Fused Film Friday Classic: Dr. No (1962)
Dr. No (1962) is the first film for the James Bond series and the first to star Sean Connery. It is based on the 1958 novel Dr. No by Ian Fleming and was adapted by Richard Maibaum, Johanna Harwood, and Berkeley Mather. The film was directed by Terrence Young, and produced by Harry Saltzman and Albert R. Broccoli.
In the film, Bond is sent to Jamaica to investigate the death of a British agent. The trail leads him to the island home of reclusive, Dr. Julius No, where he uncovers Dr. No’s plot to disrupt American rocket tests.
Dr. No’s success as the first major film adaptation of Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels, led to a series of films that continues to this day. Dr. No also launched a successful genre of “secret agent” films that flourished in the 1960s. It does not show Bond earning his double-0 status which grants him a licence to kill; instead it presents Bond as a seasoned veteran. Many of the iconic aspects of a typical James Bond films were established in Dr. No, beginning with what is known as the gun barrel sequence, an introduction to the character through the view of a gun barrel, and a highly stylized main title sequence, both created by Maurice Binder. In his work on the film, production designer Ken Adam established a unique and expansive visual style that is the hallmark of the Bond film series, even today [See Sources Below].
Dr. No premiered on October 5, 1962 and received mixed critical reception. Bad reviews came from the direction that the sardonic humour was not appropriate and some did not think that Ursula Andress was particularly attractive. But in the years that followed its release, it became more popular amongst critics and fans. The American release for the film was a year later, in 1963. The American teaser trailer displayed a sense of humour absent from the original British trailer. The American advertising campaign first included the 007 logo designed by Joseph Caroff with a pistol as part of the seven. An original soundtrack album was released in 1963 as well as several cover versions of the The James Bond Theme. [Source: Wikipedia]
Ultimately Dr. No, established a precedent for the entire franchise throughout its 23 film history and it is still a story and a style that still holds up today.
The latest installment in the Bond franchise, Quantum of Solace, arrives in theaters November 14, 2008.
Starring: Sean Connery, Joseph Wiseman, Ursula Andress, Jack Lord, John Kitzmiller
Director: Terence Young
Producers: Harry Saltzman and Albert R. Broccoli
Novel/Story by: Ian Fleming
Screenplay: Richard Maibaum, Johanna Harwood, Berkely Mather
Music by: Monty Norman
Distributed by: United Artists
Released: 5 October 1962 (UK) or 8 May 1963 (USA)
Running time: 110 min.
Budget: $1,000,000
Worldwide gross: $109,600,000
Followed by: From Russia with Love
[Sources: IMDB, Wikipedia Entry: Dr. No]
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