‘Dr. No’ Launched James Bond With A Bang 59 Years Ago

The Hollywood Reporter offers a piece on the first James Bond film, Dr. No.

When No Time to Die debuts in the U.S. at last on Oct. 8, after several years of creative and pandemic-related delays, it will mark the 27th film in the James Bond franchise. It also marks the final appearance of Daniel Craig in the starring role of 007, the debonair superspy originated by Sean Connery in the very first Bond film, 1962’s Dr. No.

Believe it or not, that one had trouble getting a green light. American producer Albert R. “Cubby” Broccoli and his Canadian counterpart Harry Saltzman had joined forces, rather uneasily, to bring Ian Fleming’s best-selling creation to life. Most studios found the material too British and too sexual, but United Artists chief Arthur Krim offered them a modest budget of $1 million ($10 million today) to make their little adventure film.

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

‘Dr. No’ Launched ‘James Bond’ With a Bang 59 Years Ago – The Hollywood Reporter 

20 Minute Video Of The Best James Bond Jokes, Puns and Witticisms

Nate Berman at tvovermind.com offers a video that covers the entire span of the Bond era, from Sean Connery to Daniel Craig, and contains some of the best (and worst) of Bond’s jokes, puns and witticisms.

Few of the jokes, puns and witticisms in the films come from Ian Fleming's James Bond novels, but I liked the ones from the early Sean Connery Bond films. The great Scot actor was able to pull off the quips with a natural deadpan style.

In Diamonds Are Forever Connery-Bond is at a Las Vegas casino when a buxom woman in a low-cut dress (Lana Wood) comes up beside him and introduces herself, ""Hi, I'm Plenty."

"Well, of course you are," Bond responds.

"That's my name. Plenty O'Toole," she said. 

Bond looks at her and says "Named after your father perhaps..."

Some of the jokes, puns and witticisms are clever and amusing and some are just silly.

You can watch the video via the below link:

http://www.tvovermind.com/movies/20-minute-video-best-james-bond-jokes-puns-witticisms 

Real-life 'James Bond Q' Is A Woman, MI6 Reveals

The BBC reports that the chief of the British Secret Intelligence Service, popularly known as MI6, claims the agency's "Q" is a woman.

The real-life equivalent of Q in the James Bond films is a woman, the head of MI6 has said.

Alex Younger, chief of the Secret Intelligence Service, made the revelation as he encouraged more women to join the service.

He said there is a stereotype that MI6 spies were posh and he wanted recruits from diverse backgrounds.

The character of Q, a technology expert, has always been played by a man in the Bond films.

Speaking at the Women in IT awards on Wednesday, Mr Younger said: "The real-life Q is looking forward to meeting you and I'm pleased to report that the real-life Q is a woman."

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-38755032

Global James Bond Day Announced

 

MI6, the James Bond web site, offers a piece on the announcement of a Global James Bond Day celebration.

It has been announced that October 5th, 2012 will be Global James Bond Day, a day-long series of events for 007 fans around the world.

Commenting on Global James Bond Day, Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, producers of SKYFALL, said, "We are absolutely thrilled to be celebrating James Bond's golden anniversary on film with this special day of events for Bond fans around the world."

  

The MI6 piece also reports on the release of a new documentary on the making of the James Bond films.

 

A new feature documentary from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, Passion Pictures and Red Box Films, Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007, will also be unveiled (with country-specific release details to follow). Directed by Stevan Riley (Fire In Babylon), Everything Or Nothing focuses on three men with a shared dream - Bond producers Albert R. Broccoli, Harry Saltzman and author Ian Fleming. It's the thrilling and inspiring narrative behind the longest running film franchise in cinema history. With unprecedented access both to the key players involved and to EON Productions' extensive archive, this is the first time the inside story of the franchise has ever been told on screen in this way. 

 

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

 

http://www.mi6-hq.com/sections/articles/event_james_bond_day_announced.php3?t=&s=&id=03261

James Bond Declared The Greatest British Hero In Recent Poll

The web site ign.com reports that James Bond was voted the greatest British hero.

Ian Fleming's iconic character came out on top in a poll that pitted James Bond against Sherlock Holmes and other British fictional heroes.

You can read the piece via the below link:

http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/06/25/bond-voted-greatest-british-hero

To learn more about Ian Fleming and James Bond you can read my online Crime Beat column via the below link:

http://pauldavisoncrime.blogspot.com/2010/06/casino-royale-revisited-film-that.html