  My friends and I would sometimes pretend we were fighting underwater.