On 31 December 1959, the creator of James Bond greets the early 60s going to the theater to watch a spy movie, Our Man in Havana (Our Man in Havana), based on the novel by Graham Greene. The day after Ian Fleming gives a BBC interview in which discussion of the film. Just two years later, the secret agent created by British writer transform the entire spy genre, creating the longest running series in film history and redefining the notion of global espionage. Why
007 becomes an icon of the decade?
The West in the 60's is looking for a new hero for a new generation and its ideology is in danger. After fifteen years of the Cold War, the idea that communism could really take root throughout the world. What the West needs is an icon that will defend its values, as they are complex and confusing. Is there someone who can bring order to chaos in the global world, thus breaking the Gordian knot of international politics?
Albert Broccoli To a person would. That person is James Bond.
In the spring of 1961, the Canadian producer Harry Saltzman acquires the rights to the film transpo
provisions of the novels of Ian Fleming. The agreement includes an option all titles already published and those to come. Fleming is provided in exchange for a percentage of revenue of the films. However assemble even a single film from the work of British writer proves more difficult than expected. Saltzman, in fact, can not find any investor. At the same time, the producer Albert Broccoli try to obtain the rights to literary novels by Fleming. When you are aware of the fact that its predecessor Saltzman is skeptical about what to do.
Having just co-produced by Irving Allen, Broccoli wants the exclusive rights of the books but Saltzman is adamant and refuses to sell them. At the end Broccoli agrees to enter into partnership with the Canadian co-production a movie. Together, the two flying in the U.S. and June 20, 1961 meeting Arthur Krim, president of United Artists. In less than an hour three to reach an agreement. United Artists will produce the first film in the series, Thunderball, for a budget of $ 1 million. Thunderball is therefore the first title chosen to inaugurate the exploits of the British spy film, Unfortunately, the novel is the subject of a lawsuit involving Kevin McClory, Jack Fleming Whittingam and the same. Years before Whittingam McClory and participated in drafting a screenplay, never produced for the screen. Fleming has since used the script to write a new novel without using the plot mention the two partners in the credits. It arose a controversy that blocks the title in the classrooms of the English courts. Saltzman and Broccoli pragmatically hijack their attention on Dr. No.
Producers are convinced that the film's director must be an Englishman. After contacting Gu
y Hamilton, Guy Green, Ken Hughes and Bryan Forbes, the choice falls on Terence Young, the aristocratic director, famous for its superfine tastes in fashion, food and beautiful women. Young loves to travel so that if you must choose between two projects, regardless of the artistic value of the script, rather than set in the most exotic.
Honeychile For the role of Ryder, the Bond girl in the film, Saltzman and Broccoli Scripture without the unknown specimen Ursula Andress, after seeing her in a picture which is portrayed in a wet t-shirt from which you can see the busty breasts. The Andress, then married to John Derek, is not interested in cinema and accepts the proposal of the producers after the energetic board of Kirk Douglas, a family friend.
In the role of Dr. No Ian Fleming, who was inspired by dr. Fu Manchu in describing it, he would like his cousin Christopher Lee but declined the invitation. Following Fleming's role in playwright Noel Coward, which responds with an author who became famous telegram: "Dr. No? No! No! No! ". At the end of the production back on Joseph Wiseman, Canadian-born actor with a theatrical experience important.
remains to make the most important choice, that of the protagonist.
Saltzman and Broccoli carry hundreds of auditions in search of the right face and eventually choose the unknown Sean Connery, after seeing him in no appreciable Danny O'Gill and the king of the elves. Connery is therefore called for a rapid test in which the interpreter, a native of Scotland, at first sight appears the antithesis of Bond. First of all, has a heavy accent of the north, which is incompatible with an impeccable English, is also rude in the way and walk, word of Broccoli, like a panther in the jungle. In its favor, however, has a strong masculinity, reinforced by a powerful physique. Connery has also just taken part in Miss Universe and was described by one of the men costume magazines with more sex appeal in the UK.
Women like a lot: the same Broccoli's wife, Dana, confirms this view flattering to her husband.
When Fleming is aware of the choice made by two manufacturers started. He imagined his Bond played by David Niven and Cary Grant, now faces an anonymous Scottish. Yet Terence Young succeeds in shaping of the actor, making stitch in Savile Row suits of impeccable cut and teaching them good manners. The first scene filmed
Connery as Bond from the Kingston airport is 16 January 1962, while the first sequence at Pinewood Studios was on 26 February of that year. On 30 March of that year culminating in the shooting.
In Kingston, Jamaica, the agent Strangways and his secretary are murdered by three shady characters. In London, the section of the MI6 British intelligence report to his boss M had no further news from his agent in the Caribbean. These, therefore, instructs James Bond (code 007, the double zero gives a license to kill the spy), to travel to Kingston to investigate.
Bond is a rough type, like gambling, women and is never separated from his Beretta in order. However one was injured in a mission and M orders him to replace the weapon with the most efficient Walter PPK.
arrived in Jamaica, the agent is now in trouble: a Chinese woman tries to photograph him at the airport and just get a fake driver tries (unsuccessfully) to get him out. Who went by the Governor of the island, Bond seeks guidance on friendships Strangways. He learns that he frequented a club that Professor Dent, a professional geologist. Strangways had asked the scientist to advise it on some stones are recovered in the small island of Crab Key, owned by the mysterious Dr. No, Bond discovers that on that character is also investigating the CIA with his agent Felix Leiter, Quarrel helped by a local fisherman. It is suspected, in fact, that from Dr. No island is able to interfere on the radio frequencies of American missiles, able to sabotage the launches from the U.S..
After narrowly escaping an assassination attempt (Dent, the pay of Dr. No, has slipped a tarantula in bed), Bond goes into action. He discovered that the rocks were found to be insignificant from the professor, they are actually radioactive. A second attempt to eliminate Bond by Dent, because of a brunette seduces the agent for his part, goes to empty. 007 eliminates cold-blooded Dent and decides to go to Crab Key, accompanied by Quarrel.
arrived on the indicator meets the attractive Honey Ryder, a shell fish. The trio is now being chased by the henchmen of Dr. No and after several adventures the three fugitives are blocked by a mechanical dragon that spits fire from its cannons. Quarrel dies while Bond and the girl were taken prisoners. Conducted in the headquarters of Dr. No, the two meet the commander in chief of the operations. It is a Sino German steel with two implants instead of hands in the service of SPECTRE (Special Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion), which is hollowed out to conquer the world. Bond upsets the plans of Dr. No and kills him after a confrontation in the operations center. After freed the girl, the agent leaves the island on board a lifeboat and the lair of Dr. No is destroyed by a terrifying explosion. The two lovers are eo n
found by a patrol of the United States controlled by a grateful Felix Leiter.
In addressing the first film adaptation of Fleming's books, screenwriters Richard Maibaum, Johanna Harwood, and Berkeley Mather, making an excellent job, improving the slender novel by Fleming.
The trio of authors of the book remains faithful to the plot, however, make some changes that reinforce the story. First, there is no mention in the film nor the pink flamingos, or trade of guano, two picturesque views of Fleming, however, that did not fit the main plot. He prefers instead to emphasize the subversive aspect of Dr. No and its danger to Western security. They then introduced two characters that enrich the narrative plot. One of these is the prof. Dent, the first antagonist with which the agent is to fight. The second is Felix Leiter, CIA agent present in many novels by Fleming but not in this.
The part of the film set in the island is fairly faithful to the pages of the novel, except for the final, made more compelling. In fact, the death of Dr. No, suffocated by a mountain of dung, you can not really define an original choice of Fleming. Here, by contrast, the villain is killed off after a desperate battle with Bond.
It is clear that this product has not yet reached the level of narrative and aesthetic perfection of Goldfinger, Terence Young, however, introduces the style of the saga, starting with titles by Maurice Binder, music from the famous theme by Monty Norman, beautifully orchestrated by John Barry. Then to appreciate the brilliant set design by Ken Adam, claustrophobic environments but also have some impressive (see the lair of Dr. No), typical of the productions bondiane below.
Agent 007, License to kill production remains a low budget but the script brilliantly mixes black humor and brutality, while the direction of Young has the advantage of exploiting the wild beauty of the exterior in the service of realism as effective as his protagonist.
Sean Connery is still pretty rough, close to the literary Bond seduces with a few jokes and he is a misogynist of great charm. Joseph Wiseman is a sophisticated and cruel Dr. No, the robotic movements and acting deliberately monotonous and inexpressive. Memorable then the presence of Ursula Andress (the film is dubbed by Nikki Van der Zyl) as Honeychile Ryder. His appearance on the beach has become an icon of cinema, even today remains inimitable, a hymn to busty and provocative beauty of the Bond girls.
preview of the film takes place one morning in September at the American headquarters of United Artists at 10 am. At noon, at the end of the show, distributors remain silent. Not at all convinced of the final comment: "In the end we will lose only 1 million dollars.." A much, in fact, total investment made to finance the first project in the series.
The world premiere of Agent 007, License to Kill is October 5, 1962 at the London Pavilion in Piccadilly Circus, in the presence of Sean Connery and Ian Fleming.
I snob the American distributors film (theatrical release in October of that year) and programming as the second title in the halls offering double the price of one show. Unexpectedly, the film is enjoying remarkable success worldwide, grossing more than $ 59 million.
The reaction of the press is good. The New York Times believes the film is extremely lively and fun, while Variety, prophetically wrote: "James Bond will not win the Oscar for sure but you're sure to find many, enthusiastic supporters ..."
TRIVIA
• Dr. No was chosen as the first film version because the novel had only one setting in Jamaica. This was a key element to contain costs.
• The dealer at the beginning of the film gives Bond Walter PPK is Major Boothroyd, better known by his codename, Q. On the next film (From Russia with love) will be the role played by Desmond Llewelyn.
• Eunice Gayson At first he had to play Moneypenny Lois Maxwell and Sylvia Trench but eventually the two exchanged roles.
• In Fleming's book, Bond Honeychile appears naked on the beach.
• Ursula Andress won the Golden Globe for Best Actress of the year.
• Beach Crab Key is where Ursula Andress is located in Ocho Rios, not far from the house of Fleming.
• Sean Connery had a tremendous fear of spiders. The sequence that sees a tarantula advance on his naked body was shot by Bond stunt man Bob Simmons.
• This is the only film in the saga that has no sequence before the opening credits.
• Stanley Kubrick was so impressed by the set design by Ken Adam to write Dr. Strangelove.
BAD
Dr. Julius No (Joseph Wiseman)
The classic example of a megalomaniac out to conquer the world. Prosthesis has two steel instead of hands and uses them unscrupulously.
Professor RJ Dent (Anthony Dawson)
A slippery double agent, ready to serve with diligence his master, of course, Dr. No.
THE BOND GIRLS
Sylvia Trench (Eunice Gayson)
baccarat is a passionate player and a fiery lover. Transfer immediately to the charm of 007.
Moneypenny (Lois Maxwell)
Secretary of M has a soft spot for James Bond. The agent does not reciprocated to raise a conflict of interest MI6.
Chile Honey Ryder (Ursula Andress)
What a spectacle it has entered the stage! Exits from the Caribbean waters as the Venus of Botticelli, arousing the admiration of infinite Bond that hums "Mango, Banana, Tangerine ..."
FRIENDS
Felix Leiter (Jack Lord)
With those sunglasses in the shape of a fly is irresistible. Tile Bond in the most dangerous mission, leaving it all to him.
Quarrel (John Kitzmiller)
The Toast of Jamaica has a sixth sense to warn of trouble. Unfortunately for him, James Bond does not listen.
Tools of the Trade
Walter PPK
replaces the beloved Beretta Bond but can be relied on when it's time to show its deadly characteristics.
Agent 007 License to Kill (Dr. No) (UK, 1962)
Length: 110 '
Produced by: Albert R. Broccoli, Harry Saltzman
Director: Terence Young
Screenplay: Richard Maibaum, Johanna Harwood, Berkely Mather (from the novel Dr. No by Ian Fleming)
Photography: Ted Moore
Production Designer: Ken Adam
Costumes: Tessa Pendergast
Music: Monty Norman, John Barry
Editor: Peter Hunt
Headlines: Maurice Binder
CAST James Bond: Sean Connery
Honeychile 'Honey' Ryder Ursula Andress
Dr. Julius No: Joseph Wiseman
Felix Leiter: Jack Lord
M: Bernard Lee
Professor R.J. Dent: Anthony Dawson
Miss Taro: Zena Marshall
Quarrel: John Kitzmiller
Sylvia Trench: Eunice Gayson
Miss Moneypenny: Lois Maxwell
Maggiore Geoffrey Boothroyd: Peter Burton
Sister Lily: Yvonne Shima
Sister Rose: Michel Mok
La fotografa, Annabelle Chung: Marguerite LeWars
Sovraintendente Duff: William Foster-Davis
Mary Trueblood: Dolores Keator
Jones (as Reginald Carter): Reggie Carter
Pleydell-Smith: Louis Blaazer
General Potter: Colonel Burton
