Adapted from a 2012 post.
In evaluating the legacy of Dr. No as it approaches its 60th anniversary, start with the obvious: There’s still a 007 film series to talk about.
James Bond isn’t the biggest entertainment property in the world the way it was in 1965. But its longevity is unique.
The time that has passed includes more than a decade of enforced hiatus (a troublesome 1975 financial split between Eon co-founders Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman; a legal fight in the early 1990s between Broccoli and MGM; and MGM’s 2010 bankruptcy) disrupting production of the Bond movies.
Still, the Bond films soldier on. The 25th entry, No Time to Die, debuted in the fall of 2021.
The series turned actor Sean Connery into a major star. It made Roger Moore, known mostly as a television star, into a movie star. The same applies to Pierce Brosnan. It made Daniel Craig a star. Even George Lazenby (one movie) and Timothy Dalton (two) who had limited runs as 007 are identified with the series.
The films generated new fans of Ian Fleming’s hero to the point that the movie 007 long ago outsized the influence of his literary counterpart. Finally, the film 007 helped form an untold number of friendships among Bond fans who would have never met otherwise.
All of that began with a modestly budgeted film, without a big-name star, led by a director for hire, Terence Young, who’d be instrumental in developing the cinema version of Agent 007. Dr. No, filmed in Jamaica and at Pinewood Studios, made all that followed possible.
Fans may fuss and feud about which Bond they like best. This 007 film or that may be disparaged by some fans, praised by others. The series may get rebooted. Bond may get recast. The tone of the entries may vary greatly.
In the end, Bond continues. The Man From U.N.C.L.E. can’t say that; The Avengers, the John Steed variety which debuted the year before Dr. No, can’t say that; Matt Helm can’t say that. Jason Bourne, which influenced recent 007 movies, hasn’t been heard from since a 2016 film.
Many of those responsible for Dr. No aren’t around to take the bows.
They include:
–Producers Broccoli and Saltzman
–Director Young
–Screenwriter Richard Maibaum
–Editor Peter Hunt
–Production designer Ken Adam
–United Artists studio executive Arthur Krim, who greenlighted the project
–David V. Picker, another key UA executive, who was a Bond booster
–Joseph Wiseman, who played the title charater, the first film Bond villain
–Jack Lord, the first, and some fans say still the best, screen Felix Leiter, who’d become a major television star on Hawaii Five-O
–Art director Syd Cain
–Composer John Barry who orchestrated Monty Norman’s James Bond Theme and who would later define 007 film music.
–Nikki van der Zyl, who dubbed Ursula Andress in Dr. No and would work on other Bond films.
–Finally, Sean Connery, who brought the film Bond to life, passed away in 2020 at the age of 90.
That’s too bad but that’s what happens with the passage of time. The final product, though remains. It’s all summed up with these words:
James Bond will return. (Even with the ending of No Time to Die.)
Filed under: James Bond Films, The Other Spies | Tagged: Albert R. Broccoli, Arthur Krim, Daniel Craig, Dr. No, George Lazenby, Harry Saltzman, Hawaii Five-O, Jack Lord, James Bond Films, Jason Bourne, John Barry, Joseph Wiseman, Ken Adam, Matt Helm, Monty Norman, Peter Hunt, Pierce Brosnan, Richard Maibaum, Roger Moore, Sean Connery, Syd Cain, Terence Young, the Avengers, The Man From U.N.C.L.E, Timothy Dalton, TV spy shows | Leave a comment »
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