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My dear girl, there are some things that just aren't done, such as drinking Dom Perignon '53 above the temperature of 38 degrees Fahrenheit. That's just as bad as listening to The Beatles without earmuffs!” A blog inspired by the music world of James Bond

Part 1 Stirred and not shaken that was right the creation of the most successful film franchise in ciniema history

Introduction

Hello there and welcome to an expanded version of a blog I originally wrote last year devoted to the musical tastes of James Bond the original idea was to write a 5 part blog on the complete James Bond story with a Chapter devoted to each era of the franchise.

When writing and researching the first chapter called Mr Kiss Kiss Bang Bang I began to realise what a big task this would be and decided to change tack. I have decided instead to present an extended version of that musical blog with this being the first chapter It will aim to tell a more complete story behind the James Bond Franchise

From the Book shelf to the cinema screen

Ian Fleming first wrote Dr. No as a television outline for film producer Henry Morgenthau III to promote the Jamaican tourism industry. After this project fell through Fleming began meeting with Canadian film producer Harry Saltzman about making a screen adaptation.

Although Fleming was not a fan of the "kitchen-sink realist" genre Saltzman was known for producing, after seeing Saturday Night and Sunday Morning Fleming sold him the rights to all of the James Bond novels except Casino Royale and Thunderball for $50,000. After Saltzman gained the rights for the novel, he initially had trouble financing the project. Screenwriter Wolf Mankowitz introduced Saltzman to Albert R. "Cubby" Broccoli, who wanted the rights to the novels and attempted to buy them from Saltzman. Saltzman did not want to sell the rights to Broccoli and instead, they formed a partnership to make the films. A number of Hollywood film studios did not want to fund the films, finding them "too British" or "too blatantly sexual".[9] Eventually the two received authorisation from United Artists to produce Dr. No, to be released in 1962. Saltzman and Broccoli created two companies: Danjaq, which was to hold the rights to the films, and Eon Productions, which was to produce them.

Initially Broccoli and Saltzman had wanted to produce the eighth Bond novel, 1961's Thunderball, as the first film, but there was an ongoing legal dispute between the screenplay's co-author, Kevin McClory, and Ian Fleming.

This article from the Screenrant website details how Thunderball nearly become James Bonds debut adventure at the cinema and if it had been made how it would have altered the James Bond film series over the next 61 years read it by clicking here https://screenrant.com/james-bond-first-007-movie-thunderball-franchise-changes/

As a result, Broccoli and Saltzman chose Dr. No:[1 the timing was apposite, with claims that American rocket testing at Cape Canaveral had problems with rockets going astray.

While producers Broccoli and Saltzman originally sought Cary Grant for the role, they discarded the idea as Grant would be committed to only one feature film, and the producers decided to go after someone who could be part of a series.Richard Johnson has claimed to have been the first choice of the director, but he turned it down because he already had a contract with MGM and was intending to leave.[27] Another actor purported to have been considered for the role was Patrick McGoohan on the strength of his portrayal of spy John Drake in the television series Danger Man: McGoohan turned down the role.[28] Another potential Bond included David Niven, who later played the character in the 1967 parody Casino Royale.

There are several apocryphal stories as to whom Ian Fleming personally wanted. Reportedly, Fleming favoured actor Richard Todd.[30] Fleming's stepson Paul Morgan claims that Fleming preferred Edward Underdown.[8] In his autobiography When the Snow Melts, Cubby Broccoli said Roger Moore had been considered, but had been thought "too young, perhaps a shade too pretty". In his autobiography, My Word Is My Bond, Moore says he was never approached to play the role of Bond until 1972, for Live and Let Die. Moore appeared as Simon Templar on the television series The Saint, airing in the United Kingdom for the first time on 4 October 1962, only one day before the premiere of Dr. No.

Ultimately, the producers turned to 31-year-old Sean Connery for five films.It is often reported that Connery won the role through a contest set up to "find James Bond". While this is untrue, the contest itself did exist, and six finalists were chosen and screen-tested by Broccoli, Saltzman, and Fleming. The winner of the contest was a 28-year-old model named Peter Anthony, who, according to Broccoli, had a Gregory Peck quality, but proved unable to cope with the role. When Connery was invited to meet Broccoli and Saltzman he appeared scruffy and in unpressed clothes, but Connery "put on an act and it paid off" as he acted in the meeting with a macho, devil-may-care attitude. When he left, both Saltzman and Broccoli watched him through the window as he went to his car, both agreeing that he was the right man for Bond. After Connery was chosen, Terence Young took the actor to his tailor and hairdresser, and introduced him to the high life, restaurants, casinos and women of London. In the words of Bond writer Raymond Benson, Young educated the actor "in the ways of being dapper, witty, and above all, cool". The casting was announced on November 3, 1961

You might also want to read this article about James Bond from the Movieweb website that tells you more about the man himself https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/james-bond-movie-moments-that-define-the-character/ar-AA1fkc3k

To learn more about the vairous spy orgarnisations that feature in both the books and the film franchise click here

https://screenrant.com/james-bond-movies-smersh-spectre-quantum-differences-explained/

Origin of the name

While the “Bond, James Bond” line is enshrined in cinematic history since that early scene in Dr. No, the true origin of the name itself is a bit more mundane than you’d imagine.

For the ultimate secret agent, Fleming wanted a truly unimpressive name. Looking through a birdwatching book, he found the inspiration he was hoping for. The American ornithologist Dr James Bond.

Dr. Bond actually quite liked his espionage namesake. Although he didn’t find out about it until years after Fleming wrote the first book, he met and became friends with the writer on a 1964 trip to Jamaica. Throughout the Bond films, there have been many small references to ornithology, including it being the profession Pierce Brosnan uses to introduce himself to Jinx (Halle Berry) in Die Another Day.

Shaken and not Stirred

Another key James Bond catchphrase is the way he orders his favourite drink. The famous request of a “vodka martini, shaken, not stirred” wasn’t actually said by Bond in Dr. No but by a waiter giving it to him. In fact, it’s not until the third film 1964’s Goldfinger that Connery utters the phrase himself.

It’s also not the right drink. The line “shaken, not stirred” is an invention of the books and when Bond orders a drink in the original ‘Casino Royale’ novel, he orders a martini that combines gin, vodka and Kina Lillet. This drink is now known as a “Vesper”.

Why did Connery not get a Vesper in Dr. No then? The answer is simple. Smirnoff were a sponsor of the film and didn’t want gin to be mentioned in his martini order.

Meet the Staff at Universal Exports

The cast also included a number of actors who were to become stalwarts of the future films, including Bernard Lee, who played Bond's superior M for another ten films, and Lois Maxwell, who played M's secretary Moneypenny in fourteen instalments of the series.[46] Maxwell received the part after beginning to look for film roles to support her family when her husband Peter Marriot suffered from a severe heart attack and was expected to die.[9] Lee was chosen because of being a "prototypical father figure",[47] and Maxwell after Fleming thought she was the perfect fit for his description of the character.[48] Maxwell was initially offered a choice between the roles of Moneypenny or Sylvia Trench and opted for Moneypenny as she thought the Trench role, which included appearing in immodest dress, was too sexual.

One role which was not given to a future regular was that of Major Boothroyd, the head of Q-Branch, which was given to Peter Burton. Burton was unavailable for the subsequent film, From Russia with Love, and the role was taken by Desmond Llewelyn.[52][53]

Felix Leiter James Bonds CIA contact Dr no also introduced Felix Leiter James Bonds CIA contact played in Dr No by By Jack Lord now better known for playing Jack McGarrett in Hawaii Five-O. Felix Leiter would appear many times in the James Bond series not always played by the same actor.

In fact 9 actors have played Felix Leiter in the James Franchise of those 9 only 2 actors would return to the series more than once. The first was David Hedison who appeared in Live and Let Die alongside Roger Moore in 1973 and 16 years later with Timothy Dalton in Licence To Kill, he is only the only Felix to play the part with 2 James Bonds which is quite an achivement in itself.

The Other Felix Leiter to appear in more than one film is Jeffrey Wright who appeared with Daniel Craig in Casino Royale, Quantum Of Solace & No Time To Die .

To find out more click here https://screenrant.com/james-bond-every-actor-felix-leiter/#david-hedison-ndash-live-and-let-die-amp-licence-to-kill

Ursula Andress The ultimate Bond Girl

For the first Bond girl Honey Ryder, Julie Christie was considered, but discarded as the producers felt she was not voluptuous enough.[40] Martine Beswick was also rejected for being too inexperienced as an actress while Gabriella Licudi was rejected as too young.[9] Just two weeks before filming began, Ursula Andress was chosen to play Honey after the producers saw a picture of her taken by Andress' then-husband John Derek.[11] Kirk Douglas persuaded Andress to take the part at a party hosted by Derek.[9] To appear more convincing as a Jamaican, Andress had a tan painted on her and ultimately had her lines redubbed by voice actress Nikki van der Zyl due to Andress' heavy Swiss-German accent.

The Collider website recently published an article called The Best Bond Girls: 16 Badass Women Who Defined the Franchise Honey Rider landed in the chart at number 4 this is what is they had to say about the first Bond girl.

There have been 25 Eon Bond movies released across a span of 61 years, and still, decades later, everyone still talks about Bond Girl that started it all. While much of the engrained Bond formula was finding its feet in the series’ debut feature, one thing Dr. No truly excelled at was making Ursula Andress’ Honey Ryder an enduring screen icon.

Needless to say, the character’s standing as a sex symbol was cemented the instant she walked onto that beach in the beige bikini, but she was defined by much more than just that. Fast becoming an ally to Bond, the shell diver is remembered for her defiant bravery and her resourcefulness as 007 combated the maniacal Dr. No (Joseph Wiseman).

The Names Norman Monty Norman

RIP to Monty Norman who died in July 11th 2022 at the grand old age 94 thank you for creating a classic theme that may only be 1 min 47 seconds long but it was just enough to open the doors to the world of James Bond in 1962 for Dr No.

Here is a short interview with Monty Norman on how he created that famous theme that featured on the BBCs The One Show https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAN7Z3iiEqE

Monty Norman was invited to write the film score because Broccoli liked his work on the 1961 theatre production Belle, a musical about murderer Hawley Harvey Crippen. Norman was busy with musicals, and only agreed to do the music for Dr. No after Saltzman allowed him to travel along with the crew to Jamaica.

I always felt a bit sorry for Monty he seems to be the forgotten man when it comes to James Bond his contribution to the James Bond theme has been over shadowed by John Barry, lets get this straight Monty wrote and composed the song Barry arranged and conducted it for the films soundtrack.

As a team John Barry and Monty Norman were excellent I always think its a shame that Norman never worked on any more Bond films after Doctor No where as John Barry would provide music for 11 of the first 25 films in the Bond franchise.

To find out more about the life and work of John Barry click here for his wikipedia page https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Barry_(composer)

How the famous Gun Barrel sequence was created

Maurice Binder created the opening titles of the first Bond film, Dr. No, in 1962. Binder originally planned to employ a camera sighted down the barrel of a .38 calibre gun, but this caused some problems. Unable to stop down the lens of a standard camera enough to bring the entire gun barrel into focus, Binder created a pinhole camera to solve the problem, and the barrel became crystal clear.[1]

Binder described the genesis of the gun barrel sequence in the last interview he recorded before his death in 1991:

That was something I did in a hurry, because I had to get to a meeting with the producers in twenty minutes. I just happened to have little white, price tag stickers and I thought I'd use them as gun shots across the screen. We'd have James Bond walk through and fire, at which point blood comes down onscreen. That was about a twenty-minute storyboard I did, and they said, "This looks great!"[4]

The Gunbarrel sequence would then be followed by an exciting James Bond Mini adventure pre title sequence that sometimes may or may not have something to do with the films main plot click here for an article about 10 of the best James Bond pre titles sequences https://collider.com/best-james-bond-pre-credits-sequences-ranked/#lsquo-skyfall-rsquo-2012

As well as designing the famous gun barrel sequence Maurice also designed 13 of the first 16 title sequences in the James Bond series. to find out more about Maurice Binder and his work click here https://www.artofthetitle.com/designer/maurice-binder/

The Collider recently published an article titled the ten best James Bond Main title sequences of all time ranked 5 of Maurice Binders titles sequences for the Bond films made the list you can read the article by clicking here https://collider.com/best-james-bond-opening-credits-ranked/#lsquo-licence-to-kill-rsquo-1989

So is it a Doctor Yes from me meaning I like it or a Dr No meaning I hate it ?

Well lets start with the good points what people call a compliment sandwich the music is very good by Monty Norman with the James Bond theme being the stand out music on the film the acting on the film is also of a high standard Sean Connery is excellant as Bond.

The What Culture website recently published an excellant article on the greatest moments for each Bond film in the series and Sean Connery’s performance in Dr No was their stand out moment from Dr No here is what they had to say:

From the first second he appeared on-screen, Sean Connery simply was Bond. A charisma machine if there ever was one, Connery's sublime work created a cinematic legend with few equals, and even now, he remains the quintessential Bond for most fans.

The first film in the series also benefits from a well-written screenplay, beautiful visuals and an infectious sense of cool, but the main reason the film works as well as it does - and also why certain rather iffy scenes and the film's wildly uneven pacing are far easier to ignore - is because of its star.

Suave, badass, cooler than a cucumber yet also very witty when he needed to be, Connery really got Bond absolutely right, and even if there's a strong argument to be made that Daniel Craig ultimately upstaged him as the best James Bond, Connery is still just as great to watch after all these years.

The Movie web film website also rated Sean Connery introduction as James Bond in Dr No very highly in their article titled 10 Best Movie Character Introductions, Ranked Sean Connery’s introduction as James Bond topped the list these are their comments

The highly stylized opening sequence of James Bond movies, in which the suave secret agent is seen through the iconic gun barrel, is a cinematic signature that has become ingrained in popular culture. This iconic imagery was first introduced in Dr. No, and has since been a hallmark of the Bond franchise. As the gun takes aim, Bond swiftly turns to fire his gun, painting the screen blood red. This cinematic device has become more than just an introduction; it's a symbol one of cinema’s most successful and beloved movie franchises, instantly recognizable to audiences worldwide.

Over the decades, this gun barrel sequence has evolved and adapted, becoming a fixture in Bond films, reaffirming the character's enduring appeal. It serves as a timeless reminder of the suave and unstoppable spy who has captured the hearts and imaginations of audiences across the globe back in 1962.

Sean Connery’s introduction as James Bond topped Screenrants list of James Bonds Greatest scenes ranked from worst to best who made these comments

Since Sean Connery’s James Bond influenced every 007 that came after him, it only makes sense that his screen debut earned the top spot. As simple as it might be, the first time that Bond utters the iconic catchphrase “Bond, James Bond” in Dr. No remains a high point for the series. There is a reason that this scene has been copied, parodied, reinvented, deconstructed, and paid homage to throughout countless action movies over the last six decades. As simple as it seems, Connery’s roguish delivery of the line in the first James Bond movie turned a popular literary character into a cornerstone of modern pop culture.

The Collider film website published an article called Sean Connery 20 best films three Bond films were included in the list including Dr No which was at number 14

Here is what they had to say about Dr No

Beginning what would become an immensely long-running film series in style, Dr. No was the first time movie audiences ever got to see James Bond, and perhaps the first time many were introduced to Sean Connery as an actor. It’s not an instance where the first film was the very best in the series, but Dr. No is still very good for its time, an admirable start to the series, and one of the better (albeit not the greatest) 007 films Connery starred in.

The titular character is the villain Bond goes up against here, with his evil plan involving the destruction of the U.S. space program. Many staples of the series that would become beloved as the years went on got their start here in Dr. No, and Connery himself was instantly magnetic in the role he seemed born to play… though as both aforementioned and subsequent titles will show, he was so much more than just Bond.

How does Sean Connery’s James Bond measure up to the one featured in the Ian Fleming novels and short stories ?

The film website Screenrant recently published an article called How all 6 James Bond actors compare to the Ian Fleming Iconic Book spy they said this about Sean Connery’s Bond

While Connery’s early movies stuck pretty close to the Fleming novels they were adapted from, Connery was warmer and less sharp than the author’s take on the character. Fleming himself told Playboy Magazine that Bond had "very few perceptible virtues" outside of patriotism and courage, only for the author to then question whether these were even virtues. By contrast, Sean Connery’s influential take on Bond was every bit the matinée idol. Admittedly, much of Bond’s conduct in these early movies would now be considered problematic. However, the series itself uncritically presented Connery’s Bond as a hero, whereas Fleming’s literary character was always intended to be more morally ambiguous.

Connery’s Bond was also notable for shaving off some of the more objectionable elements of Fleming’s take on the character. While his conduct with women was questionable at best, and he could be a boorish brute at times, Connery’s take on 007 never challenged the prejudices that Fleming’s 007 vocalized throughout the novel series. As noted by one Time article, Fleming’s Bond held racist beliefs about Korean people, while his dalliance with Pussy Galore uncovered some terrible views on homosexuality. Fortunately, the timeless Bond movies didn’t hand Bond the chance to damn himself by letting the super-spy share these takes on-screen.

But what about the other actors in Doctor No ?

Ursula Andress is excellant as Honey Rider giving a performance that is sensertive and full of sexual presenance at the same time Joseph Wiseman is good as Dr No the main villan of the piece but not outstanding.

There are no gadgets in Dr No but Q played by Peter Burton does give him his Waither PPK his signature wepon you can find out more about Bonds weapon of choice by clicking here https://www.thejamesbonddossier.com/lifestyle/guns/walther-ppk.htm

This article also explains why James Bond started carrying a Waither PPK https://screenrant.com/why-james-bond-uses-walther-ppk-gun/

The Supporting cast of the film are also very good Bernard Lee as M and Louis Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny being the standouts so I am glad we saw more of them in further films the film is also well written and directed and there are some great action scenes featrured in it having said all that for some reason I don’t know why I find the film a very hard watch so I don’t watch it as much as the many other Bond films in my collection so if I was to get a rating out of 5 I would give it a 3 out of 5.

You can watch a trailer for Dr No by clicking here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pw61uyA0F8A&t=9s

To watch a video called 10 things you didn’t about James Bond Dr No click herehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFws8IdQHKA

James Bond and the Tolerance Project

Why is the Tolerance project including a blog about James Bond? Well we used the James Bond theme in a sequence in the Tolerance Film the above extracts comes from the blog Thank you for the music

2mins 25 We hear the strains of the James bond theme as Robert ( played by David Smith) speeds round the Kitchen to make his breakfast Finishing with a cup of tea to highlight his independence.

He Lives in a house by himself where as Claire his girlfriend played by Claire Abbot lives with her family where she feels somewhat over protected and longs to get away

We went with the original done by Monty Norman for Dr No in 1962. Did u you know that John Barry re-recorded the theme for the single release of the same year this re-recorded version is slightly longer the original used in Dr No this version reached the top 20 peaking at number 11 in 1962. It runs close to 2 mins to quote the liner notes on the best of Bond 1992 CD.

Unlike the film version which used the Monty Norman Orchestra this re-recorded version used John Barry’s own Orchestra. Barry’s own version was released in England at a time when Cinemagoers first met James Bond in 1962s Dr No, though lacking the fullness and worldwide familiarity of the Norman Orchestra version Barry’s version holds it own drive and intensity.

The re-recordings of the James Bond theme by John Barry .

John Barry re-recorded the James Bond Theme in 1966 for his CBS album The Great Movie Sounds of John Barry, which features driving percussion ostinati (with a prominent role for bongos), as well as a piano and brass improvisation superimposed over the last few bars.

. For his 1972 Polydor album The Concert John Barry, re-scored the theme again as part of a James Bond suite for full symphony orchestra, in this case the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. This more lush arrangement was to feature in his later Bond film scores, notably Octopussy

Notes Thank You to Wikipedia for the background notes on Dr No and the Maurice Binder interview on how he created the now iconic Gunbarrel sequence. And Minty’s Comedic arts for the 10 things you didn’t know about James Bond Dr No

Pictures

1) The creators of James Bond and Ian Fleming Sean Connery and Producers Albert R. "Cubby" Broccoli and Harry Saltzman

2) one of the many film posters for Dr No

3) Bernard Lee as M

4) Louis Maxwell as Moneypenny with Sean Connery as James Bond

5 Ursula Andress As Honey Rider

6 Composer Monty Norman

7 John Barry

8) Title sequence designer Maurice Binder

9) the art work for the orignal UK release of the James Bond theme recorded by John Barry

10) The album artwork for his 1966 album The Great movie sounds of John Barry

11) The album cover for his 1972 album the concert

12and 13 David Smith as Robert making his breakfast to the James Bond theme screen grabs taken from the Tolerance film

If you have read this post and want to help the Tolerance project click on the above link https://www.gofundme.com/gnk3ww

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