The James Bond franchise is encroaching on sixty years old, making it one of the longest consistently running film series of all time. Films generally come out within two to three years of each other on average, with the longest gap being six years between Licence To Kill and Goldeneye.
With more than twenty films under its belt, countless stories and bits of trivia are abundant, as the following ten entries show. Sometimes things went wrong, or the unforeseen circumstances caused projects to go better than expected. It is amazing to see all the places 007 has been, and we are chomping at the bit to find out where No Time To Die takes him.
John F. Kennedy Was A Huge Fan
Considering his sometimes ethically questionable lifestyle, particularly when it came to the matter of marital fidelity, maybe it is not so surprising to learn of former President John F. Kennedy’s affinity for the British secret agent. Before the films, he was an avid reader of the books, getting hooked on them in the mid-50s while suffering from debilitating back problems. He even met author Ian Fleming in 1960. Supposedly, Kennedy ranking From Russia With Love as one of his favorite books factored heavily in Eon production’s decision to produce it as the second movie.
Where The Name GoldenEye Comes From
1995’s GoldenEye often ranks among the best in the series. Its mixture of typical Bond action fare and character drama gives audiences the best of both worlds. The legendary Nintendo 64 adaptation also helped solidify its legacy. While the title sounds cool, some may wonder where it originates. Ian Fleming’s estate in Jamaica held the same moniker, only his home was not a secret base or military operation. The name goes further back, however. During his time as a Naval Intelligence Officer in World War II, one of the operations he worked on was dubbed GoldenEye.
Who Directed The Most Entries
Most filmmakers who took on the character ended up helming at least two or more Bond projects. However, only one has the distinction of directing the most entries in the franchise. John Glenn directed five films consecutively from 1981’s For Your Eyes Only to 1989’s Licence to Kill. He edited and worked as second unit director on three Bond works beforehand, including the epic On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
Why George Lazenby Left After Only One Film
George Lazenby stands as an outlier among the Bond actors. He only did one film, was the youngest actor to portray the spy, and came into the role with no prior experience. Myths sprout up about his exodus from the role stemming from his lack of acting chops and difficulty to work with, but the actor cleared up those rumors recently. In fact, EON wanted him to sign on for six more Bond movies, but he turned it down after some arguably poor advice. At the time, people thought the fad was over and the changing culture would make the character irrelevant. Just imagine how different the series’ trajectory would have been if he continued in the role. Instead, we got Diamonds Are Forever.
Never Say Never Again
Sean Connery’s last turn as the iconic hero came in 1983’s Never Say Never Again. The film is not an Eon Productions project and is a loose remake of Thunderball. Ian Fleming wrote the original novel based on an unused screenplay from the early sixties when Kevin McClory wanted to produce a movie with the character. An ensuing lawsuit gave McClory the rights to the novel. Eon made an agreement with the producer for Thunderball, and over a decade later McClory started producing another adaptation, which eventually came out in 1983 and is remembered as one of James Bond’s weaker missions.
Hoagy Carmichael
To get an idea of how the character looked like before Sean Connery personified the role, just think Hoagy Carmichael, perhaps best known for The Best Years of Our Lives.
Flemming directly mentions the actor and singer several times in his novels to give the reader an image of the character’s looks. While a handsome fellow, to be sure, he doesn’t have the same muscular physique Sean Connery possessed.
American Actors Who Were Almost Bond
Several times throughout the series’ history, American actors were considered and sometimes auditioned for the role, including Clint Eastwood, Dick Van Dyke, and James Brolin. Brolin got particularly far in the gig in 1983 during Octopussy’s preproduction. His screen test went well and he started training for the role before Roger Moore opted to return. Of all the aforementioned actors, Dick Van Dyke seems the oddest, especially considering his accent in Mary Poppins.
Sean Connery
Before nabbing the role of a lifetime, Sean Connery placed third in Scottland’s Mr. Universe pageant. Looking at pictures of his younger days reveals a chiseled piece of human only recognizable as the secret agent from his face. He also wasn’t accustomed to the suave ways of James Bond, so director Terrence Young gave him a crash course on the highlife before filming Dr. No. Additionally, Ian Fleming agreed with the casting to the point of making Bond part Scottish in the books.
Dr. No Was A Low Budget Film
Dr. No was chosen as the debut after Thunderball didn’t make the cut due to legal issues. Despite the film taking place in one location and having little action save for the climax, producers had a rough time filming it for a meager one million dollar budget. One million was a lot more back then, but still barely enough to create a spy movie. As a result, several corners were cut, such as only one sound editor instead of two, and the production designer worked with a paltry fourteen thousand pound budget.
Christopher Lee
Iconic English actor Christopher Lee played Scaramanga in Man With The Golden Gun. He is also step-cousins with writer Ian Fleming and was the author’s first choice to play Dr. No in the premier film before Joseph Wiseman got the part. Like Fleming, Christopher Lee also did his part during World War II with the Royal Air Force. While one would have a hard time arguing Man With the Golden Gun as a better movie than Dr. No, Lee plays a magnificent villain.
Next: 10 Best Bond Theme Songs, Ranked
