Memories of 007 double features

Elsewhere on this blog, Paul Baack shared his version of a poster for a double feature of Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace. In this home video era, such a double bill won’t reach movie theaters, at least for a general release. But that poster got us to remembering about Bond double features of the past.

1965: With Goldinger a big hit and Thunderball on track for a Christmas release, United Artists rolls out a double bill of the first two 007 movies, Dr. No and From Russia With Love.

In some ways, the two films contain the tightest continuity of the series, at least until Quantum comes out in 2008 as a direct sequel to Casino Royale. Both films were helmed by Terence Young and there a few direct references in From Russia With Love to its predecessor film.

United Artists would again issue of double feature of the two movies in the early 1970s. By that time, prints were pretty beaten up.

1966: With no new Bond film coming out, UA comes out with a double bill of Goldfinger and Dr. No. The double feature trailer (seen as an extra on Goldfinger DVDs), includes other voice over actors “re-creating” the voices of the two Ian Fleming villains.

1968: Once again inbetween Bond movies, UA brings out a double bill of Thunderball and From Russia With Love. The trailer tells us this we can “buy two Bonds for the price of one.” Interestingly, even though From Russia With Love ranks among the best 007 movies by fans, it never gets to lead off a double feature.

1970: UA decides to issue of double feature of “the biggest Bonds of all,” namely You Only Live Twice and Thunderball. The studio will re-issue this double feature in the 1970s ahead of Thunderball’s debut on U.S. television in 1974.

1972: At drive-ins during the summer of 1972, a few months before 007’s debut on U.S. television, newspapers ads suggest that people “spend the night with James Bond!” A TRIPLE feature comes out of Dr. No, From Russia With Love and Goldfinger. Some of the prints are really beat up, including a Goldfinger print that cuts from the middle of the main titles to Bond observing Goldfinger cheating at cards.

1970s, probably 1972 or 1973: A first for UA — a Bond double feature with two different Bond actors, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, George Lazenby’s only 007 outing, and Diamonds Are Forever, Sean Connery’s last film for the official 007 series made by Eon Productions Ltd.

1975: With the 007 series in a bit of a hiatus (due to Harry Saltzman’s financial troubles and his exit from Eon), UA rolls out Roger Moore’s first two Bond movies, Live And Let Die and The Man With the Golden Gun. Except for television, this will be the last taste Bond fans will have until the summer of 1977, when The Spy Who Loved Me revives the film series.

If you have any memories of these double bills (or any we’ve overlooked), feel free to comment.

Most ridiculous 007 villain schemes? Here’s one author’s list

Over 47 years of films, James Bond villains have come up with lots of schemes for the intrepid secret agent to combat. And, truth be told, some have, eh, been on the fantastic side.

Anyway, last year the io9 Web site compiled a list of what it considered the most ludicrous James Bond villain plots.

At the top of the list? Blofeld’s Virus Omega scheme from On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. An excerpt:

Blofeld, played by Telly Savalas, wants to blackmail the world by hypnotizing a woman to love chickens…the woman has just had sex with James Bond, and now she’s being hypnotized to adore chickens. That’s got to be someone’s exact fetish, somewhere on the internet.

Well, the plot was a little more involved than that, but see for yourself. We put in one link above but in case you missed that, you can entire article by CLICKING HERE.