007 by the numbers: crew members

Given this is the 50th anniversary of James Bond in the movies, we go to wondering about which crew members had worked the most on 007 films. This isn’t a comprehensive list by any means and those listed didn’t necessarily get an on-screen credit. And because it’s still filming, we’ll exclude Skyfall. Anyway, here’s a sampling of crew members in Bondage:

Derek Watkins

Derek Watkins (musician, 1962-present): 22*. On his official Web site, the trumpet player lists all 22 of the 007 films made by Eon Productions among his credits. There is some question whether he played on 1979’s Moonraker, where the score was recorded in Paris and not the U.K. Film music expert Jon Burlingame has a book coming about James Bond film music and perhaps he’ll shed some light on this. For now, we’ll credit him with 22, with an asterisk.

Peter Lamont (draftsman, set decorator, art director, production designer, 1964-1995, 1999-2006): 18. Starting as a draftsman on Goldfinger, Lamont would eventually be responsible for all sets starting with 1981’s For Your Eyes Only. He skipped Tomorrow Never Dies so he could be production designer on Titanic, where he won an Oscar.

Albert R. Broccoli (presenter, producer, 1962-1995): 17. Co-founder of Eon Productions, he “presented” the first 17 films and had a producer’s credit on all but Thunderball (where Kevin McClory received the producer’s credit) and GoldenEye. Spent more than a decade in a sometimes stormy partnership with Harry Saltzman before taking full control of Eon.

Albert R. Broccoli, co-founder of Eon

Michael G. Wilson (extra, special assistant to the producer, executive producer, screenwriter, producer, 1964 and 1977-present): 14. Stepson of Cubby Broccoli. He initially went to work for Eon full-time as a lawyer, became involved in production work starting with The Spy Who Loved Me.

Richard Maibaum (screenwriter, 1962-1965, 1969-1971, 1974-77, 1981-1989): 13. Involved in scripting 13 of the first 16 in the Eon series, had worked previously with Cubby Broccoli and was one of the most influential crew members in establishing the film 007.

John Barry (arranger, The James Bond Theme; composer, 1962-1971, 1974, 1979, 1983-1987): 12. For Dr. No, the film 007 film, Barry arranged and added rifs to Monty Norman’s James Bond Theme. Starting with the second film, From Russia With Love, he became the preferred composer for Bond movies. He would do 11 scores, departing the series with 1987’s The Living Daylights.

Barbara Broccoli (executive assistant, assistant director, associate producer, producer): 10*. The daughter of Cubby Broccoli and Dana Wilson, her first on-screen credit was as executive assistant on 1983’s Octopussy, when she would have been 22. She promoted to associate producer with 1987’s The Living Daylights and became producer with 1995’s GoldenEye. According to her profile on IMDB.com, she was an uncredited second assistant director on Moonraker, when she would have been 18. If that’s correct, the count would go to 11.

Harry Saltzman (presenter, producer, 1962-1974): 9. The other co-founder of Eon and partner with Albert R. Broccoli during the first nine films of the series. Eventually, Saltzman and Broccoli traded off having the primary responsibility for a film (something that didn’t become generally known until the 1980s). Live And Let Die in 1973 was his last film as the primary producer, but he had at least some involvement with 1974’s The Man With The Golden Gun. Was actively involved in developing scripts of the early Bond movies.