David L. Wolper dies; his company produced ‘The Incredible World of James Bond’

David L. Wolper, whose company produced both documenaries and fictional entertainment (including the mini-series Roots) has died. He has a James Bond conection. Wolper’s company made The Incredible World of James Bond, a November 1965 documentary/infomercial (the latter term hadn’t been coined yet) that examined the first three 007 movies and hyped the then-upcoming Thunderball.

The heavy lifting on the TV special was done by producer-director Jack Haley Jr. Still, here’s the opening of the TV special that aired about a month before Thunderball opened in theaters. It aired on NBC, which pre-empted The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

And you can read Wolper’s obit in The New York Times by CLICKING RIGHT HERE.