On This Day

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  • RichardTheBruceRichardTheBruce I'm motivated by my Duty.
    Posts: 13,779
    July 7th (Double-O7)

    1929: Michael Reed is born--Canada. (Also reported as born Wandsworth, London, England.)
    (He dies 15 December 2022 at age 93--United Kingdom.)
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    Michael Reed
    See the complete article here:
    Michael Reed (cinematographer)
    Born 7 July 1929
    Canada
    Died 15 December 2022 (aged 93)
    Occupation Cinematography
    Years active 1947–1990

    Michael Reed, BSC (7 July 1929 – 15 December 2022) was a Canadian-born British cinematographer who worked on several films from the 1950s to 1980s, including Dracula: Prince of Darkness and Shout at the Devil.[1]

    Career
    Through the early 1950s he worked in the camera department at Hammer Films as a clapper loader and focus puller on films such as The Man in Black and Meet Simon Cherry before becoming the director of photography on Hammer's The Ugly Duckling (1959) and several Hammer horror films. He acted as director of photography on several ITC television series such as Sword of Freedom, The Adventures of Robin Hood and The Saint. At the same time he was 2nd unit Director of Photography on the James Bond films (Goldfinger, Thunderball and You Only Live Twice).[2]

    Reed graduated to big scale film-making with the James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service in 1969.

    Reed worked on such British television series as The New Avengers, Press Gang and Philip Marlowe, Private Eye.

    Personal life and death
    Reed died on 15 December 2022, at the age of 93.[3][4]

    Selected filmography
    Devil's Bait (1959)
    The Ugly Duckling (1959)
    The Devil Ship Pirates (1964)
    The Gorgon (1964)
    Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1965)
    Bang! Bang! You're Dead! (1966)
    Rasputin, the Mad Monk (1966)
    Prehistoric Women (1967)
    On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)
    The Hireling (1973)
    Galileo (1975)
    The Stick Up (1977)
    Leopard in the Snow (1978)
    The Passage (1979)
    Loophole (1981)
    John Wycliffe: The Morning Star (1984)
    Wild Geese II (1985)
    God's Outlaw (1986)

    References
    "Michael Reed | Movies and Filmography". AllMovie.
    "Michael Reed". BFI.
    "In Memoriam of Cinematographer Michael Reed BSC 1929–2022". From Sweden with Love. 19 December 2022. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
    https://www.mi6-hq.com/sections/articles/biography-michael-reed?id=05162
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    1930: Peter Mckenzie Porteous is born--London, England.
    (He dies 12 August 2005 at age 75--Denville Hall, Northwood, England.)
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    Peter Porteous (1930–2005)
    Actor
    https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0692007/

    MiniBio
    Peter Porteous trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama which, when he was there in the 1950s, occupied premises in the Royal Albert Hall. He made his London theatre debut in 1960 at the Aldwich Theatre in Brouhaha, playing opposite Peter Sellers, Lionel Jeffries and Leo McKern. He played a pygmy, blacked up and wearing a kilt! He played numerous Shakespearian roles and major roles in plays by Tennessee Williams, Arthur Millar, Albert Camus,Harold Pinter and Tom Murphy. His professional film life started when he worked for the great German film director, Otto Preminger, in the film St Joan with Jean Seburg. Sadly, Peter died on 12th August 2005 at Denville Hall, Northwood, Middlesex, the Retirement/Nursing Home for actors run by the Actors' Benevolent Fund.
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    The Living Daylights
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    1944: Society hostess Maud Russell writes about Ian Fleming in her diary.
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    Spies, affairs and James Bond... The
    secret diary of Ian Fleming's wartime
    mistress
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/life/spies-affairs-james-bond-secret-diary-ian-flemings-wartime-mistress/
    Friday 7 July, 1944

    Sorted out clothes of I.’s that need cleaning, carrying them away in my arms. I. is off abroad for a few days. New uniforms and equipment lying about. He has a private army of 300 men. When I came home from the Admiralty the evening was lovely so, tired though I was, I went to the park.

    The grass smelt fresh, the trees were heavy with leaf and I walked to the bandstand and stood for a long time watching and listening. An alert was on as usual. Small clusters of people sat on iron chairs round the bandstand or outside the enclosure under the trees – people of all sorts and kinds, young and old, soldiers and civilians.

    The scene was so strange, moving and so unreal – the white bandstand, the charming civilised elegant waltzes, the Americans lolling about, the uniforms, the drone of the pilotless plane, the beauty of the evening, war and peace all mixed up inextricably.
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    1958: The first James Bond comic strip Casino Royale begins its run in The Daily Express.
    (Ends 13 December 1958. 1-138 ) John McLusky, artist. Anthony Hern, writer.
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    Swedish Semic Comic 1972
    https://www.mi6-hq.com/sections/comics/semic_1972.php3?s=comics&id=01759
    Högt Spel I Monte Carlo
    (High Game In Monte Carlo - Casino Royale)
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    Danish 1965 http://www.bond-o-rama.dk/en/007jb-dk1-1965-eng/
    James Bond Agent 007 no. 1: “Casino Royale” (1965)
    Højt spil i Monte Carlo" [High Stakes in Monte Carlo]
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    1968: Test footage of Lazenby and Rigg prompts nervous United Artists executives to pursue a return of Connery.

    1973: Fawcett Gold Medal publishes Roger Moore's James Bond Diary in paperback.
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    1977: Roger Moore does a quick commercial for Nationwide Insurance. 1977: The Spy Who Loved Me Royal Premiere at the Odeon Theatre, Leicester Square, London.
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    1982: Variety reports potential Moore replacements as James Brolin and Michael Billington.
    1983: Octopussy released in The Netherlands.
    1983: Jonathan Cape publishes John Gardner's Bond novel Icebreaker.
    Cover by Bill Botten (in the style of Richard Chopping).
    JAMES BOND, like Sherlock Holmes before
    him, has become a myth of the twentieth
    century. Predictably, when John
    Gardner (under copyright licence) first
    brought Bond into the 1980s with a new
    consciousness of health and ecology, a
    change of car and a passing nod at femin-
    ism, his book, Licence Renewed, went straight
    to No. 1 on the bestseller lists on both sides
    of the Atlantic. Fleming himself 'would not
    be displeased', the Daily Telegraph said. A
    second updated Bond adventure, For Special
    Services
    , enjoyed an even greater success,
    remaining for months on end on bestseller
    lists in America.

    Now, indestructible as ever, Bond is back
    in a third assignment from John Gardner --
    a deadly assignment undertaken in cohort
    with Bond's opposite numbers from the
    United States, the Soviet Union and Israel
    in the desolate Arctic wastes of Lapland.
    Yet if resurgent fascism is the common
    enemy, who is really to be feared? Can
    SMERSH be trusted to resist the temptation
    to seek revenge on Bond? Is it the breezy
    American or the voluptuous Israeli who is
    acting as double agent? Are the Finns
    merely using Bond to break the K.G.B.'s
    stranglehold on their tenuous national
    autonomy?

    Never has Bond encountered such an
    unnervingly deceitful bunch of collabor-
    ators or been subject to such a bewildering
    series of potentially lethal shocks.
    James Bond adventures
    written under licence from Glidrose,
    Ian Fleming's copyright holders, by
    JOHN GARDNER.

    Licence Renewed
    Remarkably successful re-creation of
    everybody's favourite action man.' Sunday
    Telegraph
    'Gardner's James Bond captures that high
    old tone and discreetly updates it.' The
    Times
    'Gardner has done a fine stylish job. Bond
    of the 1980s is not much different from the
    earlier Bond...his adventures are as capti-
    vating as ever.' BIRMINGHAM Post

    For Special Services
    'John Gardner has got the OO7 formula
    down pat. But not too pat...manages to
    create suspense and spring a few surprises.'
    Financial Times
    'Much better nonsense than the previous
    Gardner resurrection of James Bond.'
    Sunday Times
    'Almost as good as the bestselling first one.
    Great fun.' Scotsman
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    1989: Licence to Kill released in Denmark. 1989: James Bond med rett til å drepe (James Bond with the Right to Kill) released in Norway. 1989: Tid för hämnd (Time for Revenge) released in Sweden.
    2011: Swordfish through Orion Publishing Group releases 30th anniversary hardcover editions of John Gardner’s Nobody Lives Forever and Role of Honour.
    That's following Licence Renewed, For Special Services, and Icebreaker released 23 June. They anticipate paperback editions of all the Gardner Bond novels in 2012.

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    2015: The Hollywood Reporter says a James Bond musical is in-the-works.
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    James Bond Musical the Works
    James Bond Musical in the Works
    The stage show will open on Broadway or in Las Vegas as early as 2017.
    July 7, 2015 9:12am

    007.com

    James Bond has many skills, but can he sing?

    The superspy created by Ian Fleming is the subject of a developing stage musical, according to Playbill.
    Executive producer Merry Saltzman, whose father Harry produced nine of the early Bond films such as Goldfinger, Dr. No, From Russia With Love, Diamonds Are Forever and more, secured the rights to adapt 007’s adventures for James Bond: The Musical.

    The show aims to debut either on Broadway or in Las Vegas, with an opening tentatively scheduled for late 2017 or early 2018.

    Dave Clarke is set to pen the book, while its music and lyrics will come from country composer Jay Henry Weisz.

    The production will include an original storyline and “our own Bond girl,” said its producers, but still cater to the franchise’s fans by featuring “several Bond villains, plus some new ones.”
    The 24th Bond film, Spectre, starring Daniel Craig and Christoph Waltz, hits theaters Nov. 6.

    Twitter: @cashleelee
    2015: Yahoo Entertainment says James Bond musical is a Dr. No-Go.
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    UPDATE: James Bond Musical Is a Dr. No-Go
    Gwynne Watkins·Writer, Yahoo Entertainment
    July 7, 2015
    Update July 8, 2015: James Bond has a license to kill, but not a license to sing. The producers of the current Bond movie franchise issued an official statement on July 7 saying that Merry Saltzman — the daughter of original Bond producer Harry Saltzman, who announced her plans to produce Bond: The Musical last week — has not obtained the rights to create a 007 stage show. “Danjaq LLC and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc confirm they have not licensed any rights to Merry Saltzman or her production company to create a James Bond musical,” reads the statement. “Danjaq and MGM jointly control all live stage rights in the Bond franchise, and therefore no James Bond stage show may be produced without their permission.”
    Original story July 7:
    James Bond can escape from impossible traps, defeat ruthless villains, and seduce any woman — but can he sing? We’ll soon find out. Playbill reports that a James Bond stage musical is in the works, with plans to open on Broadway or in Las Vegas as early as 2017. Called — wait for it — James Bond: The Musical, the show is being produced by Merry Saltzman, daughter of the late Bond film producer Harry Saltzman. There’s no word yet on casting, characters or story, though Saltzman promised Playbill that the show will introduce “our own Bond girl.” (And we hope Odd Job makes an appearance, because a flying-bowler musical number seems too good to pass up.)

    The idea of a singing James Bond is a little nutty, but given that the film franchise has been around for more than fifty years, it’s surprising that no one has tried it before. After all, music does play a key role in the Bond films, many of which are inexorably linked with theme songs like Shirley Bassey’s “Goldfinger,” Paul McCartney’s “Live and Let Die,” and Adele’s “Skyfall.” Rather than borrowing these iconic tunes, however, the new musical will feature original songs by a country music composer, Jay Henry Weisz.

    Since the producers are eyeing a Las Vegas opening, it seems likely that James Bond: The Musical will be a big, action-packed spectacle, akin to the disaster-plagued 2011 musical Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark. It is possible to turn a hyper-masculine movie hero into a viable musical character: 2012’s Rocky the Musical did an excellent job. However, neither Spider-Man nor Rocky managed a successful Broadway run. On the bright side, the work of James Bond creator Ian Fleming has been successfully adapted into a musical before: His novel Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang: The Magical Car inspired the classic 1968 film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and became a hit stage musical in 2002.
    While Bond fans await hearing 007 sing the moving ballad “Shaken Not Stirred,” the twenty-fourth James Bond film, Spectre, opens in theaters on November 6.
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    2018: Daniel Craig visits Central Intelligence Agency headquarters.
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    Daniel Craig visits CIA HQ in run-up to new
    Bond movie
    7 Jul 2018 10:15
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    Craig visited CIA HQ on June 26. Photo: CIA
    James Bond star Daniel Craig has visited CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia in the run up to the start of filming for the forthcoming Danny Boyle directed 007 movie.

    The Guardian reports that the visit was part of "the CIA’s attempt to engage with the public and increase understanding of how intelligence work operates in the real world."

    Craig made the visit on June 26 as part of the CIA's Reel vs. Real seminar. Craig is preparing to begin filming the as yet to be titled 25th James Bond film, in what will be his fifth and reportedly last time in the role.
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    Craig in Spectre in 2015
    In a statement the CIA said: "Mr Craig met with our leadership and workforce, who explained that real-life espionage is a lot more ‘cloak’ and a lot less ‘dagger’ than presented in the entertainment world of spy v spy."

    The statement added: "Mr Craig remarked about the teamwork that goes into the intelligence cycle and how impressed he was with the commitment and dedication of CIA officers."

    The agency said its motivation was "to combat misrepresentations and assist in balanced and accurate portrayals" of the intelligence community.
    Danny Boyle will begin directing the new Bond movie, the 25th in the series, on December 3 and is currently writing a script with Trainspotting screenwriter John Hodge.
    000fef11-614.jpg?ratio=1.78Boyle and Craig
    Rumours have suggested that the film will be titled Shatterhand, which was an alias used by Blofeld in You Only Live Twice.

    There has also been speculation that Boyle and Hodge will reflect the #MeToo era and depart from the usual portrayal of female Bond characters.

    Bond 25 is due to be released on October 25 2019 in Ireland and the UK.

    2023: Spy & Espionage London: Guided tour at London, England.
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    Spy & Espionage London:
    Guided tour
    This is your chance to uncover London’s secret world of spies and espionage. Get an rare insight into a world known for it's secrecy. See the home of MI6 - featured in several James Bond movies and discover the locations of private members’ clubs where the secret service recruited some of their agents.

    Highlights
    - Join a 3-hour guided spies and espionage themed tour
    - See the home of MI6 - featured in several James Bond movies
    - Discover the locations of private members’ clubs
    - Enjoy a Vodka Martini cocktail (or soft drink)
    - Get transported in a luxurious 16-seater coach with air-conditioning
    - Enjoy a small group tour – maximum 16 people
    - Borrow a VOX Personal Audio Headset & never miss a word

    How does it work?
    How do I get my tickets?

    Shortly after your booking is complete your e-ticket will be sent directly to your email. Please print it out and bring it on your tour.

    Where does the tour begin?
    Meet your guide at the concierge desk at St Ermin's hotel.

    Where does the tour end?
    Your tour ends at Trafalgar Square.

    How long does the tour last?
    The tour lasts approx. 3 hours.
    Ticket categories
    Adult (17+)
    Child (3-16)
    Book From $ 87.10
    Select date
    Fri, 7 Jul 2023
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    2023: James Bond Trivia at Story on the Square, McDonough, Georgia.
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    James Bond Trivia
    Fri Jul 07, 2023

    Bond, James Bond trivia is here and it will be sure to test The Living Daylights out of your 007 knowledge!!
    About this Event
    Plan for a fun night with new and old friends as you answer James Bond trivia and compete for prizes. This competition will be held in our upstairs event space, so plan to eat, drink (shaken not stirred), and have a good time. Everyone who attends this event must have purchased a ticket. Tickets are non-refundable within 72 hours of the event.
    Tickets
    Get Tickets
    Ticket Information Ticket Price
    General Admission USD 10
    Date & Time
    Fri Jul 07 2023 at 07:00 pm to 09:00 pm
    (GMT-04:00)
    Location
    Story on the Square, 19 Griffin Street, McDonough, United States
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  • RichardTheBruceRichardTheBruce I'm motivated by my Duty.
    Posts: 13,779
    July 8th

    1933: Jeff Nuttall is born in Clitheroe, Lancashire, England.
    (He dies 4 January 2004 at age 70--Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, Wales.)
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    Jeff Nuttall
    See the complete article here:
    Jeff_Nuttall.jpg
    Born - Jeffrey Addison Nuttall - 8 July 1933 - Clitheroe, Lancashire, England
    Died - 4 January 2004 (aged 70) - Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, Wales
    Occupation
    Poet
    Publisher
    Actor
    Painter
    Sculptor
    Jazz trumpeter
    Anarchist sympathiser
    Social commentator
    Jeffrey Addison Nuttall (8 July 1933 – 4 January 2004) was an English poet, publisher, actor, painter, sculptor, jazz trumpeter, anarchist[1] and social commentator who was a key part of the British 1960s counter-culture. He was the brother of literary critic A. D. Nuttall.
    Life and work
    Nuttall was born in Clitheroe, Lancashire, and grew up in Orcop, a village in Herefordshire. He studied painting in the years after the Second World War and began publishing poetry in the early 1960s. Together with Bob Cobbing,[2] he founded the influential Writers Forum press and writers' workshop.[3]

    His Selected Poems was published by Salt Publishing in 2003.[4]
    Works
    Poems (1963), with Keith Musgrove
    The Limbless Virtuoso (1963), with Keith Musgrove
    The Change (1963), with Allen Ginsberg
    My Own Mag (1963–66)
    Poems I Want to Forget (1965)
    Come Back Sweet Prince: A Novelette (1966)
    Pieces of Poetry (1966)
    The Case of Isabel and the Bleeding Foetus (1967)
    Songs Sacred and Secular (1967)
    Bomb Culture (1968), cultural criticism
    Penguin Modern Poets 12 (1968), with Alan Jackson and William Wantling
    Journals (1968)
    Love Poems (1969)
    Mr. Watkins Got Drunk and Had to Be Carried Home: A Cut-up Piece (1969)
    Pig (1969)
    Jeff Nuttall: Poems 1962–1969 (1970)

    Oscar Christ and the Immaculate Conception (1970)
    George, Son of My Own Mag (1971)
    The Foxes' Lair (1972)
    Fatty Feedemall's Secret Self: A Dream (1975)
    The Anatomy of My Father's Corpse (1975)
    Man Not Man (1975)
    The House Party (1975)
    Snipe's Spinster (novel, 1975)
    Objects (1976)
    Common Factors, Vulgar Factions (1977), with Rodick Carmichael
    King Twist: a Portrait of Frank Randle (1978), biography of music hall comedian
    The Gold Hole (1978)
    What Happened to Jackson (1978)
    Grape Notes, Apple Music (1979)
    Performance Art (1979/80), memoirs and scripts, two volumes

    5X5 (1981), with Glen Baxter, Ian Breakwell, Ivor Cutler and Anthony Earnshaw (edited by Asa Benveniste)
    Muscle (1982)
    Visual Alchemy (1987), with Bohuslav Barlow
    The Bald Soprano. A Portrait of Lol Coxhill (1989)
    Art and the Degradation of Awareness (1999)

    Selected Poems (2003)

    Selected filmography
    Scandal (1989) – Percy Murray, Club Owner

    Robin Hood (1991) – Friar Tuck
    Just like a Woman (1992) – Vanessa
    Damage (1992) – Trevor Leigh Davies MP
    The Baby of Mâcon (1993) – The Major Domo
    The Browning Version (1994) – Lord Baxter
    Captives (1994) – Harold
    Paparazzo (1995) – Lionel
    Beaumarchais (1996) – Benjamin Franklin
    Crimetime (1996) – Doctor
    Monk Dawson (1998) – Sir Hugh Stanten
    Plunkett & Macleane (1999) – Lord Morris
    The World Is Not Enough (1999) – Dr. Mikhail Arkov, a Russian nuclear physicist whom Bond goes undercover as.

    Octopus (2000) – Henry Campbell
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    1959: Fleming writes a letter to Ivar (Felix) Bryce offering the rights to produce the first Bond film. In return he asks for $50,000 worth of shares in the film company. Then he will also provide a treatment, plus his ongoing services if they are desired.
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    The Battle for Bond, Robert Sellers, 2007.
    Chapter 4 - The Deal Is Done
    Put simply, Fleming was offering Xanadu first refusal on the character of
    James Bond for movie exploitation. "And in him you have potentially a very
    valuable property if you can sign him up for several years." McClory was only too
    well aware of this. Why else were he and Bryce so intent on acquiring not just any
    old right to make a Bond film, but the rights to the first Bond film?

    Having acquired those rights, there was no reason, suggested Fleming,
    why the Bond character couldn't then be sub-leased, first to Bubbell
    Robinson's TV From Russia with Love, then back to Xanadu for the feature
    film or later to a television series. Another ingenious Fleming proposal was that
    the same thing could apply in lesser degree to various subsidiary characters like
    M, Felix Leiter, etc.

    One gets the impression reading this letter that Fleming was desperate for
    Bryce to buy into Bond; to have someone he knew and respected owning the
    film copyright to his character rather than some faceless conglomerate or
    Hollywood cowboy producer. The concluding paragraph strikes a particularly
    friendly note: "Sorry to send you all this food for thought but the whole thing
    is getting too big for me and, before MCA finally devours me, I thought
    I ought to give you a last clear think." He then added a PS: "If anything isn't
    clear to you in this letter, it isn't clear to me."

    Fleming's letter did the trick and within days Bryce got in touch to make
    a firm offer - Xanada wanted to go ahead with the Bond film...
    1963: Norman Felton writes Fleming a letter following the decision to leave the Solo television project.
    Norman Felton letter dated 8 July 1963:
    Dear Ian:

    May I thank you for meeting with me when I was in England recently. It was deeply appreciated in view of all of the pressures on you at that time. I am hoping, incidentally, that your move to the country has worked out satisfactorily.

    Your new book, “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”, is delightful. I am hoping that things will calm down for you in the months to come so that in due time you will be able to develop another novel to give further pleasure to your many readers throughout the world.

    They tell me that there are some islands in the Pacific where one can get away from it all. They are slightly radioactive, but for anyone with the spirit of adventure, this should be no problem.

    Warm regards,

    Norman Felton.
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    1968: Spain presents its most prized Don Quixote Award to Roger Moore at the Spanish Embassy, London.
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    1970: Richard Maibaum finishes his draft screenplay for Diamonds Are Forever.
    1971: Diamonds Are Forever films Bond's ordeal in a crematorium.
    1977: The Spy Who Loved Me UK general release. Plus Ireland.
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    1996: Trevor Leighton photographs Sean Connery.
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    2003: Date on the script for a Jinx spin-off film as reported by CinemaBlend.
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    James Bond: Halle Berry’s Scrapped Spinoff
    Script Has Made Its Way Online, And Wow
    By Mike Reyes published February 12, 2021
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    Way back in simpler times, the blockbuster Die Another Day introduced Halle Berry’s Giacinta Johnson as a Bond woman who would help save the day in Pierce Brosnan’s final film as James Bond. Though the film was a bit of a disappointment, a spin-off was being developed for her character, better known to her friends/foes as Jinx. While it never happened, the scrapped script for the film has apparently made its way online; and oh man, do I need to read this now.

    User 007inLA apparently got his hands on the first draft, dated July 8, 2003, which was simply titled Jinx. Sharing the cover page on Twitter as proof of life, the story is credited to James Bond veterans Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, the men who have provided the backbone of the 007 franchise’s stories since their hiring for Tomorrow Never Dies. While the commentary on the script is rather limited due to the misplacement of some pages to Jinx’s finished product, there’s some clues as to where it was all headed.
    Jinx sees Halle Berry’s NSA agent go through her origin story paces, with the death of her parents being the motivation for her joining up. Pushing to be recruited and proving that she’s a worthy candidate, we see this Die Another Day fixture interacting with another familiar face to achieve her mission: her handler Damian Falco, played by legendary hard case and Quentin Tarantino collaborator Michael Madsen. Should this film have happened, we’d have seen Jinx first meeting her co-worker, before they were both introduced during their assistance in Die Another Day’s big, diamond encrusted crisis.

    You can see why Berry was upset about this movie being scrapped, as Jinx sounds right at home in the world of 007. Her character would have even gotten to meet an MI6 agent in her travels, though it’s “no one [she’d] know,” so you can stop updating your theories of how James Bond is a codename for the time being. Though if you’re looking to expand your theory on how Sofia from John Wick 3: Parabellum is really Jinx from Die Another Day… let’s get that story going.

    Nerve gas, a global terrorist plot, and everything you’d expect from a James Bond adventure looks present and accounted for in Jinx. Only instead of merely rehashing the 007 formula, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade looked to expand the brand with a new point of view on the espionage business; and it’s something audiences could still use to this day. With further spinoffs for Naomie Harris’s Moneypenny and Lashawna Lynch’s Nomi creeping into the consciousness surrounding Skyfall and No Time To Die respectively, this isn’t an idea that’s died off just yet. Maybe with the right approach, Halle Berry’s Jinx could return after all, teaming up with either or both James Bond characters to forge a new path towards a cinematic universe.
    This poll is no longer available.
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    2014: Youniverse Digital Limited releases a browser-based adventure game that promotes the Young Bond book Shoot to Kill by Steve Cole.
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    Mission 3 Pilot the Zeppelin
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    Mission 4 High Speed Chase
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    2023: James Bond Casino Night at the Pavilion Hotel, Fulford, York, England.
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    James Bond Casino Night -
    Saturday 8th July 2023
    James Bond themed dinner, casino, dance!
    By York Pavilion Hotel

    When and where
    Date and time

    Starts on Sat, 8 Jul 2023 19:00 BST
    Location
    York Pavilion Hotel 45 Main Street Fulford YO10 4PJ United Kingdom
    Refund Policy
    Contact the organiser to request a refund.
    Eventbrite's fee is nonrefundable.
    About this event
    James Bond themed dinner, casino, dance!

    Join us for a bond themed evening, dress to impress try your luck at tables, enjoy delicious 2 course meal and dance the night away
    Price - £49 to include:
    -Arrival drink
    -2 course dinner
    -Roulette table & black jack
    -Winner takes the prize!

    Call to book - 01904 622099
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    2023: License to Swirl: A 007 James Bond Themed Black Tie Wine Tasting Affair at The Press Club, San Francisco, California.
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    License to Swirl: A 007
    James Bond Themed
    Black Tie Wine Tasting
    Affair
    Get ready for a night of suave sophistication, and serendipitous connections, all while supporting international talents and friends.
    By Zero Gen

    When and where
    Date and time

    Saturday, July 8 · 8 - 11:30pm PDT
    Location
    Press Club 20 Yerba Buena Lane San Francisco, CA 94103
    Refund Policy
    Contact the organizer to request a refund.
    Eventbrite's fee is nonrefundable.

    About this event
    3 hours 30 minutes
    Mobile eTicket
    TICKET INCLUDES
    🍷Taste and savor an exceptional array of international wines, meticulously handpicked for the event. From vintage classics to contemporary newcomers, each selection is as exciting and elusive as our favorite secret agent.

    🎭Embrace the 007 James Bond theme with your best black-tie attire and immerse yourself in an evening teeming with thrilling surprises, covert operations, and the electrifying allure of mystery. Will you come as an MI6 agent, a villain, or a captivating Bond girl? The choice is yours!

    ✨Join us for this extraordinary night filled with exquisite wines, opulent fashion, serendipitous connections, and the power to build a strong community.

    💼 We will be offering secret surprises for students attending, including mentor matching, Linkedin profile revamp, and invitation to our upcoming job search AMAs.
    WHY YOU SHOULD ATTEND
    If you are a student or expat...

    Whether you are an international student or expat looking to make new friends, expand your network, or explore career opportunities, we are here to make it happen. Our community members enjoy benefits such as referrals to their dream companies, Linkedin/resume revamp, and coaching on the most effective process for job search, all while being part of an active and supportive community built upon our shared immigrant journey.

    Meet mentors and get career advice from our community members who come from: Google, Amazon, DoorDash, Centerview, McKinsey, Deloitte, Coinbase, Bloc, JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Architect Capital, YC, On Deck, TechStars, and much more.

    If you are a successful professional...

    Perhaps you are looking to get to the next level of your career, expand your network, find talents for your company, or give back to the next generation, we would love to have you.

    Our community members include founders, VCs, business leaders, and visionaries who understand the value of investing in diverse global leaders and supporting the next generation of immigrant talents. Together, we help support each other, break the invisible ceiling, and reach our full potential.

    If you are not an international but identify with the immigrant journey or just want to meet new friends, we welcome you all : )

    ZERO GEN
    This night isn't just about the wine or the fun—it’s also an opportunity for us to share what we have been up to. We are building an AI-enabled platform to help international talents in the US transition quicker, get jobs, find love, and much more.

    Furthermore and even if you are not an international student/immigrant yourself, we are inviting you to our exclusive community of industry leaders who identify with the immigrant journey and wants to connect with each other and give back.

    Are you ready to accept your mission? Click "Buy Tickets" now! We look forward to seeing you there!
    Tags

    About the organizer
    Organized by

    Zero Gen

    Ticket sales end soon
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    2023: Dave Banks Big Band - Spies in the Night: The Music of James Bond & More! at BLU Jazz+, Akron, Ohio.
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    Dave Banks Big Band "Spies
    in the Night: The music of
    James Bond & more!"
    By BLU Jazz+ (other events)
    Saturday, July 8 2023 8:00 PM — 11:00 PM EDT
    ABOUT
    DAVE BANKS & HIS BIG BAND RETURN TO BLU JAZZ!

    The Dave Banks Big Band will come roaring into Blu Jazz, with a themed show called “Spies in the Night: The music of James Bond and more!” The iconic 007 movies have been a source for some amazing big band scores and the DBBB will play several selections from motion pictures and TV shows that highlight the spies that save the world from evil, but with a suave, sophisticated flair! Joining us to sing some of the theme songs is sultry jazz vocalist Britni Tozzi. This 16 piece big band will present some amazing arrangements that you won’t want to miss.
    [/quote]
    BLU Jazz+
    47 E Market St, Akron, OH 44308
    [/quote]
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    2023: This year's Leeds Castle Concert features a James Bond theme at Kent, England.
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    Leeds Castle Concert returns to Leeds Castle, near
    Maidstone, with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
    July 2023
    Sam Lawrie
    [email protected]
    Published: 01 July 2023

    Grab your picnic and find a perfect spot on the lawn to watch this year’s Leeds Castle Concert.

    The annual classical concert will once again return to Leeds Castle, near Maidstone, for an evening of rousing orchestras, spectacular fireworks and beautiful surroundings.
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    The Leeds Castle Concert will return with a programme of incredible live music this July. Picture: Big Plan Group
    This year, the concert has adopted a James Bond theme to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the British spy character.

    The musical finale, performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, will be inspired by the thrilling film series, featuring some of the most well-known songs from its soundtrack.

    The concert will also include a number of special guests, including Faversham-based singer Anna-Jane Casey.
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    Faversham-based singer Anna-Jane Casey will perform at this year's Leeds Castle Concert. Picture: Luke Granger Photography
    The musical theatre star has sung on the West End stage in shows such as Cats and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and will now be joining the orchestra as a soloist for this one-off performance.

    Anna said: “To sing in such a magnificent setting, with my friends in the phenomenal Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, will surely be a wonderful way to start the summer.”

    “After the last few years, coming out of the pandemic, musicians and performers have been hit very hard regarding live entertainment, but finally we seem to be emerging from that and being able to share an evening of music, fireworks and spectacle with my fellow Kent residents, is going to be a blast!”

    The orchestra will be led this year by conductor John Rigby.

    The whole day will open with a performance from Bye Bye Baby, a tribute to the stage show Jersey Boys and the music of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.
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    Visitors can enjoy a picnic while they watch the entertainment. Picture: Big Plan Group
    There will also be a varied programme of entertainment outside of the music, with a Spitfire display flying over the castle grounds, a best dressed competition and a fantastic fireworks display to finish off the evening.

    Visitors will be able to bring their own picnic for the day, and refreshments will also be available from the bars and food vendors.

    The Leeds Castle Concert takes place on Saturday, July 8. You can book tickets online here.

    Tickets start from £55 and there is a 10% discount if you purchase ten or more tickets.

    2023: Ewbanks auctions 75 Bond movie posters from original designer Brian Bysouth's collection.
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    James Bond Movie Poster Designer
    Selling Some Of His Collection
    Brain Bysouth, 86, also created artwork for blockbusters such as Raiders of the Lost Ark.
    Ashley Pemberton
    July 5, 2023
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    Movie poster: The Living Daylights. (EWNANK’S/SWNS)
    One of Britain’s most successful film poster designers is putting some of the gems of his collection up for auction.

    Brian Bysouth, who made his name designing for the James Bond franchise, is selling 75 lots of his original artwork and signed posters.

    Among the highlights of the collection is his iconic artwork for the 1986 film Class of Nuke ‘Em High (1986), which depicts school kids next to a nuclear reactor.
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    Shadow. (EWBANK’S/SWNS)
    Signed by Bysouth, it is expected to fetch £4,000 ($5,078) when it goes under the hammer at Ewbank’s auctioneers on Saturday, July 8.

    The world, as reported by our 5,000 correspondents, in your inbox. For free.
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    Bysouth, 86, devised the artwork for Hollywood blockbusters such as the Indiana Jones movie Raiders of the Lost Ark and also video releases for the hit TV series Star Trek.

    He retired in 2002 but still paints occasionally and is now selling off some of his favorite pieces.
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    Bad Dreams. (EWBANK’S/SWNS)
    Also up for sale is his artwork for the 1994 film The Shadow, showing Alec Baldwin as the title character Lamont Cranston, which is expected to fetch £800 ($1,015).

    Ewbank’s head of entertainment memorabilia Alastair McCrea said: “Brian Bysouth is a legend among his fellow artists, as well as film fans. Much of his work is iconic, highly decorative and perfect for any collector’s wall.
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    Convoy. (EWBANK’S/SWNS)
    “To be able to offer original artwork as well is very exciting.”

    Born in London, Bysouth completed his National Service after attending Willesden School Of Art on a scholarship.

    Back in civvy street, he decided to make his living as a commercial artist and joined the Downtons agency.
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    First Lady. (EWBANK’S/SWNS)
    There he designed his first poster, for the 1959 film Tiger Bay, starring John Mills.

    He then went on to work on the James Bond Franchise, including the first two films Dr. No and From Russia With Love.

    Bysouth’s involvement with Bond was to continue for decades, including as a freelancer from the 1970s.
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    Class of Nuke ‘Em High. 1986 (EWBANK’S/SWNS)
    Films sporting his artwork include For Your Eyes Only and The Living Daylights, while the last Bond poster he worked on was for the 1999 release The World Is Not Enough. Non-film work included designing adverts for the launch of Capital Radio, a brewery and even Quaker.

    The sale also features an extensive array of film posters from other sources, including classic designs from the Carry On movies.
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    Sky High. (EWBANK’S/SWNS)
    Visit here to bid online.
    http://www.ewbankauctions.so.uk/

    Produced in association with SWNS Talker

    Edited by Joseph Donald Gunderson and Jessi Rexroad Shull

  • RichardTheBruceRichardTheBruce I'm motivated by my Duty.
    Posts: 13,779
    July 9th

    1943: The Allied invasion of Sicily Operation Husky, aided by misdirection created by Operation Mincemeat inspired by Fleming, executes this date.
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    Ian Fleming's Inspiration: The Truth Behind the Books, Edward Abel Smith, 2020.
    Chapter 2 - For Your Eyes Only
    As of September 1942, Fleming’s remit was further expanded to
    include Joint Intelligence Committee work, daily situation reports as
    well as a side project of writing ideas for potential espionage operations
    for NID. Fleming’s nephew Fergus described his uncle’s time in the
    war as ‘one of ingenuity and daring’, producing schemes which were
    ‘notable for their imagination’.

    On September 1939, days after war had been declared, Godfrey
    issued a long-anticipated document to intelligence chiefs, written by
    his personal assistant, just four months after employing him. With
    another war now starting, the Allied Forces - initially consisting of
    France, Poland and Britain - needed to quickly get one step ahead of
    their enemy. Named the ‘Trout Memo’, Fleming’s document listed ways
    for ‘bamboozling the Germans at sea’ through ‘deception, ruses de
    guerre, passing on false information and so on’. A big fan of fly-fishing,
    Godfrey had the memo named accordingly as he felt the document, like
    a fisherman, ‘casts patiently all day. He frequently changes his venue
    and his lures. If he has frightened a fish he may give the mater a rest fir
    half-an-hour, but his main endeavor, is to attract fish by something he
    send out from his boat’.

    The Trout Memo served as a bible for espionage activity with NID,
    containing fifty-one ingenious ways of ‘introducing ideas into the heads
    of the Germans’ through false information. There were suggestions
    such as ‘setting adrift tins of explosives disguised as food’ which had
    ‘instructions on the outside in many languages’ in the hope that ‘hungry
    enemy sailors or submariners would pick them up, try to heat the tins,
    and blow themselves up’. Other ideas devised by Fleming included
    ‘dropping footballs pained with luminous paint to attract submarines’
    and ‘distributing messages cursing Hitler’s Reich in bottles from a
    fictitious U-boat captain to cause unrest among the enemy’.

    Although most of the ideas in the Trout Memo would be kicked into
    the long grass as the war progressed, there was one which caught the
    imagination of Charles Cholmondeley, a twenty-five-year-old secondee
    in the security service from the Royale Air Force, nearly four years later.
    Number 28 was headed ‘A suggestion’ and ‘not a nice one’ in which
    ‘A corpse is dressed as an airman, with (false) despatches in his pockets,
    could be dropped on the coast, supposedly from a parachute that had
    failed’. The concept was further fleshed out to explain that ‘there is no
    difficulty in obtaining corpses at the Naval Hospital, but, of course, it
    would have to be a fresh one’.

    In April 1943, Cholmondeley borrowed the idea for what would be
    one of World War II’s most infamous and successful deception plans,
    Operation Mincemeat. Dropping the dead body of tramp Glyndwr
    Michael dressed as a naval officer off the coast of Huelva, it was washed
    ashore with papers purporting that the Allies intended to invade Greece
    and Sardinia, rather than the expected target of Sicily. The Nazis fell for
    the ruse spectacularly, moving troops away from Sicily, which remained
    the target for the invasion named Operation Husky and was successfully
    taken after the landing on 9 July 1943.

    Writing the Trout Memo for Fleming had been a pleasure - although it
    would be another four years before he would see the fruits of his labour
    bear out in Operation Mincemeat - as this was the type of intelligence
    he enjoyed. Since playing sport at school, he had not felt enjoyment like
    this, and he was eager to continue challenging himself.
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    Another Fleming Memo
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    1964: From Russia With Love released in The Netherlands.
    1966: Bond's obituary date, as printed in the on-screen version of The Standard in You Only Live Twice.
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    1973: Richard Schickel reviews Live and Let Die in Time. He doesn't like it.
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    Cinema: Dirty Trick
    By Richard Schickel Monday, July 09, 1973
    LIVE AND LET DIE

    Directed by GUY HAMILTON Screenplay by TOM MANKIEWICZ

    There is a new James Bond — Roger Moore of Sainted TV memory — and a new angle to his latest adventure. In this incarnation, 007 is the Great White Hope. He goes about beating up black men who are doing a little heroin smuggling to finance a Caribbean dictatorship and, perhaps, take over the U.S. after they've turned it into a nation of junkies with their free-sample program.

    Both novelties are deplorable, and Live and Let Die is the most vulgar addition to a series that has long since outlived its brief historical moment — if not, alas, its profitability.

    Moore is afflicted with coolness unto death; one half expects some plot revelation — a saliva test, perhaps — to explain that the bad guys somehow got him hooked before the picture started.

    None is forthcoming, so probably what we have here is a case of belated fastidiousness: an actor trying to dissociate himself from a project turning sour all around him.

    As for Bond's new character as a racist pig, there is a dubious rationale for it. Through the years he has kicked and chopped his way through most of the other races of man, so it could be argued that it is just a matter of equal rights to let blacks have their chance to play masochists to his pseudo-suave sadist. Not surprisingly, this strained justification fails to relieve the queasiness Live and Let Die induces. Why are all the blacks either stupid brutes or primitives deep into the occult and voodooism? Why is miscegenation so often used as a turn-on? Why do such questions even arise in what is supposed to be pure entertainment?

    In part, the answers lie in the fact that the so-called entertainment is never really entertaining. A couple of solid citizens, Yaphet Kotto and Geoffrey Holder, are underemployed as an island dictator cum pusher and his witchdoctor hireling while Jane Seymour, Gloria Hendry and Madeline Smith are comely enough but curiously sexless sex objects. They, like Moore, suffer a sort of weightlessness, a lack of humanness, which is what Sean Connery as 007 lent previous Bond adventures. The raunchy adolescent humor that helped audiences giggle past the ugly inhuman stuff in previous Bond films like Goldfinger and Diamonds Are Forever is rare and surprisingly inept. The vehicular chases that have proved commercially successful in other films are here rendered five times, which is four more than any movie needs. Setting aside an allright speedboat spectacular over land and water, the film is both perfunctory and predictable—leaving the mind free to wander into the question of its overall taste. Or lack of it.

    *Richard Schickel
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    1975: Jack White is born--Detroit, Michigan.
    1975: Till Death Do Us Apart comic strip begins its run in The Daily Express.
    (Ends 14 October 1975. 2898-2983) Yaroslav Horak, artist. Jim Lawrence, writer.
    https://www.mi6-hq.com/sections/comics/tddup.php3
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    http://www.impulsegamer.com/james-bond-omnibus-005-review/
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    Swedish Semic Comic 1977
    https://www.mi6-hq.com/sections/comics/semic_1977.php3?s=comics&id=01952
    Kontraspionaget Slår Till: Intrig På Balkan!
    (Till Death Do Us Part)
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    Danish 1978 http://www.bond-o-rama.dk/en/jb007-dk-no45-1978/
    James Bond Agent 007 no. 45: “Till Death Do Us Part” (1978)
    "Ballade på Balkan" [Trouble in the Balkan]
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    1987: The Living Daylights released in The Netherlands.
    1989: Ajean Harmentz comments on Licence to Kill and the Bond film series to date in the New York Times.
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    FILM
    Creating a Thriller, Their Words Are Their Bond
    See the complete article here:
    By Aljean Harmetz | July 9, 1989

    Relentless, ruthless and rarely stopping to savor a martini, an implacable James Bond takes his license to kill literally in ''Licence to Kill,'' the 16th in the series of Bond movies produced by Albert (Cubby) Broccoli. That the barrel of this James Bond's Walther PPK is seldom cold is no accident. The 27-year-old series is adapting to 1989 newspaper headlines as well as to Timothy Dalton in the leading role. Whereas Mr. Dalton simply stepped into the finished script of the 1987 movie ''The Living Daylights,'' ''Licence to Kill,'' opening Friday, has been tailored to fit him.

    Over nearly three decades, James Bond has become a cottage industry for the Broccoli family, with one action-adventure souffle popping out of the oven every two years. Mr. Broccoli's stepson Michael Wilson has co-written the movies since ''For Your Eyes Only'' in 1981 and is now co-producer. His daughter Barbara became associate producer with ''The Living Daylights.'' His daughter Tina was a set decorator on ''Licence to Kill,'' while his skin-diving son Tony was a location manager for the underwater unit.
    Nor has the 80-year-old Mr. Broccoli abdicated. ''Cubby is trying to pull back,'' says Saul Cooper, vice president of marketing for Mr. Broccoli's Warfield Productions, ''but he stands behind his desk skimming the headlines and photographs on every page of six English newspapers day after day. He believes in keeping the material contemporary.''

    ''Torn straight from the headlines of today's newspapers,'' according to a United Artists press kit, ''Licence to Kill'' has replaced the usual madman villain who is intent on destroying civilization-as-we-know-it with a more contemporary bad guy - a dope dealer.

    ''But the drug peddling is on the scale of Noriega rather than 'Miami Vice,' '' says Mr. Wilson.
    To make sure the connection with the Panamanian dictator is not missed, the drug lord's home base is a fictional Isthmus City.

    Mr. Dalton is the fourth actor to play the British secret agent 007 created by the novelist Ian Fleming. Sean Connery originated the role of a sardonic and ruthless spy and has played it in seven movies. In ''On Her Majesty's Secret Service,'' George Lazenby did a Connery imitation and failed to make audiences forget the original. Roger Moore, who also played the role in seven films, was clever enough not to try to catch Mr. Connery's blend of irony, sophistication and brutality. His immaculate, unruffled James Bond was more superhero than superagent. (Casino Royale,' the one novel not owned by Mr. Broccoli and his partner, Harry Saltzman, was turned into a bizarre spoof that included multiple James Bonds.) 'Realistic' may be an odd word to apply to a character who uses a mod white parachute in order to drop in at a wedding and who waterskis behind an airplane, but the co-writers of ''Licence to Kill'' use it to describe the essence of Timothy Dalton's Bond.
    ''The best James Bond will always be Sean Connery, but Timothy is the best actor of the four of them,'' says Richard Maibaum, who has written or co-written all 16 of the movies. ''Timothy's Bond is a real man with a real sense of destiny; and real people are in jeopardy.''

    ''Tim is a more gritty, down-to-earth Bond who can have ruthlessness and vulnerability,'' says Mr. Wilson. ''The current film is an outgrowth of the change in casting. Roger would not have been comfortable playing the vulnerable parts.''

    Although both writers are too polite to say it, they are obviously relieved by Mr. Moore's exit. ''Roger's light approach took over and permeated everything,'' said Mr. Maibaum. ''It upset the balance. Every now and then you have to pull the balloon down to reality or lose your audience. With Roger's cavalier attitude, you never felt that he was serious about what he was doing.''
    ''Serious? Of course not,'' said Mr. Moore, long distance from St.-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, where he was about to have an elegant dinner worthy of Mr. Bond. ''It's just wild escapism, all fantasy. Wham and bam and pow. And Bond is not a very secret secret agent because every barman in the world knows him for the cocktail he prefers. Mr. Gorbachev would have hysterics if he saw him. It's a load of nonsense. If you want to see the serious side of violence, see 'Platoon.' '' Actually, ''Licence to Kill'' is filled with serious violence. The maiming of his friend Felix Leiter turns Bond into a coldblooded seeker of vengeance. He kills often and ugly. One villain is drowned in a drawer full of maggots. The movie has more in common with last summer's ''Die Hard'' than with ''Octopussy.'' ''Licence'' has been given a 15 rating in Britain, prohibiting children younger than 16 from entering the theater. It is the first Bond film ever to have a restricted rating there.

    ''I tried to bring some dimension to James Bond, to make him a human being,'' says Mr. Dalton. ''He is determined, often very ruthless, by no means a white knight. If you're going to deal with villains, you have to be villainous to beat them. I take my cue from the novels and the very early Bond movies. 'Dr. No' caused a great scandal. A man walks into Bond's bedroom and pumps bullets into a figure on the bed. He empties his gun. Then Sean Connery, who is sitting behind the door says, 'You had your six' and kills an unarmed, defenseless man. Bond murders his own murderer. A hero is not supposed to behave that way.''
    In ''Licence to Kill,'' the fifth Bond movie to be directed by John Glen, Bond has a private vendetta instead of a Government commission. ''We have never had a mission that was so intensely personal,'' said Mr. Maibaum. ''If Roger had been around, we couldn't have had that kind of mission. Roger would have insisted on making little jokes along the way. He could never have made you believe he would have grimly reacted to the maiming of his friend and the murder of his friend's wife.''

    In a similar change of tone, it is not Bond who makes jokes but the villains. When one of the characters is killed in a particularly messy fashion and bleeds over several million dollars, the drug czar played by Robert Davi is asked what should be done with the money. ''Launder it,'' he says. ''When Fleming was writing his novels, England had just been through that terrible war and there was still rationing,'' says Mr. Maibaum. ''And so he made his hero a connoisseur of food and drink and fine clothes. There's hardly any of that left, only that Bond wants his martini shaken, not stirred.'' (Mr. Moore says that he avoided saying any line that would put him into direct competition with Mr. Connery, and so he never asked for his martini to be shaken but let other characters ask for him.) ''Licence to Kill'' also has more realistic action sequences. It was apparent in the very first moments of ''The Living Daylights'' - when Mr. Dalton threw himself on top of a speeding Land Rover - that the actor would be able to bring back the gritty physicality of the early Sean Connery films. When Mr. Wilson watched the daily rushes on ''Licence,'' he was often startled to find Mr. Dalton doing his own action sequences instead of relying on stunt men. The actor wanted ''to make it believable,'' says Mr. Wilson.

    Believable, of course, is relative. Mr. Wilson points out that the two women with whom Bond sleeps in ''Licence'' are contemporary women who are tough and streetwise rather than damsels in distress. The bad one, a standard character who is often sacrificed, even manages to survive liaisons with 007 and the drug czar.

    But Bond is still instantly irresistible to gorgeous women, and the two ''Bond Girls'' are played by the fashion models Carey Lowell and Talisa Soto. In response to the plague of AIDS, Mr. Maibaum made Bond monogamous in ''The Living Daylights.'' ''Because of AIDS. I didn't think he could alley-cat around,'' Mr. Maibaum says. ''But they felt the picture would have done better if there had been more sex in it.'' The 80-year-old writer gives a wry smile. Mr. Bond leaps from one bed to another and back again in ''Licence.''

    The script for the next Bond movie will not be written until ''Licence to Kill'' has been released and the results analyzed, according to the marketing expert, Mr. Cooper. ''We try to learn something fairly precise from the results of the last movie,'' he says. ''People didn't like the fact that Bond had only one girl and a chaste relationship in 'Living Daylights.' ''

    Much earlier, in 1974, ''The Man With the Golden Gun'' was a disappointment at the box office. ''So Cubby said, 'Let's see how people react if we spend more money and get different production values,'' says Mr. Cooper. ''The Man With the Golden Gun'' had cost $9 million. ''The Spy Who Loved Me'' cost $13 million and was the first Bond picture to have a worldwide gross of more than $100 million. ''We said, 'O.K., we've learned something.' Instead of making the story in the book, we took 'Moonraker' into outer space, and the budget mushroomed to $33 million.'' For the last decade, the budgets have been stable, with ''Licence to Kill'' costing $35 million.

    Mr. Wilson, a former engineer and lawyer who never had any writing credits until ''For Your Eyes Only,'' is now setting the tone for the series. Mr. Maibaum sighs because he prefers ''the fantastical capers'' of the earliest Sean Connery films and such villains as the metal-fingered Dr. No, who lusts to dominate the world and Auric Goldfinger, a poisonous King Midas who suffocates one victim by covering her from head to toe with gold paint. But Mr. Maibaum still sets the structure, as he always has. ''Writing the villain's caper is the most difficult thing,'' says Mr. Maibaum. ''If you know what he's trying to accomplish - break into Fort Knox and steal all the gold or kill all the people on earth with a nerve gas - you know where the villain has to go to accomplish his ends and what James Bond has to do to foil him. The structure is mythological. It's Theseus and the Minotaur. Bond gets into a maze and he follows the thread, and you must see that you've got the necessary action sequences to bring Bond closer to or push him further away from the Minotaur.''
    Mr. Maibaum is sitting in his flesh-colored ranch house in the Pacific Palisades, a house a few miles from the Pacific Ocean where he has lived for the last 36 years. He says he is always fighting for a little less action and ''I beg for a little more space for characterization.''

    Looking back on 27 years of James Bond, Mr. Maibaum finds it easy to pick out what he calls ''the cream of the jest.'' The James Bond written by Ian Fleming ''was supposed to be educated, upper class, erudite and sybaritic with encyclopedic knowledge, all of which Sean Connery wasn't,'' Mr. Maibaum says. ''Underneath everything else, Sean was a rough, tough Scots football player. So audiences related to him in a way they would never have related to the people Fleming suggested to play the role, including David Niven.''
    For the last 18 years Mr. Connery has doggedly tried to put James Bond behind him. As early as 1964, the actor was telling an interviewer that although he didn't quite agree with Noel Coward, who had described Bond to him as ''a dreary slob,'' he certainly wasn't drawn to 007. ''I don't really suppose I'd like Bond if I met him. He's not my kind of chap at all,'' Mr. Connery said. When he was induced to play Bond once more in ''Never Say Never Again,'' a non-Broccoli Bond film, in 1983, he chose to play the secret agent as a 52-year-old man and ''to show how he and the world have changed.''

    For Mr. Moore, James Bond and the world have never changed. ''He always knew he was going to win everything and was highly amused by it all,'' says Mr. Moore. Although some fans hated Mr. Moore's interpretation, in general the films he starred in made more money than the Connery films.
    Mr. Dalton, who says he was asked to take on the role of James Bond when Mr. Connery quit - ''That would have been the most suicidal move I could make and, besides, I was too young'' - agreed to replace Mr. Moore only if he could play ''a James Bond I could believe in,'' a James Bond who in ''Licence to Kill'' has ''a moral justification for killing, if not necessarily a legal one.''
    Mr. Moore, for one, will never see ''Licence to Kill.'' Nor has he seen ''The Living Daylights.''

    ''I'm very honest,'' says the actor. ''If someone asked if I liked the films and I didn't like them, it would seem like sour grapes.''

    2002: Die Another Day principal photography is a wrap, filming today includes Madonna's role as Verity.
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    2006: Manning Redwood dies at age 77--Surrey, England.
    (Born 16 February 1929--New York City, New York.)
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    Manning Redwood (1929–2006)
    Actor | Soundtrack
    https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0715197/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0

    Mini Bio (1)
    Lived in Harley street in London with his wife Kay, In 1986 they both moved to Fincham in Norfolk where they lived for many years, enjoying the quiet life. In 2004 after both their healths deteriorated, they moved to a nursing home in Surrey to be near the family. Sadly after a long illness Manning passed away at east Surrey hospital on 9th of July 2006. Cause of death, acute myocardial Infarction.

    - IMDb Mini Biography By: MICHAEL J PLATTS (Stepson)

    Spouse (1)
    Kathleen Joan Kiernan (25 March 1991 - 9 July 2006) ( his death)

    Trivia (1)
    Actor Manning Redwood, who appears as General Miller in Never Say Never Again, with Sean Connery, also appeared in the Bond Franchise's next Bond Film, A View to a Kill, as Bob Connelly, one of Max Zorin's associates. Redwood has the distinction of appearing in back-to-back Bond films with different Bond actors playing both a good guy and a bad guy (Joe Don Baker appeared with two Bond actors playing a hero and a villain, but only played an ally in back to back films) However, Joe Don Baker appears in three franchise Bond films while Redwood only appears in one.
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  • RichardTheBruceRichardTheBruce I'm motivated by my Duty.
    Posts: 13,779
    July 10th

    1958: BBC Home Service broadcasts Ian Fleming interviewing his friend Raymond Chandler.
    Interview with Raymond Chandler [1 of 4] (7:40)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zj6cc0T1z7I&list=PL42C705CF056C7F25

    Interview with Raymond Chandler [2 of 4] (7:38)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxJJo79e00o

    Interview with Raymond Chandler [3 of 4] (7:39)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sS2DBBrOY8

    Interview with Raymond Chandler [4 of 4] (7:38)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9i00flBWuQ

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    1967: The Los Angeles Times says Sean Connery has an invite to put his footprints at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre.
    He doesn't until 13 April 1999.
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    1974: The Man With the Golden Gun films the car chase in Bangkok, Thailand.
    1977: Cary Joji Fukunaga is born--Oakland, California.

    1985: Royal premiere of A View to a Kill at the Odeon, Leicester Square, London.
    Princess Diana | Royal Premier | View to a Kill | James Bond | 1985 (9:55)


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    1987: Iskallt uppdrag (Ice Cold Mission) released in Sweden. 1989: US West Hollywood premiere of Licence to Kill.
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    2009: Zena Moyra Marshall dies at age 84--London, England.
    (Born 1 January 1925--Nairobi, Kenya.)
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    Zena Marshall
    Actor who played the exotic Miss Taro in the Bond film Dr No
    https://www.theguardian.com/film/2009/jul/26/obituary-zena-marshall
    Gavin Gaughan | Sun 26 Jul 2009 14.31 EDT
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    Marshall with Sean Connery as James Bond in Dr No (1962)
    Photograph: Allstar/Cinetext/UNITED ARTISTS
    Zena Marshall, who has died aged 83, played a small but pivotal part in establishing the formula of the James Bond series. As the Eurasian secretary, Miss Taro, revealed to be working for the title character in the first Bond film, Dr No (1962), while dallying with 007 (Sean Connery), she was the first of those unscrupulous, exotic beauties who, in the service of the villain, would try but fail to entrap Bond.
    For more than a decade beforehand, she had lent a hint of the exotic to monochrome, domestic British cinema. With her dark hair and colouring, the Rank Organisation may have signed her due to a similarity to Ava Gardner.

    Born in Nairobi, Kenya, she was raised in Leicestershire, and described her ancestry as "part French" (her mother), "part English and part Irish". She attended St Mary's school, Ascot, but had already undertaken theatre tours for the Entertainments National Service Association by the time she was in her late teens. Her first film was the misguided epic Caesar and Cleopatra (1945) as a lady in waiting; her fellow super- numeraries included her friend Kay Kendall, and another Bond, Roger Moore.

    By 1946, she was part of Rank's Company of Youth, often dubbed the Charm School, where fellow conscripts includ- ed Sir Christopher Lee, Diana Dors and the broadcaster Pete Murray. The studio, and affiliates such as Gainsborough, cast her in The End of the River (1947), produced by Powell and Pressburger, and as a passenger in the compact thriller Sleeping Car to Trieste (1948).
    Good-Time Girl (1948), Snowbound (1948) and The Lost People (1949) all teamed her with Dennis Price, then a suave leading man. Unfortunately, both were also in the much-derided The Bad Lord Byron (1949); fortunately for her, Dr No's director, Terence Young, was among the screenwriters.
    At London's New Torch Theatre, she was in the poorly received Snow (1953), by the novelist Diana Marr-Johnson, niece of Somerset Maugham. With John Ringham in late 1959, she toured Germany and Holland in The Late Edwina Black. She played a determined doctor in Men Against the Sun (1952), a Kenyan-British co-production starring the august John Bentley, in much the same mode as his later television series African Patrol (1958), in which she also appeared. August 1952 saw her small-screen debut in The Portugal Lady, a live BBC costume drama that was part of its Sunday Night Theatre series, as Charles II's bride Catherine of Braganza.

    During ITV's opening weeks Marshall appeared in a shampoo commercial, assuring female viewers it was fine to use the product before going to a party. For the new channel, she did The Bob Hope Show (1956), pre-sold by Lew Grade to NBC, then played a scientist "from behind that Curtain" in The Invisible Man (1958), enduring a very silly ending in which she hugs and kisses the unseen hero goodbye.
    Marshall appeared three times, between 1960 and 1964, in the series Danger Man, starring Patrick McGoohan, who had declined the Bond role: twice Marshall played fellow agents who needed to be rescued. She also guested in the now-forgotten shows Man of the World (1962), The Sentimental Agent (1963) and The Human Jungle (1963).
    After several of the Edgar Wallace thrillers, she was glimpsed waving off Alberto Sordi in Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines (1965). Her last film was The Terrornauts (1967), with the unlikely presence of Charles Hawtrey.

    Her marriage to the bandleader Paul Adam ended in divorce, as did a brief second marriage. In 1991, she married the producer Ivan Foxwell, whose credits included The Colditz Story. He predeceased her in 2002.

    • Zena Marshall, actor, born 1 January 1926; died 10 July 2009
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    Zena Marshall (1925–2009)
    https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0551243/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0

    Filmography
    Actress (59 credits)

    1967 The Terrornauts - Sandy Lund
    1966 Court Martial (TV Series) - Mara
    - Let Slip the Dogs of War (1966) ... Mara
    1965 Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 hours 11 minutes - Countess Sofia Ponticelli
    1965 Public Eye (TV Series) - Jean Lawford
    - You Have to Draw the Line Somewhere (1965) ... Jean Lawford
    1965 Dixon of Dock Green (TV Series) - Carol Wright
    - Find the Lady (1965) ... Carol Wright
    1964 The Verdict - Carola
    1964 Secret Agent (TV Series) - Nadia
    - Fish on the Hook (1964) ... Nadia
    1964 Ghost Squad (TV Series) - Yvonne
    - Dead Men Don't Drive (1964) ... Yvonne
    1962-1964 The Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre (TV Series) - Carola / Pauline Logan
    - The Verdict (1964) ... Carola
    - Backfire! (1962) ... Pauline Logan
    1963 The Sentimental Agent (TV Series) - Rita / Melina
    - A Box of Tricks (1963) ... Rita
    - A Little Sweetness and Light (1963) ... Melina
    1963 The Human Jungle (TV Series) - Vera Barclay
    - Over and Out (1963) ... Vera Barclay
    1963 The Switch - Caroline Markham
    1962 Backfire! - Pauline Logan
    1962 The Scales of Justice (TV Series) - Thelma Sinclair
    - The Guilty Party (1962) ... Thelma Sinclair
    1962 Dr. No - Miss Taro
    1962 Man of the World (TV Series) - Madame Thiboeuf
    - Death of a Conference (1962) ... Madame Thiboeuf
    1962 Richard the Lionheart (TV Series) - Zara
    - The Challenge (1962) ... Zara
    1962 Sir Francis Drake (TV Series) - Maria
    - The Bridge (1962) ... Maria
    1962 Crosstrap - Rina
    1960-1961 Danger Man (TV Series) - Mrs. Ramfi / Doctor Leclair
    - Find and Return (1961) ... Mrs. Ramfi
    - The Leak (1960) ... Doctor Leclair
    1960 A Story of David: The Hunted - Naomi
    1960 International Detective (TV Series) - Louise
    - The Dudley Case (1960) ... Louise

    1958 The Invisible Man (TV Series) - Tania
    - The Locked Room (1958) ... Tania
    1958 African Patrol (TV Series) - Stella Stevens
    - No Place to Hide (1958) ... Stella Stevens
    1957 O.S.S. (TV Series) - Lucille Genet
    - Operation Flint Axe (1957) ... Lucille Genet
    1957 Let's Be Happy - Helene
    1956 My Wife's Family - Hilda
    1956 Bermuda Affair - Chris Walters
    1956 Colonel March of Scotland Yard (TV Series) - Madeleine
    - The Silent Vow (1956) ... Madeleine
    1955 The Vise (TV Series) - Audrey Lipton
    - The Serpent Beneath (1955) ... Audrey Lipton
    1955 Three Cases of Murder - Beautiful Blonde (segment "Lord Mountdrago") (uncredited)
    1954 The Embezzler - Mrs. Forrest
    1954 The Scarlet Web - Laura Vane
    1954 Liebelei (TV Movie) - Mitzi Schlager
    1953 Men Against the Sun - Elizabeth
    1953 Deadly Nightshade - Ann Farrington
    1953 Your Favorite Story (TV Series)
    - Work of Art (1953)
    1952 The Caretaker's Daughter - Fritzi Villiers
    1952 BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (TV Series) - Catherine
    - The Portugal Lady (1952) ... Catherine
    1952 Blind Man's Bluff - Christine Stevens
    1952 The Inch Man (TV Series) - Helen Anastiadi
    - The Quiet Voice (1952) ... Helen Anastiadi
    1951 Hell Is Sold Out - Honey Child
    1950 Dark Interval - Sonia Jordan
    1950 The Adventures of Sir Percy Howsey (TV Short) - Margueritte
    1950 Soho Conspiracy - Dora Scala
    1950 So Long at the Fair - Nina
    1950 Operation Disaster - The Wren

    1949 Meet Simon Cherry - Lisa Colville
    1949 The Lost People - Anna
    1949 Helter Skelter - Giselle
    1949 Marry Me - Marcelle Duclos
    1949 The Bad Lord Byron - An Italian Woman (uncredited)
    1948 Sleeping Car to Trieste - Suzanne
    1948 Good-Time Girl - Annie Farrell
    1948 Miranda - Secretary
    1948 Snowbound - Italian Girl
    1948 So Evil My Love - Lisette
    1947 The End of the River - Sante
    1945 Caesar and Cleopatra - Lady-in-Waiting (uncredited)

    Self (3 credits)

    1961 Juke Box Jury (TV Series) - Herself - Panellist
    - Episode #1.89 (1961) ... Herself - Panellist

    1956 Film Fanfare (TV Series) - Herself / Herself - Quiz Contestant
    - Episode #1.30 (1956) ... Herself
    - Episode #1.23 (1956) ... Herself - Quiz Contestant
    - Episode #1.1 (1956) ... Herself
    1956 The Bob Hope Show (TV Series) - Herself
    - Fernandel, Diana Dors (1956) ... Herself

    Archive footage (9 credits)

    2002 Best Ever Bond (TV Movie documentary) - Miss Taro (uncredited)
    2000 Inside 'Dr. No' (Video documentary short) - Herself
    1997 The Secrets of 007: The James Bond Files (TV Movie documentary) - Miss Taro (uncredited)
    1995 Behind the Scenes with 'Goldfinger' (Video documentary short) - Herself
    1995 In Search of James Bond with Jonathan Ross (TV Movie documentary) - Miss Taro (uncredited)

    1990 The Prisoner Video Companion (Video documentary)
    1985 Eye on L.A. (TV Series) -Miss Taro
    - OO7: A View of James Bond (1985) ... Miss Taro (uncredited)
    1965 The Incredible World of James Bond (TV Movie documentary) - Herself
    1963 Dr. No Featurette (Documentary short) - Miss Taro

    Soundtrack (1 credit)

    1956 Colonel March of Scotland Yard (TV Series) (performer - 1 episode)
    - The Silent Vow (1956) ... (performer: "Ce n'etait Rien")
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    2019: Dynamite Entertainment releases James Bond Origins #11.
    Ibrahim Moustafa, artist. Jeff Parker, writer.
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    JAMES BOND ORIGIN #11
    https://www.dynamite.com/htmlfiles/viewProduct.html?PRO=C72513027244711011
    Cover A: Dan Panosian
    Cover B: Michael Dowling
    Cover C: Dean Kotz
    Cover D: Ibrahim Moustafa
    Cover E: Bob Q
    Writer: Jeff Parker, Ibrahim Moustafa
    Art: Ibrahim Moustafa
    Genre: Action/Adventure
    Publication Date: July 2019
    Format: Comic Book
    Page Count: 32 Pages
    ON SALE DATE: 7/10/2019
    "The Debt" continues. Lieutenant James Bond learns a new skill. A former friend helps atone for the death of another. And Bond descends into a part of war-torn London that few fresh faces emerge from unscathed. By JEFF PARKER (Aquaman, Fantastic Four) and IBRAHIM MOUSTAFA (Mother Panic).
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  • RichardTheBruceRichardTheBruce I'm motivated by my Duty.
    Posts: 13,779
    July 11th

    1964: Goldfinger's nineteen-week production finishes after five final days in Andermatt, Switzerland.

    1985: Agente 007 - Bersaglio mobile (Agent 007 - Moving Target) released in Italy. 1987: 鐵金剛大戰 特務飛龍 (Tiě jīngāng dàzhàn tèwù fēilóng; Iron King Wars Agent Flying Dragon) released in Taiwan.
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    2006: Casino Royale completes filming for the falling house in Venice.
    2007: Through BBC News, Sebastien Faulks describes how he came to write a Bond novel to be published May 2008.
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    Faulks pens new James Bond novel
    Wednesday, 11 July 2007
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    Faulks said he found writing the book "thrilling"
    Sebastian Faulks has
    emerged as the author
    chosen to write a new officially
    endorsed James Bond novel.


    The British writer - whose books include Birdsong and Charlotte Gray - was commissioned by the Fleming estate last year but his identity kept secret.

    Devil May Care is set in "several of the world's most thrilling cities" during the Cold War.

    The book will be published on 28 May next year to mark the centenary of Ian Fleming's birth.

    The Fleming estate announced last year that it had commissioned a "well known and highly respected" writer for the task.

    Faulks, 54, said his new book is "about 80% Fleming" and admitted being "surprised" that he was the estate's choice.

    He said: "I was surprised but flattered to be asked by the Fleming estate last summer if I would write a one-off Bond book for the Ian Fleming Centenary.

    "I told them that I hadn't read the books since the age of 13, but if, when I re-read them, I still enjoyed them and could see how I might be able to do something in the same vein, then I would be happy to consider it.

    "On re-reading, I was surprised by how well the books stood up."

    He added: "I put this down to three things - the sense of jeopardy Fleming creates about his solitary hero, a certain playfulness in the narrative details, and a crisp, journalistic style that hasn't dated."
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    Ian Fleming died in 1964
    Faulks said he attempted to "isolate the most essential and the most enjoyable aspects of the books".

    He added: "I found writing this light-hearted book more thrilling than I had expected."

    The last of Fleming's 14 books about the secret agent was Octopussy and the Living Daylights, which was published in 1966 - two years after his death.

    The first was the 1953 book Casino Royale, made into a film last year with Daniel Craig.

    It is not yet known if the new book will be turned into a Bond film.

    Corinne Turner, managing director of Ian Fleming Publications, said: "The Fleming family were delighted with the typescript when we received it.

    "Sebastian couldn't have written a better book to celebrate Ian's 100th birthday."

    Actor and author Charlie Higson was licensed to write books about James Bond's school days. He has so far written four books under the Young Bond banner aimed at younger readers.

    2017: y101FM reports that Christopher Nolan wants to do a Bond film.
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    Christopher Nolan plans to direct and “reinvent” a James Bond movie
    Details
    Written by Kevin Tocino | Published: 11 July 2017
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    The director of Inception, Interstellar, and The Dark Knight Trilogy discusses the possibility of directing a future 007 film.

    Christopher Nolan, one of the most prolific directors working today, has spoken out about the possibility of directing a James Bond film in the near future.

    The English director, whose latest movie Dunkirk hits cinemas on July 20, has been linked to the spy franchise for a number of years. Speaking to Playboy recently, Nolan registered his interest in possibly taking the director’s chair on a future Bond film – but only if the series was in need of some “reinvention.”
    Asked if he’d be interested in taking on the job, Nolan said: “A Bond movie, definitely. I’ve spoken to the producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson over the years. I deeply love the character, and I’m always excited to see what they do with it.

    “Maybe one day it would work out. You’d have to be needed, if you know what I mean. It has to need reinvention; it has to need you. And they’re getting along very well.”
    2019: Red Bull teams with Formula 1 to promote James Bond.
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    Red Bull to Celebrate Bond
    with Special Silverstone
    Livery
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    Red Bull plan to leave Formula 1 fans shaken and stirred at this weekend’s British Grand Prix, as the team’s title sponsors Aston Martin and the world of James Bond celebrate F1’s 1007th race.
    Both Red Bull cars will feature special additions to their race liveries, including the iconic 007 logo, Bond number plates on the back of the rear wings, as well as pit garage graphics inspired by Q’s MI6 Lab.

    Max Verstappen’s car will run the number plate from the Aston Martin DB5 in Goldfinger (1964) while Pierre Gasly’s RB15 will feature the Aston Martin V8 plate from The Living Daylights (1987).
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    “Celebrating Bond at F1’s 1007th race was too good an opportunity to miss given our title partnership with Aston Martin,” said Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner. “Showcasing the world of James Bond here at the British Grand Prix, our second home race of the season, is really exciting. Aston Martin is inextricably linked to Bond and his cars have become truly iconic so we’re really looking forward to this weekend at Silverstone.”

    Aston Martin Lagonda President and Group CEO, Dr Andy Palmer, added: “Aston Martin is proud of its association with James Bond. This weekend, we look forward to celebrating this longstanding partnership at Formula 1’s 1007th Grand Prix.”

    Fans attending Silverstone this weekend will also be able to visit 007’s Bond In Motion exhibition in the F1 Fan Zone.
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    2022: Monty Noserovitch (Monty Norman) dies 11 July 2022 at age 94--Slough, England.
    (Born 4 April 1928--London, England. )
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    Monty Norman
    See the complete article here:
    Monty Norman
    Birth name - Monty Noserovitch
    Born 4 April 1928
    London, England
    Died 11 July 2022 (aged 94)
    Genres Film scores
    Occupation(s) - Composer; Conductor; Music producer
    Instruments - Keyboards, Guitar
    Years active 1958–2022
    Monty Norman (born Monty Noserovitch; 4 April 1928 – 11 July 2022) was an English film composer and singer best known for composing the "James Bond Theme".
    Biography
    Norman was born Monty Noserovitch in Stepney in the East End of London, the only child of Jewish parents, Annie (née Berlin) and Abraham Noserovitch, on the second night of Passover in 1928. When Norman's father was young, he travelled from Latvia to England with his mother (Norman's grandmother).

    As a child during World War II, Norman was evacuated from London but later returned during the Blitz. As a young man he did national service in the RAF, where he became interested in pursuing a career in singing.

    In the 1950s and early 1960s, Norman was a singer for big bands such as those of Cyril Stapleton, Stanley Black, Ted Heath, and Nat Temple. He also sang in various variety shows, sharing top billing with other singers and comedy stars such as Benny Hill, Harry Secombe, Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan, Harry Worth, Tommy Cooper, Jimmy James, Tony Hancock, Jimmy Edwards, and Max Miller. One of his songs, "False Hearted Lover", was successful internationally.

    From the late 1950s, he moved from singing to composing, including songs for performers such as Cliff Richard, Tommy Steele, Count Basie, and Bob Hope, and lyrics for musicals and (subsequently) films. In 1957 and 1958, he wrote lyrics for the musicals Make Me an Offer, the English-language version of Irma la Douce (based on a 1956 French musical written by Alexandre Breffort and Marguerite Monnot; the English version was nominated for a Broadway Tony Award), and Expresso Bongo (which Time Out called the first rock and roll musical). Expresso Bongo, written by Wolf Mankowitz was a West End hit and was later made into a 1960 film starring a young Cliff Richard). Norman's later musicals include Songbook (aka The Moony Shapiro Songbook in New York), which was also nominated for a Broadway Tony and won an Ivor Novello Award; and Poppy (1982), which was also nominated for the Ivor Novello Award, and won the SWET award (renamed "the Laurence Olivier Awards" in 1984) for "Best Musical". Norman's further film work included music for the Hammer movie The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll (1960), The Day the Earth Caught Fire (1961), the Bob Hope Eon Productions movie Call Me Bwana (1963), and the TV miniseries Dickens of London (1976).

    As of 2004, Norman was working on an autobiography, to be entitled A Walking Stick Full of Bagels, and musical versions of the 1954 Kingsley Amis novel Lucky Jim and his 1970s musical, Quick Quick Slow. [clarification needed]

    Norman was the first husband of actress Diana Coupland. He died on 11 July 2022, at the age of 94.
    James Bond Theme
    Norman is best known for writing the "James Bond Theme", the signature theme of the James Bond franchise, and the score to the first James Bond film, Dr. No. Norman received royalties for the theme from 1962 on. However, as the producers were dissatisfied with Norman's arrangement, John Barry re-arranged the theme. Barry later claimed that it was actually he who wrote the theme, but Norman won two[citation needed] libel actions against publishers for claiming that Barry was the composer, the last against The Sunday Times in 2001. In the made-for-DVD documentary Inside Dr. No, Norman performs a music piece which he wrote for an unproduced stage musical based on A House for Mr. Biswas several years earlier, entitled "Bad Sign, Good Sign", that he claimed resembles the melody of the "James Bond Theme" in several places. Also of note, the "James Bond Theme" introduction is very similar to a portion of Celia Cruz's Plegaria a La Roye as recorded in Cuba with La Sonora Matancera in 1954.

    Norman collected around £485,000 in royalties between 1976 and 1999 for the use of the theme since Dr. No.
    Musicals
    Make Me an Offer (1958)
    Expresso Bongo (1958)
    Irma La Douce (1958)
    The Art of Living (revue, 1960)
    Belle or the Ballad of Dr. Crippen (1961)
    The Perils of Scobie Prilt (1963)
    Pinkus (1967)
    Quick, Quick, Slow (1969)
    Stand and Deliver (1972)
    So Who Needs Marriage? (1975)
    Songbook (1979)
    Poppy (1982)
    Pinocchio (1988)

    References
    Green, Alex (11 July 2022). "Bond theme composer Monty Norman dies aged 94". Belfast Telegraph. Press Association. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
    "Bond theme composer Monty Norman dies at 94". BBC News. 11 July 2022. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
    "The John Barry Resource Monty Norman's "James Bond Theme" Lawsuit". Retrieved 7 May 2008.
    Monty Norman v. The Sunday Times (The "James Bond Theme" Lawsuit)
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    Monty Norman (1928–2022)
    Music Department | Composer | Soundtrack
    https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0635578/
    Good Sign, Bad Sign - Monty Norman (5:53)
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    2023: National Mojito Day in the US.
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    Mojito Day
    See the complete article here:
    Sat Jul 11th, 2020
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    Celebrate with us!
    The Mojito is one of the most popular classic cocktails around the world! So, you will be pleased to know that you have the perfect excuse to enjoy a few Mojitos on Mojito Day!

    The Mojito is a conventional Cuban highball! It consists of white rum, mint, sparkling water, lime juice, and sugar. However, there have been a lot of different variations on the classic drink, with people adding different fruits, such as strawberry and mango mojitos. Some people also enjoy sparkling mojitos, finishing off their drink with a splash of champagne! You can certainly have a lot of fun experimenting.

    History Of Mojito Day
    A lot of people know the Mojito as being the favorite drink of famous author Ernest Hemingway. But, where did it all begin for this tasty cocktail? The birthplace of this refreshing drink is Havana, Cuba. Nevertheless, there has been a lot of debate about the exact origin of the drink! It’s known that local South American Indians had cures for several different tropical illnesses. So, a small boarding group went to Cuba, coming back with ingredients for medicine. They included local tropical ingredients – mint, sugarcane juice, and lime – as well as a crude form of rum, which was known as aguardiente de caña. That translates to burning water! While this drink was not known as a mojito at the time, it included a combination of the ingredients that we have come to associate with the drink.

    Some historians believe the cocktail’s origin owes a lot to African slaves who were working on the sugar cane fields in Cuba during the 19th century. The sugar cane juice called Guarapo is often found in mojitos, and this was popular amongst African slaves at the time.

    In terms of the name mojito, there is also a lot of confusion and theories about where it stemmed from! Some people believe that it is merely a derivative of the Spanish word for ‘a little wet’ – mojadito. There are then others who think that name relates to mojo, which is a Cuban seasoning that is made from lime and used to flavor dishes.

    How to celebrate Mojito Day
    Of course, the best way to observe Mojito Day is by making your own version of the cocktail. We’re going to take you through how to make a Mojito.

    Making your own Mojito
    First of all, let’s begin by giving you a shopping list of all the ingredients you will require if you wish to make a Mojito. These are as follows…
    • Rum
    • Limes
    • Mint Leaves
    • Club Soda
    • Sugar
    • Ice

    The first step of the Mojito recipe is to make a simple syrup. This is essentially sugar water, and it presents a great way of balancing out the limes’ sourness. So, how do you make it?
    • Place one cup of water and one cup sugar in a pan
    • Heat in order to dissolve the sugar
    • Once the sugar has dissolved, you can remove the pan from the heat
    • Add approximately 15 mint leaves and leave them to steep
    • Allow the simple syrup to cool
    So, now you have your simple syrup ready! The next thing you need to do is squeeze some limes. Fresh limes taste much better than lime juice. You can really tell the difference. Squeeze the limes to get the juice necessary. You will probably need to squeeze either one or two limes per Mojito.

    Once you have done this, the next thing you need to do is prepare your glasses. You should add a few mint leaves to the bottom of the glass. You should then muddle them. Don’t press too hard. Be gentle whilst breaking up the mint leaves. Why is this step important? Well, it will release the flavor and essence of the mint leaves, which, of course, adds to the cocktail. You should then finish off by adding several ice cubes to the glass.

    Now you have done all of the preparation. It is time to serve your Mojito. Getting the ratio of ingredients right is vital so that you have the right balance. We recommend mixing two ounces of rum with one and a half ounces of the mint-infused simple syrup you have created. You should then add one ounce of lime juice and a splash of club soda. Mix this all together and then pour it over the ice and mint leaves that you have already added to the glass. Now your cocktail is ready to serve!

    This is a cocktail that is incredibly refreshing with lots of delicate flavors. You can, of course, adjust the measurements to suit yourself. Perhaps you’d prefer your Mojito a bit stronger? If so, add a bit more rum until you are satisfied. Enjoy!

    Other suggestions for Mojito Day
    Of course, making your own Mojito is one of the best ways to observe this day, but we have plenty of other ideas as well…
    • Why not make mojito ice lollies? You can freeze the ingredients of a mojito to make refreshing cocktail lollies.
    • Bake some mojito inspired cakes and treats. If you do a bit of digging online, you will see that there are some fantastic mojito cake recipes. This includes mojito drizzle loaf cake and mojito cheesecakes. Wash these down with the classic cocktail and you’re going to be in mojito heaven!
    • Have a cocktail party with your friends. Mojito Day is the perfect excuse to get all of your friends around and enjoy a cocktail party!
    • Make your own version of a mojito. We have given you the classic recipe for a mojito, but why not spice things up with your own creation? There have been so many exciting and delicious variations of the Mojito, so you’re bound to have lots of fun experimenting with different ingredients and flavors.

    No matter how you decide to celebrate Mojito Day, make sure you drink responsibly! No getting in your car to tell your friends about your delicious creations!
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  • RichardTheBruceRichardTheBruce I'm motivated by my Duty.
    Posts: 13,779
    July 12th

    1933: Donald Edwin Westlake is born--Brooklyn, New York.
    (He dies 31 December 2008 at age 75--San Tancho, Mexico.)
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    DONALD WESTLAKE
    See the complete article here:
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    Autobiography
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    Don (center) doing the interrogating.
    I think I’d best treat this as an interrogation, in which I am not certain of the intent or attitude of the interrogator.

    I was born Donald Edwin Westlake on July 12th, 1933 in Brooklyn, New York. My mother, Lillian, maiden name Bounds, mother’s maiden name Fitzgerald, was all Irish. My father, Albert, his mother’s maiden name being Tyrrell, was half Irish. (The English snuck in, as they will.) They were all green, and I was born on Orangeman’s Day, which led to my first awareness of comedy as a consumer. I got over the unfortunate element of my birth long before my uncles did.

    My mother believed in all superstitions, plus she made some up. One of her beliefs was that people whose initials spelled something would be successful in life. That’s why I went through grammar school as Dewdrip. However, my mother forgot Confirmation, when the obedient Catholic is burdened with yet another name. So she stuck Edmond in there, and told me that E was behind the E of Edwin, so I wasn’t DEEW, I was DEW. Perhaps it helped.

    I attended three colleges, all in New York State, none to much effect. Interposed amid this schooling was two and a half years in the United States Air Force, during which I also learned very little, except a few words in German. I was a sophomore in three colleges, finally made junior in Harpur College in Binghamton, NY, and left academe forever. However, I was eventually contacted by SUNY Binghamton, the big university that Harpur College had grown up to become. It was their theory that their ex-students who did not graduate were at times interesting, and worthy to be claimed as alumni. Among those she mentioned were cartoonist Art Spiegelman and dancer Bill T. Jones, a grandfaloon I was very happy to join, which I did when SUNY Binghamton gave me a doctorate in letters in June 1996. As a doctor, I accept no co-pay.

    I have one sister, one wife and two ex-wives. (You can’t have ex-sisters, but that’s all right, I’m pleased with the one I have.) The sister was named by my mother Virginia, but my mother had doped out the question of Confirmation by then–Virigina’s two and half years younger than me, still–and didn’t give here a middle name. Her Confirmation name was Olga, the only thing my mother could find that would make VOW. The usual mother-daughter dynamic being in play, my sister immediately went out and married a man whose name started with B.

    My wife, severally Abigail Westlake, Abby Adams Westlake and Abby Adams, which makes her three wives right there, is a writer, of non-fiction, frequently gardening, sometimes family history. Her two published books are An Uncommon Scold and The Gardener’s Gripe Book.

    Seven children lay parental claims on us. They have all reached drinking age, so they’re on their own.

    Having been born in Brooklyn, I was raised first in Yonkers and then in Albany, schooled in Platttsburgh and Troy and Binghamton, and at last found Manhattan. (At least I was looking in the right state.) Abby was born in Manhattan, which makes it easier. We retain a rope looped over a butt there, but for the last decade have spent most of our time on an ex-farm upstate. It is near nothing, which is the point. Our nearest neighbor on two sides is Coach Farm, producer of a fine goat cheese I’ve eaten as far away as San Francisco. They have 750 goats up there on their side of the hill. More importantly, they have put 770 acres abutting our land into the State Land Conservancy, so it cannot be built on. I recommend everybody have Miles and Lillian Cann and Coach Farm as their neighbors.

    [Below is an excerpt from Contemporary Authors: Autobiography Series, Vol. 13]
    https://aax-us-east.amazon-adsystem.com/x/c/QlYYI2bR7jV96F-gPsxg36MAAAFzQIbEAAEAAAFKAbfeUTw/https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0810345129/ref=as_li_tf_tl?imprToken=wLDVyOhXAwSVMz.vLD47Kw&slotNum=0&ie=UTF8&tag=pdub-20&linkCode=w61&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=0810345129
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    New York City, 1959
    I knew I was a writer when I was eleven; it took the rest of the world about ten years to begin to agree. Up till then, my audience was mainly limited to my father, who was encouraging and helpful, and ultimately influential in an important way.

    Neophyte writers are always told, “write what you know,” but the fact is, kids don’t know anything. A beginning writer doesn’t write what he knows, he writes what he read in books or saw in movies. And that’s the way it was with me. I wrote gangster stories, I wrote stories about cowboys, I wrote poems about prospecting–in Alaska, so I could rhyme with “cold”–I wrote the first chapters of all kinds of novels. The short stories I mailed off to magazines, and they mailed them back in the self-addressed, stamped envelopes I had provided. And in the middle of it all, my father asked me a question which, probably more than any other single thing, decided what kind of writer I was going to be.

    I was about fourteen. I’d written a science-fiction about aliens from another planet who come to Earth and hire a husband-wife team of big-game hunters to help them collect examples of every animal on Earth for their zoo back on Alpha Centauri or wherever. At the end of the story, they kidnap the hero and heroine and take them away in the spaceship because they want examples of every animal on Earth.

    Now, this was a perfectly usable story. It has been written and published dozens of times, frequently with Noah’s Ark somewhere in the title, and my version was simply that story again, done with my sentences. I probably even thought I’d made it up.

    So I showed it to my father. He read it and said one or two nice things about the dialogue or whatever, and then he said, “why did you write this story?”

    I didn’t know what he meant. The true answer was that science-fiction magazines published that story with gonglike regularity and I wanted a story published somewhere. This truth was so implicit I didn’t even have words to describe it, and therefore there was no way to understand the question.

    So he asked it a different way: “What’s the story about?” Well, it’s about these people that get taken to be in a zoo on Alpha Centauri. “No, what’s it about?” he said. “The old fairy tales that you read when you were a little boy, they all had a moral at the end. If you put a moral at the end of this story, what would it be?”

    I didn’t know. I didn’t know what the moral was. I didn’t know what the story was about.

    The truth was, of course, that the story wasn’t about anything. It was a very modest little trick, like a connect-the-dots thing on a restaurant place mat. There’s nothing particularly wrong with connect-the-dots things, and there’s nothing particularly wrong with this constructivist kind of writing, a little story or a great big fat novel with nothing and nobody in it except this machine that turns over and at the end this jack-in-the-box pops out. There’s nothing wrong with that.

    But it isn’t what I thought I wanted to be. So that question of my father’s wriggled right down into my brain like a worm, and for quite a while it took the fun out of things. I’d be sitting there writing a story about mobsters having a shootout in a nightclub office–straight out of some recent movie–and the worm would whisper: Why are you writing this story?

    Naturally, I didn’t want to listen, but I had no real choice in the matter. The question kept coming, and I had to try to figure out some way to answer it, and so, slowly and gradually, I began to find out what I was doing. And ultimately I refined the question itself down to this: What does this story mean to me that I should spend my valuable time creating it?

    And that’s how I began to become a writer.
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    Ancram, New York – Winter, 2001
    Credit: David Jennings for The New York Times
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    Donald E. Westlake (1933–2008)
    Writer | Actor
    https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0922799/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_3
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    FOREVER AND A DEATH
    Donald E. Westlake
    June 2017
    ISBN: 978-1-78565-423-7
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    Cover art by Paul Mann
    A FORTUNE IN STOLEN GOLD...
    A DEVICE THAT WILL KILL MILLIONS...
    AND JUST ONE MAN CAN STOP IT!
    Read a sample chapter
    http://www.hardcasecrime.com/books_bios.cgi?entry=bk144&type=excerpt

    Two decades ago, the producers of the James Bond movies hired legendary crime novelist Donald E. Westlake to come up with a story for the next Bond film. The plot Westlake dreamed up—about a Western businessman seeking revenge after being kicked out of Hong Kong when the island was returned to Chinese rule—had all the elements of a classic Bond adventure, but political concerns kept it from being made. Never one to let a good story go to waste, Westlake wrote an original novel based on the premise instead—a novel he never published while he was alive.

    Now, nearly a decade after Westlake’s death, Hard Case Crime is proud to give that novel its first publication ever, together with a brand new afterword by one of the movie producers describing the project’s genesis, and to give fans their first taste of the Westlake-scripted Bond that might have been.
    First publication ever!
    A lost novel by MWA Grand Master Donald E. Westlake
    Inspired by Westlake’s treatment for a James Bond movie that never got filmed
    Acclaim for DONALD E. WESTLAKE...
    "One of the great writers of the 20th Century."
    Newsweek
    "Westlake’s ability to construct an action story filled with unforeseen twists and quadruple-crosses is unparalleled."
    San Francisco Chronicle
    "The novel’s deeper meditations will keep you thinking long after you’ve closed the book."
    USA Today

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    1961: Variety says the next likely Bond is Patrick Allen.
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    1961: Caroline Bliss is born--Hammersmith, London, England.
    1966: Tony Mockler writes in The Guardian: "How long will the spies last? ...Is the spy bubble about to burst?"
    1966: You Only Live Twice films OO7 discovering Osato's connections to SPECTRE.

    1973: UK general release for Live and Let Die.
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    1974: The Hollywood Reporter reports that the second unit for The Man With the Golden Gun relocated from planned Thailand locations, due to the collapse of the Thai government and political turmoil.
    1979: Moonraker released in The Netherlands.

    1981: Ann Geraldine Mary Fleming (née Charteris) dies at age 68--Sevenhampton, Wiltshire, Swindon, England.
    (Born 19 June 1913-–London, England.)
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    Fleming in 1957
    Born Ann Charteris, 19 June 1913, Westminster, London, England
    Died 12 July 1981 (aged 68), Sevenhampton, Wiltshire, England
    Nationality British
    Known for Hostess
    Ann Geraldine Mary Fleming (née Charteris, 19 June 1913 – 12 July 1981), previously known as Lady O'Neill and Viscountess Rothermere, was a British socialite. She married firstly Lord O'Neill, secondly Lord Rothermere, and finally the writer Ian Fleming. She also had affairs with the Labour Party politicians Roy Jenkins and Hugh Gaitskell.

    Life
    Fleming was born to Frances Lucy Tennant (1887–1925) and Captain Guy Lawrence Charteris (1886–1967) in Westminster, London on 19 June 1913. She was the eldest daughter and her grandfather was Hugo Charteris, 11th Earl of Wemyss. She learnt to value conversation and friendship from her grandmother, Mary Constance Charteris, Countess of Wemyss,[1] who had her own hedonistic past, having been one of The Souls.

    She was educated by governesses after an unsuccessful term at Cheltenham Ladies' College. She had a good understanding of literature but her future was to be a debutante and she quickly married Lord O'Neill who was both an aristocrat and a financier in 1932. She had two children before beginning an affair with the influential Esmond Cecil Harmsworth in 1936.

    Harmsworth was the heir to Lord Rothermere, who owned the Daily Mail. Her husband went to war and Ann appeared with Harmsworth as well as having an affair with Ian Fleming, then a stockbroker, who became an assistant to the Director of Naval Intelligence. In 1940, Harmsworth became Lord Rothermere. Her husband was killed in action in 1944 and she married Lord Rothermere in 1945.
    The couple entertained and their social circle included the painter Lucian Freud (who painted her portrait), the choreographer Frederick Ashton and the artist Francis Bacon. Meanwhile, Ian Fleming left the navy and became a journalist with The Sunday Times. He had built Goldeneye on land in Jamaica and he had demanded three-month vacations from his employer to enjoy his holiday home. The two spent three months of every year together in Jamaica;[4] her new husband thought she was in Jamaica to visit Noël Coward.

    In 1951 she was divorced by Lord Rothermere, and the following year she married Fleming. They had one child, Caspar. Ann was pregnant with her son when they married; he was born on 12 August 1952. Anxiety over his forthcoming marriage is said to be the reason that Ian Fleming wrote the first James Bond novel, Casino Royale. Ann had a £100,000 divorce settlement and Fleming sought additional sources of revenue to add to his salary from The Sunday Times. The book and its sequels were immediate successes.
    The Flemings bought a house in London, where they entertained. They later rebuilt Warneford Place at Sevenhampton, near Swindon, renaming it Sevenhampton Place and moving there in 1963. Her husband was not keen on the socialising, but their houses attracted Evelyn Waugh, Cyril Connolly and Peter Quennell, and she had affairs with Hugh Gaitskell and Roy Jenkins.

    Her son Caspar died in London in October 1975 from an overdose of narcotics. Ann Fleming died at Sevenhampton Place on 12 July 1981. Both were buried alongside Ian at the church of St James in Sevenhampton.
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    1985: Levande måltavla (Live Target; or Living Target) released in Sweden.
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    1989: Licence to Kill released in Austria, The Netherlands, and Belgrade, Yugoslavia.

    2013: Gautam Paul Bhattacharjee dies at age 53--Seaford, East Sussex, England.
    (Born is born 4 May 1960--Harrow, London, England.)
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    Paul Bhattacharjee obituary
    Elegant and meticulous actor whose work ranged from
    Shakespeare to EastEnders
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    Paul Bhattacharjee as Benedick with Meera Syal as Beatrice in the RSC's Much Ado About Nothing,
    directed by Iqbal Khan, at Stratford last year. Photograph: Nigel Norrington
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    Paul Bhattacharjee (1960–2013)
    Actor
    https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0080335/
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    2014: Aston Martin DB 2/4 Mk I, reported inspiration for Ian Fleming and Goldfinger, goes under the hammer.
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    Aston Martin that inspired 'Goldfinger' goes up for auction
    https://www.timeslive.co.za/sunday-times/lifestyle/2014-07-11-aston-martin-that-inspired-goldfinger-goes-up-for-auction/
    11 July 2014 - 12:08 By AFP Relaxnews
    9oqELPIEWfIDRYiChDXjH0gY1mxyHRNhZLqfFQkLJ8HHBmPhlX2FVBGyCLZexFEUa0pUDEiQopb48q0S5Byr=s512
    This 1954 Aston Martin DB 2/4 Mk I Vantage inspired Ian Fleming
    as he was writing the James Bond novel Goldfinger.
    Image: AFP Relaxnews COYS
    This Saturday, July 12, the 1954 Aston Martin DB 2/5 Mk I that inspired Ian Fleming when writing his James Bond novel Goldfinger will be auctioned by Coys of Kensington at Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, England.
    The model going under the hammer belonged to a certain Lord Phillip Ingram Cunliffe-Lister, son of Lord Swinton, who once headed up the British Security Service (MI5) and was on close terms with Winston Churchill. The vehicle's owner, who was also Ian Fleming's boss, often visited Ian Fleming's next-door neighbors in Kent.

    Coys notes that the car is equipped with reinforced steel bumpers, secret hiding places, an anti-interference ignition system and a two-way radio -- exactly like the model described in Goldfinger. Long abandoned, the Aston Martin in question has now been thoroughly restored. Somewhat surprisingly, the official catalog does not list the estimated value of this unique vehicle.
    It is worth noting that the 1964 film adaptation of Goldfinger actually placed Sean Connery at the wheel of an Aston Martin DB5.
    The model is one of over 90 collector cars going under the hammer this Saturday, including several Rolls-Royces, Ferraris, Mercedes, Jaguars and even a 1934 Bugatti Type 57 Series I Ventoux. The latter model is expected to fetch between £275,000 and £320,000 ($470,600-$547,500).

    More information: www.coys.co.uk
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    2015: Skyfall re-release in the UK.
    2016: Sotheby's auctions an edited copy of You Only Live Twice.
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    Ian Fleming’s Last Notes on ‘You
    Only Live Twice’ Before His Death
    http://www.realclearlife.com/auctions/ian-flemings-james-bond-you-only-live-twice-last-notes/
    Edited version of penultimate novel up for auction with Sotheby's on July 12
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    Author Ian Fleming, circa 1960 (Horst Tappe/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
    For James Bond fans, You Only Live Twice might be one of the best book-and-movie combinations in the series—and a piece of its history is hitting the auction block at Sotheby’s London on July 12. The last novel Fleming published before his death, You Only Live Twice finds Bond a broken man after the death of his wife, Tracy. The spy ends up venturing to Japan for a final showdown with his arch-nemesis, Ernst Stavro Blofeld. Ironically, the book ends with an obituary of Bond written by his boss, M. With Fleming’s passing just months after the book’s publication, You Only Live Twice is a fitting tribute to the Bond creator.

    Sotheby’s is offering a complete, corrected typescript of the book—with proof markings in purple from Fleming’s copyeditor and blue pen from the author himself. Fleming’s typist produced just eight copies of the script for his publisher. Pre-auction estimates put it at $30,000–$40,000.

    For more on the Fleming typescript, click here.
    http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2016/english-literature-history-childrens-books-illustrations-l16404-/lot.162.html

    Take a look at the first edited page of Bond’s obituary below.

    https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2016/english-literature-history-childrens-books-illustrations-l16404-/lot.162.html
    Fleming, Ian
    'YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE', CORRECTED TYPESCRIPT,
    with extensive corrections and proof markings by a copy-editor in purple ball-point, the corrected text then checked by the author in blue ball-point WITH SUBSTANTIVE AUTOGRAPH REVISIONS TO APPROXIMATELY 65 PAGES, mostly single words or short phrases but including one eight-line textual addition (p.228), further textual revisions added in a second editorial hand (presumably representing additional authorial revisions made in another typescript) in red ball-point, and also with occasional editorial queries in green ink (pp.26, 192, 197), the first four pages (contents, dedication, divisional title, and first page of text) supplied in contemporary photocopy from another copy of the typescript, the remainder being carbon copy typescript, 255 pages, post quarto (260 x 206mm), March-May 1963, punch holes, held together by a prong fastener in a blue folder labelled "You Only Live Twice by Ian Fleming", lacking title page, some abrasion at punch holes, light marks, tears to folder

    Literature
    Gilbert A12a (pp.386-87)
    Catalogue Note
    WORKING TYPESCRIPT OF FLEMING'S TWELFTH BOND NOVEL, THE FINAL INSTALMENT OF THE 'BLOFELD TRILOGY'. It was also the first novel to be conceived and written after the beginning of the film franchise. Fleming had become fascinated with Japan on a 1959 visit. In 1962 he returned to the country, having decided that it would be the setting of his next Bond book (his research notes from the tip were sold at auction in 2002), and he began writing the novel shortly thereafter. By April 1963 the manuscript was completed and ready to be typed. His typist, Jean Frampton (who had typed all Fleming's manuscripts from For Your Eyes Only of 1959) produced eight copies for distribution to the editorial staff at Cape. The novel was printed in December 1963.
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    2018: The National Forest Adventure Farm's James Bond theme presents a 10-acre maze with three miles of paths at Tatenhill, Staffordshire, England.
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    Stunning video footage from the skies of the James Bond-
    themed maize maze near Burton
    Visitors will face a series of challenges as they taken on the 10-acre maze which has three miles of paths
    By Ben Waldron | Trainee Reporter 13 JUL 2018
    [video]
    James Bond themed maize maze in Tatenhill seen from the skies
    These are the incredible views from high in the skies above Tatenhill, near Burton, which show the striking maize maze attraction from the air.

    The 10-acre maze has three miles of paths and is created each year on farmland at the National Forest Adventure Farm. The attraction always has a theme and this year it is fictional super spy James Bond meets the new craze of escape rooms.

    Visitors will have to find their way around the maze, which has been created by cutting the shape into a huge fields of maize and each year the maze attracts thousands of visitors.

    Escape rooms are hugely popular attractions up and down the country, where people have to solve a series of puzzles and challenges to find their way out of rooms.
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    The maze from the sky (Image: Rod Kirkpatrick/ F Stop Press)
    The Burton Mail got the chance to get a bird's eye view of the creation with a trip over the site in a helicopter. From the air, as you can see from our video and pictures, the maze is very striking.

    For the first time this year the maze will have a twist to it - by incorporating puzzles and challenges that visitors have to complete before progressing through the creation - just like in an escape rooms.

    This year's maze is called "Agent Academy: Escape Maze", and the challenges visitors will face have been themed around the world's most famous super spy James Bond, with a giant image of the fictional 007 event carved into the centre of the maze.
    The James Bond-themed maize maze in pictures
    'James Bond' Daniel Craig look-alike with Ivor Robinson
    View gallery

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    Tasks involving Morse code is included in the maze (Image: Rod Kirkpatrick/ F Stop Press)
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    The maize should grow to at least 8ft by the end of the summer, say the land-owners behind the maze.

    Visitors entering the maze will have to 'crack safe locks' and communicate through Morse Code to make their way through, taking on 10 interactive puzzles along the three miles of pathways which make up the maze at the Postern Road visitor attraction is open throughout the year with a petting farm and plenty of family fun.

    Ivor Robinson, is one of two brothers who owns the farmland which the maze is on. The brothers came up with the concept for the maze.
    Can you crack the code to the James Bond Maize Maze?
    https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/burton/james-bond-maize-maze-1711322
    Ivor even travelled to America, alongside brother Tom, to research the idea of merging together the two concepts for the maze.
    He said: "The escape room concept within a maize maze has never been done before. Each year when we look at a theme for the maze we always want to make something that is a bit different and goes beyond just a normal maize maze.
    "It's been 65 years since the first James Bond novel - Casino Royale by Ian Fleming - was published in 1953.

    "It seemed fitting to find Bond a new agent so he could finally retire after 65 years. The Agent Academy is a great family fun activity that will need teamwork as you put your skills to the test with physical and mental challenges."

    Adventure farm event manager, Rosie Redvers-Jones was responsible for putting together the 10 physical and mental tests that visitors will take during the maze.

    Each puzzle will reward the challenger with a code, which must all be put together to escape the maze and "graduate" from the agent academy.

    Anybody who finishes the maze will also be in with the chance of winning an indoor family sky-dive experience.

    For the younger ones, a "mini maze" has been set up for children to collect stamps to 'free' farm animals that have been "kidnapped" by bad guy, Dr Von Steal.

    The maze officially opens tomorrow, Saturday, July 14 and will be open every day up to Monday, September 3. For more information visit www.adventurefarm.co.uk.
    What is the Maize Maze? http://www.adventurefarm.co.uk/
    The National Forest Adventure Farm started life as the National Forest Maize Maze back in 2004.

    Each year it has grown and grown until the adventure farm opened as an all-year-round attraction in May 2011.

    The maize maze has three-miles of paths, bridges and viewing towers through the 10-acre field. By the end of the summer the maize will have grown to a towering 2.4 metres (8ft).

    The Adventure Farm itself offers indoor fun, outdoor adventure and farm animals.

    It also hosts many events throughout the year including Easter activities, a huge summer Maize Maze, spooky Halloween daytime fun, scary night time Halloween Screamfest and Christmas celebrations.
    Who is James Bond?
    The character of James Bond has became a superhero to many young boys, and a first crush for many girls, having being played by various actors over the years including Sean Connery, Roger Moore and more recently Daniel Craig.

    The films are based on a fictional British Secret Service agent who was created by Ian Fleming in 1953.

    Bond has featured in 12 novels and two short-story collections. The Bond girls also have their place in history, with famous names such as Miss Moneypenny and Pussy Galore becoming big in their own right.

    The 007 films are the longest continually running film series of all time and have grossed more than $7,040 billion in total, making it the fourth highest grossing film series to date.

    Some of the famous films include Dr No, Moonraker, Spectre, Casino Royale, Dr No, On Her Majesty's Secret Service and Goldfinger.
    2019: No Time To Die films OO7 and M near London’s Hammersmith Bridge.
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    'No Time To Die': Bond and M have a clandestine encounter
    in new photo
    Tom Butler·Senior Editor | July 13, 2020
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    Ralph Fiennes and Daniel Craig as M and James Bond in No Time To Die. (@007/Instagram)
    A new photo from No Time To Die, the next James Bond film, has been shared online.

    It shows Ralph Fiennes as M and Daniel Craig as Ian Fleming’s James Bond 007 having a conversation in front of London’s Hammersmith Bridge.

    According to the caption on the photo, which was shared on the official 007 Instagram account, the scene was filmed one year ago, on 12 July, 2019. The new picture comes amid rumours the film may face another delay after already being pushed back from April to November due to coronavirus.

    M is wearing an overcoat and clutching a newspaper in the new snap, while Bond wears a smart tailored suit, giving the impression of an unplanned or clandestine encounter.
    https://www.instagram.com/p/CCjEZcnIO7v/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=847ffad4-3a2e-4421-af79-8a292a01d021
    The 25th James Bond film will find 007 retired from active service, but brought back into action by Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright) who seeks his help in tracking down a missing scientist.

    Daniel Craig, who will play Bond for the fifth and final time in No Time To Die, seems to be wearing the same clothes he wears in the publicity photo of him in front of Timothy Dalton’s classic Aston Martin V8 (below).
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    Daniel Craig as Ian Fleming's James Bond 007 in a promotional still for No Time To Die. (Eon/Universal)
    No Time To Die marks Fiennes’ third appearance as Bond’s boss M – real name Gareth Mallory – after joining the long-running spy series in 2012’s Skyfall.

    The film, from Albert R. Broccoli’s EON Productions, Metro Goldwyn Mayer Studios (MGM), and Universal Pictures International is directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga and stars Daniel Craig. Written by Neal Purvis & Robert Wade (Spectre, Skyfall), Cary Joji Fukunaga, Scott Z. Burns (Contagion, The Bourne Ultimatum) and Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Killing Eve, Fleabag).
    https://www.instagram.com/p/CCd647GICGM/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=55c6809c-9a58-4a6e-bac4-b26b58393d50https://www.instagram.com/p/CCd647GICGM/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=55c6809c-9a58-4a6e-bac4-b26b58393d50
    No Time To Die also stars Rami Malek, Léa Seydoux, Lashana Lynch, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Billy Magnussen, Ana de Armas, Rory Kinnear, David Dencik, Dali Benssalah with Jeffrey Wright and Ralph Fiennes and comes to cinemas on 12 November.

    2023: Dynamite Entertainment releases 007 - For King and County #4.
    Dynamite-Entertainment-Logo-600x290-3-324x157.png
    007: FOR KING AND COUNTRY
    #4
    SKU: C72513032953004011
    Cover A: Joseph Michael Linsner
    UPC: 72513032953004011
    Cover B: Rebeca Puebla
    UPC: 72513032953004021
    Cover C: Chuma Hill
    UPC: 72513032953004031
    Cover D: Lesley "Leirix" Li
    UPC: 72513032953004041
    Writer: Phillip Kennedy Johnson
    Artist: Giorgio Spalletta
    Genre: Spy Fiction / Action Adventure
    Publication Date: July, 2023
    ON SALE DATE: 7/12/2023
    The former 007 and 002 are tired of running from Myrmidon - time to take the fight back to their home turf in England's green and pleasant land.
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    Cover A: Joseph Michael Linsner
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    Cover B: Rebeca Puebla
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    Cover C: Chuma Hill
    0070404031CHill.jpg
    Cover D: Lesley "Leirix" Li
    0070404041DLi.jpg


    https://leagueofcomicgeeks.com/comic/6736706/007-for-king-and-country-4?variant=1812104
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  • RichardTheBruceRichardTheBruce I'm motivated by my Duty.
    Posts: 13,779
    July 13th

    1945: Society hostess Maud Russell writes about Ian Fleming in her diary.
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    Spies, affairs and James Bond... The
    secret diary of Ian Fleming's wartime
    mistress
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/life/spies-affairs-james-bond-secret-diary-ian-flemings-wartime-mistress/
    Maud Russell, a fashionable society hostess who met Fleming in 1931 when he was just 23
    Credit: Cecil Beaton courtesy of Emily Russell
    Friday 13 July, 1945

    I. came to dinner. He is likely to be offered a new job he thinks he won’t be able to refuse. Goodbye then to Jamaica and the dreams that have sustained him during the hard work of these last years.
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    1965: Sean Connery and Claudine Auger appear on the cover of Look Magazine.
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    1977: During the blackout in New York City, Marvin Hamlisch seeks a cab. And candles.
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    The Music of James Bond, Jon Burlingame, 2012.
    Hamlisch: "...running on the streets of New York with everybody, trying, number one, to get a cab, and number two, more important, getting votive candles from a store so that we can set Carly up on her home with candles because New York is pitch black. I'll never forget it. Everything about Bond is over the top."
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    Anatomy of a Song
    The Secret Agent in Carly Simon’s ‘Nobody Does It Better’
    The singer, the lyricist Carole Bayer Sager and others look back
    on the Bond theme for ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’—and the duality of James

    Carly Simon sang the 1977 hit theme for ‘The Spy Who Loved Me.’ Michael Putland/Getty Images
    By Marc Myers | May 9, 2020 9:37 am ET

    In the fall of 1977, Carly Simon’s sultry rendition of “Nobody Does It Better” rose to No. 2 on Billboard’s pop chart, casting James Bond in a new light.

    Written by Carole Bayer Sager (words) and Marvin Hamlisch (music) for “The Spy Who Loved Me,” the Bond theme was the first to be titled differently from the movie.

    As 007 fans await “No Time to Die”—delayed until November but already teased with a theme by Billie Eilish—Ms. Bayer Sager, Ms. Simon, pianist Michael Omartian and arranger Richard Hewson revisited their hit. Last year, Ms. Bayer Sager received the Songwriters Hall of Fame’s Johnny Mercer Award; Ms. Simon’s most recent book is Touched by the Sun: My Friendship with Jackie. Edited from interviews:
    im-185075?width=1260&size=custom_5356x3518
    ‘The song had a stronger feel coming from the female perspective,’ says lyricist Carole Bayer Sager,
    here in 1977. Photo: Evening Standard/Getty Images

    Carole Bayer Sager:
    In mid-1976, Marvin Hamlisch and I were at his New York apartment working on a song. It wasn’t going too well.

    At the end of our writing session, Marvin said, “I’m going to London to work on the next James Bond film—“The Spy Who Loved Me.” When I get back, let’s try again to write something.”

    The Bond title didn’t sound great for a song. I said, “Oh wow, James Bond, yeah. If I was going to write a Bond theme, I think I’d call it, ‘Nobody Does It Better.’ ” The title just popped into my head.

    “I like that,” Marvin said, turning back to the keyboard. Within 10 minutes, he had a chorus melody written. I sat for another 10 minutes and came up with the lyrics:
    “Nobody does it better /
    Makes me feel sad for the rest /
    Nobody does it half as good as you /
    Baby, you’re the best.”
    Marvin wrote the music for two verses, but there wasn’t time to add lyrics. Marvin said he’d put the music on a cassette tape and leave it with me.

    “My biggest job will be to convince [Bond producer] Cubby Broccoli to take a chance on you,” he said.

    I wasn’t insulted. I knew they liked to stick to name brands. But I was hopeful. A few days later, Marvin called from London. I was given the go-ahead.



    While Marvin was there scoring the film, I began working on lyrics for the verses and remaining choruses in New York. Days later I relocated to Los Angeles. By then, many of the people I wrote with had moved West. Also, my marriage to Andrew [Sager] wasn’t working out. Space was a good thing.

    I rented a house in West Hollywood. Over the next few weeks, I finished the lyrics and sent them to Marvin in London.

    I used the movie title just once—in the first verse—just to get it out of the way:
    “But like heaven above me /
    The spy who loved me /
    Is keepin’ all my secrets safe tonight.”
    The song had a stronger feel coming from the female perspective. Instead of just being loved by a spy, she had an opinion about the quality of his performance and passion.

    I didn’t set out to make a statement. It was just me, as a woman, thinking about Bond. He was such a cool, sexy hero.

    I also wanted his sensuality and the captivating power of his sexuality to be mystifying, leaving the woman baffled about how she wound up in love.

    I did this by having the singer pose two questions to Bond in the lyrics:
    “And nobody does it better /
    Though sometimes I wish someone could /
    Nobody does it quite the way you do /
    Why’d you have to be so good?

    “The way that you hold me /
    Whenever you hold me /
    There’s some kind of magic inside you /
    That keeps me from runnin’ /
    But just keep it comin’ /
    How’d you learn to do the things you do?”
    Those questions reveal that she didn’t want to fall for him but did. The questions also introduce female vulnerability and sensuality, as if spoken in bed after.

    Carly Simon was my first choice to sing the theme. Marvin agreed. Carly was sexy in her demeanor and bedroom voice. She promoted that image on the covers of her albums.

    Her voice had a lot of texture. It’s smooth and strong, and yet it has a great pop sensibility—not too serious and yet intensely sensitive and revealing.

    I told Marvin that if Carly came aboard, he should encourage her to ad lib the line, “James, you’re the best.” I wanted the duality of James Bond and James Taylor, her husband at the time.

    Marvin flew back to New York to play Carly our song.


    Carly Simon:
    In late 1976, my manager, Arlyne Rothberg, told me I was being considered for the next Bond theme.

    I was excited. Ever since “Goldfinger” in ’64, I wanted to sing one. The theme always opened the film.

    I was pregnant with Ben at the time, and James Taylor and I were living on Central Park West.

    Arlyne told me who the songwriters were, but I didn’t personally know Carole or Marvin then.

    She said Marvin wanted to stop up the next day to play it for me. I said, “Sure.” But I goofed. I forgot that a new tax attorney was coming by with papers. I hadn’t met him yet.

    The next day, when the doorbell rang, it was the tax guy with heavy glasses in a black suit and tie. I went into the kitchen to make us tea.

    As the water boiled, I wondered why the tax guy was playing my piano. When I came out with the tea, the pianist turned out to be Marvin. I didn’t realize he looked like an accountant.

    Marvin sang and played “Nobody Does it Better.” Then I sang it back. I don’t read music, but I when I listen, the music sticks.

    Before Marvin left, I told him how great the song was and that I’d love to record it. Then Ben was born in January, so I needed a little time before recording.

    In April ’77, I had to be in L.A. While there, producer Richard Perry recorded my vocal for “Nobody Does It Better” with session musicians, including pianist Michael Omartian.
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    Marvin Hamlisch, here in 1977, wrote the music for ‘Nobody Does It Better.’
    Photo: Keith Bernstein/Redferns/Getty Images

    Michael Omartian:
    Marvin was in the studio, too. He came up with the piano intro. I was on the Fender Rhodes electric piano.

    But Marvin’s sense of time was off slightly. After many takes, Richard called Marvin into the control booth. He suggested Marvin let me take a shot at the piano. Marvin agreed. He wrote out the intro on a sheet of paper. Then I sat down at the piano, and we nailed it in a take or two. Later, I overdubbed my Fender Rhodes part.

    We also created a lengthy ending so the orchestrator would have plenty of room to arrange strings around Carly’s vocal.

    During the recording of the outro, Carly ad-libbed and layered her vocal several times: “Bay-bee…you’re…the best, sweet baby, dar-ling… you’re…the best.” That’s where she worked in “James.”
    Ms. Simon:
    As I recorded my vocal, I imagined how the movie would start. Bond films always had plenty of action before the theme song came on.

    I also felt Carole’s female perspective in the lyrics. They fit me perfectly. Adding “James, you’re the best” was the perfect homage.

    Richard Hewson: By 1977, I had already worked with producer Richard Perry on a number of albums by American artists. I also had orchestrated the Beatles’ “The Long and Winding Road” and “I Me Mine.”

    After I finished my arrangement, Marvin and I disagreed over the ending. I had added horns to the strings. It was a Bond theme and needed a brassy flourish.

    Marvin favored holding a single note until it faded. To his credit, Richard backed me up, and Marvin eventually agreed. I conducted the orchestra at Abbey Road’s Studio Two.
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    Carly Simon and then-husband James Taylor in New York in 1977.
    Photo: Ron Galella Collection/Getty Images
    Ms. Simon:
    Marvin screened the film for us in New York on the evening of July 13—two weeks before the movie opened on July 27.

    Only a handful of us were there—Marvin and Carole, James and me, and our friends, drummer Russ Kunkel and his wife Leah, Cass Elliot’s sister, and their son, Nathaniel.

    The film began with Bond, played by Roger Moore, skiing down the Alps chased by bad guys with guns. To escape, Bond skied straight off a cliff.

    His Union Jack parachute opened and he descended. When the silhouette of a women’s hands came up to cradle him, my theme began. I was breathless.

    About five minutes after the end of my theme, the film and score began to slow and then stopped completely. We were in the dark.

    A woman with a flashlight arrived and told us there had been a citywide blackout. She led us out.

    Since we were on the West Side, we all headed up to my apartment. We lit candles, and I opened the windows.

    Everyone stayed overnight. Marvin played the piano and we all sang. I kept getting ice from the deli downstairs. I sang “Nobody Does It Better” any number of ways. James sang, too. He loved the song.

    It was wonderful and the only night like it in my life. There we were around the piano during the 1977 blackout. It was a thrill. My blackout just happened to include James Taylor and James Bond.
    1977: The Spy Who Loved Me in limited US release.

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    1977: In The Washington Post, Gary Arnold reviews The Spy Who Loved Me as "Bond Meets Barbie."
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    Bond Meets Barbie
    By Gary Arnold | July 13, 1977

    "The Spy Who Loved Me," opening today at area theaters, gets off to a promising start but proves seriously deficient in staying power. Several diverting gambits put one in a receptive mood at the outlet: a KGB music box tinkles the theme from "Dr. Zhivago"; a stuntman doubling for Roger Moore as James Bond culminates a chase sequence filmed on Baffin Island with a stupendous, heart-stopping ski jump off a precipice and potentially into eternity; Maurice Binder contributes yet another splendidly suggestive credit sequence, topping even himself with silhouettes of women gymnasts swinging and vaulting from the barrel of Bond's Walther automatic.

    It appears that the series may have recuperated promptly from the doldrums of the last Bond adventure, "The Man With the Golden Gun." Instead, Binder's credits turn out to be the high point of the show.

    There's a splashy climactic battle sequence, staged across the majestic length and breadth of one of Ken Adam's cavernous sets, representing the interior of a supertanker concealing British, Soviet and American nuclear submarines hijacked by the villain, and it would probably match up with the equivalent showdowns in "You Only Live Twice" or "Thunderball" if contemplated in the abstract. Unfortunately, the interventing explosition has grown so stale and tedious that one can't take as much gratuitous pleasure in the spectacle of choreographed mayhem. In contrast to "Star Wars," for example, there's no suspense to be resolved in the climactic action of "The Spy Who Loved Me." One is simply grateful to see a ponderous vehicle nearing a conclusion.

    While it never sags as alarmingly as its immediate predecessor, "Spy," the 10th film in the series, is at best a tolerable disappointment. The Bond movies have been so successful that it may be commercially impossible to terminate the series. However, it's been quite a while since a Bond adventure appeared to set fashions in escapist, glamorous entertainment. Once widely imitated and parodied by other producers, Bond films are now more likely to imitate themselves with decreasing effectiveness.

    To cite one of the most glaring misjudgments, who cast Barbara Bach as the leading lady, a Russian spy whose hatred for Bond is supposed to evaporate as they work and play together really does look indistinguishable from a Barbie doll. Pairing Bond with such a figure at this stage of the series can only make the hero and the filmmakers look ridiculous.

    It might be hilariously appropriate to cast a model-starlet as waxen as Barbara Bach if one were planning the final put-down of Bond and wanted to make the point that a life-size Barbie doll was the logical extension of his desires. Coming from people presumably trying to sustain a popular formula, such a casting choice must be considered foolish or unconsciously revealing. Could it be producer Albert R. "Cubby" Broccoli or director Lewis Gilbert who has visions of Barbie dolls dancing around in his head?

    The damage wouldn't be quite as acute if the script hadn't been contrived to emphasize an ongoing romantic relationship between Bond and his Soviet colleague, assigned to neutralize a power-mad villain impersonated without much gusto by Curt Jurgens. The movie requires some rapport between the leads to keep from floundering. As cartoon hero figures go. Roger Moore himself is rather too stylized and overrefined. Expecting sparks to fly between him and a plastic leading lady is asking for the impossible.

    To his credit, Moore urged the producer to cast an actress in the role - Charlotte Rampling. According to Mrs. Moore, who accompanied her husband on a promotional swing through Washington yesterday, Broccoli disqualified Rampling on the grounds of insufficient bosom. As if there weren't enough over-endowed supernumerary starlets stationed on the perimeters of the movie already.

    The big hulking menace, nicknamed "Jaws" and played by Richard Kiel, is deployed as ineffectively as the heroine. Perhaps Broccoli & Co. should refer to "Goldfinger" and notice how the character of Oddjob was kept just out of range until his climactic showdown with Bond. "Jaws" who could probably kill with his bare hands but with his steel-plated bridgework, keeps reappearing for one indecisive encounter after another with Bond. At the end he's even spared in order to return in the next installment, if needed. What the Bond series desperately needs is a firmer grip and fresher outlook at the upper echelon.

    1985: Title song "A View to a Kill" released by EMI-Capitol tops the US Billboard Hot 100 chart at No. 1.
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    1989: Permis de tuer released in Belgium.
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    2010: Alan Hume dies at age 85--Chalfont St. Giles, Buckinghamshire, England.
    (Born 16 October 1924--London, England.)
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    Alan Hume obituary
    Cinematographer known for his work on the Carry On films
    https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/aug/17/alan-hume-obituary
    Ronald Bergan | Tue 17 Aug 2010 13.14 EDT
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    Alan Hume started as a camera operator on Carry On Sergeant in 1958.
    Photograph: Bondstars.com
    Despite, or because of, the ancient, dirty jokes, schoolboy humour, double entendres, and a string of hammy actors tele-graphing each jest with pursed lips, rolling eyes or a snigger, the Carry On films have an army of devotees. Among the most regular actors were Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Sid James, Joan Sims and Kenneth Connor, and behind the camera, on almost all of the 30 Carry On movies, was the cinematographer Alan Hume, who has died aged 85.

    Hume started as camera operator on the very first, Carry On Sergeant (1958), soon becoming director of photography (DP) on Carry On Regardless (1961), and continuing as DP until Carry On Columbus (1992) ended the franchise. Though few would make any artistic claims for the films, they were competently shot, rapidly, on a shoestring. Because of the rapport Hume built up over a long period with the producer Peter Rogers and the director Gerald Thomas – he worked with them for years without a contract – he knew exactly what was required.
    In the foreword to Hume's autobiography, A Life Through the Lens: Memoirs of a Film Cameraman (2004), Rogers explained: "I have known Alan Hume almost as long as I know myself. I've known him as a giggling camera operator and as one of the film industry's foremost lighting cameramen. I say giggling operator because when we were working on the early Carry On films, he giggled so much … that he had to leave the stage to recover. I've also known him as a non-giggling operator as, for instance, when he was shooting a scene … hanging out of a doorless helicopter and holding a handheld camera."

    The latter referred to Hume's second-unit filming of the spectacular pre-credit sequence of The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), in which James Bond (the stuntman Rick Sylvester standing in for Roger Moore), chased by baddies on skis, leaps off a cliff and opens up a Union Jack parachute. It was shot high on a mountain on Baffin Island, north Canada, after weeks of waiting for the weather to clear, so it had to be done in one take. "After so many weeks of preparing and anticipating this jump, I suddenly felt the blood rush from my face," Hume wrote. "This was it, and it was a far cry from my working diet of comedy and modest-budget dramas back in London."

    Hume went on to be the daring cinematographer on three more Bonds, all starring Moore and directed by John Glen: For Your Eyes Only (1981), Octopussy (1983) and A View to a Kill (1985), each offering the well-tried formula of gals, guns, villains and glossy locations.
    Hume, who was born in London, started in films as a clapper boy at Denham Studios, his first job being on Leslie Howard's The First of the Few (1942). A few films later, he was promoted to first assistant camera operator before being called up to serve in the Royal Navy during the second world war. "I was in the photographic unit. I learned more about photography in the navy than anywhere else." Hume returned to Denham, then Pinewood, where he was assistant to the cinematographer Guy Green on David Lean's Great Expectations (1946) and Oliver Twist (1948). From 1953 to 1960, he was chief camera operator on dozens of British films, then DP mostly on the Carry Ons, with a couple of grisly horror films – Dr Terror's House of Horrors (1965) and From Beyond the Grave (1973) – thrown in.

    In 1983, Hume was given the job of DP on the Star Wars film Return of the Jedi, although he fell out with the producers when he protested about what he felt was their mistreatment of the director Richard Marquand and was replaced by his assistant Alec Mills. It was one of his very few Hollywood movies.

    Among Hume's best work was Andrei Konchalovsky's Runaway Train (1985), shot in freezing conditions in Canada and Iceland, on a real train. Also to be commended was his camerawork for two veteran directors of British cinema, Lewis Gilbert (Shirley Valentine, 1989; Stepping Out, 1991), and Charles Crichton (A Fish Called Wanda, 1988).

    Hume was elected to the British Society of Cinematographers in 1964, serving as president for three years. He is survived by his wife, Sheila, and three children. His eldest son, Lindsey, a film editor, died in 1967. His other sons, Martin and Simon, and a grandson, Lewis, are camera operators, while his daughter Pauline is a titles designer.

    • George Alan Hume, cinematographer, born 16 October 1924; died 13 July 2010
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    Alan Hume (I) (1924–2010)
    Cinematographer | Camera and Electrical Department | Director
    https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0401727/
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    2012: Chris Cornell performs "You Know My Name" the first day of Hard Rock Calling at Hyde Park, London.
    2007 performance: Personal Festival Live, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
    2018: 007 ELEMENTS opens in in Sölden, Austria.
    AUSTRIA JAMES BOND
    James Bond museum opens up on Alpine peak in Austria
    efe-epaSölden, Austria13 Jul 2018
    A strikingly modern mountaintop museum dedicated to the James Bond movies has opened with a license to thrill on an Alpine peak in Austria, offering visitors a chance to immerse themselves fully in the world of the famous English spy, an epa-efe photojournalist reported Friday.

    At over 3,000 meters (9,850 feet) above sea level and positioned inside the summit of the Gaislachkogl Mountain in Sölden, the museum's location was significant because it featured in the 2015 movie "Spectre," in which Daniel Craig played the role of Commander Bond.

    "The aim of 007 ELEMENTS is to tell the story of the making of 007 films through an ultra-modern, emotive and engaging experience while using the incredible location to place guests in Bond’s environment and bring the stories to life in a unique and unforgettable way," the town's tourism site said of the new attraction.

    While the museum, which calls itself "a cinematic installation," focuses heavily on "Spectre," there are echoes of other movies telling action-filled tales of the fearless secret agent whose license to kill was numbered double-oh-seven: 007.

    Visitors would be able to see vehicles that were used in Bond movies, including a 4x4 and a futuristic-looking aircraft, as well as interactive galleries, according to the epa-efe source.

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    NAOMIE HARRIS OPENS 007 ELEMENTS

    13 July 2018
    007 ELEMENTS, an exciting new James Bond experience built
    inside the summit of the Gaislachkogl mountain in Sölden, Austria,
    is now open to the public.
    • Spectre and Skyfall actress opens new 007 cinematic installation in the Alps
    • 007 ELEMENTS cinematic installation focuses on Spectre and celebrates the legacy of the James Bond films
    • Jaguar Land Rover is official partner of the experience with star cars from Spectre on display
    • Located over 3,000m above sea level, it is the highest visitor experience of its kind

    The cinematic installation was opened by actress Naomie Harris who plays Moneypenny (Spectre, Skyfall) and Jakob Falkner Managing Director of Bergbahnen Sölden.

    Visitors can learn how the thrilling action sequences in Spectre were filmed in Sölden and see interactive displays with Jaguar Land Rover technology. The iconic Land Rover Defender driven by villain Hinx’s henchmen is situated on the cliff edge and the Range Rover Sport SVR driven by Hinx (Dave Bautista) is also on display.

    The latest Jaguar Land Rover technology is on show with features from the all-new electric Jaguar I-PACE performance SUV and artificial intelligence systems.

    Jaguars and Land Rovers have appeared in nine Bond films since 1983, when Roger Moore’s Bond escaped in a Range Rover Classic convertible driven by Bianca (Tina Hudson).
    We are very excited to reach the 35th anniversary of the collaboration between
    Jaguar Land Rover and the Bond franchise.

    007 ELEMENTS showcases the long-standing unique partnership which is still
    demonstrated today, with more than 70 Jaguar Land Rover vehicles used in the most
    recent film, Spectre.

    Laura Wood
    Head of Brand and Partnerships at Jaguar Land Rover
    naomiharris007elementsopening120718.jpg?dSwt22DAJJZY6OtpwygABVVnUZmUkVxk&itok=Z-qtldTt
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    At more than 3,000m above sea level, 007 ELEMENTS is the highest experience of its kind taking visitors on a journey through nine galleries and a plaza with stunning Alpine views. The dramatic spaces complete with an immersive soundscape showcase the fundamental elements that define the James Bond films – placing visitors inside the world of 007 and revealing how that world is made.
    We are truly proud to be in partnership with Jakob Falkner and launching our latest
    experience, 007 ELEMENTS, on the very mountaintop in Sölden where we filmed
    Spectre. Architect Johann Obermoser, our Art Director Neal Callow and Tino
    Schaedler have created a Bondian lair worthy of a Ken Adam set in which visitors
    immediately become enveloped in the cinematic world of 007.

    Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli
    EON Productions
    007 ELEMENTS is accessed via the Gaislachkoglbahn Gondola in the resort village of Sölden. Open daily from 09:00 to 15:30, tickets are available online or from the Bergbahnen Sölden ticket offices and cost €22 for adults, €12 for children. For further information or to book tickets, please visit: 007elements.com

  • RichardTheBruceRichardTheBruce I'm motivated by my Duty.
    Posts: 13,779
    July 14th

    1918: Fred Haggerty is born--Budapest, Austria-Hungary.
    (He dies 2002 at age 83.)
    1939: Sid Haig is born--Fresno, California.
    (He dies 21 September 2019 at age 80--Los Angeles, California.)
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    Sid Haig, Horror Actor
    and Cult Figure, Dies at 80
    Mr. Haig was a character actor with roles in more than 70
    movies, including the murderous clown Captain Spaulding in
    Rob Zombie’s “House of 1000 Corpses.”
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    Sid Haig with the actors Devanny Pinn, left, and Alexis Iacono in 2013.
    Credit Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images
    By Laura M. Holson
    Sept. 23, 2019

    Sid Haig, a Hollywood character actor who for more than 50 years played thugs, villains and, most famously, a psychotic clown named Captain Spaulding, died on Saturday. He was 80.

    His wife, Susan L. Oberg, announced his death on the actor’s Instagram account on Monday, writing, “He adored his family, his friends and his fans. This came as a shock to all of us.” No other details were given.
    Mr. Haig, who lived in Los Angeles, played bit parts in more than 350 television shows and 70 movies, notably “Jackie Brown” and the James Bond thriller “Diamonds Are Forever.” He had become a cult figure among horror fans, who reveled in his portrayal of the murderous clown who terrorized people in the 2003 Rob Zombie film “House of 1000 Corpses.” He would go on to play Captain Spaulding in two other films from the director.
    Rob Zombie, a musician turned filmmaker, wrote on his Instagram account Monday of Mr. Haig’s death, “Horray for Captain Spaulding. Gone but not forgotten.” Fans, too, expressed their grief on Twitter. Mr. Haig was the recipient of numerous awards for his acting in horror movies. In August, he was awarded the Vincent Price Award for excellence in the horror genre.

    “I had the greatest night of my career,” he wrote on Instagram then.
    Mr. Haig was a hulk of a figure whose lanky, long body towered over fellow actors. He was born Sidney Eddie Mosesian on July 14, 1939, in Fresno, Calif., according to his official website. His parents were Armenian, and his father was an electrician. He took dancing lessons and acted in high school. And he loved music. In 1958, according to the website, he played drums on the song “Full House” by the T-Birds.

    Soon after, he enrolled at the Pasadena Playhouse, a community theater with a school for theater arts that trained actors including Gene Hackman and Dustin Hoffman. In his early roles in film and on television, Mr. Haig played thugs and heavies mostly. In the 1968 cult classic “Spider Baby” he played a brother who cooks a cat; he was in the 1974 blaxploitation film “Foxy Brown” with Pam Grier; and he had a small role in “Diamonds Are Forever” in 1971.

    Moviemakers delighted in his characters. Quentin Tarantino cast Mr. Haig in the 1997 movie “Jackie Brown,” a homage to the actor’s appearance in “Foxy Brown.” (Ms. Grier, too, starred in “Jackie Brown.”)
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    From left: Bill Moseley as Otis Driftwood, Sid Haig as Captain Spaulding and
    Sheri Moon Zombie as Baby in “Devil’s Rejects,” directed by Rob Zombie.
    Credit Gene Page/Lions Gate Films
    But it was as Captain Spaulding, the psychotic clown featured in “House of 1000 Corpses,” that Mr. Haig became a cult figure among horror fans. Mr. Haig said in a 2015 interview with CryticRock.com: “When I first read the script, I knew that it had the potential to do something. I did not know that it was going to be as well accepted as it was. But I did know that it had something going for it.”

    In “House of 1000 Corpses,” Captain Spaulding runs the Museum of Monsters and Madmen housed in a run-down gas station on a barren stretch of Texas. There, the clown shoots a man after being attacked. Mr. Haig reprised the role two years later in “The Devil’s Rejects.” He also acted in a number of other horror films directed by Rob Zombie, including the 2007 remake of “Halloween.”

    He was back as Captain Spaulding in “3 From Hell,” a sequel to “The Devil’s Rejects,” which was released this month. “He was very cool,” Mr. Haig said of working with Rob Zombie in his interview with CrypticRock.com. “He was really laid back. He would just tell you what he was looking for and then leave you alone and let you do your job. Which is what most directors should do.”

    Cassandra Peterson, known by her stage name, Elvira, said she met Mr. Haig at Rob Zombie’s wedding in 2002. But it was on the road at horror fan conventions where they forged a friendship. “He played this horrible character in Rob’s movies, and it took fans by surprise when he was sweet and took time with them,” she said. “He may not have been a big star. But in our world, he was an icon.”

    Indeed Mr. Haig was a fan favorite. He made regular appearances at festivals to sign autographs or appear as Captain Spaulding, who became a recognizable villain among mainstream audiences. In June, he attended the Mad Monster Party in Phoenix where he signed autographs for fans. Earlier that month he was in Las Vegas for the Days of the Dead horror convention.

    Fans often dressed up like Captain Spaulding at conventions or had tattoos inked in homage to his famous character. The adulation surprised Mr. Haig. He said on Instagram in February, “The level of commitment to put my mug into your skin for life just blows me away.”
    Laura M. Holson is an award-winning feature writer from New York. She joined The Times in 1998 and has written about Hollywood, Wall Street and Silicon Valley. A movie producer once held a butter knife to her neck. @lauramholson
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    Sid Haig (I) (1939–2019)
    https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0354085/?ref_=nv_sr_1?ref_=nv_sr_1

    Filmography
    Actor (149 credits)
    2020 Junction Murders (pre-production) - Bobby
    2019 Tabbott's Traveling Carnivale of Terrors (pre-production) - Zeek
    Abruptio (filming) - Sal
    2020 Hanukkah (completed) - Judah Lazarus
    2019 3 from Hell - Captain Spaulding
    2019 High on the Hog - Big Daddy
    2018 Cynthia - Detective Edwards
    2018 Tigtone (TV Series) - Lord Festus
    - Tigtone and the Pilot (2018) ... Lord Festus (voice)
    2018 Suicide for Beginners - Barry
    2017/II Razor - Bartender Sam
    2017 Death House - Icicle Killer
    2016 Don't Do It! (Short) - Robert
    2015 Bone Tomahawk - Buddy
    2014 Twiztid: Sick Man (Video short) - The Overseer
    2013 Zombex - The Commander
    2013 The Penny Dreadful Picture Show - Shopkeeper
    2013 Devil in My Ride - Iggy
    2013 Holliston (TV Series) - Sid Haig
    - Farm Festival (2013) ... Sid Haig
    2013 Hatchet III - Abbott MacMullen
    2012 The Sacred - The Stranger
    2012 The Lords of Salem - Dean Magnus
    2012 The Inflicted - Dr. Gardner
    2011 Mimesis - Alfonso Betz
    2011 Creature - Chopper
    2010 Chadam (TV Series) - Simkin

    2009 Dark Moon Rising - Crazy Louis
    2009 The Haunted World of El Superbeasto (Video) - Captain Spaulding (voice)
    2009 Thirsty (Short) - Radio Evangelist (voice)
    2007 Brotherhood of Blood - Pashek
    2007 Halloween - Chester Chesterfield
    2007 The Haunted Casino - Roy 'The Word' Donahue
    2006 A Dead Calling (Video) - George
    2006 Little Big Top - Seymour
    2006 Night of the Living Dead 3D - Gerald Tovar, Jr.
    2005 House of the Dead 2 (TV Movie) - Professor Curien
    2005 The Devil's Rejects - Captain Spaulding
    2004 Kill Bill: Vol. 2 - Jay
    2003 House of 1000 Corpses - Captain Spaulding
    2001 Rob Zombie: Feel So Numb (Video short) - Pirate

    1997 Jackie Brown - Judge
    1992 Boris and Natasha (TV Movie) - Colonel Gorda
    1990 Genuine Risk - Curly
    1990 The Forbidden Dance - Joa

    1989-1990 Just the Ten of Us (TV Series) - Bob
    - Comedy Tonight (1990) ... Bob
    - St. Augie's Blues: Part 2 (1989) ... Bob
    - St. Augie's Blues: Part 1 (1989) ... Bob
    1989 The People Next Door (TV Series) - The Taskmaster
    - Dream Date (1989) ... The Taskmaster
    1989 Wizards of the Lost Kingdom II - Donar
    1988 Warlords - The Warlord
    1988 Goddess of Love (TV Movie) - Hephaestus
    1988 Werewolf (TV Series) - Bud Topolski
    - King of the Road (1988) ... Bud Topolski
    1987 Sledge Hammer! (TV Series) - General Skull Fracture
    - Hammeroid (1987) ... General Skull Fracture
    1987 Ohara (TV Series) - Turk
    - Take the Money and Run (1987) ... Turk
    1987 Commando Squad - Iggy
    1985-1986 MacGyver (TV Series) - Khalil / Khan
    - To Be a Man (1986) ... Khalil
    - Thief of Budapest (1985) ... Khan
    1985 Amazing Stories (TV Series) - Thug
    - Remote Control Man (1985) ... Thug
    1985 Misfits of Science (TV Series) - Swarthy Man
    - Fumble on the One (1985) ... Swarthy Man
    1985 Hill Street Blues (TV Series) - Heath
    - An Oy for an Oy (1985) ... Heath
    1985 Wildside (TV Series) - Burnett
    - Don't Keep the Home Fires Burning (1985) ... Burnett
    1981-1985 The Fall Guy (TV Series) - Yusef / Arnie / Mr. Fick / ...
    - Reel Trouble (1985) ... Yusef
    - Undersea Odyssey (1984) ... Arnie
    - Bail and Bond (1982) ... Mr. Fick
    - Colt's Angels (1981) ... Biker
    1985 Scarecrow and Mrs. King (TV Series) - Gretz
    - Ship of Spies (1985) ... Gretz
    1983 Automan (TV Series) - 1st Gang Member
    - Automan (1983) ... 1st Gang Member
    1983 The A-Team (TV Series) - Sonny Jenko
    - Black Day at Bad Rock (1983) ... Sonny Jenko
    1978-1983 Fantasy Island (TV Series) - Otto / Harlen / Hakeem
    - The Tallowed Image/Room and Bard (1983) ... Otto
    - My Late Lover/Sanctuary (1981) ... Harlen
    - Homecoming/The Sheikh (1978) ... Hakeem
    1982 Forty Days of Musa Dagh - General Hekemet
    1982 The Aftermath - Cutter
    1982 Bring 'Em Back Alive (TV Series) - Tagan
    - Wilmer Bass and the Serengeti Kid (1982) ... Tagan
    1982 Two Guys from Muck (TV Movie) - Thug
    1982 T.J. Hooker (TV Series) - Gang Leader
    - Hooker's War (1982) ... Gang Leader
    1982 Bret Maverick (TV Series) - The Mighty Sampson
    - The Eight Swords of Dyrus and Other Illusions of Grandeur (1982) ... The Mighty Sampson
    1982 The Dukes of Hazzard (TV Series) - Slocum
    - Miz Tisdale on the Lam (1982) ... Slocum
    1981 Galaxy of Terror - Quuhod
    1981 Chu Chu and the Philly Flash - Vince
    1981 Underground Aces - Faoud
    1980-1981 Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (TV Series) - Pratt / Spirot
    - Time of the Hawk (1981) ... Pratt
    - Flight of the War Witch (1980) ... Spirot
    1981 Quincy M.E. (TV Series) - Hatch
    - Stain of Guilt (1981) ... Hatch
    1980 Hart to Hart (TV Series) - Gunther Maddox
    - Murder, Murder on the Wall (1980) ... Gunther Maddox

    1978-1979 Jason of Star Command (TV Series) - Dragos
    - Battle for Freedom (1979) ... Dragos
    - Mimi's Secret (1979) ... Dragos
    - Little Girl Lost (1979) ... Dragos
    - Phantom Force (1979) ... Dragos
    - Face to Face (1979) ... Dragos
    1979 Death Car on the Freeway (TV Movie) - Maurie
    1978 Tarzan and the Super 7 (TV Series) - Dragos
    1978 Coming Attractions - Lone Stranger
    1978 Evening in Byzantium (TV Mini-Series) - Asted
    - Part II (1978) ... Asted
    - Part I (1978) ... Asted
    1976-1978 Switch (TV Series) - Farmer / Mahmud
    - Photo Finish (1978) ... Farmer
    - Round Up the Usual Suspects (1976) ... Mahmud
    1978 Charlie's Angels (TV Series) - Reza
    - Diamond in the Rough (1978) ... Reza
    1978 Police Woman (TV Series) - - Blind Terror (1978)
    1977/I McNamara's Band (TV Movie) - Zoltan
    1976-1977 Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman (TV Series) - Texas
    - Episode #2.160 (1977) ... Texas (credit only)
    - Episode #2.159 (1977) ... Texas (uncredited)
    - Episode #2.157 (1977) ... Texas (uncredited)
    - Episode #2.156 (1977) ... Texas (uncredited)
    - Episode #2.155 (1977) ... Texas
    1974-1977 Police Story (TV Series) - Reid / Dell
    - Spitfire (1977) ... Reid
    - Cop in the Middle (1974) ... Dell
    1976 Spencer's Pilots (TV Series) - Ron Sears
    - The Sailplane (1976) ... Ron Sears
    1976 Electra Woman and Dyna Girl (TV Series) - The Genie
    - Ali Baba: Part 2 (1976) ... The Genie
    - Ali Baba: Part 1 (1976) ... The Genie
    1976 Monster Squad (TV Series) - Chief Running Nose
    - No Face (1976) ... Chief Running Nose
    1976 Delvecchio (TV Series) - George Borshak / Drug Addict
    - Contract for Harry (1976) ... George Borshak
    - The Avenger (1976) ... Drug Addict (uncredited)
    1976 Wonderbug (TV Series) - Fur Smuggler
    - Keep on Schleppin (1976) ... Fur Smuggler
    1976 Swashbuckler - Bald Pirate
    1976 The Return of the World's Greatest Detective (TV Movie) - Vince Cooley
    1975 Run, Joe, Run (TV Series) - Tolbert
    - The Htchhiker (1975) ... Tolbert
    1975 Who Is the Black Dahlia? (TV Movie) - Tattoo Artist
    1975 Emergency! (TV Series) - Spike
    - Smoke Eater (1975) ... Spike
    1974 The Rockford Files (TV Series) - B.J.
    - Caledonia - It's Worth a Fortune! (1974) ... B.J.
    1974 Get Christie Love! (TV Series) - Nick Varga
    - Pawn Ticket for Murder (1974) ... Nick Varga
    1974 The Six Million Dollar Man (TV Series) - 3rd Passenger
    - Nuclear Alert (1974) ... 3rd Passenger
    1974 Savage Sisters - Malavasi
    1974 Foxy Brown - Hays
    1974 Busting - Rizzo's Bouncer
    1974 Shaft (TV Series) - Higget's Bodyguard
    - The Murder Machine (1974) ... Higget's Bodyguard (uncredited)
    1973 The Don Is Dead - The Arab
    1973 Beyond Atlantis - East Eddie
    1973 Coffy - Omar
    1973 Emperor of the North - Grease Tail
    1973 Wonder Women - Gregorious
    1973 The No Mercy Man - Pill Box
    1973 Black Mama White Mama - Ruben
    1972 The Woman Hunt - Silas
    1972 McMillan & Wife (TV Series) - Traylor
    - Terror Times Two (1972) ... Traylor (uncredited)
    1972 The Big Bird Cage - Django
    1972 Beware! The Blob - Zed (uncredited)
    1972 O'Hara, U.S. Treasury (TV Series) - Ward
    - Operation: XW-1 (1972) ... Ward
    1971 Diamonds Are Forever - Slumber Inc. Attendant
    1971 The Partners (TV Series) - Charlie
    - New Faces (1971) ... Charlie
    1971 Alias Smith and Jones (TV Series) - Griffin / Merkle / Outlaw
    - The Day They Hanged Kid Curry (1971) ... Griffin
    - Return to Devil's Hole (1971) ... Merkle
    - Alias Smith and Jones (1971) ... Outlaw
    1971 The Big Doll House - Harry
    1971 Hitched (TV Movie) - Comstock
    1971 THX 1138 - NCH
    1970 Mannix (TV Series) - Harry Kellaway
    - Deja Vu (1970) ... Harry Kellaway
    1966-1970 Mission: Impossible (TV Series) - Musha / Agent #1 / Goujon / ...
    - Decoy (1970) ... Agent #1
    - The Choice (1970) ... Goujon
    - Commandante (1969) ... Major Carlos Martillo
    - Doomsday (1969) ... Marko
    - The Diplomat (1968) ... Grigor
    1970 C.C. & Company - Crow
    1970 Here Come the Brides (TV Series) - Peter Savage
    - Break the Bank of Tacoma (1970) ... Peter Savage

    1967-1970 Get Smart (TV Series) - Guard / Bruce / Turk
    - Moonlighting Becomes You (1970) ... Guard
    - Shock It to Me (1969) ... Bruce
    - That Old Gang of Mine (1967) ... Turk
    1966-1969 Gunsmoke (TV Series) - Eli Crawford / Buffalo Hunter / Cawkins / ...
    - MacGraw (1969) ... Eli Crawford
    - A Man Called 'Smith' (1969) ... Buffalo Hunter
    - Time of the Jackals (1969) ... Cawkins
    - Stage Stop (1966) ... Wade Hansen
    1969 Che! - Antonio
    1969 Pit Stop - Hawk Sidney
    1969 Here's Lucy (TV Series) - Kurt
    - Lucy and the Great Airport Chase (1969) ... Kurt
    1968 The Flying Nun (TV Series) - Señor Quesada
    - The Return of Father Lundigan (1968) ... Señor Quesada
    1968 The Hell with Heroes - Crespin
    1968 Death Valley Days (TV Series) - Thief / Farber
    - The Indiana Girl (1968) ... Thief
    - The Saga of Sadie Orchard (1968) ... Farber
    1968 Daniel Boone (TV Series) - Typhoon
    - The Scrimshaw Ivory Chart (1968) ... Typhoon
    1967 Spider Baby or, the Maddest Story Ever Told - Ralph
    1967 The Danny Thomas Hour (TV Series) - Hood
    - The Royal Follies of 1933 (1967) ... Hood
    1966-1967 Iron Horse (TV Series) - Rias / Vega
    - The Return of Hode Avery (1967) ... Rias
    - Town Full of Fear (1966) ... Vega
    1967 The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (TV Series) - Alex / Vito
    - The Prince of Darkness Affair: Part I (1967) ... Alex
    - The When in Roma Affair (1967) ... Vito
    1967 Point Blank - 1st Penthouse Lobby Guard
    1967 It's a Bikini World - Daddy
    1967 Star Trek (TV Series) - First Lawgiver
    - The Return of the Archons (1967) ... First Lawgiver
    1966 Laredo (TV Series) - Brunning
    - The Last of the Caesars: Absolutely (1966) ... Brunning
    1966 Batman (TV Series) - Royal Apothecary
    - Tut's Case Is Shut (1966) ... Royal Apothecary
    - The Spell of Tut (1966) ... Royal Apothecary
    1966 Blood Bath - Abdul the Arab
    1965 Beach Ball - Drummer for Righteous Brothers (uncredited)
    1965 The Lucy Show (TV Series) - The Mummy
    - Lucy and the Monsters (1965) ... The Mummy
    1962 The Firebrand - Diego
    1962 The Untouchables (TV Series) - Augie the Hood
    - The Case Against Eliot Ness (1962) ... Augie the Hood
    1960 The Host (Short) - The Fugitive

    Producer (3 credits)
    2020 Hanukkah (associate producer) (completed)
    2019 High on the Hog (producer)
    2009 Dark Moon Rising (co-producer)

    Second Unit Director or Assistant Director (2 credits)
    1988 Warlords (second unit director)
    1972 The Big Bird Cage (second unit director)

    Soundtrack (1 credit)
    2009 Dark Moon Rising (performer: "Trouble (Is Back in Town)")
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    1964: Goldfinger films pre-titles action at night.

    1973: 007 死ぬのは奴らだ (Shinu no wa yatsurada; It's Those Who Die) released in Japan.
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    Book cover.
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    1982: Variety announces Roger Moore will return as James Bond. (A week earlier they reported James Brolin and Michael Billington as contenders.)
    1985: Phoebe Waller-Bridge is born--Ealing, London, England.
    1989: Licence to Kill released in the UK. Ireland. US.
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    1989: The Washington Post prints Desson Howe's review of Licence to Kill.
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    ‘License to Kill’ (PG-13)
    By Desson Howe | Washington Post Staff Writer | July 14, 1989

    Remember James Bond movies -- those airy escapes to exotic lands, where devilish Sean Connery sported human hair and saved the Western world from diabolical megalomaniacs while frolicking with girls, girls, girls?

    Remember Playboy magazine?

    "Licence to Kill," 007's latest Never-Say-ERA-Again voyage, heads nostalgically for Club Bond and other points Bunny, equipped with the requisite state-of-the-art gadgetry -- and scenery. Playboy subscribers and other flashlight owners will be glad to know the girls (cottontail rivals Carey Lowell and Talisa Soto) trip over each other's bikini strings to get to Bond, and opening-sequence meister Maurice Binder still favors smoking guns and lissome gals.

    Take the early "Jaws" assault that sets second-time Bond Timothy Dalton in vengeful motion: Drug henchmen throw his CIA buddy David Hedison into the shark pool, but instead of offing the guy, the "Bond" crew (including producer-for-life Albert R. Broccoli and regular cohorts, director John Glen and co-writers Michael G. Wilson and Richard Maibaum) makes him survive. Later, the double amputee, whose new bride was recently blown away, cheerily suggests a fishing trip with Bond. What's a dead wife and a coupla flesh wounds between agent-pals?

    But this cruise is also a gruesome one. You may find yourself shaken -- not stirred -- by the screenwriting cruelty and cynicism behind the 16th "Bond."

    Then there's the diabolical drug czar, the facially ravaged Robert ("Die Hard") Davi, who cuts out the heart of his girlfriend Soto's lover. ("It's my fault," says the less-than-Thespian Soto later. "I did something wrong that made him angry.") Or how about the unfortunate fellow who finds out just how those automatic, slice-and-dice cocaine processors really work?

    With its license-to-crib mix of drug running, Uzi blowouts and 18-wheeler jockeying, all taking place between Key West and Isthmus City, "Licence" might appeal to those of you currently bored with your "Rambo," "Miami Vice" and "Raiders of the Lost Ark" videotapes. There's also a checkoff list for Bond fans -- some "Dr. No" underwater action, casino games, aerial stunts (the most spectacular towing job you'll ever see), the requisite martini-preparation instruction and of course cameos from the alphabet people -- Robert Brown's "M" and Desmond Llewelyn's "Q."

    But don't be surprised if, at the end of this trip, you feel just a little queasy.
    1989: The Washington Post prints Hal Hinson's review of Licence to Kill.
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    ‘License to Kill’ (PG-13)
    By Hal Hinson | Washington Post Staff Writer | July 14, 1989

    It's time to find a new Bond. This one is tuckered out, spent, his signature tuxedo in sore need of pressing.

    For "Licence to Kill," the 16th installment in the Cubby Broccoli-produced series, the filmmakers and their star, Timothy Dalton, have entered into a sort of grim collusion, building the film to the actor's stern specifications. As a result, Dalton plays a straight-faced, humorless, no-nonsense Bond -- all guns and no play -- and it makes for a very dull time.

    The blame falls as much to the creators' conception of their hero as to the actor playing him. It's not that Dalton, who's making his second appearance in the role, isn't actor enough for the job. It's that Bond himself now seems prosaic, earthbound, in serious need of a superhero transfusion. In making the picture, Cubby and company -- which includes director John Glen, who is making his fifth Bond movie, writer Richard Maibaum, who has contributed to 13 of the 007 films, and Michael G. Wilson, who has co-written five -- were achingly aware of just how fierce the superhero business has become and, in reaction, have attempted to create a Bond to stand tall beside caped crusaders and fedoraed archaeologists.

    Trying to bring a new relevance to the series, the producers have given their hero's adventures a more realistic context, one sprung from newspaper headlines and real-world tensions. In Bond-movie terms, this means creating a bad guy who, instead of trying to break into Fort Knox, is working to corner the market in cocaine. This time out Bond's enemy is a Noriega-like drug lord headquartered in the made-up Central American capital of Isthmus City, and with the lizard-skinned Robert Davi in the role, they've matched the Panamanian heavy-hitter acne scar for acne scar. A veteran heavy, Davi supplies the movie with a sort of strip joint sleaziness. Early in the film, he finds his sumptuous companion (Talisa Soto) in bed with another man, a transgression that earns her a vicious beating with a sawed-off bullwhip, plus a very special kind of valentine.

    A kinder, gentler Bond film? No way.

    Actually, what Broccoli and his team have created with "Licence to Kill" is a clunkier, squarer, far less stylish episode of "Miami Vice." As the product plugs flash on the screen, the filmmakers spin your average revenge scenario: Bond's best friends are messed with -- one critically, one fatally -- and Bond gets even. This time it's personal -- so personal, in fact, that Bond goes rogue and, refusing to follow orders, has his commission suspended and his license to kill revoked. But Glen and his writers have given only lip service to creating real emotional resonance in Bond's adventures. (It's a mistake, I think, even to try.) What they actually mean by realistic is more action, and to keep up with the summer demand for end-to-end thrills, the filmmakers rely more heavily than ever on explosions and brawls and less on characterization. As usual, there are large-scale stunts and grandiose sets, but aside from the extended duel between humongous gasoline tankers on a narrow mountain road, the daredevil routines are all workmanlike and unspectacular and the sets cheesy.

    Also, although there's grace and agility in Dalton's physical work, in repose he nearly ceases to exist. That Dalton hasn't emerged as a Bond to be reckoned with, a star to juice the character's EKG back onto the scale, is a shocking disappointment. With his deep-clefted, cruelly handsome features, Dalton held out the promise of a return to Connery form, to a time in Bond's movie life when both danger and wit were part of his secret agent accessory kit. But playing Bond doesn't seem to spark anything special in Dalton. Even though this is only his second shot at the role, there's nothing new to discover in him. Dalton plays the part as if it were an unpleasant chore -- he doesn't seem to be having any fun -- and there's an air of condescension in his performance, as if somehow his classical training made the character beneath him. He acts as if he's slumming.

    Dalton actually gets the dangerous part, it's the essential wit that's missing. (He seems to think the two are in opposition.) If the previous Bonds were champagne, this Bond is beer -- and flat beer at that. Gone are the sophisticated hedonism and the sexy pedantry about wines and guns and caviar. Watching Sean Connery in the role, and even, on occasion, Roger Moore, men could fantasize about being Bond and leading the life he led, even when the movies themselves weren't very good. But Dalton turns Agent 007 into a brooding blue-collar grunt. Who would want to jump into this Bond's shoes?

    With the injection of more and uglier violence, the filmmakers seem eager to put Bond in competition with other monosyllabic action movie heroes. They know where the real money is, and that it has nothing to do with their hero's ability to distinguish between Cristal '79 and Cordon Rouge. They want a Bond closer in spirit to Rambo, a killing machine to put the big summer numbers on the board. They want a lug, and Dalton gives them pretty much what they want.

    Connery used to make a joke out of having to sleep with beautiful women -- he was, after all, sacrificing himself for the crown. When this Bond sleeps with a woman, he seems to take no pleasure in it. In contrast to the safety-first sexual attitude in "The Living Daylights," 007 here is given a couple of frisky bedmates. Soto -- who has cracked up preview audiences with her line readings -- is the exotic, bad Bond girl, and Carey Lowell is his American beauty sidekick. Both are genuine knockouts -- actresses, no -- but Dalton doesn't seem to find any greater thrill in these erotic encounters than he does in Bond's other chores. It's all heavy lifting to him.

    Not all the film's problems can be blamed on Dalton; his presence merely brings them into focus. Perhaps the one original wrinkle is written into the role of a televangelist (Wayne Newton) who, speaking in code, acts as the on-air middleman in the deals being negotiated by the drug lords and their costumers. Squishing with unctuous sincerity and God-bless-you sentiments, Newton steals the show. He's perfect, and the role may immortalize him -- as what, I'm not exactly sure. But what does it say about a movie when Wayne Newton is the only performer with true star presence?
    "Licence to Kill" is rated PG-13 and contains mild violence and implied sex.
    1989: The South Florida Sun-Sentinel prints Candice Russell's review "Despite Extremely Slow Start, 'Licence' Pays Off."
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    DESPITE EXTREMELY SLOW START,
    'LICENCE' PAYS OFF
    See the complete article here:
    CANDICE RUSSELL, Film Writer | SUN-SENTINEL

    The first 45 minutes of the new James Bond film Licence to Kill are imponderably bad. Unfortunately for the Florida film industry, those scenes were shot in and around Key West.

    Bond fans with a memory for spectacular film beginnings are bound to be let down by this one. Although Agent 007 finds himself airborne and waterlogged in the pursuit of an international drug smuggler, reruns of Flipper have more excitement and suspense. Happily then, the film switches gears.

    The action moves from a phony Florida marine laboratory and the interior of a yacht to an unnamed Latin American country. The cocaine kingpin Franz Sanchez (Robert Davi) owns the biggest bank, the capital casino, even the country's wimp of a president. A sense of larger-than-life weirdness and wonder kicks in. Bond is back in the right groove.

    This is Timothy Dalton's second go-round in the legendary role. Although slighter in build than predecessors Roger Moore and Sean Connery, he acquits himself well. Blame screenwriters Michael G. Wilson and Richard Maibaum, rather than Dalton, for the dramatic lassitude at the start. They also deserve the discredit of not having given Bond more droll commentary on the madness around him.

    Exoticism and spirit are qualities that the film eventually finds as Bond tracks Sanchez on home turf. He has the help of two young lovelies, Sanchez's reluctant girlfriend Lupe (Talisa Soto) and Pam (Carey Lowell), a former U.S. Army pilot with the grit of Oliver North and the curves of Miss Universe. This time, Bond isn't acting on behalf of the British government. Instead, his Dirty Harry-ish quest is personal.

    The eventual befriending of Bond by Sanchez, played with sinister cool by Davi, is the film's most devilish component. Sanchez's Moorish fantasy of a mansion on a beautiful cityside bay is the stuff of dreams. Befitting the stature of other classic villains from the pen of novelist Ian Fleming, Sanchez's disposition of enemies is appropriately nightmarish.

    With the past four Bond films to his credit, including the more consistent and superior The Living Daylights, director John Glen should be getting the hang of it. Yet, he should have his license revoked until he can account for the casting of David Hedison, who is terrible as CIA agent Felix Leiter.

    On the other hand, Glen did put Wayne Newton, who oozes insincerity in real life, in the role of Professor Joe Butcher. He's a TV huckster, begging for donations to support a meditation retreat in the mountains, which actually is a cover for Sanchez's operation.

    It takes too long for the beloved "Q" (Desmond Llewelyn) to appear with his briefcase of lethal gadgets, but when he does, the film picks up. "Q" is a delightful character who comes to the rescue more than once. His presence also provides a sense of continuity and tradition with past Bond films.

    Licence to Kill gets better as it unfolds for more than two hours. It just takes an insufferably long while to find the right pace.
    LICENCE TO KILL
    Agent 007 battles the head of an international drug cartel.
    Credits: With Timothy Dalton, Carey Lowell, Robert Davi. Directed by John Glen. Written by Michael G. Wilson and Richard Maibaum.
    Rated PG13: Violence, coarse language, sexual implication.
    1989: The Chicago Tribune prints Dave Kehr's review "Licence to Kill--First-Rate Action With Fresh Touch."
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    `LICENCE TO KILL` FIRST-RATE
    ACTION WITH FRESH TOUCH
    Dave Kehr | CHICAGO TRIBUNE | July 14, 1989

    There are no friends like old friends, and James Bond, back for the 16th time in an Albert R. Broccoli production, proves to be every bit as reliable as ever. As directed by John Glen, ''Licence to Kill'' (the producers have retained the British spelling of ''license'') proves to be action entertainment of the first order-thrilling, impeccably paced and executed with high precision.

    The trick to making a Bond film lies in striking just the right balance of familiarity and innovation. There are rituals that must be observed, from the spectacular pre-credit stunt to the invocation of ''Bond . . . James Bond,'' and much of the pleasure in the later entries in the series is one of simple repetition. After 27 years, even the words ''shaken, not stirred'' (as Bond inevitably orders his martinis) take on a mythic resonance.

    ''Licence to Kill'' is properly respectful of tradition, beginning with an eye-popping stunt in which Bond lassoes a flying helicopter and proceeding through such comforting chestnuts as Q`s presentation of his latest gadgetry

    (Desmond Llewelyn remains the only member of the original cast still on the job) and the destruction of the villain`s huge secret lair, still decorated with the stainless steel panels that production designer Ken Adam installed in the `60s.

    But director Glen has also taken advantage of Bond`s new interpreter, Timothy Dalton, to introduce a fresh emotional angle. Very little trace of the cartoonishness of the Roger Moore years remains (and what does largely falls flat); this is an altogether darker, more brooding Bond, whose appearance so close to Michael Keaton`s revisionist ''Batman'' suggests that pop adventure films are now entering a ''noir'' phase, similar to the darkening of the western in the 1950s.

    There is even a bit of ''Batman`s'' mirroring of hero and villain, though it`s played out more efficiently and much less pretentiously. Bond`s opponent this time is South American drug lord Franz Sanchez (played by Robert Davi, an actor who physically resembles Dalton), and while he displays the sadistic tendencies proper to every Bond villain, Glen and his screenwriters (Michael G. Wilson and Richard Maibaum) have also given him a redeeming gloss of honor and practical intelligence. He could be the first credible, psychologically complex heavy in the history of the series.

    When Sanchez cripples Bond`s old CIA pal Felix Leiter (David Hedison) and murders Leiter`s wife, Bond resigns from the service to pursue what his boss M (Robert Brown) calls his ''personal vendetta.'' Stripped of his ''licence to kill,'' Bond himself becomes an outlaw. He`ll use ''Sanchez`s way'' to bring him down.

    Dalton revives the cool, ironic detachment of the Connery years, but he also allows a touch of obsession to show through Bond`s surface aplomb. Though he`s hardly the raving neurotic of Keaton`s ''Batman,'' this Bond does have a loose screw or two, and the deepening of the character adds immeasurably to impact of the action scenes, as superbly filmed as they are. Unlike the Indiana Jones films, something more or less real is at stake--one might even go so far as to call it a moral point. Can Bond destroy the villain without destroying himself?

    If 'Licence to Kill'' has one of Bond`s best heavies, it also has one of his best heroines in Carey Lowell, a strapping brunet who plays an ex-Army pilot reluctantly enrolled on Bond`s side. Lowell`s line readings may be only adequate, but she moves with the grace and vigor an action movie needs. It would be too much to call her a feminist figure (Bond has not matured to that point), but in her no-nonsense, one-of-the-boys attitude, she`s at least a welcome revival of the proto-feminist heroine Howard Hawks celebrated in such classics as ''To Have and Have Not'' and ''Rio Bravo'' (the influence even comes with a pedigree-producer Broccoli worked for years as Hawks` assistant). ''Licence to Kill' may find Bond losing his sense of professionalism, but the creative members of the team have retained and reinforced their own. It may not be filmmaking on its most inspired level, but the amount of planning and know-how that has gone into the creation of the climactic action scene-a mountainside chase involving four oil tankers, a couple of jeeps, a golf cart and an airplane-inspires its own kind of respect. The sequence has logic, rhythmic variation and a dazzling clarity of line-and under such circumstances, one can do very well without genius.
    ''LICENCE TO KILL''
    *** 1/2
    Directed by John Glen; written by Michael G. Wilson and Richard Maibaum; photographed by Alec Mills; production designed by Peter Lamont; edited by John Grover; music by Michael Kamen; produced by Albert R. Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson. An MGM/UA release; opens July 14 at the Burnham Plaza, Water Tower, Webster Place and outlying theaters. Running time: 2:15. MPAA rating: PG-13. Violence, adult situations, mild vulgarity.
    THE CAST
    James Bond.........................................Timothy Dalton
    Pam Bouvier..........................................Carey Lowell
    Franz Sanchez.........................................Robert Davi
    Lupe Lamora...........................................Talisa Soto
    Milton Krest........................................Anthony Zerbe
    1989: Roger Ebert reviews Licence to Kill in the Chicago Sun-Times.
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    Licence to Kill
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    | Roger Ebert | July 14, 1989 | 9

    The James Bond movies have by now taken on the discipline of a sonnet or a kabuki drama: Every film follows the same story outline so rigidly that we can predict almost to the minute such obligatory developments as
    1. the introduction of the villain's specialized hit man;
    2. the long shot that establishes the villain's incredibly luxurious secret hideout;
    3. the villain's fatal invitation to Bond to spend the night;
    4. the moment when the villain's mistress falls for Bond;
    5. the series of explosions destroying the secret fortress, and
    6. the final spectacular stunt sequence.
    Connoisseurs evaluate the elements in a Bond picture as if they were movements in a symphony, or courses in a meal. There are few surprises, and the changes are evolutionary, so that the latest Bond picture is recognizable as a successor to the first, "Dr. No," in 1962. Within this framework of tradition, "Licence to Kill" nevertheless manages to spring some interesting surprises. One is that the Bond character, as played now for the second time by Timothy Dalton, has become less of a British icon and more of an international action hero. The second is that the tempo has been picked up, possibly in response to the escalating pace of the Rambo and Indiana Jones movies. The third is that the villain has fairly modest aims, for a change; he doesn't want to rule the world, he only wants to be a cocaine billionaire.

    I've grown uneasy lately about the fashion of portraying drug smugglers in glamorous lifestyles; they're viewed with some of the same glamor as gangsters were, in films of the 1930s. Sure, they die in the end, but they have a lot of fun in the meantime. In "Licence to Kill," however, the use of a drug kingpin named Sanchez (Robert Davi) and his henchmen (Anthony Zerbe, Frank McRae) is apparently part of an attempt to update the whole series and make it feel more contemporary.

    There are still, of course, the obligatory scenes. The film begins with a sensationally unbelievable stunt sequence (Bond and friend lasso a plane, then parachute to a wedding ceremony). But then the action switches to the recognizable modern world in and around Key West, Fla., where the British agent finds himself involved in an operation to capture Sanchez and cut his pipeline of cocaine.

    Like all Bond villains, Sanchez has unlimited resources and a beautiful mistress. His operation uses an underwater shark-nabbing company as its cover, and keeps a few sharks on hand so they can dine on federal agents. After Bond's friend, Felix Leiter, is mistreated by the bad guys, 007 begins a savage vendetta against Sanchez, which involves elaborate and violent stunt sequences in the air, on land, and underwater.

    He is aided in his campaign by the beautiful Pam Bouvier (Carey Lowell, introduced as "Miss Kennedy, my executive secretary"), and saved more than once by Sanchez' beautiful mistress, Lupe Lamora (Talisa Soto). Both women are as beautiful as the historical Bond standard, but more modern - more competent, intelligent and capable, and not simply sex objects. This is no doubt part of the plan, announced before Dalton's first Bond picture, to de-emphasize the character's promiscuous sex life. Compared to his previous films, 007 is practically chaste this time.

    My favorite moments in all the Bond pictures involve The Fallacy of the Talking Killer, in which the villain has Bond clearly in his power, and then, instead of killing him instantly, makes the mistake of talking just long enough for Bond to make a plan. The fallacy saves Bond's life two or three times in this movie - especially once when all that Davi has to do is slice his neck.

    "Licence to Kill" ends, as all the Bond films do, with an extended chase and stunt sequence. This one involves some truly amazing stunt work, as three giant gasoline trucks speed down a twisting mountain road, while a helicopter and a light aircraft also join in the chase. There were moments when I was straining to spot the trickery, as a big semi-rig spun along tilted to one side, to miss a missile aimed by the bad guys. But the stunts all look convincing, and the effect of the closing sequence is exhilarating.
    On the basis of this second performance as Bond, Dalton can have the role as long as he enjoys it. He makes an effective Bond - lacking Sean Connery's grace and humor, and Roger Moore's suave self-mockery, but with a lean tension and a toughness that is possibly more contemporary. The major difference between Dalton and the earlier Bonds is that he seems to prefer action to sex. But then so do movie audiences, these days. "Licence to Kill" is one of the best of the recent Bonds.
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    1992: Putnam & Sons publishes John Gardner's Bond novel Death Is Forever in the US.
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  • RichardTheBruceRichardTheBruce I'm motivated by my Duty.
    Posts: 13,779
    2017: ChiDunnit in Canada publishes the paperback version of Licence Expired: The Unauthorized James Bond, editors David Nickle and Madeline Ashby. (Originally published 23 November 2015.)
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    2022: The Smithsonian presents an evening lecture/seminar 60 Years of Bond, James Bond.
    Available on Zoom for a fee.
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    Smithsonian Event
    60 Years of Bond, James Bond
    Evening Lecture/Seminar
    Thursday, July 14, 2022 - 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. ET
    Code: 1K0273
    Select Your Tickets
    $30 - Member
    $35 - Non-Member
    Powered by Zoom

    Materials for this program

    James Bond Handout
    https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/attachments/254483/1/pdf/60-Years-of-Bond-James-Bond-Handout
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    Sean Connery on location in Amsterdam shooting Diamonds Are Forever
    (Dutch National Archives/License: CC BY-SA 3.0 NL)
    In 1953, former World War II British naval intelligence officer Ian Fleming published his first novel centered on charismatic espionage agent James Bond. Under the employ of MI6, England’s Secret Intelligence Service, Agent 007 was literally given a license to, well, do whatever it took to reign in sinister forces posing a challenge to Her Majesty’s government and the planet at large.

    Bond favored gadgetry, martinis (shaken, not stirred), and short-term flings with beautiful female associates and adversaries. The dashing agent’s 1950s literary adventures included Casino Royale, Live and Let Die, Diamonds Are Forever, Goldfinger, and From Russia, with Love. It was only a matter of time before Hollywood recruited Bond, James Bond.

    Bond received his first screen assignment Dr. No in 1962—the year of the Cuban Missile Crisis—and a relatively obscure Scottish actor named Sean Connery soared to international stardom. Even SPECTRE could not stop the 007 franchise (before the term entered the movie industry lexicon) from encircling the globe, despite Agent “Double-0 Seven” morphing into George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, and Daniel Craig.

    Join film historian Max Alvarez for a multimedia presentation—unredacted and for your eyes only!—where the mission is to crack the code behind the high-tech glamour and globetrotting excitement of the 007 film cycle. Alvarez shares selections from popular Bond adventures as well as archival and behind-the-scenes production material, including visual breakdowns of legendary 007 stunts and astonishing production design achievements. The occasion calls for a toast with a very British, Bond-inspired martini (recipe below).
    James Bond's Vesper Martini with Recipe
    Cocktail historian Philip Greene, author of The Manhattan: The Story of the First Modern Cocktail, recreates the drink that Bond instructs a bartender to make in Ian Fleming’s Casino Royale. The cocktail is named for the fictional double agent Vesper Lynd, and though Bond originally called for Gordon’s Gin, Greene favors Tanqueray, since “Gordon’s nowadays is not what it used to be and Tanqueray is about what Gordon’s was in 1953.” Libations change. Bond and his Martini are eternal.

    Recipe
    • 2 1/4 oz Tanqueray
    • 3/4 oz Absolut Vodka
    • 1/3 oz Lillet Blanc
    Shake well with ice, strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with lemon peel.
    Patron Information
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    This online program is presented on Zoom.

    2023: A Night of James Bond 007 by Janine Johnson at The Maude, Kidsgrove, Staffordshire, England.
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    Fri 14th July 2023 7:00pm
    A Night Of Bond With Janine Johnson 007
    at The Maude, Leek
    View Tickets
    £22.00
    Supplied by WeGotTickets

    Join us for a night of JAMES BOND 007 with the talented Janine Johnson!
    Dress code: 007
    The show which has been played to audiences in London at The Boisdale, PizzaExpress Live and in Nottingham at Peggy’s Skylight, is now coming to The Maude in Leek!

    Get ready to be transported to the glamorous world of James Bond with Janine Johnson's 'Night with James Bond' live at The Maude in Leek, Staffordshire. Janine is a talented and dynamic singer with a voice that will leave you captivated from the very first note. Accompanied by a band of exceptional musicians, Janine will bring to life the iconic Bond theme songs like never before. From "Diamonds Are Forever" to "Live and Let Die," each song will be performed with Janine's own unique twist that is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat. Don't miss out on this incredible night of music and entertainment - book your tickets now and get ready to experience the magic of James Bond with Janine Johnson at The Maude!
    About Janine Johnson:
    As well as being a rising solo artist on the Jazz/Soul music scene, Janine is a lead vocalist with the Westcoast Soulstars, the Cool Million Family and Urban Voices Collective and she works regularly in the music industry as a session singer. Her collaborations include: Ian Shaw, Paloma Faith, Bobby McFerrin, Take That, George Michael, Ray Davies, The Who, Kaiser Chiefs, Sarah Jane Morris, David Arnold and the list continues.
    Featuring
    Janine Johnson appearing at this event
    “Janine can SING……go see her” David Arnold (Film Composer, James Bond)
    “With a voice of smooth velvet and a body to die for, Janine Johnson embodies SOUL” Sarah Jane Morris (The Communards)
    '... Johnson steals the show in the Disney sequence with powerful renditions of "Circle of Life" and "Let it Go" www.broadwayworld.com
    "Janine has a unique ability to captivate and draw the audience in through her amazing voice and persona on stage, weaving a little story throughout her performance and drawing us into her inner sanctuary - which is a special & soulful place to be!" Paul Newman (Smooth FM, Capital Radio, Solar Radio)
    As well as being a rising solo artist on the Jazz/Soul music scene, Janine's collaborations include: Ian Shaw, Paloma Faith, Bobby McFerrin, Cool Million, Take That, George Michael, Ray Davies, The Who, Kaiser Chiefs, Sarah Jane Morris, David Arnold and the list continues. In 2019 she toured the UK as the lead in the show "Aretha Respect" and also as one of 2 lead vocalists on " Remembering The Movies" with Aljaz and Janette of "Strictly Come Dancing". As a strong, dynamic and flexible vocalist she thrives in these high energy shows that require flexibility and focus. Janine is adventurous and passionate about life in general and that depth of connection to life only strengthens her as a singer/actor. Bilingual in Spanish, she was living and working in Spain for 12 years before returning to London to further her music/acting career. She trained in Musical Theatre at Guildford School of Acting and has played a number of roles in Theatre and TV. As a singer/songwriter she has one Album; Strength, Wisdom and Growth, and an EP called Passion with planned releases for 2021/22.

    The Maude
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    2023: Bastille Day, La Fête nationale in France.
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  • RichardTheBruceRichardTheBruce I'm motivated by my Duty.
    Posts: 13,779
    July 15th

    1932: Nina van Pallandt is born--Copenhagen, Denmark.

    1963: From Russia With Love films the final scene on location in Venice.
    1967: The You Only Live Twice soundtrack debuts in the US eventually topping at #27.
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    1975: Bond comic The Black Ruby Caper finishes its run in The Daily Express.
    (Started 19 February 1975. 2781–2897) Yaroslav Horak, artist. Jim Lawrence, writer.
    http://spyguysandgals.com/sgLookupComicStrip.aspx?id=1014
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    https://www.mi6-hq.com/sections/comics/tbrc.php3
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    https://www.popoptiq.com/double-oh-comics-009-black-ruby-caper/
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    Swedish Semic Press 1976
    https://www.mi6-hq.com/sections/comics/semic_1976.php3?s=comics&id=01835
    Kodnamn: Svart Storm
    ("Codename: Black Storm" -
    The Black Ruby Caper)
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    Tamil Star comics https://www.comicsroyale.com/foreign-reprints#/star-comics/
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    Danish 1977 http://www.bond-o-rama.dk/en/jb007-dk-no41-1977/
    James Bond Agent 007 no. 41: “The Black Ruby Caper” (1977)
    "Kodenavn: Sorte Storm"
    [Codename: Black Storm]
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    1983: Comic strip Polestar ends its run in The Daily Express, mid-way through the story. (Began 23 May 1983. 625-719) Complete versions eventually published in non-UK media. John McLusky, artist. Jim Lawrence, writer.

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    Swedish Semic Comic 1984
    https://www.mi6-hq.com/sections/comics/semic_1982.php3?s=comics&id=02218
    Projekt Polstjärnan
    (Project Polestar -
    The Paradise Plot [Part 2])
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    1986: The National Broadcasting Company exercises the sixty-day option on Pierce Brosnan's contract to add another season to its (previously cancelled) television show Remington Steele.
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    1989: The Orlando Sentinel prints critic Jay Bahar's review of Licence to Kill--"New Bond Has the Old Touch 'Licence' Reminiscent of Cool, Cool Connery."
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    NEW BOND HAS THE OLD TOUCH
    'LICENCE' REMINISCENT OF COOL,
    CRUEL CONNERY
    See the complete article here:
    Jay Boyar, Sentinel Movie Critic | THE ORLANDO SENTINEL | July 15, 1989

    At the Hemingway House in Key West, agent 007 has his famous "license to kill" revoked for insubordination.

    Our hero wants to track down a vicious drug dealer who has fed the legs of one of Bond's friends to a shark. But British intelligence has other plans. When 007 refuses to go along with them, his license is pulled and he's told to surrender his gun.

    "I guess it's a 'farewell to arms,' " quips Bond - an offhand reference to the house and its history. A moment later, 007 is gone, Walther PPK still in hand, drug lord still on the brain.

    All of this happens early in Licence to Kill, the 16th entry (or 18th, if you count the anomalous Never Say Never Again and Casino Royale) in the popular action series that began 27 years ago. This time, Bond is pretty much on his own: a vigilante with a vendetta in the Florida Keys and, eventually, in the fictional Latin American town of Isthmus City.

    In Licence (British spelling) to Kill, the producers continue to move away from the cartoonish tone that the series had acquired during the years Roger Moore was the star. For The Living Daylights (1987), they recast the role of Bond with Timothy Dalton, whose effective interpretation of the character as a cool (even cruel) customer was closer to that of Sean Connery, the original 007. In that episode, the producers also began to play down the Indiana Jonesy high jinks.

    The new film goes a bit further, putting the sting back into the violence and - Bond's Hemingway quip notwithstanding - de-emphasizing the comedy. Like The Living Daylights, Licence to Kill definitely has its moments. But also like The Living Daylights, the new, two-hour-plus picture goes on too long and is encumbered by a needlessly complicated plot.

    Dalton continues to show us a Bond who is ruthlessly efficient. Most of the actor's scenes have a dangerous edge to them, and he handles the action sequences with much more conviction than Roger Moore ever could.

    As the drug lord called Sanchez, Robert Davi is an adversary worthy of Bond: Like 007, Sanchez is a professional who sometimes puts loyalty ahead of business. Also making favorable impressions are Desmond Llewelyn (as the wily gadgeteer Q) and Wayne Newton (as an oily TV fundraiser, the role he was born to play).

    There are two "Bond girls" in Licence to Kill: former model Carey Lowell as a tough-gal pilot and former Miss Galaxy Talisa Soto as a reluctant Sanchez love slave. These spectacularly beautiful women have more to do than some of their predecessors did, and their roles are rather more interesting than usual.

    Sadly, though, neither Lowell nor Soto is especially familiar with the craft of acting. If Bond girls are going to be called upon to function as something more than ornaments, the producers might consider hiring real actresses. (Just a thought.) Licence to Kill was produced by Albert "Cubby" Broccoli (the grand old man of the series) and Michael G. Wilson (who has worked on these films in various capacities since 1972). Wilson, who was listed as a writer on the last four Bond pictures, co-wrote the Licence to Kill screenplay with Richard Maibaum, who has collaborated on 12 previous Bond films.

    The director is John Glen, who also directed For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy, A View to a Kill and The Living Daylights. Glen is still a good (if conventional) action man: Whenever Bond is called upon to jump on something, swim to somewhere or fight with somebody, Glen keeps the action brisk and clear. And Glen does elicit decent performances from those members of the cast who are lucky enough to be able to act.

    But if the series is ever going to return to its Connery-era glory, it definitely needs some new writers, ones who know how to streamline a story and keep the dialogue tight. Too bad the writer who gave his name to the Hemingway House is no longer available. He'd be perfect.

    Fla. flaw: Now that producers are making more movies in Florida, these guys really ought to wake up and realize that down here we don't put tags (i.e., license plates) on the fronts of our cars, just on the backs. The first time I noticed a Florida tag on a car's front was in last year's Running on Empty, and it just keeps happening. In Licence to Kill, James Bond's car has a Florida tag on the front.

    Bond's license to kill is revoked in the movie. He's lucky he didn't have his license to drive lifted too.

    1993: Hodder & Stoughton publish John Gardner's Bond novel Never Send Flowers, misspelling a main character's name on the dustjacket.
    NEVER SEND
    FLOWERS


    When Laura March, an officer
    of the British Security Service,
    is murdered in Switzerland,
    James Bond is sent to liaise with
    the local authorities. He teams
    up with the local authorities. He teams
    up with the lovely and lively
    Flicka von Grősse, a member
    of Swiss Intelligence, and
    together they discover some
    curious information about
    Laura's past.

    In turn, they become conscious
    of a link between the March
    murder and four recent,
    high-profile assassinations,
    in Rome, London, Paris and
    Washington. They also discover
    a further connection between
    the assassinations and the
    internationally famous actor,
    David Dragonpol, who has
    retired early from a spectacular
    career and now lives in a castle
    on the Rhine, in which every
    room becomes a bizarre step
    into the past.

    But the past is dangerous, to
    Dragonpol, Bond and Flicka,
    and it leads them to a deadly
    game of hide and seek, following
    a sinister shadow across the
    world, from Athens to Milan,
    to Singapore, the United States
    and back to Europe for a
    denouement in the most
    unlikely setting of EuroDisney
    outside Paris.
    JOHN GARDNER was educated
    in Berkshire and at St John'ss
    College, Cambridge. He has had
    many fascinating occupations
    and was, variously, a Royal
    Marine officer, a stage magician,
    theater critic, reviewer and
    journalist.

    As well as his James Bond novels,
    most recently The Man from
    Barbarossa
    and Death is Forever,
    Gardner's other fiction includes
    the acclaimed Herbie Kruger
    trilogy and, more recently, The
    Secret Generations
    , The Secret
    Houses
    and The Secret Families.
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    2002: Vogue reports on a new Bond Girl brand of perfume and cosmetics.
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    COSMETIC BOND-ING
    By Vogue | 15 July 2002 | Conde Nast

    AS WELL as sweet-talking his way into the affections of some of the world's most beautiful women, James Bond will now provide the rest of the female population with a Bond Girl brand of perfume and cosmetics. Work on the range, which is to be fronted by such past Bond stars as the original Bond Girl,** Ursula Andress**, and ** Sophie Marceau ** from The World Is Not Enough, has been going on in secret for months. It will be launched during a massive marketing campaign linked to the release of the forthcoming 007 film, Die Another Day. "There will be a number of products around the Bond Girl brand," Keith Snelgrove, senior vice-president of global business strategy at Danjaz (sic), the American arm of Eon, the company that makes the Bond films, told the Sunday Express. "The Bond girls have really changed over the years, they're very different now from the Bond girls of 40 years ago. They are strong female characters in their own right and we believe a Bond Girl cosmetics range will have widespread appeal." (July 15 2002)
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    2010: Activision releases the trailer for Blood Stone.
    James Bond 007 Blood Stone | launch trailer (2010)
    2019: Esquire reports the return of Christoph Waltz as Blofeld(!) in BOND 25.
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    Christoph Waltz will return in Bond 25 as Blofeld
    Because you can't keep a good baddie down
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    James Bond, Daniel craig, Bond 25, Christoph Waltz
    15 July 2019 | Esquire Editors

    Christoph Waltz will join the cast of Bond 25, reprising his role as the villainous Ernst Stavro Blofeld, according to Variety.

    The iconic criminal mastermind has been played by actors including Donald Pleasence and Max von Sydow over the years, but Waltz took over the role with 2015’s Spectre.

    Bond 25—an official title for the film has yet to be released—is currently filming at the UK’s Pinewood Studios. Rumors circulated earlier this year that the film’s working title was Shatterhand. Dr. Guntram Shatterhand is one of Blofeld’s aliases, so it seemed likely that Waltz would be returning to the series.

    However, in March Bond producer Barbara Broccoli suggested that the film would have a different title, casting doubts on Waltz’s role in the production. Now we know that Waltz is definitely in, but there haven’t been any updates surrounding the name of the much-anticipated release.

    Oscar-winning Bohemian Rhapsody star Rami Malek is also slated to join Bond 25 as a villain, but whether that means that Waltz's Blofeld will be stepping back from Big Bad status is unclear.

    The film's release has been delayed until April of next year, thanks in part to production troubles. Director Danny Boyle left the project last August, and was replaced by True Detective's Cary Fukunaga.

    In May, Craig was injured on set and production had to be delayed while the star recovered from ankle surgery. And just last month, reports emerged that in separate incidents an on-set explosion injured a crew member, iconic former Bond girl Grace Jones quit the film within moments of arriving on set, and a man had been arrested for placing a camera in the women's bathrooms at Pinewood Studios.

    2020: An Instagram post shows James Bond ready for action in No Time To Die.
    2023: The James Bond Concert Spectacular by Q The Music Show at Nidd Hall, North Yorkshire, England.
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    The James Bond Concert Spectacular by Q The Music
    Show
    World renowned music sensation Q The Music – James Bond Concert Spectacular
    The spectacular Q The Music was launched in 2004 by the incredibly talented Warren Ringham. Warren created the first band anywhere in the world to provide a tribute to the music of James Bond. The unique band featuring a glamorous Bond girl (Kerry Schultz) to boot, have been making waves throughout the music scene for the last 15 years bringing together musicians who are not only at the top of their game instrumentally but also understand the importance of putting on a phenomenal must-see show. Q The Music has amassed a huge of amount success since their launch in the noughties and have performed all over the world. The band have appeared on several TV Shows, won a host of national entertainment awards accolades, they have even been endorsed by Bond himself, the late and great Sir Roger Moore.
    The James Bond Concert Spectacular by Q The Music Show
    Nidd Hall, North Yorkshire
    21 October 2023
    from £319.00 per person
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    2023: Watermark 7th Anniversary Party at Watermark Brewing Company, Stevensville, Missouri.
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    Watermark 7th Anniversary Party
    Watermark Brewing Company
    5781 Saint Joseph Avenue
    Stevensville, MI, 49127 United States

    Saturday, July 15th
    Doors at 11 am
    $20 Admission
    21+ Years Permitted
    Keep the Glass
    Man with the Golden Ale beer release
    (crispy delicious Kolsch that we brewed for the party)
    Strawberry Fields Slushie
    Red Carpet
    Hourly Raffle Prizes
    N64 Goldeneye Gameplay
    • • •
    11 am - 1 pm • ]Spectre Bloody Mary Bar
    Noon • Evelyn Mae’s BBQ
    Noon • 3 pm - Mo & Co
    Noon • Live Print T-Shirts by Hillhouse
    2 pm • MI6 Beverage HQ;
    (ranch water, cold brew, espresso martinis, rum deals, Bear Fuel)
    3 pm - 6 pm • Pablo’s Great Revenge
    7 pm - 10 pm • Uprizin
    7:30 pm • Grand Prize Drawing
    • • •
    7 pm • Fort Knox After Party in Solarium;
    8 pm • 11:30 pm - MK Band in Solarium
    8 pm • Emma’s Hearth & Market
    10 pm • James Bond Theme Costume Contest
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  • Posts: 1,708
    (July 15 , 1973 : first day filming TX Chainsaw , 40-45C weather.....one day they filmed 26 hrs straight)
  • RichardTheBruceRichardTheBruce I'm motivated by my Duty.
    Posts: 13,779
    July 16th

    1963: Ian Fleming responds to Norman Felton's letter of 8 July, in part on the Solo project.
    July 16, 1963

    My near Norman,

    Very many thanks for your letter and it was
    very pleasant to see you over here although briefly
    and so frustratingly for you.

    Your Pacific islands sound very enticing, it would
    certainly be nice to see some sun as ever since you
    charming Americans started your long range weather
    forecasting we have had nothing but rain. You might
    ask them to lay off.

    With best regards and I do hope Solo gets off the
    pad in due course.

    Yours ever,

    Ian
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    1979: Maclean's prints Lawrence O'Toole's review of Moonraker--"007 at Zero Gravity."
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    007 at zero gravity
    MOONRAKER Directed by Lewis Gilbert
    July 16 1979 | Lawrence O’Toole
    The only reason to be disappointed in Moonraker is not having stock in United Artists. Number 11 in the 007 series, its predecessors seen already by more than a billion people, it’s the most expensive yet and,during its last half hour, the most inspired and poetic.

    The James Bond movies have always been a happy regression: you feel like a kid while you’re watching them—and you don’t want them to finish. Of all the summer movies (compare it to the gross and inept Meatballs for size), Moonraker is the most satisfying entertainment around. The Bonds are textbooks on how to make movies; they’re as reassuring as watching the sun rise.

    By now the formula has become an impregnable fortress against failureluxe sets and settings, fantastic schemes and plots, wildly energetic comic-strip violence (killing is never very real), truly gorgeous specimens of the female persuasion, witty dialogue and that smiling sybarite himself, James Bond. This time out Bond (Roger Moore, who has picked up Sean Connery’s sly old grace) is up against one of the world’s richest men, an eloquent fascist named Drax (Michael Lonsdale).

    In the tradition of Bond villains, he wants to take over the world with a plan (not to give anything away) that requires setting up a city in outer space. Sexy women pull guns, fast ones and their clothes off and Bond leaves them all dozing like lambs. As always, there’s a special girl, this time Lois Chiles’ Holly Goodhead (yes, that’s the name)—a CIA agent posing as a NASA scientist. “Where did you learn to fight like that?” he asks her after she has rearranged someone’s jaw with her fists. “NASA?” “No,” she answers, “Vassar.” And, as always, the sex is swift and silky, with a few entendres thrown in for good measure: “If it’s ’69, you were expecting me,” he says to her, referring to a bottle of champagne. The Bond films are as sexist as telling someone she looks terrific, and the women, brainy and beautiful, always enjoy his favors. Both genders seem to be having a ball.

    Those who turn up their snouts at the Bond series might consider the Wildean wit of Christopher Wood’s screenplay: “Look after Mr. Bond—see that some harm comes to him,” says Drax; later, “At least I shall have the pleasure of putting you out of my misery.”

    For those who’ve looked up at the screen in awe before, Moonraker nearly stall-feeds the senses. Besides the wickedly clever gadgetry, there are: (1) a free-fall fight in the air after Bond falls, without a parachute, from an airplane; (2) a jumbo jet blown up in midair; (3) a chase through the canals of Venice; (4) the world’s most expensive glass, Venini, totally demolished, in a scene that’s the last word on the bull in the china shop; (5) a fight atop a sabotaged trolley car above Rio; (6) another boat chase, this time up the Amazon; (7) an underwater battle with a giant snake; and (8) the final confrontation in space.

    The series is pure plot. It keeps you thinking, fascinated: how will he get out of this one? How will he escape Jaws (the giant with the steel teeth played playfully by Richard Kiel) this time? The classy locations—Venice, Rio during carnival, the Amazon—are enough to knock you out.

    But the classiest location of all is outer space. With John Barry’s brass and woodwind score, the ride there is breathtaking and Moonraker turns into a ballet in the skies. The effects are dazzling—tiny yellow and white figures blasting lasers at each other, the explosion of the space city, Bond and Holly making love at zero-gravity; make-believe has seldom been so magical. And all the while, you know that Bond’s safe and, in a way, that you are too. Moonraker is an example of why some people love movies instead of liking them.

    Lawrence O’Toole

    1987: 鐵金剛大戰 特務飛龍 (Tiě jīngāng dàzhàn tèwù fēilóng; Iron King Wars Agent Flying Dragon)
    Hong Kong release.
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    1989: Tulsa World prints Dennis King's review of Licence to Kill.
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    `Licence to Kill'
    Dennis King | Jul 16, 1989

    Film: "Licence to Kill"
    Stars: Timothy Dalton, Robert Davi and Carey Lowell
    Theaters: Park Lane, Eastland, Woodland Hills and Cinema
    8 (Broken Arrow, Sand Springs)
    Rating: PG-13 (language, violence, sexual innuendo)
    Quality:3 stars (on a scale of zero to five stars)
    Bond ... James Bond has lost his licence to kill. But he
    hasn't lost his cool air of menace and sophistication. He
    hasn't lost his bag of deadly gimmicks and his flare for
    derring-do. And he hasn't lost his way with the ladies.

    In "Licence to Kill," the 16th adventure in the stalwart
    series, everything we expect of a Bond movie is comfortably
    in place. All the familiar rituals are properly observed.
    And from the time-honored pre-credit stunt (in which Bond
    lassos a swooping helicopter) to that first suave introduction,
    "Bond ... James Bond," we know that all the glamour, gadgets,
    girls and action that we've come to expect from author Ian
    Fleming's Secret Agent 007 will be delivered in this latest
    installment.

    Much of the pleasure in the Bond films lies in the simple
    repetition of those comforting chestnuts - Bond flirting
    with Moneypenny; Bond reviewing Q's latest in deadly, high-tech
    gadgetry; Bond seducing the latest in a long-running series
    of sexy "Bond girls"; Bond infiltrating and eventually
    destroying the villain's secret lair.

    It's all here. The elaborate stunts are executed with dizzying
    daring. The villain (Robert Davi) is as cooly evil and dauntingly
    cunning as any Bond has ever faced. The Bond women (Carey
    Lowell and Talisa Soto) are the best to come along in years
    (Lowell, despite delivering a few wooden lines, even manages
    to bring a touch of strength and independence to her role
    - something unheard of in past Bond babes).

    But there's something more, something that separates this
    from the progressively bland outings of the Roger Moore
    Bond. It's Timothy Dalton. He's surely the best Bond since
    Sean Connery.

    In this film, Dalton seems more at ease and self-assured
    than he did in his first Bond role, last summer's "The
    Living Daylights
    ." With is chiseled features and aristocratic
    bearing, Dalton embodies that same cool, ironic detachment,
    that suave undercurrent of menace that made Connery's reading
    of the character so memorable. That's welcome after so many
    years of Moore's effete cartoonishness.

    This film's generally trite but serviceable plot has Bond
    acting as best man at the Florida wedding of longtime CIA
    ally Felix Leiter. But before the honeymoon can begin, Leiter
    and his lovely bride are brutally murdered on the orders
    of Franz Sanchez (Davi), a vengeful Colombian drug lord.

    Because of Bond's personal attachment to the victims, his
    superiors revoke his "licence to kill" (the filmmakers
    use the British spelling of licence) and order him off the
    case. (An interesting side note: this film was originally
    titled "Licence Revoked," but it was changed because the
    filmmakers reportedly felt most Americans wouldn't know
    what "revoked" meant.)

    Anyway, Bond sets out on his own to infiltrate Sanchez's
    South American stronghold and take revenge for his friend's
    murder.

    That's pretty much the whole plotline. The rest of the action
    covers familiar territory. It's the razzle-dazzle special
    effects, the great stunts and the often inspired bits of
    visual wit that make the run-of-the-mill story seem fresh.
    Among the film's odd surprises is a bizarre appearance by
    Las Vegas lounge singer Wayne Newton as a bombastic, sex-crazed
    evangelist. It's a strangely close-to-home performance reminiscent
    of Richard Dawson's turn as a smarmy game show host in "Running
    Man."

    "Licence to Kill" was deftly directed by John Glen (working
    on his fifth Bond film), and his sureness with the form
    shows itself in the eye-popping climactic action scene -
    a wild mountain chase involving oil tankers, jeeps, a golf
    cart and an airplane - that has to go down as one of the
    best Bond chases ever.

    In losing his licence to kill, Bond has regained some of
    the punch that was missing from his last few films. "Licence
    to Kill
    " puts Bond back in top form.

    2010: Activision press release announces James Bond 007: Blood Stone.
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    Award winning artist Joss Stone goes
    undercover in Activision's James Bond
    007: Blood Stone (DS version by n-Space)
    16 July, 2010 by rawmeatcowboy

    Santa Monica, CA – July 16, 2010 – Award winning artist Joss Stone is set to debut as the newest Bond girl in Activision Publishing, Inc.’s (Nasdaq: ATVI) James Bond 007: Blood Stone, an original Bond experience from legendary screenwriter Bruce Feirstein. In addition to stepping into a leading role, Grammy and BRIT Award winner Joss Stone will create original music for the game, luring players into an explosive third-person action adventure where they will unravel an international conspiracy across exotic locales. Players will experience full-throttle, behind-the-wheel action on land and sea while using the most high tech gadgetry known to James Bond 007, the world’s most skilled secret agent.
    James Bond 007: Blood Stone captures the cinematic intensity of a Bond film by immersing players in an intriguing conspiracy that will require them to think and act like James Bond,” said David Pokress, Head of Marketing for Licensed Properties, Activision Publishing. “In addition, the game will feature a diverse array of multi-player modes and debut strategic objective-based gameplay that will allow Xbox 360, PS3™ and PC players to battle as teams of spies and mercenaries through authentic Bond locales.”
    James Bond 007: Blood Stone features the likeness and voice talent of Daniel Craig, Joss Stone and Judi Dench and features an epic, original story developed by legendary screenwriter Bruce Feirstein. Players can engage in cover-based firefights, lethal hand-to-hand combat and speed their way through explosive adrenaline-fueled driving sequences as they embark on a global chase leading to action on land and sea through Athens, Istanbul, Monaco and Bangkok. Gamers can also feel what it is like to be a 00 agent, as they take the battle online in several robust 16-person multi-player modes that require skill, teamwork and strategy as players compete in matches that will have spies battling mercenaries.

    Joss Stone provides an original musical track to the game titled, “I’ll Take it All” written and performed by her and Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics. The song will be featured exclusively in James Bond 007: Blood Stone.

    The James Bond 007: Blood Stone video game is being developed by critically acclaimed developer Bizarre Creations for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, and Windows PC under license from EON Productions Ltd and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM). Additionally, an original Nintendo DS™ game is being developed from the ground up by n-Space. For more information about the game, visit www.007.com.

    "I'll Take It All" performed by Jess Stone and Dave Stewart and The Eurythmics


    Blood Stone. 20:29 worth


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    2013: Science Daily says the CIA mined 007 for ideas.
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    A close Bond: How the CIA exploited 007 for gadget ideas
    and public relations
    Date: July 16, 2013
    Source: University of Warwick
    Summary:
    The real-life CIA copied outlandish gadgets from Goldfinger and From Russia With Love, according to an analysis of declassified letters and interviews revealing the bond between Ian Fleming and Allen Dulles.

    FULL STORY
    The real-life CIA copied outlandish gadgets from Goldfinger and From Russia With Love, according to a University of Warwick analysis of declassified letters and interviews revealing the bond between Ian Fleming and Allen Dulles.

    However the relationship between the former CIA director and the spy thriller writer went far deeper than raiding the novels for technological inspiration.

    Through Dulles, the agency actively leaned on the British author to paint it in more positive light at a time when US film-makers, authors and journalists were silent about the activities of the CIA, fearful to even mention it by name.

    Dr Christopher Moran from the University of Warwick has trawled through declassified letters and media reports from the 1950 and 60s for the study, Ian Fleming and the Public Profile of the CIA, published in the Journal of Cold War Studies.

    He said: "There was a surprising two-way influence between the CIA and the James Bond novels during the Cold War, stemming from the mutual admiration between Allen Dulles and Ian Fleming.

    "This ranged from the copying of devices, such as the poison-tipped dagger shoe in From Russia With Love, to the agency using the 007 novels to improve its public profile.

    "It's even more striking that this was going on at time when mentioning the CIA was strictly off-limits for the US media and cultural establishment, whereas Fleming, as a British author, could say what he liked.

    "For a long time, the James Bond books had a monopoly on the CIA's public image and the agency used this to its advantage."

    Declassified letters between Allen Dulles and Ian Fleming reveal the former CIA boss's strong affection for the Bond novels -- he even persuaded the author not to pension off 007 in 1963.

    And in a rediscovered 1964 edition of Life Magazine, Dulles describes his meeting with the 'brilliant and witty' Fleming in London in 1959 where the author told him that the CIA was not doing enough in the area of 'special devices'.

    On his return to the US, Dulles urged CIA technical staff to replicate as many of Bond's devices as they could.

    The article details how the CIA successfully copied Rosa Klebb's infamous spring-loaded poison knife shoe from the film From Russia with Love.

    But it had less luck with the homing beacon device used in Goldfinger to track the villain's car -- the CIA version had 'too many bugs in it', Dulles said, and stopped working when the enemy entered a crowded city.

    The letters between Dulles and Fleming also show how the CIA tapped into James Bond for public relations support, with the author agreeing to include a number of glowing references to the CIA in his later novels. He did this out of respect for Dulles, a close friend, but the effect was to promote the image of the CIA. In return, Dulles rhapsodised about Fleming in the American press, even saying on one occasion that his organisation "could do with a few James Bonds."

    Dr Moran said: "The early 007 novels, written in the 1950s, introduce millions of readers to the CIA for the first time through the character of its agent Felix Leiter.

    "Although Fleming's portrayal of the CIA is largely favourable, readers are left in no doubt that the British intelligence services are the superior outfit.

    "In Live and Let Die, for example, Leiter comes across as a bit of a bungler, unable to blend in with the locals and forced to rely on paid informants.

    "But in the later books, as the friendship between Dulles and Fleming deepens, a far rosier picture of the CIA emerges.

    "For example, in Thunderball, Bond's boss 'M' dispenses with his characteristic economy of words to speak enthusiastically about the way the CIA is selflessly putting itself in the service of freedom.

    "And Allen Dulles is even the subject of several honourable mentions in the later books.

    "It really does come across as a bit of a mutual appreciation society."

    Story Source:
    Materials provided by University of Warwick. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

    Journal Reference:
    Christopher Moran. Ian Fleming and the Public Profile of the CIA. Journal of Cold War Studies, 2013; 15 (1): 119 DOI: 10.1162/JCWS_a_00310

    Cite This Page:
    University of Warwick. "A close Bond: How the CIA exploited 007 for gadget ideas and public relations." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 16 July 2013. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/07/130716075931.htm>.
    2019: Q the Music offers a live medley from Piz Gloria--appropriately featuring music from On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Live rebroadcast for a limited time.
    OHMSS Medley Trailer
    Q The Music Show - James Bond Concert Spectacular
    https://www.facebook.com/QTheMusicShow/videos/2368439073411730/
    July 15, 2019 ·

    Coming Tuesday 16 July 2000 London Time:
    FULL 20 minute medley from On Her Majesty's Secret Service performed LIVE at Piz Gloria.
    The video re-run will be broadcast "live" at 2000 and then taken down shortly afterwards - don't miss it!
    https://www.facebook.com/QTheMusicShow/videos/ohmss-medley-trailer

    Video will be shown here:
    http://thelondonshowband.acemlna.com/lt.php

    Features:
    • This Never Happened To The Other Fella
    • Try
    • Ski Chase
    • Over And Out
    • Battle At Piz Gloria
    • Blofeld's Plot
    • Gumbold's Safe

    OHMSS50 - On Her Majesty's Secret Service 50th Anniversary Concert Piz Gloria Fan Event.


    2020: The Malay Mail reports on author William Boyd's proposal for fictional James Bond's real world flat in London.
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    Licence to chill: UK author tracks down
    James Bond’s home
    Thursday, 16 Jul 2020 08:41 PM MYT
    Ian_Fleming_bond_131119.jpg
    A file picture of Ian Fleming, a British journalist, secret service agent and writer. — AFP pic
    LONDON, July 16 — British author William Boyd believes he has discovered the London home of James Bond, after researching the character’s creator Ian Fleming and his famous books for clues.
    Fleming wrote a total of 14 Bond books, two of them short story collections, in the 1950s and ‘60s but never revealed exactly where the secret agent lived, other than noting it was in the Chelsea neighbourhood.

    But after re-reading all 14 before penning his own Bond continuation novel Solo in 2013, Boyd said he suspects the spy lives at number 25, Wellington Square, in Chelsea.

    “That’s where James Bond’s flat was,” the writer said in an essay published today in the Times Literary Supplement, detailing how he settled on the address.
    “Obviously, James Bond is a fictional character and didn’t actually live anywhere,” he added.

    “However, it is strange how in the case of some fictional characters a kind of reality begins to take over their lives, as if they really did live and breathe, had an actual address and a mortgage.”

    Boyd deployed sleuthing skills worthy of Bond himself to hunt down his home.

    He began his mission with Fleming’s 1955 novel Moonraker, which describes it as “a comfortable flat in a plane-tree’d square off the King’s Road” — a famous street in Chelsea.

    He used those details and some crucial coordinates in Thunderball (1961) — that the flat was a quick drive up the road to Hyde Park — to narrow the choice down to Wellington Square.

    Boyd then examined Fleming’s social circle when he lived in London.

    The spy who lived here
    The Bond creator did much of his writing on the Caribbean island of Jamaica, where he had a house built after World War II.

    But he drew on his prior experiences in British Naval Intelligence for some of his novels’ raw materials and was also a foreign editor at the Sunday Times before leaving the UK.

    Boyd discovered that a colleague at the newspaper, chief book reviewer Desmond MacCarthy, and his wife owned the flat at number 25, Wellington Square.

    The couple were “legendary entertainers and their home became a kind of salon”, according to Boyd, who noted they were also acquainted with one of Fleming’s close friends.

    “The circumstantial evidence is compelling. It is highly probable that Fleming went to one or more of the MacCarthys’ parties in Wellington Square,” he added.

    Concluding his case, Boyd found the flat matched Fleming’s description of Bond’s home in From Russia, with Love (1957) as having “a long big-windowed sitting room”.

    The spy’s sitting room is also described as “book-lined” — which Boyd interprets as a nod to MacCarthy, who was a member of the Bloomsbury Group of 20th-century intellectuals.

    In a final coincidental quirk, Boyd discovered Wellington Square is a stone’s throw from Bywater Street, where another famous fictional spy lived: John le Carre’s George Smiley. — AFP
    https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-spy-who-lived-here-author-finds-james-bonds-bolt-hole-v7ct5r2kh
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    2023: Modern Martinis - Find Your Inner James Bond at The Union Club Hotel at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana.
    https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.evbuc.com%2Fimages%2F547042899%2F863924109753%2F1%2Foriginal.20230702-153751?w=940&auto=format%2Ccompress&q=75&sharp=10&rect=0%2C231%2C1600%2C800&s=9949d19779f0b83a777006b2f953525d
    1024px-Eventbrite_Logo.svg.png
    Modern Martinis: Find Your
    Inner James Bond
    Join us at the Union Club Hotel for a class about the modern martini led by one of our talented bartenders!
    By Boiler Up Bar

    When and where
    Date and time

    Starts on Sunday, July 16 · 5pm EDT
    Location
    The Union Club Hotel at Purdue University, Autograph Collection 201 South Grant Street West Lafayette, IN 47906
    Refund Policy
    Contact the organizer to request a refund.
    Eventbrite's fee is nonrefundable.
    About this event
    1 hour
    Mobile eTicket

    Learn about the history of the martini and the course of modernization it has taken throughout the years!
    General Admission
    1
    $25.00


  • RichardTheBruceRichardTheBruce I'm motivated by my Duty.
    Posts: 13,779
    July 17th

    1922: Tetsurô Tamba is born--Tokyo, Japan.
    (He dies 24 September 2006 at age 84--Tokyo, Japan.)
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    Tetsuro Tamba
    Japanese actor whose life was a journey from kitsch to cult
    https://www.theguardian.com/news/2006/dec/06/guardianobituaries.japan
    Ronald Bergan | Wed 6 Dec 2006 04.17 EST

    The Japanese actor Tetsuro Tamba, who has died aged 84, was a recognisable face to that large group of film fans from the west who are followers of Asian genre movies. He was seen in every conceivable kind of film - disaster, gangster, samurai, war and horror, as well as a number of art films.
    In an acting career that began in 1954, Tamba made more than 200 films; he admitted that he never refused a role, never memorised a script - and never sat through an entire film that he appeared in. One of his most well-known roles internationally was in Lewis Gilbert's You Only Live Twice (1967), the fifth blockbusting James Bond movie starring Sean Connery. Tamba played Tiger Tanaka, head of the Japanese secret service, who helps Bond save the world from destruction. The character is the mirror of Bond-san: he has a witty and sarcastic sense of humour, dresses smartly, is in perfect physical condition and has a taste for beautiful women. When Bond makes contact with him, he uses the password, "I love you."

    One of the best exchanges between them is when they are being bathed by Tanaka's women. Tanaka: "You know what it is about you that fascinates them, don't you? It's the hair on your chest. All Japanese men have beautiful bare skin." Bond: "Japanese proverb say 'Bird never make nest in bare tree.'"
    Gilbert also directed Tamba in The Seventh Dawn (1964). In the Malaya of 1945, he and William Holden are two pals who fought the Japanese together during the war but are now on opposing sides - Holden, an imperialist rubber plantation owner, and Tamba a communist guerilla. In another English-language film, Tamba played an ideological baddie in Bridge to the Sun (1961), as a militaristic diplomat at odds with a friend who married an American girl (Carroll Baker) before Pearl Harbor.

    He was born Shozaburo Tanba (he is sometimes credited as Tetsuro Tanba) in Tokyo, the son of the emperor's personal doctor. After some years under contract to Shintoho studios, he went freelance in 1959 and began starring in films, mostly yakusa, jidai-geki (period) movies and gore spectacles. For example, he was the unheeded professor who predicts The Last Days of Planet Earth (1974). But he also worked with some of Japan's best directors, including Shohei Imamura - Pigs and Battleships (1961), 11'09.01-September 11 (2002), Masaki Kobayashi (Harakiri, 1962), Kwaidan (1964), Kinji Fukasaku (Under the Flag of the Rising Sun, 1972) and Juzo Itami (A Taxing Woman Returns, 1988).

    Towards the end of his life, Tamba made a few films for Takashi Miike: The Happiness of the Katakuris (2001), and Gozu, 2003, in the former as a stern grandfather. He also had a cameo role as a harsh art critic in Teruo Ishii's Blind Beast vs Killer Dwarf (2001). In the 1980s, while appearing in around seven films a year, Tamba became leader of Dai Reien Kai (Great Spirit World), a spiritual cult movement, for which he made several propaganda videos based upon his theories of the afterlife. He is survived by his son, the actor Yoshitaka Tanba.

    · Tetsuro Tamba (Shozaburo Tanba), actor, born July 17 1922; died September 25 2006
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    Tetsuro Tamba
    https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/tetsuro-tamba/credits/176543/
    Actor (24 Credits)

    The Twilight Samurai (Movie) Tozaemon Iguchi 2003
    11'09"01: September 11 (Movie) Bonze 2002
    The Happiness Of The Katakuris (Movie) Jinpei Katakuri 2001
    Tokyo Pop (Movie) Dota 1988
    Onimasa (Movie) The Big Boss 1982
    The Bushido Blade (Movie) Lord Yamato 1982

    Hunter In The Dark (Movie) Okitsugu Tanuma 1979
    Message From Space (Movie) Noguchi 1978
    Karate Bearfighter (Movie) 1977
    Tidal Wave (Movie) Prime Minister Yamato 1975
    Prophecies Of Nostradamus (Movie) 1974
    Under The Fluttering Military Flag (Movie) 1972
    The Five Man Army (Movie) Samurai 1970
    The Scandalous Adventures Of Buraikan (Movie) Soshun 1970

    Goyokin (Movie) Rokugo Tatewaki 1969
    Black Lizard (Movie) Show Dancer 1968
    Portrait Of Chieko (Movie) Kotaro Takamura 1967
    You Only Live Twice (Movie) Tiger Tanaka 1967
    Kwaidan (Movie) 1964
    Samurai From Nowhere (Movie) Gunjuro Ohba 1964
    The Seventh Dawn (Movie) Ng 1964
    Harakiri (Movie) Hikokuro Omodaka 1962
    The Diplomat's Mansion (Movie) 1961
    Bridge To The Sun (Movie) Jiro 1961
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    Kaiju Shakedown: Tetsuro Tamba
    By Grady Hendrix on October 6, 2014

    Eight years ago last month Tetsuro Tamba went to the After Life World, leaving behind a cloud of contradictions that linger in the air long after his departure, like a zesty aftershave made of man-sweat and punches to the jaw. Simultaneously the best actor in Japan and the worst, a man of refined taste and of no taste at all, a rich kid whose career was either shotgunned from the hip with no planning whatsoever or a carefully wrought piece of performance art, one thing is for certain: Tetsuro Tamba is probably the only man to direct a movie that ends with a dead poodle turning to the screen and saying “Sayonara.”

    Appearing in either 268, or 301, or 350 movies, depending on who you ask, Tamba was born rich, descended from Japanese aristocracy, and he lived his life according to the rule he laid out for Sean Connery when he appeared opposite him as Tiger Tanaka in You Only Live Twice (67), “Rule number one—never do anything for yourself when someone else can do it for you.”

    The Five Man Army
    For Tamba, that meant: never watch your own movies, never turn down a role, and never memorize a line. Whether he was on the stage in Takashi Miike’s Demon Pond or a scientist trying to save the world in The Last Days of Planet Earth (74), Tamba gave his super-serious performances from inside a vortex of notecards and script pages taped up all over the set. Watch him move around his office in The Last Days of Planet Earth delivering a speech about the coming apocalypse and you’ll see him reading his first few lines from a file folder he’s holding, looking inside a desk drawer for the next few, and delivering the clincher from off the back of a lampshade.

    That didn’t mean he was a bad actor, but he wasn’t exactly a good actor either. Tamba transcended acting and simply existed, generating a force field made of machismo that fermented into gravitas with age. Whether he was the President of the Earth Federation in Kinji Fukasaku’s Message From Space (78), or a po-faced grandpa killing a bird with a thrown log in Happiness of the Katakuris (01), Tamba was the Troy McClure of Japanese cinema, a man as stiff and reassuring as Charlton Heston, and as rugged and out-of-date as John Wayne.

    Happiness of the Katakuris
    His father was physician to the Meiji Emperor, and Tamba himself was a pampered aristocrat who lied his way into a job as a translator for Occupation forces after WW II, making up for his total lack of English by taking GIs to all the best whorehouses. In 1951 he won a “New Face” competition at Shintoho studios, and his movie career began. Shintoho had been launched in a burst of optimism four years previously, a splinter group of artists who left Toho over a labor dispute, who cared deeply about cinema, and who vowed to build a brighter future.

    Full of potential, Shintoho attracted directors from Ozu to Kurosawa but the one thing it couldn’t attract were audiences. By 1956, it had been taken over by Mitsugu Okura, a circus ringmaster turned theater owner, and he unleashed a tidal wave of sex, horror, and mutilation under its logo. Before Okura, Shintoho released Mizoguchi’s classic Life of Oharu (52); under Okura, it released Nude Actress Murder Case: Five Criminals (57). See what he did there? Tamba clashed with the studio constantly, believing that he came from just as good a family as they did, and therefore they were his equals, not his bosses. Three years after Okura took over, Tamba squirmed out of his contract and went rogue. He took part in high-class pictures like Kobayashi’s Harakiri (62) but his most important role came when he conned his way onto British film, The 7th Dawn (64), again using his nonexistent English. (According to legend he just answered “yes” to every question at the audition). 7th Dawn was directed by Lewis Gilbert, whose next movie, Alfie (66), won a special jury prize at Cannes. Next up for Tamba was Gilbert’s You Only Live Twice.

    You Only Live Twice
    Set in Japan, Gilbert turned immediately to the one Japanese actor he knew for the role of Tiger Tanaka: Tetsuro Tamba. Putting his machismo into overdrive, Tiger Tanaka’s office is only accessible via a chrome laundry chute, he has a school of ninjas, a bikini beauty bathing squad who wash him, and he gets to admire Sean Connery’s chest hair and utter such immortal lines as, “In Japan, men come first, women come second.”

    With a Bond film in his back pocket, Tamba had a license to appear in any movie he wanted and the movie he picked was…all of them. He appeared in Italian spaghetti westerns (Five Man Army, 69), he appeared in the Shaw Brothers' wuxia (The Water Margin, 77), big-budget disaster flicks (Sinking of Japan, 73), Teruo Ishii softcore samurai pictures (Bohachi Bushido, 73), science fiction films (Message from Space, 78), and Buddhist biopics alongside Tatsuya Nakadai (The Human Revolution, 73). He had his own late night talk show, Tamba Club, he was in the movies, he was on TV, he was everywhere, reading his lines off cue cards and tightening his jaw on cue.

    The Water Margin
    He was also in the afterlife.

    In the Seventies, Tamba got interested in the possibility of life after death, and decided to do research, which meant reading a bunch of books. This led him to become leader of the Dai Reikai (Great Spirit World) movement, a new age, afterlife-focused group that appeared in Japan in the Eighties promising to scientifically investigate the afterlife, which apparently involves flying around on a trumpet. Tamba wrote dozens of books on the Great Spirit World, worked on opening a Great Spirit World theme park, gave lectures about spirituality, and made three feature films on the subject, the most infamous of which, Tetsuro Tamba’s Great Spirit World—What Happens After Death (89) features a dead dog who gives the aforementioned “Sayonara” sign-off at the end of the film.

    But an interest in life after death didn’t stop Tamba from appearing in plenty of other movies, including Hong Kong’s Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky (91) and Takashi Miike’s Happiness of the Katakuris (01), Deadly Outlaw: Rekka (02), and Gozu (03). In 2006, he passed away at the age of 84, and by all accounts his death was a quiet affair, which seems tremendously out of character. Terrible, amazing, awesome, and awful, Tetsuro Tamba was the very definition of a cinematic icon. Hell, he even gets his own hip-hop track. If that doesn’t guarantee immortality, I don’t know what will.

    Deadly Outlaw
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    Tetsurô Tanba (1922–2006)

    Actor (334 Credits)
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    1944: Catherine Schell is born--Budapest, Hungary.

    1959: Laurence Evans from MCA offers advice to Fleming on Bond film deals.
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    The Battle for Bond, Robert Sellers, 2007.
    ...Fleming changed his mind yet again and phoned
    [Laurence] Evans to tell him the deal with Bryce was done and that he would no longer
    be seeking his representation in the matter. But Evans was evidently uneasy
    about the status of Xanadu and his client's interest in it and wrote to
    Fleming on 17 July offering to have an unofficial look at the proposed terms.
    "I am not interested so much with your ultimate remuneration from this
    project as with the certainty or otherwise of the film being made." Clearly
    Evans was anxious about the viability of Xanadu mounting a Bond film and
    with the pending American TV version of From Russia With Love was sure
    there would be renewed interest in Bond film rights. "It would be a great
    pity if our hands were tied by arrangements which were not clearly defined
    and suitably rewarding."

    1963: From Russia With Love films the helicopter assault on Bond and Tatiana.
    1963: Jonathan Cape's Michael Howard writes Richard Chopping regarding Fleming's opinion for elements of the eventual You Only Live Twice dust cover.
    Michael Howard to Richard Chopping:
    I have had a talk with Ian about the ideas for the ingredients
    of this design. He is very much in favour of the toad ...
    but with a suitable array of oriental embellishrangment,
    i.e. toad plus Japanese flower arrangements, which he thinks
    should be sitting in a suitable piece of Japanese pottery, perhaps
    ornamented with a dragon motif. If you could manage a
    pink dragonfly sitting on the flowers, and perhaps just one
    epicanthic eye peering through them he thinks that
    will be just splendid!
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    1964: Roger Moore plays James Bond on Mainly Millicent.
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    Mainly Millicent (1964)
    Episode aired Jul 17, 1964

    Writers | Sidney Green, Richard Hills

    Top Cast
    Millicent Martin as Sonia Sekova
    Roger Moore as James Bond
    Leslie Crawford
    Peter Diamond
    Len Lowe
    https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2225195/
    Sir Roger Moore as Bond 1964?
    1965: The Saturday Evening Post features Sean Connery and "The James Bond Cult (Guns, girls, and gadgets)."
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    1968: Roger Moore is photographed drinking a martini.
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    1977: BBC2 for the Open University airs its documentary Mass Communication and Society, an in-depth record of The Spy Who Loved Me film production. Eight parts.
    1990: Putnam and Sons publishes John Gardner's Bond novel Brokenclaw in the US. Hyphenated.
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    1997: Tomorrow Never Dies films the stealth barge action. Pierce Brosnan splits his lip on a stuntman's helmet, receives eight stitches.

    2004: Francis Patrick (Pat) Roach dies at age 67-- Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, England.
    (Born 19 May 1937--Birmingham, England.)
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    Pat Roach
    See the complete article here:
    Born Francis Patrick Roach, 19 May 1937, Birmingham, Warwickshire, England
    Died 17 July 2004 (aged 67), Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, England
    Nationality - British
    Occupation - Actor, wrestler, author, businessman
    Years active - 1960–2004
    Height - 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)[1][2]
    Television - Auf Wiedersehen, Pet
    Spouse(s) - Doreen Harris (m. 1957)
    Children - 2
    Francis Patrick Roach (19 May 1937 – 17 July 2004) was an English actor, and professional wrestler. During an acting career between the 1970s and the 1990s he appeared in multiple films, usually cast as a support player strongman villain. He appeared in the Indiana Jones cinema, as the West Country bricklayer Brian "Bomber" Busbridge in the 1980s British television series Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, and in the role of Petty Officer Edgar Evans in the television production The Last Place on Earth.

    Early life
    Roach was born and brought up in Birmingham, West Midlands, the son of Francis "Frank" Roach (born 1905). He was National Judo Champion in 1960, and Midland Area Black Belt Champion in 1962.

    Sports career
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    Roach boxed as an amateur before becoming professional as a protege of Jack Solomons.

    He began his professional wrestling career under the name of "Judo" Pat Roach. After his acting career had begun, he continued to wrestle under the name of "Bomber" Pat Roach, having previously been billed as "Big" Pat Roach before receiving affectionate cheering from the audience. He was trained by Alf Kent, his first official wrestling match was against George Selko in 1960. Roach held both the British and European heavyweight championships at one time.

    Acting career
    Roach made his acting debut as the red-bearded bouncer in the Korova Milkbar in Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange. He worked on another Kubrick film, Barry Lyndon, where he played a hand-to-hand brawler named Toole who engages Ryan O'Neal in fistfight. Roach went on to play a number of strong-man supporting character roles in films in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s, including the nonspeaking role of Hephaestus in Clash of the Titans alongside Laurence Olivier.
    He later appeared as Atlas in the story of Perseus and the Gorgon in Clash of the Titans. He also appeared as a SPECTRE-backed assassin in the James Bond film Never Say Never Again, and as bandit-warlord Lord Brytag in the sword-and-sorcery film Red Sonja. He appeared as the skull-helmeted General Kael in the film Willow; the evil wizard Thoth-Amon in Conan the Destroyer and as the Celtic chieftain in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.
    In an alternative from playing strongman villains, in 1985 he played Petty Officer Edgar Evans in the Central TV miniseries The Last Place on Earth about Captain Scott's expedition to the South Pole. Roach was turned down as Darth Vader in Star Wars; however, its director, George Lucas, subsequently cast him as several burly villains in the Indiana Jones film series in the 1980s. In Raiders of the Lost Ark, he played two roles: the first being a giant Sherpa who fights Jones in the bar in Nepal, the second being a German Luftwaffe mechanic who fistfights with Jones before being killed by an aircraft's propeller blades on the airstrip in Egypt. In the next film, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Roach played a Thuggee guard in a mine who fights with Jones before being killed in a rock crusher. His final appearance in the series was as a Gestapo officer in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, he appears only briefly as the character's fight with Jones was cut because director Steven Spielberg considered the scene "too long" and served as a subplot.

    Roach played the character of Brian "Bomber" Busbridge in the comedy-drama Auf Wiedersehen Pet, as a West Country bricklayer who appeared in all four of the full length series.

    Personal life
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    Roach's grave in Bromsgrove
    Roach married Doreen Harris in 1957, the marriage producing a son and a daughter.

    In the 1990s Roach owned and managed a scrapyard in Saltley, Birmingham, he also ran a gym on Gravelly Hill North, Erdington, in North-East Birmingham.

    Roach died on 17 July 2004 of esophageal cancer. His body was buried in Bromsgrove Cemetery, Worcestershire.
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    Pat Roach (I) (1937–2004)
    Actor | Stunts
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    2006: James Bond 'Ultimate Edition' DVD Boxed Set Releases.
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    2018: Final day to object to settlement of a class action suit on the labeling of James Bond DVD/Blu-ray box sets. 2019: Dynamite Entertainment releases James Bond 007 #9.
    Eric Gapstur, artist. Greg Pak, writer.
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    JAMES BOND 007 #9
    https://www.dynamite.com/htmlfiles/viewProduct.html?PRO=C72513027532509011
    Cover A: Dave Johnson
    Cover B: Khoi Pham
    Cover C: Kano
    Cover D: Eric Gapstur
    Writer: Greg Pak
    Art: Eric Gapstur
    Genre: Action/Adventure
    Publication Date: July 2019
    Format: Comic Book
    Page Count: 32 Pages
    ON SALE DATE: 7/17/2019
    "THE HEIST"
    Plan is set. Clock gets tight. Goldfinger bets big.

    The modern 007 epic continues from GREG PAK (Batman/Superman, Hulkverines) and ERIC GAPSTUR (The Flash: Season Zero).
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    2020: Writer William Boyd proposes the fictional James Bond's real world address.
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    The spies who lived here
    How I found James Bond’s precise address
    By william boyd
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    Wellington Square, Chelsea, London| J Marshall - Tribaleye Images/Alamy
    July 17, 2020
    I am in London. In Chelsea to be precise, at the entrance to Wellington Square off the King’s Road, where I am being interviewed for the French radio station RTL – à distance sociale – about James Bond. The reason why we’re at Wellington Square is because this is where James Bond lived. Obviously, James Bond is a fictional character and didn’t actually live anywhere. However, it is strange how in the case of some fictional characters a kind of reality begins to take over their lives, as if they really did live and breathe, had an actual address and a mortgage.

    I point out to the interviewer that, a few yards across the King’s Road from where we’re standing, almost directly opposite, is the entrance to Bywater Street. Believe it or not, I tell him, another famous fictional spy, John le Carré’s George Smiley, lived in Bywater Street. This extraordinary coincidence causes some excited consternation and we stop recording and cross the road. In Bywater Street, we start recording again. “George Smiley lived here? Amazing. What number?” the interviewer asks. Number 9, I say. You see what I mean.

    I suppose the most famous fictional abode for a character is Sherlock Holmes’s 221b, Baker Street. James Bond’s address and George Smiley’s have yet to achieve the same legendary status, but give them time. When I came to write my James Bond continuation novel, Solo (2013), I set myself the task of re-reading all of Ian Fleming’s Bond novels in chronological order, pen in hand, making notes, with the idea that all the texture and detail in the new novel would be classic Bondiana, sourced in Fleming. One of the first things I noticed was the location of Bond’s flat. I found it odd that Fleming should have given Bond a Chelsea address. In the 1950s, when most of the Bond novels were written, certainly the best ones, Chelsea was not the salubrious area it has become. There were a few wealthy pockets of substantial houses – Cheyne Walk, Chelsea Square, Carlyle Square, Tite Street, the Embankment, Old Church Street and environs – but most of the streets were poor and lived in by poor people. It was almost a working-class district, full of bomb sites from the Blitz, seasoned with a few bohemian types. This was one of the reasons why, when the Swinging 60s arrived, the…

    [MORE]
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  • RichardTheBruceRichardTheBruce I'm motivated by my Duty.
    Posts: 13,779
    July 18th

    1913: Eric Pohlmann is born--Vienna, Austria-Hungary.
    (He dies 25 July 1979 at age 66--Bad Reichenall, Bavaria, Germany.)
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    Born - Erich Pollak, 18 July 1913, Vienna, Austria-Hungary
    Died - 25 July 1979 (aged 66), Bad Reichenhall, Upper Bavaria, Germany
    Years active - 1948–1979
    Spouse(s) - Liselotte Goettinger (1939–1968; her death; 2 children)
    Eric Pohlmann (German: Erich Pohlmann; 18 July 1913 – 25 July 1979) was an Austrian theatre, film and television character actor who worked mostly in Britain.
    Early life
    Born Erich Pollak in Vienna, Austria-Hungary, he was a classically trained actor who studied under the renowned director Max Reinhardt. He appeared at the Raimund Theater, and supplemented his income by working as an entertainer in a bar.

    In 1939, he followed his fiancée and later wife, Jewish actress Lieselotte Goettinger (best known in the UK for playing the concentration camp guard in the war films, Odette and Carve Her Name With Pride), into exile in London. There he took part in propaganda broadcasts against the Nazis on the BBC. In order to earn a living, the Pohlmanns temporarily took positions in the household of the Duke of Bedford, Lieselotte as a cook and Eric, as he was now known, as butler.

    Career
    After the war, he began a career on the London stage. Among other roles he played "Peachum" in Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill's The Threepenny Opera. From the end of the 1940s, Pohlmann was often present in film and television productions, taking supporting roles in various adventure and crime films, and appearing occasionally in comedies. His large frame and massive features typecast him in roles as master criminals and spies, or conversely as police officers or detectives, as well as other authority figures. He was frequently cast in "foreign" roles, portraying Turks, Italians, Arabs, Greeks or Orientals; he also played King George I, King George II in Disney's Rob Roy, the Highland Rogue and King George III twice.

    One of his earliest film appearances was in Carol Reed's classic The Third Man (1949). He also played supporting roles in such British films as They Who Dare (1954), Chance of a Lifetime (1950), Reach for the Sky (1956), and Expresso Bongo (1960). He also appeared in US productions, notably Moulin Rouge (1952), Mogambo (1953), Lust For Life (1956) and 55 Days at Peking (1963). Twice he appeared in films directed by Richard Thorpe and starring Robert Taylor - The Adventures of Quentin Durward (1955) and The House of the Seven Hawks (1959).

    He displayed his comedic talents in films like Gentlemen Marry Brunettes (1955) with Jane Russell, as a lecherous Arab sheikh in The Belles of St Trinian's (1954), as "The Fat Man" in Carry On Spying (1964) and in The Return of the Pink Panther (1975).
    Pohlmann (uncredited) also provided the voice of the unseen head of SPECTRE, Ernst Stavro Blofeld, in the James Bond films From Russia with Love (1963) and Thunderball (1965).
    In the 1960s and 1970s, Pohlmann regularly returned to his homeland to play numerous character roles in German and Austrian film and television productions. He had guest roles in the popular crime series Der Kommissar and Derrick, and also appeared in television plays for ORF and Bayerischer Rundfunk, often under the direction of Franz Josef Wild [de]. In addition to The Defence Counsel (1961) with Barbara Rütting and Carl Heinz Schroth, he appeared in Der Kleine Lord (1962) with Albrecht Schoenhals and Michael Ande, as well as The Dreyfus Affair (1968) with Karl Michael Vogler and Bernhard Wicki. In 1962, Pohlmann also appeared in The Puzzle of the Red Orchid starring Marisa Mell, Christopher Lee and Klaus Kinski, a German film adaptation of an Edgar Wallace novel.

    Pohlmann's greatest success in German TV drama came in 1970 with an adaptation of Wilkie Collins' novel The Woman In White, one of the most successful television productions of the year which gained over 9 million viewers. Under the direction of William Semmelroth, Pohlmann appeared in the role of the villainous Count Fosco, alongside Heidelinde Weis, Christoph Bantzer, Pinkas Braun and Helmut Käutner. The mini-series has a cult following to this day.

    Pohlmann was a regular on British television, taking the role of "Inspector Goron" in the 1952-1954 TV series Colonel March of Scotland Yard with Boris Karloff, and appearing as a guest star in such series as The Saint, The Champions, The Avengers, Danger Man, Department S, Jason King and Paul Temple.

    In 1978, he worked with the actor-director Maximilian Schell in an Austro/German film production of Ödön von Horváth's play Geschichten aus dem Wienerwald (Tales from the Vienna Woods). The film was shown at the 1979 London Film Festival. In that year, during final rehearsals for his second appearance at the Salzburg Festival, Pohlmann suffered a heart attack, and died the same day in a hotel in Bad Reichenhall. He was 66.

    In 2006, the Turner Classic Movies "31 Days of Oscar" festival was based on the theme of "360 Degrees of Oscar" (based on the game of "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon") in which TCM chooses an actor who has played a significant role in Oscar history, and builds its entire schedule around him. They chose Eric Pohlmann.

    He also appeared on stage (Henry Cecil's Settled Out Of Court is a production this editor remembers seeing him in).
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    Eric Pohlmann (1913–1979)
    Actor
    https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0688384/
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    1930: Burt Kwouk is born--Warrington, Cheshire, England.
    (He dies 24 May 2016 at age 85--Hampstead, London, England.)
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    Burt Kwouk obituary
    Actor best known for his roles in the Pink Panther films and the
    BBC’s Last of the Summer Wine

    Ronald Bergan | Tue 24 May 2016 12.24 EDT
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    Burt Kwouk, right, was a regular co-star with Peter Sellers in the Pink Panther films,
    including Return of the Pink Panther, 1975. Photograph: SNAP/Rex/Shutterstock
    Anna May Wong, the first of the few Chinese actors to gain Hollywood stardom, explained why she retired from the screen: “I was so tired of the parts I had to play. Why is it that the screen Chinese is nearly always the villain? And so crude a villain – murderous, treacherous, a snake in the grass. We are not like that. How should we be, with a civilisation that is so many times older than that of the west?” Burt Kwouk, who has died aged 85, felt the same way but, as he remarked: “I look at it this way – if I don’t do it, someone else will. So why don’t I go in, get some money and try to elevate it a bit, if I can?”

    Kwouk, mostly seen in British films and TV, did manage to elevate many of his roles, finally transcending stereotypes such as his celebrated Cato, the foil to Peter Sellers’ bungling Inspector Clouseau in the Pink Panther movies, to become a national treasure, this status being consecrated in 2002 by his joining the cast of the BBC’s longest running sitcom, Last of the Summer Wine.

    Kwouk was born in Warrington, Lancashire, “because my mother happened to be there at the time,” but at 10 months old was taken back to the family home in Shanghai. There he remained until he was 17, when his well-off parents sent him to the US to study politics and economics. However, before he was able to graduate his parents lost all their money in the 1949 revolution, and he returned to Shanghai. A few years later, Kwouk took advantage of his dual nationality and returned to Britain, where he took various menial jobs before his girlfriend “nagged me into acting”. Capitalising on his oriental looks, he started getting roles mostly as villainous or comic Chinese or Japanese characters.

    One of his first TV appearances was a comic one, in a Hancock’s Half Hour (1957), as a Japanese man presenting two bowls of rice to Tony Hancock, who has won a lifetime’s supply in a newspaper competition. A year later, Kwouk was fortunate, so early in his career, to have one of his better film roles in The Inn of the Sixth Happiness, set in China but shot in Wales. Kwouk, one of the few genuine Chinese people in the cast, played Li, who helps Ingrid Bergman, as the English Christian missionary Gladys Aylward, escape from the Japanese with 100 children. After a long and arduous journey, he is shot and killed by Japanese soldiers when he tries to distract them from the children.

    He was soon cast in a couple of Hammer Horror films, The Terror of the Tongs, as one of evil Christopher Lee’s hatchet men, and Visa to Canton (both 1961). Kwouk was subsequently to play the sidekick of Lee’s Fu Manchu in The Brides of Fu Manchu (1966), The Vengeance of Fu Manchu (1967) and The Castle of Fu Manchu (1969). But in The Fiendish Plot of Fu Manchu (1980), Sax Rohmer’s master criminal was played by Sellers, with Kwouk as his manservant. It was a best-forgotten, dismal ending to Sellers’ career, but it did give him and Kwouk a last chance to work together.

    Their first chance had come 16 years before in A Shot in the Dark (1964), the second of Blake Edwards’s slapstick comedies featuring Sellers as the extraordinarily maladroit Inspector Clouseau, who seemed unable to cross a room without breaking something. Kwouk played Clouseau’s Chinese “houseboy”, whose sole function was to ambush his master with kung fu attacks at the most unexpected moments from the most unsuspected places. These brilliantly choreographed running and jumping gags, which always resulted in the destruction of Clouseau’s apartment and Cato coming off worst, were the highlights of all the Pink Panther films, which included The Return of the Pink Panther (1975), The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976) and The Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978).

    “Peter and I fell about laughing so much that very often we were unable to complete the day’s work as scheduled, which the producers hated,” Kwouk recalled. “Cato and I are very different. He never stands still. I only move when I have to.” The death of Sellers in 1980 didn’t prevent Edwards from making The Trail of the Pink Panther (1982) by piecing together out-takes and clips from the previous films in the series. Kwouk was seen as Cato, bravely being interviewed about his boss, and again in Curse of the Pink Panther (1983), this time as proprietor of the Clouseau museum. Kwouk’s protracted association with the Pink Panther series ended with Son of the Pink Panther (1993), in which, in various disguises, he attacks villains on behalf of Roberto Benigni in the title role.
    Kwouk also appeared in three James Bond movies: Goldfinger (1964), as a nuclear scientist sent to oversee the bomb that China has given to Goldfinger (Gert Frobe) to blow up Fort Knox, but who is later double-crossed and shot; Casino Royale (1967), as a Chinese general; and You Only Live Twice (1967), as one of Blofeld’s gang of Spectre henchmen.
    His other roles varied from Chairman Peng of the People’s Republic in Shoes of the Fisherman (1968) to a corrupt Laotian general who’s hoping to save up enough money to buy a Holiday Inn in the US in Air America (1990), to the trustworthy contact in Paris of Jet Li’s Chinese cop in the formulaic martial arts thriller Kiss of the Dragon (2001).

    Parallel to his film career, Kwouk made a niche for himself on British television in series including The Saint (1965-68), It Ain’t Half Hot Mum (1977-78), Doctor Who (1982), and as himself in The Kenny Everett Show (1983-84) and The Harry Hill Show (1997-2000). But the role that revealed his underused talents as a dramatic actor was Major Yamauchi, the strict but honourable commandant of a women’s POW camp in Tenko (1981-84).

    In contrast was his Mr Entwistle, a philosophical electrical handyman from Hull in Last of the Summer Wine, a part specially written for him by Roy Clarke. “It is a very pleasant and easygoing programme, a lovely gentle comic show,” Kwouk remarked. “There is no one charging around, and even the slapstick is quite gentle – certainly more gentle than I am used to.”

    Kwouk’s voice was almost as famous as his face. It can be heard in the video game Fire Warrior, narrating the English version of the Japanese TV series The Water Margin (1976-78), the bizarre “interactive” gambling show Banzai! (2001-04) and in many TV commercials.

    Kwouk was appointed OBE in 2011 for services to drama.

    He is survived by Caroline Tebbs, whom he married in 1961, and their son Christopher.

    • Burt Kwouk, actor, born 18 July 1930; died 24 May 2016
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    https://filmography.bfi.org.uk/person/223941
    Films | Year | Film | Role

    1958 Windom's Way (villager)
    1959 The Inn of the Sixth Happiness (Li)
    1959 Upstairs and Downstairs (Chinese restaurant proprietor)

    1960 Expresso Bongo ([Soho youth])
    1960 The Terror of the Tongs (Ming)
    1960 Visa to Canton (Jimmy)
    1962 Satan Never Sleeps (Ah Wong)
    1962 The Sinister Man (Captain Feng)
    1963 The Cool Mikado ([art teacher])
    1964 Goldfinger (Mr Ling)
    1965 A Shot in the Dark (Kato)
    1965 Curse of the Fly (Tai)
    1966 Our Man in Marrakesh (export analysis manager)
    1966 The Brides of Fu Manchu (Feng)
    1966 The Sandwich Man (ice cream salesman)
    1967 Casino Royale ([Chinese Army officer at auction])
    1967 You Only Live Twice (SPECTRE No 3)

    1968 Nobody Runs Forever (Pham Chinh)
    1969 The Most Dangerous Man in the World (Chang Shou)

    1970 Deep End (hot dog stand man)
    1972 Die Folterkammer des Doktor Fu Manchu (henchman)
    1975 Girls Come First (Sashimi)
    1976 Return of the Pink Panther (Cato)
    1977 The Pink Panther Strikes Again (Cato)
    1977 The Strange Case of the End of Civilisation As We Know It (Chinese delegate)
    1978 Revenge of the Pink Panther (Cato)

    1982 Trail of the Pink Panther (Cato)
    1983 Curse of the Pink Panther (Cato)

    1990 I Bought a Vampire Motorcycle (Fu King owner)
    1992 Carry On Columbus (Wang)
    1993 Leon the Pig Farmer (art collector)

    2004 Fat Slags (Dalai Lama)
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    Burt Kwouk (1930–2016)
    Actor | Soundtrack
    https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0477297/
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    1940: James Brolin is born--Los Angeles, California.

    1963: El satánico Dr. No (The Satanic Dr. No) released in Argentina.
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    1979: Moonraker released in South Africa.

    1983: People Weekly celebrates Bond's Babes.
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    1988: Licence to Kill filming begins at Churubusco Studios, Mexico City. (Filming ends 18 November.)
    1989: The Christian Science Monitor prints David Sterritt's film review "In 007's Latest, Violent Outing Dalton Finds Room to Grow."
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    FILM REVIEW
    In 007's Latest, Violent Outing Dalton
    Finds Room to Grow
    See the complete article here:
    July 18, 1989 | By David Sterritt Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor | NEW YORK

    HOLLYWOOD movies are usually geared to be popular and uncontroversial, so they can provide clues to what's going on in the American consciousness. A look at the new James Bond picture, "Licence To Kill,'' shows a development worth noticing: the Contras of Nicaragua no longer have the respectability they enjoyed during the Reagan years. Bond's main adversary is a Latin American criminal who purchases Stinger missiles from the Contras so he can threaten to down an American airliner if the Feds don't lay off his drug-running operation. The film assumes that the Contras would sell their weapons to any high bidder, and that they wouldn't care if the bidder happened to be a psychotic criminal.

    The bad guy only uses his Stingers during the final shootout with Agent 007, but the other key ingredients of his crookedness - drugs and money - are practically the stars of the movie.

    This is another sign of the times, also visible in "Lethal Weapon 2,'' a midsummer hit that arrived slightly earlier. In that picture, two Los Angeles cops chase a South African who uses diplomatic immunity to shelter his narcotics dealing.
    About these ads

    South African officials and Contra-supplied Latins may be new on Hollywood's roster of stock villains, but as characters they're just facile variations on the Nazis, Commies, and other politically aligned antagonists who plagued heroes in bygone melodramas.

    Like them, the new breed of heavy serves not only as a foil for the good guy but, more significantly, as a reflection of American xenophobia - a trait that plagues all manner of movies from Indiana Jones epics to back-alley exploitation flicks.

    Bond is a "foreigner'' himself, of course, but "Licence To Kill'' minimizes Britishness by transplanting him to the Florida Keys and other locations near the United States, and by teaming him with a former CIA operative. He even resigns from Her Majesty's Secret Service at one point, becoming (just like the "Lethal Weapon 2'' heroes) a vigilante on a purely personal vendetta. The movie also flaunts its America-first leanings with pointless inside jokes, including plays on the names of former President Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy.

    The other hallmark of "Licence To Kill'' is its violence, which is surprisingly vicious for a warm-weather entertainment with a PG-13 rating. Bond has always been a casual killer, of course, even in the days when Sean Connery played him with a savoir faire that hasn't been equalled. But his nastiness has been escalating, and it reaches an awful height in his new adventure.

    One example is a moment when 007 has his antagonist completely subdued and dangling helplessly over a hungry shark. Instead of tempering law enforcement with mercy, Bond cheerfully tosses a heavy suitcase (stuffed with the villain's ill-gotten cash) at the bad guy, deliberately plunging him to a horrible death. All of which gives a chuckle to Bond's sidekick, who promptly remarks, "What a waste - of money!''

    Violence and xenophobia apart, "Licence To Kill'' is at least as lively as most other current movies. One comparison is with "Batman,'' which - according to one of my teen-age children - doesn't have enough "bat-traps'' in it (a bat-trap being a fiendish device found in the "Batman'' comic books for killing the hero). By contrast, "Licence To Kill'' has plenty of Bond-traps, from the aforementioned shark to that old favorite, a conveyor belt leading to a deadly machine.

    None of them work, of course, and 007 is sure to return for plenty more sequels. They may well feature Timothy Dalton; so I'm happy to report he's more human and less wooden in "Licence To Kill'' than in "The Living Daylights,'' his last outing. As unlikely as it seems, Mr. Dalton actually appears to be growing in the Bond role, which is potentially stifling because its own popularity has so rigidly defined it.

    John Glen has directed "Licence To Kill'' with the same dogged energy he brought to four earlier Bond epics. The supporting cast includes such veterans as Desmond Llewelyn, who has played the character called Q in all but two of the Bond pictures, and Robert Brown, who's played M since "Octopussy'' in 1983. Also on board, in his film-acting debut, is singer Wayne Newton as an evangelist who's as oily as he is phony.

    Footnote: In one more sign of the times, "Licence To Kill'' is the first movie I know of with a Surgeon General's Warning at the end because of the on-screen use of tobacco products.

    While this is a step in the right direction, I have two further suggestions: Leave those tobacco products on the cutting-room floor in the first place, and slap a Surgeon General's Warning on the whole movie - since its eager violence pollutes the filmgoing atmosphere at least as much as James Bond's cigarettes!



  • RichardTheBruceRichardTheBruce I'm motivated by my Duty.
    Posts: 13,779
    2006: Casino Royale films the final action of the chase across the airport, completing principal photography.
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    2015: Glu Mobile releases menu-based role-playing game James Bond: World of Espionage as a free app for the Android and iOS platforms.
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    James Bond: World of Espionage (by Glu Games Inc.) - iOS / Android - HD Gameplay Trailer


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    2018: LEGO releases a 1290-piece Aston Martin DB5.
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    Channel your inner James Bond with Lego’s Goldfinger DB5

    1290-piece Aston Martin recreates film’s iconic car
    by: Lee Stern | 18 Jul 2018
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    Lego Aston Martin DB58
    Lego has uncovered an Aston Martin DB5 based on the car driven by James Bond in Goldfinger. Available from 18 July the model, which costs £129.99, features the weapons arsenal and gadgets fitted to the car in the film.

    Measuring 10cm high, 34cm long and 12cm wide, the model is a 1:8 scale of the real car and made up of 1290 pieces. The complexity of the build process has seen Lego brand the kit 16-plus.

    To ensure authenticity, the car receives the same Q treatment as the iconic car that starred in the film back in 1964. To that end, there’s the radar tracker and deployable machine guns to locate and neutralise villains, while the bullet-proof screen on the rear deck, revolving number plates and wheel-mounted tyre scythes are there to fend them off.

    Along with the radar tracker, the interior is kitted-out with the hidden telephone and all-important (operational) ejector seat. Just like the movie car, the model is finished in silver birch and rides on wire wheels.

    Lift the front-hinged bonnet and the DB5 reveals a Lego recreation of the 4-litre straight-six engine, which produced 282bhp in 1964; enough to send the Bond car from 0 to 60mph in around eight seconds and on to a 142mph top speed.


    This Aston Martin DB5 model follows on from other Lego recreations, including the orange Porsche 911 GT3 RS that featured a working PDK gearbox, and the 3600-piece Bugatti Chiron.
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    2019: Albert David Hedison Jr. dies at age 92--Los Angeles, California.
    (Born 20 May 1927--Providence, Rhode Island.)
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    David Hedison, Actor in
    'Voyage to the Bottom of the
    Sea’ and ‘The Fly’, Dies at 92
    https://variety.com/2019/film/news/david-hedison-dead-dies-the-fly-voyage-to-the-bottom-of-the-sea-1203275257/
    Mackenzie Nichols, Staff Writer

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    David Hedison, a film, television, and theater actor known for his role as Captain Lee Crane in the sci-fi adventure television series “Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea” and as the crazed scientist turned human insect in the first iteration of the film “The Fly,” died on July 18. He was 92, and the family said in a statement that he “died peacefully” with his daughters at his side.

    “Even in our deep sadness, we are comforted by the memory of our wonderful father. He loved us all dearly and expressed that love every day. He was adored by so many, all of whom benefited from his warm and generous heart. Our dad brought joy and humor wherever he went and did so with great style,” said the family in a statement.

    David Hedison, born Al Hedison, was from Providence, R.I. and studied at Brown University where he grew fond of the theater, becoming a part of the university’s theater production group “Sock and Buskin Players.” He then moved to New York, studying with Sanford Meisner at “The Neighborhood Playhouse” as well as Lee Strasberg of “The Actor’s Studio.” In the 1950s, he appeared in “Much Ado About Nothing” and “A Month in the Country,” working with Uta Hagen and Michael Redgrave on productions by Clifford Odets and Christopher Fry, among others.

    Shortly after “A Month in the Country,” Hedison first hit the big screen with his role in the 1957 film “The Enemy Below” and in the 1958 film “Son of Robin Hood.” He also played André Delambre in “The Fly,” (1958) which became a cult phenomenon and sparked a remake in 1986 with Jeff Goldblum reprising the role. Hedison then signed with Twentieth Century Fox in 1959 and changed his first name to David, his given middle name. In 1964, he hit his big television break as Captain Lee Crane in producer Irwin Allen’s “Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea,” which ran until 1968.
    He also joined Roger Moore in the 1973 James Bond film “Live and Let Die” as well as Timothy Dalton in 1989 with “License to Kill,” becoming the first actor to play CIA agent Felix Leiter twice. In the 1980s and 1990s, he worked on shows such as “Another World,” “T.J. Hooker,” “Dynasty,” “The Love Boat,” “Who’s the Boss” and “The Colbys.”
    According to family members, Hedison joked during his final days that “instead of RIP he preferred SRO ‘Standing Room Only.'” They said that he was “tall and strikingly handsome,” and “a true actor through and through.”

    Hedison’s wife, Bridget, a production associate on “Dynasty” and an assistant to producer on “The Colbys,” died in 2016. He is survived by two daughters; Serena and Alexandra, an actress and director who is married to Jodie Foster.

    Donations may be made to the Actor’s Fund.
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    Filmography
    Confessions of a Teenage Jesus Jerk (2017) Interviewee #2
    Superman and the Secret Planet (Video) (2013) ….. Jor El
    The Reality Trap (2005) …. Morgan Jameson
    “The Young and the Restless” …. Arthur Hendricks / … (50 episodes, 2004)
    … aka “Y&R” – USA (promotional abbreviation)
    – Episode #1.8018 (2004) TV episode …. Arthur Hendricks
    – Episode #1.8017 (2004) TV episode …. Arthur Hendricks
    – Episode #1.8015 (2004) TV episode …. Arthur Hendricks
    – Episode #1.8014 (2004) TV episode …. Arthur Hendricks
    – Episode #1.8012 (2004) TV episode …. Arthur Hendricks
    (45 more)
    Spectres (2004) …. William
    … aka “Soul Survivor” – USA (cable TV title)
    Megiddo: The Omega Code 2 (2001) …. Daniel Alexander
    … aka “Megiddo” – USA (short title)
    Mach 2 (2001) …. Senator Stuart Davis

    Fugitive Mind (1999) (V) …. Senator Davis
    “Another World” (1964) TV series …. Spencer Harrison (1991-1996, 1999) (unknown episodes)
    Sheng zhan feng yun (1990) …. US Ambassador
    … aka “Undeclared War” – Hong Kong (English title)

    Licence to Kill (1989) …. Felix Leiter
    “Murder, She Wrote” …. Mitch Payne / … (3 episodes, 1986-1989)
    – Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall: Part 2 (1989) TV episode …. Victor Casper
    – Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall: Part 1 (1989) TV episode …. Victor Caspar
    – The Perfect Foil (1986) TV episode …. Mitch Payne
    “The Law and Harry McGraw” …. Blake Devaroe (1 episode, 1987)
    – Mr. Chapman, I Presume? (1987) TV episode …. Blake Devaroe
    “Who’s the Boss?” …. Jim Ratcliff (1 episode, 1987)
    – Mona (1987) TV episode …. Jim Ratcliff
    “The Colbys” …. Lord Roger Langdon / … (9 episodes, 1985-1987)
    – Devil’s Advocate (1987) TV episode …. Roger Langdon
    – The Honeymoon (1986) TV episode …. Lord Roger Langdon
    – My Father’s House (1986) TV episode …. Lord Roger Langdon
    – Burden of Proof (1986) TV episode …. Lord Roger Langdon
    – The Trial (1986) TV episode …. Lord Roger Langdon
    (4 more)
    “Hotel” …. Dr. Howard Bentley / … (2 episodes, 1985-1987)
    – Pitfalls (1987) TV episode …. Dr. Howard Bentley
    – Distortions (1985) TV episode …. Jack Fitzpatrick
    Smart Alec (1986) …. Frank Wheeler
    … aka “Hollywood Dreaming” – USA (alternative title)
    “Trapper John, M.D.” …. Miles Warner (1 episode, 1985)
    – The Second Best Man (1985) TV episode …. Miles Warner
    “The A-Team” …. David Vaun (1 episode, 1985)
    – Mind Games (1985) TV episode …. David Vaun
    “Crazy Like a Fox” …. Ed Galvin (1 episode, 1985)
    – Eye in the Sky (1985) TV episode …. Ed Galvin
    “A.D.” …. Porcius Festus (5 episodes, 1985)
    – Part 5 (1985) TV episode …. Porcius Festus
    – Part 4 (1985) TV episode …. Porcius Festus
    – Part 3 (1985) TV episode …. Porcius Festus
    – Part 2 (1985) TV episode …. Porcius Festus
    – Part 1 (1985) TV episode …. Porcius Festus
    “Knight Rider” …. Theodore Cooper (1 episode, 1985)
    – Knight in Retreat (1985) TV episode …. Theodore Cooper
    “Double Trouble” …. David Burke (2 episodes, 1985)
    – The Day of the Rose (1985) TV episode …. David Burke
    – September Song (1985) TV episode …. David Burke
    “Finder of Lost Loves” …. Neil Palmer (1 episode, 1985)
    – Haunted Memories (1985) TV episode …. Neil Palmer
    “Simon & Simon” …. Austin Tyler (2 episodes, 1985)
    – Simon Without Simon: Part 2 (1985) TV episode …. Austin Tyler
    – Simon Without Simon: Part 1 (1985) TV episode …. Austin Tyler
    “The Love Boat” …. Cliff Jacobs / … (7 episodes, 1977-1985)
    – Love on the Line/Don’t Call Me Gopher/Her Honor, the Mayor (1985) TV episode …. Barry Singer
    – Spoonmaker Diamond, The/Papa Doc/The Role Model/Julie’s Tycoon: Part 1 (1982) TV episode …. Cliff Jacobs
    – Spoonmaker Diamond, The/Papa Doc/The Role Model/Julie’s Tycoon: Part 2 (1982) TV episode …. Cliff Jacobs
    – April in Boston/Saving Grace/Breaks of Life (1982) TV episode …. Bradford York
    – Lady from Sunshine Gardens/Eye of the Beholder/Bugged (1981) TV episode …. Allan Christensen
    (2 more)
    “The Fall Guy” …. Jordan Stevens / … (3 episodes, 1982-1985)
    – Her Bodyguard (1985) TV episode …. Monte Sorrenson
    – Undersea Odyssey (1984) TV episode …. Milo
    – The Snow Job (1982) TV episode …. Jordan Stevens
    “Partners in Crime” …. Davidson (1 episode, 1984)
    – Fantasyland (1984) TV episode …. Davidson
    The Naked Face (1984) …. Dr. Peter Hadley
    “Fantasy Island” …. Captain John Day / … (6 episodes, 1978-1984)
    – Don Juan’s Last Affair/Final Adieu (1984) TV episode …. Daniel Garman
    – Everybody Goes to Gilley’s/Face of Fire (1982) TV episode …. Phillip Camden
    – Show Me a Hero/Slam Dunk (1981) TV episode …. Captain John Day
    – Man-Beast/Ole Island Oprey (1981) TV episode …. David Tabori
    – The Chateau/White Lightning (1981) TV episode …. Karl Dixon/Claude Duncan
    (1 more)
    Kenny Rogers as The Gambler: The Adventure Continues (1983) (TV) …. Carson
    “Dynasty” …. Sam Dexter (2 episodes, 1983)
    – The Vote (1983) TV episode …. Sam Dexter
    – The Downstairs Bride (1983) TV episode …. Sam Dexter
    “Amanda’s” …. David (1 episode, 1983)
    … aka “Amanda’s by the Sea” – USA (alternative title)
    – All in a Day’s Work (1983) TV episode …. David
    “Matt Houston” …. Pierre Cerdan (1 episode, 1982)
    – Recipe for Murder (1982) TV episode …. Pierre Cerdan
    “T.J. Hooker” …. Saxon (1 episode, 1982)
    – The Protectors (1982) TV episode …. Saxon
    “Hart to Hart” …. Miles Wiatt (1 episode, 1982)
    – Hart of Diamonds (1982) TV episode …. Miles Wiatt
    The Awakening of Cassie (1982)
    “Nero Wolfe” …. Phillip Corrigan (1 episode, 1981)
    – Murder by the Book (1981) TV episode …. Phillip Corrigan
    “Charlie’s Angels” …. Carter Gillis / … (2 episodes, 1978-1981)
    – He Married an Angel (1981) TV episode …. John Thornwood

    – Angels in the Stretch (1978) TV episode …. Carter Gillis
    “Benson” …. John Taylor (1 episode, 1979)
    – Pilot (1979) TV episode …. John Taylor
    The Power Within (1979) (TV) …. Danton
    “Greatest Heroes of the Bible” …. Ashpenaz (1 episode, 1979)
    – Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar (1979) TV episode …. Ashpenaz
    ffolkes (1979) …. King
    … aka “North Sea Hijack” – UK (original title)
    … aka “Assault Force” – USA (TV title)
    “Flying High” (1 episode, 1978)
    – High Rollers (1978) TV episode
    Colorado C.I. (1978) (TV) …. David Royce
    “Project U.F.O.” …. Frederick Flanagan (1 episode, 1978)
    … aka “Project Blue Book” – USA (alternative title)
    – Sighting 4011: The Dollhouse Incident (1978) TV episode …. Frederick Flanagan
    “The Bob Newhart Show” …. Steve Darnell (1 episode, 1978)
    – It Didn’t Happen One Night (1978) TV episode …. Steve Darnell
    “The New Adventures of Wonder Woman” …. Evan Robley (1 episode, 1977)
    … aka “Wonder Woman” – USA (original title)
    … aka “The New Original Wonder Woman” – USA (first episodes title)
    – The Queen and the Thief (1977) TV episode …. Evan Robley
    Murder in Peyton Place (1977) (TV) …. Steven Cord
    “Barnaby Jones” …. Paul Nugent (1 episode, 1977)
    – The Deadly Charade (1977) TV episode …. Paul Nugent
    “Gibbsville” (1 episode, 1977)
    – The Grand Gesture (1977) TV episode
    “Family” …. Peter Towne (2 episodes, 1976)
    – Coming of Age (1976) TV episode …. Peter Towne
    – Coming Apart (1976) TV episode …. Peter Towne
    “Ellery Queen” …. Roger Woods (1 episode, 1976)
    – The Adventure of the Eccentric Engineer (1976) TV episode …. Roger Woods
    “Bronk” …. Lyle Brewster (1 episode, 1975)
    – Betrayal (1975) TV episode …. Lyle Brewster
    “Cannon” …. Bell / … (3 episodes, 1973-1975)
    – The Star (1975) TV episode …. David Farnum
    – Night Flight to Murder (1973) TV episode …. John Sandler
    – The Dead Samaritan (1973) TV episode …. Bell
    The Art of Crime (1975) (TV) …. Parker Sharon
    The Lives of Jenny Dolan (1975) (TV) …. Dr. Wes Dolan
    Adventures of the Queen (1975) (TV) …. Doctor Peter Brooks
    For the Use of the Hall (1975) (TV) …. Allen
    “The ABC Afternoon Playbreak” …. Clay (1 episode, 1974)
    … aka “ABC Matinee Today” – USA (alternative title)
    – Can I Save My Children? (1974) TV episode …. Clay
    “The Manhunter” …. Jeffrey Donnenfield (1 episode, 1974)
    – The Man Who Thought He Was Dillinger (1974) TV episode …. Jeffrey Donnenfield
    The Compliment (1974) (TV) …. Steve Barker
    “Wide World Mystery” …. Herbert Kasson (1 episode, 1974)
    – Murder Impossible (1974) TV episode …. Herbert Kasson
    “Medical Center” …. Dave (1 episode, 1974)
    – Dark Warning (1974) TV episode …. Dave
    “Shaft” …. Gil Kirkwood (1 episode, 1974)
    – The Capricorn Murders (1974) TV episode …. Gil Kirkwood
    “The New Perry Mason” …. Calvin (1 episode, 1973)
    – The Case of the Frenzied Feminist (1973) TV episode …. Calvin
    The Cat Creature (1973) (TV) …. Prof. Roger Edmonds
    Live and Let Die (1973) …. Felix Leiter
    … aka “Ian Fleming’s Live and Let Die” – UK (complete title), USA (complete title)
    Crime Club (1973) (TV) …. Nick Kelton
    “The F.B.I.” …. Lou Forrester (2 episodes, 1972-1973)
    – A Gathering of Sharks (1973) TV episode
    – The Buyer (1972) TV episode …. Lou Forrester
    The Man in the Wood (1973) (TV) …. Edmund hardy
    “BBC Play of the Month” …. John Buchanan (1 episode, 1972)
    – Summer and Smoke (1972) TV episode …. John Buchanan
    “ITV Saturday Night Theatre” …. Bill Kromin (1 episode, 1972)
    – A Man About a Dog (1972) TV episode …. Bill Kromin
    A Man About a Dog (1972) (TV) …. Bill Kronin
    A Kiss Is Just a Kiss (1971) (TV) …. Kit Shaeffer
    Kemek (1970) …. Nick

    “Love, American Style” …. Rob (segment “Love and the Other Love”) (1 episode, 1969)
    – Love and the Bachelor/Love and the Other Love/Love and the Positive Man (1969) TV episode …. Rob (segment “Love and the Other Love”)
    “Journey to the Unknown” …. William Searle (1 episode, 1968)
    – Somewhere in a Crowd (1968) TV episode …. William Searle
    “Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea” …. Captain Crane / … (110 episodes, 1964-1968)
    – No Way Back (1968) TV episode …. Capt. Lee B. Crane
    – The Death Clock (1968) TV episode …. Capt. Lee B. Crane
    – The Edge of Doom (1968) TV episode …. Capt. Lee B. Crane
    – Attack! (1968) TV episode …. Capt. Lee B. Crane
    – Flaming Ice (1968) TV episode …. Capt. Lee B. Crane
    (105 more)
    The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965) …. Philip
    … aka “George Stevens Presents The Greatest Story Ever Told” – UK (complete title), USA (complete title)
    “The Farmer’s Daughter” …. Richard Barden (1 episode, 1964)
    – The Mink Machine (1964) TV episode …. Richard Barden
    “The Saint” …. Bill Harvey (1 episode, 1964)
    – Luella (1964) TV episode …. Bill Harvey
    “Perry Mason” …. Damion White (1 episode, 1962)
    – The Case of the Dodging Domino (1962) TV episode …. Damion White
    “Bus Stop” …. Max Hendricks (1 episode, 1961)
    – Call Back Yesterday (1961) TV episode …. Max Hendricks
    Marines, Let’s Go (1961) …. Pfc. Dave Chatfield
    “Hong Kong” …. Roger Ames (1 episode, 1961)
    – Lesson in Fear (1961) TV episode …. Roger Ames
    The Lost World (1960) …. Ed Malone
    … aka “Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Lost World” – USA (complete title)

    “Five Fingers” …. Victor Sebastian (5 episodes, 1959)
    – Final Dream (1959) TV episode …. Victor Sebastian
    – The Temple of the Swinging Doll (1959) TV episode …. Victor Sebastian
    – The Emerald Curtain (1959) TV episode …. Victor Sebastian
    – The Men with Triangle Heads (1959) TV episode …. Victor Sebastian
    – Station Break (1959) TV episode …. Victor Sebastian
    Rally ‘Round the Flag, Boys! (1958) (uncredited) …. Narrator
    … aka “Leo McCarey’s Rally ‘Round the Flag, Boys!” – USA (complete title)
    The Son of Robin Hood (1958) (as Al Hedison) …. Jamie
    The Fly (1958) (as Al Hedison) …. Andre Delambre
    The Enemy Below (1957) (as Al Hedison) …. Lt. Ware (Executive Officer [XO])
    “Star Tonight” (1 episode, 1956)
    – The Mirthmaker (1956) TV episode (as Al Hedison)
    “Kraft Theatre” (1 episode, 1955)
    … aka “Kraft Television Theatre” – USA (original title)
    … aka “Kraft Mystery Theatre” – USA (new title)
    – Eleven O’Clock Flight (1955) TV episode (as Al Hedison)

    As Himself
    Atomic Recall (2007) (V) (special thanks)
    On the Set with John Glen (2006) (V) …. Himself
    “SoapTalk” …. Himself (2 episodes, 2004)
    – Episode dated 23 March 2004 (2004) TV episode …. Himself
    – Episode dated 18 March 2004 (2004) TV episode …. Himself
    The Fly Papers: The Buzz on Hollywood’s Scariest Insect (2000) (TV) …. Himself
    Inside ‘Licence to Kill’ (1999) (V) …. Himself
    To the Galaxy and Beyond with Mark Hamill (1997) (TV) …. Himself
    … aka “Hollywood Aliens & Monsters” – USA (original title)
    The Fantasy Worlds of Irwin Allen (1995) (TV) …. Himself
    ABC’s Silver Anniversary Celebration (1978) (TV) …. Himself
    “The Hollywood Palace” …. Himself (1 episode, 1967)
    – Episode #5.3 (1967) TV episode …. Himself
    “Dream Girl of ’67” …. Himself (5 episodes, 1967)
    – Episode dated 7 April 1967 (1967) TV episode …. Himself
    – Episode dated 6 April 1967 (1967) TV episode …. Himself
    – Episode dated 5 April 1967 (1967) TV episode …. Himself
    – Episode dated 4 April 1967 (1967) TV episode …. Himself
    – Episode dated 3 April 1967 (1967) TV episode …. Himself
    “The Hollywood Squares” …. Guest Appearance (5 episodes, 1967)
    – Episode #1.93 (1967) TV episode …. Guest Appearance
    – Episode #1.92 (1967) TV episode …. Guest Appearance
    – Episode #1.91 (1967) TV episode …. Guest Appearance
    – Episode #1.90 (1967) TV episode …. Guest Appearance
    – Episode #1.89 (1967) TV episode …. Guest Appearance

    Archive Footage
    The 16th Annual Soap Opera Awards (2000) (TV) …. Spencer Harrison
    Terror in the Aisles (1984)
    The Horror Show (1979)
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    2020 An Aston Martin DB5 is stolen at Hawthorn Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, England.
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    Stolen Aston Martin DB5: can
    you help find it?
    By Lizzie Pope | News | 26 Aug 2020
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    Classic & Sports Car – Stolen Aston Martin DB5: can you help find it?

    This silver Aston Martin DB5 was stolen in broad daylight earlier this year – and now a £1000 reward is being offered to anyone who has information that leads to its safe recovery.

    On 18 July 2020, this 1965 example was taken from where it was parked on Hawthorn Lane, a residential street in Wilmslow, Cheshire, UK.

    And as if being a silver DB5, similar to 007’s car, wasn’t enough to make it stand out, this one, chassis number, DB5/2058/R, also has a unique, yellow-tinted front foglight as well as ‘Vantage’ badges on its sides.
    “This is a highly unusual theft in broad daylight and one we felt is of national significance. Old and young people alike have an affiliation with this classic motor which will forever be synonymous with James Bond,” said Neil Thomas, Director of Investigative Services at AX, which has launched this appeal.
    And if you have any information, please click here and help the investigation.
    https://www.ax-uk.com/have-you-spotted-the-missing-aston-martin-db5
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    Spotted the DB5
    somewhere?
    It's such an iconic classic how could anyone miss it, don't forget there is a £1000 reward for the safe return of this vehicle.
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    An iconic Aston Martin DB5, thought to be one the UK’s most valuable vehicles, has gone missing following a suspected theft on the 18th July.

    One of only 123 on the road worldwide, the vehicle went missing when parked on Hawthorn Lane in the Wilmslow area of Cheshire on the 18th July this year. Anyone with information which leads to the safe recovery of the vehicle could receive a reward of £1,000.
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    2023: Tuesday Afternoon at the Bijou | Clark County Library screens Live and Let Die at Las Vegas, Nevada.
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    Tuesday Afternoon at the Bijou | Live and Let Die
    Tuesday Afternoon at the Bijou | Live and Let Die (1973, PG, 119 min)
    Tuesday, July 18, 2023
    1:00PM – 3:00PM
    Clark County Library
    Description
    Return to the golden years of Hollywood for the classic films of the silver screen. From 1930 to the 1960s, five studios controls the majority of American filmmaking – MGM, Paramount, Fox, Warner Brothers, and RKO. They dominated the production of major motion pictures, controlling every aspect of a film’s production, from casting to shooting to distribution. Join us as we featuring one of these classic films at the library!

    Synopsis: Super spy James Bond goes after an ambitious bad guy who plans to dominate the world by getting people hooked on heroin. This was the first Bond film to feature Roger Moore as 007.
    Free and open to the public. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis and may be limited. For more information call, 702.507.3459.

    Program:
    Summer Challenge
    Suitable for:

    Adults
    Seniors
    Type:
    Movie
    Language:
    English
    Additional Details:
    Main Theater

    Contact Info
    Contact:

    Suzanne Scott
    Telephone:
    (702) 507-3459
    Email:
    [email protected]

    Clark County Library
    Address:
    1401 E. Flamingo Rd.
    Las Vegas NV 89119

    Phone: (702) 507-3400

  • RichardTheBruceRichardTheBruce I'm motivated by my Duty.
    Posts: 13,779
    July 19th

    1966: Lucrezia Lante della Rovere is born--Rome, Lazio, Italy.
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    1988: Licence to Kill films Felix Leiter disagreeing with something that eats him.
    1989: Licencia para matar (Catalan tite, Llicència per matar) released in Spain.
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    Not to be confused with this 1975 film. Or 1965 film.
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    2016: Garry Trent Marshall dies at age 81--Burbank, California.
    (Born 13 November 1934--The Bronx, New York City, New York.)
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    Garry Marshall (I) (1934–2016)
    Writer | Producer | Actor
    https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005190/
    Far left?
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    The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Jul 2020
    Remembering Garry Marshall: 5 Greatest Film and TV Cameos (Video)
    https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/remembering-garry-marshall-5-greatest-913063/lost-in-america/
    The writer-director, who died July 19 at age 81, was a well-known face on film and TV screens, thanks to dozens of memorable (if brief) appearances including in 'Never Been Kissed' and 'Goldfinger.'
    Goldfinger

    Yup, he was in a Bond movie. He’s one of the gangsters — we’re pretty sure he’s in a light grey suit — who get gassed in Goldfinger, his very first appearance on the big screen.

    Variety, Jul 19, 2016
    Garry Marshall, ‘Pretty Woman’ Director and Creator of ‘Happy Days,’ Dies at 81
    https://variety.com/2016/film/news/garry-marshall-dead-dies-pretty-woman-happy-days-1201817964/
    Marshall also had a long acting career that began in the early 1960s. He played a hoodlum in the James Bond film “Goldfinger” and made appearances, most uncredited, in many of his film and TV projects. He had a recurring role on “Murphy Brown” as the head of the network and guested on shows ranging form “Monk” and “The Sarah Silverman Show” to “ER.” His many small film roles included a part in sister Penny’s “A League of Their Own” as a cheapskate baseball team owner, which he reprised in the brief TV series based on the movie. In his son Scott Marshall’s 2006 comedy “Keeping Up With the Steins,” Marshall had a small but notable role as the grandfather of the bar mitzvah boy who has adopted Native American customs.

    The Washington Post, 20 July 2016
    The many lives of Garry Marshall, ‘Happy Days’ creator, dead at 81
    https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/07/20/garry-marshall-creator-of-happy-days-and-director-of-pretty-woman-dead-at-81/
    He often stepped in front of the camera as well.

    One of his first roles was as an uncredited “hoodlum” in the 1964 James Bond film “Goldfinger.”

    Later, he became a recurring character on “Murphy Brown” as Stan Lansing. He continued to work until his death, appearing in “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” Netflix’s “BoJack Horseman” and the reboot of “The Odd Couple” in just the past two years.

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    2017: Dynamite Entertainment releases James Bond Kill Chain #1.
    Luca Casalanguida, artist. Andy Diggle, writer.
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    JAMES BOND: KILL CHAIN #1 (OF 6)
    https://www.dynamite.com/htmlfiles/viewProduct.html?PRO=C72513026017801011
    Cover A: Greg Smallwood
    Cover B: Juan Doe
    Cover C: Luca Casalanguida
    Writer: Andy Diggle
    Art: Luca Casalanguida
    Publication Date: July 2017
    Format: Comic Book
    Page Count: 32 Pages
    ON SALE DATE: 7/19
    When a counterespionage operation in Rotterdam goes catastrophically wrong,

    James Bond finds himself in the crosshairs of a plot to smash NATO. Someone is assassinating allied agents, and 007 is the next target in the kill chain. Having kept the peace for decades, the old alliance is collapsing, pitting MI6 against its former ally - the CIA! Dynamite Entertainment proudly presents the return of writer Andy Diggle (James Bond: Hammerhead, The Losers, Green Arrow: Year One) and artist Luca Casalanguida (James Bond: Hammerhead) as they plot the return of James Bond's oldest and deadliest foe: SMERSH!
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    2021: Royal Albert Hall's 150th anniversary anticipates a new composition from David Arnold.
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    A closer look at David Arnold’s
    new composition for our 150th
    anniversary
    Monday 12 July 2021 | Music RAH 150 About The Hall

    To mark our 150th birthday, composer David Arnold (James Bond films, Independence Day, Sherlock) has turned his compositional genius to create a musical history of the Hall comprised of ten movements. This new piece will be performed for the first time at our 150th Anniversary Concert on 19 July.
    https://www.royalalberthall.com/tickets/events/2021/150th-anniversary-concert/

    At the start of the writing process, David Arnold picked ten themes inspired by the Hall’s rich history, then went out into the community along with musical facilitator and composer James Moriarty to conduct workshops with primary school and secondary school children as well as music college groups, sheltered housing groups and Chelsea pensioners. The ten movements take inspiration from the workshop participants’ experiences of the Hall and their hopes and wishes for our future. The result, titled A Circle of Sound, is a beacon of our culture and our community.

    Watch David and James talk about their incredible journey composing this musical snapshot of the Hall’s unique history, which started in 2019:
    Let’s take a closer look at the themes that inspired the ten movements in A Circle of Sound

    [MORE}


    Please support the Royal Albert Hall during the coronavirus crisis.

    Donate online, join us as a Friend, or text 70490 with the following:
    5ALBERT to donate £5
    10ALBERT to donate £10
    20ALBERT to donate £20

    Registered charity No.254543. Text-to-donate operates via major UK networks only and cost the donation amount plus one standard rate message.
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    150th Anniversary
    Concert

    David Arnold's 'A Circle of Sound'
    Monday 19 July 2021
    Starts: 7:30pm
    Ends (approximately): 9:30pm
    Join us in this celebration of the Hall’s 150th birthday at our first full-capacity event since March 2020

    David Arnold (James Bond films, Independence Day, Sherlock) turns his compositional genius to create a musical snapshot of the Hall’s unique history. Let this new ten-movement work, titled A Circle of Sound, take you on a sonic journey through our first 150 years.

    Special guests including Melanie C, Michael Sheen, Nicola Adams, Brian Cox, Claudia Winkleman, Jess Gillam, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Charles Dance, LionHeart, Eden Tikare, Jemma Redgrave and Helen Pankhurst will join David on stage to present readings about each movement penned by writers Neil Gaiman, Jack Thorne, Dorian Lynskey and Joe Penhall.

    Creative agency People – who produced the show and visuals for the 2019 Special Olympics Opening and Closing Ceremonies – and film production house White Stone Media will bring the show to life on the big screen.

    Local choirs, schools, and other community groups worked with David for over a year to compose this new piece. They will also take to the stage to show the importance of our community after this year of turmoil, supported by our very own Albert’s Orchestra and the National Youth Choir of Great Britain.

    We can’t wait to welcome you back for this special anniversary event celebrating our history this summer.

    This event is kindly supported by John Lyon’s Charity
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    2022: Last day for Rocket League promotion of the Bond 60th Anniversary.
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    James Bond Comes to
    Rocket League for Bond’s
    60th Anniversary
    By aNb Mediaaccess_time

    James Bond Rocket League
    Psyonix, the San Diego video game developer, in collaboration with Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM) and Aston Martin, is celebrating 60 years of James Bond with new and returning James Bond-themed content in Rocket League available beginning July 13, on all platforms!

    007’s Aston Martin DBS is making its debut in Rocket League and will include 007’s Aston Martin DBS Engine Audio, 007’s Aston Martin DBS Wheels, a Reel Life Decal, and Aston Martin DBS Player Banner. The iconic James Bond Theme will also be available for the first time in the game as a Player Anthem. 007’s Aston Martin DBS will be available for 1100 Credits and the James Bond Theme Player Anthem will be available for 300 Credits in the Item Shop.
    Additionally, the previously released 007’s Aston Martin DB5 and 007’s Aston Martin Valhalla will be returning and available in the Item Shop for 1100 Credits each. All of the mentioned James Bond-themed content will be available in Rocket League from July 13 until July 19 and for more information, see here.
    https://www.rocketleague.com/news/james-bond-infiltrates-rocket-league/
    Winner or nominee of more than 150 “Game of the Year” awards, Rocket League is one of the most critically acclaimed sports games of our generation. Rocket League is a high-powered hybrid of arcade-style soccer and vehicular mayhem with easy-to-understand controls and fluid, physics-driven competition. Available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on Epic Games Store, Rocket League includes nearly endless customization possibilities, online Ranks and Competitive Tournaments, a fully featured offline season mode, multiple game types, casual and competitive online matches, and special “Mutators” that let you change the rules entirely. To learn more about Rocket League, please visit www.RocketLeague.com.

    Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM) is a leading entertainment company focused on the production and global distribution of film and television content across all platforms. The company owns one of the world’s deepest libraries of premium film and television content as well as the premium pay television network EPIX, which is available throughout the U.S. via cable, satellite, telco, and digital distributors. In addition, MGM has investments in numerous other television channels, digital platforms, interactive ventures, and is producing premium short-form content for distribution. For more information, visit www.mgm.com.
    https://www.rocketleague.com/news/james-bond-infiltrates-rocket-league/


    James Bond Theme player anthem is in the Rocket League Item Shop for 300 Credits, let's hear it.... (1:55)


    007’s Aston Martin DB5 Arrives in Rocket League (0:48)


    Rocket League James Bond Aston Martin Valhalla Trailer (0:55)


  • RichardTheBruceRichardTheBruce I'm motivated by my Duty.
    Posts: 13,779
    July 20th

    1938: Dame Enid Diana Elizabeth Rigg DBE is born--Doncaster, Yorkshire, England.
    (She dies 20 September 2020 at age 82--London, England.)
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    Diana Rigg, Emma Peel of ‘The Avengers,’
    Dies at 82
    Ms. Rigg also played many classic roles onstage in both New York
    and London and, late in her career, found new fans on “Game of
    Thrones.”
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    Diana Rigg as Emma Peel in “The Avengers.”
    Credit...Terry Disney/Hulton Archive, via Getty Images
    By Anita Gates | Sept. 10, 2020

    Diana Rigg, the British actress who enthralled London and New York theater audiences with her performances in classic roles for more than a half-century but remained best known as the quintessential new woman of the 1960s — sexy, confident, witty and karate-adept — on the television series “The Avengers,” died on Thursday at her home in London. She was 82.

    Her daughter, Rachael Stirling, said in a statement that the cause was cancer.

    Ms. Rigg had late-career success in a recurring role, from 2013 to 2016, as the outspoken and demanding Lady Olenna Tyrell on HBO’s acclaimed series “Game of Thrones.” “I wonder if you’re the worst person I ever met,” Lady Olenna once said to her nemesis Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey). “At a certain age, it’s hard to recall.”

    But Ms. Rigg’s first and biggest taste of stardom came in 1965, when, as a 26-year-old veteran of the Royal Shakespeare Company, she was cast on the fourth season of ITV’s “The Avengers.” As Emma Peel, she was the stylish new crime-fighting partner of the dapper intelligence agent John Steed (Patrick Macnee), replacing Honor Blackman, who had left to star in the James Bond film “Goldfinger.” (Ms. Blackman died in April.)
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    Ms. Rigg in “The Assassination Bureau,” released in 1969.
    Credit...Bob Dear/Associated Press
    Although Mrs. Peel, as Steed frequently addressed her, remained on the show relatively briefly, she quickly became the star attraction, especially when “The Avengers” was broadcast in the United States, beginning in 1966. Reviewing the 1969 movie “The Assassination Bureau,” in which she starred, Vincent Canby of The New York Times described Ms. Rigg in her Emma Peel persona as a “tall, lithe Modigliani of a girl with the sweet sophistication of Nora Charles and the biceps of Barbarella.”

    She had left the show by then for a luminous career in feature films. Her other roles included Helena in Peter Hall’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (1968), Portia in an all-star version of “Julius Caesar” (1970), a free spirit who tempted George C. Scott in Arthur Hiller and Paddy Chayefsky’s satire “The Hospital” (1971), and the cheated-on wife in Harold Prince’s interpretation of the Stephen Sondheim musical “A Little Night Music” (1978).
    But again it was for something of an action role that she received the greatest attention, when she played a crime boss’s daughter in “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” (1969), the only James Bond film to star George Lazenby. Her character had the distinction among Agent 007’s movie love interests of actually marrying Bond, but she was killed off in the final scene, for the sake of future plot lines.
    Ms. Rigg returned to television, largely in more serious roles than before, among them Clytemnestra, Hedda Gabler, Regan in “King Lear” and Lady Dedlock in “Bleak House.” And although she said that she was not a fan of mysteries herself, she was the host of the PBS series “Mystery!” from 1989 to 2003 and played Gladys Mitchell’s unconventional detective Adela Bradley on the BBC series “The Mrs. Bradley Mysteries” from 1998 to 2000.
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    In “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service,” starring Ms. Rigg and George Lazenby, right,
    she played the only one of James Bond’s love interests to marry the secret agent.
    Credit...United Artists
    Ms. Rigg never neglected the theater, where she had begun. She joined the National Theater Company in 1972 and went on to acclaimed performances both on Broadway and in the West End, interpreting writers as different as Tom Stoppard (“Night and Day,” “Jumpers”) and Mr. Sondheim (a 1987 London production of “Follies”).

    She continued working in theater well into her 70s, starring in “The Cherry Orchard” in 2008 and “Hay Fever” in 2009, both at the Chichester Festival Theater. One of her final stage roles was as Mrs. Higgins, the protagonist’s imperious but sensible mother, in a 2011 production of “Pygmalion” at the Garrick Theater in London. Thirty-seven years before, at what was then the Albery Theater, a few streets away, she had been the play’s ingénue, Eliza Doolittle. (She played Mrs. Higgins again in the 2018 Lincoln Center Theater revival of “My Fair Lady.”)

    Wherever Ms. Rigg went, honors seemed to follow. She received the 1994 Tony Award for best actress in a play for her performance in the title role of “Medea.” In London she had already received the Evening Standard Theater Award for the same role, an honor she received again, in 1996, for both Edward Albee’s “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” and Bertolt Brecht’s “Mother Courage and Her Children.”

    She never won the Olivier Award, London’s Tony equivalent, but she was nominated three times: for “Mother Courage” (1996), “Virginia Woolf” (1997) and Jean Racine’s “Britannicus/Phèdre” (1999).

    Her most notable British screen award was a 1990 best actress honor from Bafta, the British film and television academy, for “Mother Love,” a BBC mini-series in which she played a murderously possessive parent. From 1967 to 2018 she was nominated for nine Emmy Awards, including four for “Game of Thrones.” She won in 1997 as best supporting actress in a mini-series or special for her role in a British-German production of “Rebecca,” based on the Daphne du Maurier novel. Mrs. Peel had become Mrs. Danvers.
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    Ms. Rigg had a late-career success as the outspoken and demanding
    Lady Olenna Tyrell on “Game of Thrones.”
    Credit...Helen Sloan/HBO
    Enid Diana Elizabeth Rigg was born on July 20, 1938, in Doncaster, Yorkshire, the daughter of a railroad engineer who soon moved his family to India for a job with the national railway. She returned to England when she was 8 to attend boarding school and remained in the country to complete her education.

    Ms. Rigg entered the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art at 17 and made her professional debut two years later, in 1957, in Brecht’s drama “The Caucasian Chalk Circle.” As a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company (1959-64), she began in minor parts and advanced to meatier ones, including Lady Macduff in “Macbeth” and Bianca in “The Taming of the Shrew.”

    Ms. Rigg was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1988 and a Dame Commander in 1994. Her marriages — to Menachem Gueffen, an Israeli artist (1973-76), and to Archibald Sterling, a Scottish businessman and theater producer (1982-90) — ended in divorce. Her surviving daughter, Rachael, from her second marriage, is an actress. Ms. Rigg is also survived by a grandson.

    Although Ms. Rigg’s career was distinguished, it had disappointing if not unpleasant moments. An American sitcom, “Diana” (1973), in which she played a fashion designer on her own in New York, lasted only one season. And when she did a much-talked-about nude scene on Broadway in “Abelard and Heloise” (1971), she was nominated for a Tony but suffered the particular slings and arrows of one critic, John Simon of New York magazine, who was notorious for criticizing actors’ looks and described her as “built like a brick mausoleum with insufficient flying buttresses.”

    Ms. Rigg fought back at critics in general by compiling similarly unkind criticism in a 1983 book, “No Turn Unstoned: The Worst Ever Theatrical Reviews.” Its reassuring examples included a comparison, by the Australian broadcaster Clive James, of Laurence Olivier’s Shylock to the cartoon character Scrooge McDuck.
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    Ms. Rigg at a party in New York to celebrate her 80th birthday, in July 2018.
    Credit...Rebecca Smeyne for The New York Times
    In interviews, Ms. Rigg was both philosophical and flexible about her career. She suggested in the 1970s that “it would have been death to have been labeled forever by that one TV series,” referring to “The Avengers,” then defended a return to television in the late ’90s with the thought that “being doomed to the classics is as limiting as doing a series for the rest of your life.”

    But when she was appearing in “Medea,” her love for the stage was evident. “It’s simply to do with an appetite now for really good work in the final third of my life,” she told The New York Times in 1994.
    “The theater to me is home; in some curious way, I don’t belong anywhere else.”
    -- Diana Rigg
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    Diana Rigg (I) (1938–2020)
    Actress | Soundtrack | Costume and Wardrobe Department
    https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001671/
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    1960: Ian Fleming writes a letter to Richard Chopping soliciting book cover art for Thunderball.
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    The title of the book will be Thunderball.
    It is immensely long, immensely dull
    and only your jacket can save it!
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    1964: Chris Cornell is born--Seattle, Washington.
    (He dies 18 May 2017 at age 52--Detroit, Michigan.)
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    Chris Cornell obituary
    Lead singer of rock bands Soundgarden and Audioslave, and one of
    the trailblazers of Seattle’s grunge scene
    Adam Sweeting | Thu 18 May 2017 13.29 EDT
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    Chris Cornell on stage just hours before his death - video report
    As the lead singer of the Seattle-based band Soundgarden, Chris Cornell, who has been found dead at the age of 52, had been one of the trailblazers of the city’s grunge movement in the late 1980s and 90s. Having achieved stardom with that band, he went on to further great success with Audioslave in the new millennium, while also developing a flourishing solo career. At the time of his death, Cornell was in the middle of a tour with Soundgarden, who had re-formed in 2010 after a 13-year hiatus, and had just performed at the Fox theatre in Detroit.
    Chris Cornell:
    rock star who
    kicked down the
    boundaries of sound
    Alexis Petridis
    The group was started in 1984 by Cornell, along with guitarist Kim Thayil and bass player Hiro Yamamoto, with Matt Cameron becoming their full-time drummer in 1986. After releasing a single, Hunted Down (1987) on the Seattle-based Sub Pop label, and a debut album, Ultramega OK (1988), for the independent SST, Yamamoto left the band, and was briefly replaced by Jason Everman, formerly of Nirvana, before Ben Shepherd joined on bass. Soundgarden signed to A&M records, and their second release for that label, Badmotorfinger (1991), became a multi-platinum seller in the US, also reaching the Top 40 in the UK. The singles from that album, Outshined and Rusty Cage, received heavy play on alternative radio stations and MTV, and Badmotorfinger earned a Grammy nomination in 1992.

    An invitation to open for Guns N’ Roses on their Use Your Illusion tour (1991-93) introduced Soundgarden to huge new audiences in both the US and Europe, as did an opening slot with the heavy metal band Skid Row in 1992. “Our big moment of truth was when we were offered a slot opening up for Skid Row and we didn’t know what to do with that,” Cornell told the music journalist Pete Makowski in 2011. “Was that good or bad? And what happened was we toured with them and their audience all bought Soundgarden records.”

    A berth on the 1992 Lollapalooza tour alongside Ministry, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and fellow Seattleites Pearl Jam framed Soundgarden as one of the rising names in American alternative rock. (In 1990 Cornell had joined with members of Pearl Jam to form Temple of the Dog, in tribute to the late Andy Wood of another Seattle band, Mother Love Bone. They released an eponymous album in 1991, and last year reunited for a 25th-anniversary tour.) Cornell also had a solo cameo performance in Cameron Crowe’s 1992 Seattle-based romcom Singles, with his gentle acoustic track Seasons.

    Soundgarden’s next album, Superunknown (1994), duly topped the US chart (and reached No 4 in the UK), and went on to sell 5m copies in the States alone. After extensive international touring, Soundgarden started work on their fifth album, Down on the Upside, though Cornell’s desire to lighten the group’s dark, metallic sound with acoustic instruments triggered arguments with his bandmates. When it was released in 1996, it was acclaimed by reviewers but sales fell far short of its predecessor’s. After a further marathon bout of touring, the group announced they were splitting in April 1997.

    Cornell released his first solo album, Euphoria Morning, in 1999. This found him exploring a mix of rock, pop and psychedelia, allowing him to use different facets of his impressive vocal range beyond a heavy-rock roar, though again critical enthusiasm did not translate into huge sales. But his solo career was put on hold when he formed Audioslave in 2001, with former Rage Against the Machine members Tom Morello, Brad Wilk and Tim Commerford, who had been recommended Cornell by the producer Rick Rubin.

    Over the next five years they recorded three albums, Audioslave (2002), Out of Exile (2005) and Revelations (2006). The first of these was by far the most successful, selling 3m albums in the States and spinning off five hit singles including Cochise, Like a Stone and I Am the Highway. The release of Revelations (which reached No 2 on the US charts and 12 in Britain) was preceded by the appearance of two of its tracks, Wide Awake and Shape of Things to Come, in Michael Mann’s film Miami Vice (2006).

    Cornell quit Audioslave in early 2007. This was a significant period in his career, since he had been suffering from problems with drug and alcohol abuse during his later years with Soundgarden, and had made a strenuous effort to overcome them. “It was really hard to recover from, just mentally,” he recalled. “I think Audioslave suffered from that because my feet hadn’t hit the ground yet. I was sober but I don’t think my brain was clear … It took me five years of sobriety to even get certain memories back.”

    Born Christopher Boyle in Seattle, to Ed Boyle, a pharmacist, and Karen (nee Cornell), an accountant, Chris had three younger sisters and two older brothers. After his parents’ divorce, when Chris was a teenager, he and his siblings took their mother’s maiden name. He attended a Catholic elementary school, Christ the King, then Shorewood high school, but left education at 16, and worked various jobs (including sous-chef at Ray’s Boathouse restaurant).

    In a 1994 Rolling Stone interview he said: “I went from being a daily drug user at 13 to having bad drug experiences and quitting drugs by the time I was 14 and then not having any friends until the time I was 16.” He eventually found his feet as a musician, and it was while performing with the Shemps, a covers band, that he met Thayil and Yamamoto, with whom he subsequently formed Soundgarden.
    In 2006, Cornell composed and recorded "You Know My Name", the theme song for the James Bond movie Casino Royale. He put out his second solo effort, Carry On, in 2007, and promoted it with a campaign of touring, both in his own right and as a support act to Aerosmith.
    In 2009 he released his next album, Scream, on which he collaborated with the producer Timbaland. It reached No 10 on the US album chart, Cornell’s highest solo chart placing. In 2011 he released the live album Songbook, a document of his solo acoustic Songbook tour on which he played songs from all phases of his career as well as versions of Led Zeppelin’s Thank You and John Lennon’s Imagine. “I felt like I can’t really call myself a musician or entertainer if I can’t pick up a guitar by myself and hold someone’s attention,” he explained of his decision to perform solo.

    By now he was working with the reformed Soundgarden, who released the compilation Telephantasm: A Retrospective (2010). Their first new song to go public was Live to Rise, which featured in the 2012 movie The Avengers, and later that year they followed up with an album of new material, King Animal (it reached No 5 in the US and 21 in Britain). Cornell’s most recent solo album was Higher Truth (2015), a mellow, melodic work, which entered the US Top 20.

    He is survived by his wife, Vicky Karayiannis, whom he married in 2004, their son, Christopher Nicholas, their daughter, Toni, and by a daughter, Lillian, from his first marriage, to Susan Silver, which ended in divorce.

    • Chris Cornell (Christopher John Boyle), singer, songwriter and musician, born 20 July 1964; died 17 May 2017
    Note: most sources confirm his death as on 18 May 2017.
    1965: 007 contra Goldfinger released in Colombia.
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    1971: Diamonds Are Forever films OO7 stealing a moon buggy.
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    1985: A View to a Kill released in Davao, the Philippines.
    1989: The Lantern reviews Licence to Kill.
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    Action carries 'Licence to Kill '
    See the complete article here:
    The Lantern, 20 July 1989
    Action carries 'Licence to Kill'
    Although the latest James Bond movie , "Licence to Kill," has the thrills and speed of a roller coaster , Timothy Dalton ' s performance makes the ride stop a little short . No one can match Sean Connery ' s mastery of the character — although at his best Roger Moore came close — ' but Dalton seems to have particular trouble getting a grip on the part. At times , his lines are stilted and Dalton appears to be merely walking through the part, rather than sinking his teeth into it. But 007 fans won't be disappointed by the odds we've come to expect in these movies. Once again , it's about one hundred enemies to one James Bond — and Bond rises to the occasion admirably . This time, the enemy is drug-ring leader Franz Sanchez, played by Robert Dari . Sanchez is running a multimillion-dollar drug operation masked as a religious television.

    FILM ELAINE TORRIE show. As the television "preacher" asks for donations from the viewer audience , drug dealers call in bids. ROBERT DAVI, as Sanchez, presents us with a cold villain who has no redeeming qualities. His hard, flat eyes match those of the lizards he keeps as pets. Felix Leiter (David Hedison), Bond's fellow agent and friend, was getting close to having enough information on Sanchez to do him in, when Sanchez has Leiter murdered. When Bond sets off to avenge his friend's death, he is told by his superiors to stay off the case — that it's "too personal" to him — but he refuses and sets off after Sanchez. Bond finds help in the form of Pam Bouvier (Carey Lowell), a former Army pilot and ex-CIA agent. Bouvier, unlike most of the women in earlier Bond movies , is intelligent, brave and capable. When Bond doubts Bouvier's abilities early on, she informs him that she ' s already "flown to the toughest hell holes in South America ." CAREY LOWELL is a delightful surprise as a female Bond sidekick. She brings grit, gumption and vulnerability to her character. How refreshing to see a capable woman in a Bond movie ! She even saves Bond's life at one point. In "The Living Daylights," the previous Bond movie, the filmmakers made a bow to our conservative times and made Bond monogamous. In the latest, the 16th movie in the Bond series, Bond is once again playing the field. Not only does he become romantically involved with Bouvier, he also has an affair with Latin beauty Lupe Lamora (Talisa Soto), who happens to be Sanchez's girlfriend. Talisa Soto poses through the role of yet another Bond beauty. AGENT Q (Desmond Llewelyn) appears briefly with wonderful gadgets such as toothpaste that explodes. The chase scenes and special effects are innovative and fun, with scenes such as Bond waterskiing behind an airplane and a burning car flying off a mountainside over the top of a low-flying plane. Director John Glen takes us through the movie at break-neck speed, which was a wise decision considering Dalton's trouble with the part.

    Courtesy MCM / UA Carey Lowell and Timothy Dalton star in the latest James Bond adventure "Licence to Kill."
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    2006: Principal photography is a wrap for Casino Royale.
    2006: Finnish newspaper Ilta-Sanomat reports Chris Cornell is working on the Bond title song.
    2006: SuperHeroHype reports news at the time projecting a 2 May 2008(!) release for BOND 22.
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    22nd James Bond Coming May 2, 2008!
    SuperHeroHype | Thursday, July 20, 2006

    It was announced today by producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. and Sony Pictures Entertainment, that the 22nd James Bond adventure will be released by Columbia Pictures on May 2, 2008 with Daniel Craig reprising the role of the legendary British secret agent.

    The story for the latest James Bond film produced by the franchise holders, EON Productions has yet to be announced.
    “As we wrap production on ‘Casino Royale’ we couldn’t be more excited about the direction the franchise is heading with Daniel Craig. Daniel has taken the origins of Ian Fleming’s James Bond portraying, with emotional complexity, a darker and edgier 007,” said Wilson and Broccoli.
    Source: Columbia Pictures

    2018: The Guardian reports BOND 25 will feature a Russian villain. [Later changed.]
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    Next James Bond villain to be 'cold and charismatic' Russian
    Leaked call sheet for Danny Boyle script suggests a plot inspired by current affairs, while Māori actor is sought for a support role
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    Daniel Craig will play the central role in the as-yet-untitled 25th Bond film.
    Photograph: Kobal/REX/Shutterstock
    Andrew Pulver | @Andrew_Pulver | Fri 20 Jul 2018

    The Trump-Russia saga has given us many things – DNC email hacks, #TreasonSummit, Maria Butina – but it may yet give us something else: a Russian Bond villain. Though film production is a a slow-moving affair, it looks as if life may well imitate art when the next 007 film – currently known only as Bond 25 – is released, with a “charismatic, cold and vindictive” Russian seemingly set to be 007’s principal antagonist.

    According to a casting call sheet obtained by well-established unofficial Bond fan site mi6-hq.com, producers are looking to cast a a Russian actor in a male leading role (though producers are “also open to suggestions of actors from the Balkans or similar”). The list of characteristics – “charismatic, powerful, innovative, cosmopolitan, bright, cold and vindictive” – suggests a villain, while fluent English is required, crucial for that “I kill you, Mr Bond” dialogue.

    The casting sheet also suggests the film is in the market for a “very striking” and “strong physical” female lead role, also Russian; but her characteristics – “intelligent, brave, fierce and charming … witty and skilful. A survivor” – suggest she will be more sympathetic, possibly some sort of double agent. And in apparent accordance with the ethnically diverse casting of past Bond-movie henchmen – Oddjob, Baron Samedi – producers appear to be looking for a Māori actor with “stage combat skills” to play an “authoritative, cunning, ruthless and loyal” character.

    More often than not, Bond villains accord with where global menace is perceived to be swirling most darkly – hence the run of maverick industrialists in the 1970s, or the Murdoch-esque telecoms magnate Eliot Carver in 1997’s Tomorrow Never Dies.
    Bond 25 has been in development at least since March 2018, when Danny Boyle confirmed that he and his Trainspotting collaborator John Hodge were working on a script. Boyle was subsequently confirmed as director, as was the return of Daniel Craig in the central role.

    No plot details have yet been revealed but Boyle and Hodge have plenty of real-life material to work with. Spy Anna Chapman was deported from New York in 2010 as part of a prisoner exchange; Russian military intervention in Ukraine began in 2014 and led to the annexation of Crimea; then came the DNC email hack during the 2016 election and the recent unmasking of another Russian spy, Maria Butina, with connections to the NRA.

    For a film series so closely identified with the cold war and east-west tensions, Bond has had remarkably few Russian villains. Its most famous baddie, the cat-stroking terrorist mastermind Ernst Stavro Blofeld, who appeared most recently in 2015’s Spectre, hails from behind the iron curtain, but is Polish. High-profile Russian baddies include dagger-booted Rosa Klebb (From Russia With Love) and bomb-happy General Orlov (Octopussy). The most recent was Robert Carlyle’s pain-impervious hitman Renard in 1999’s The World Is Not Enough.
    Bond 25 is due to be released on 25 October 2019. [Later changed.]

    2023: A Taste of Bond at Murray Bridge Town Hall, Murray Bridge, South Australia.
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    Taste of
    Bond
    Thu
    20 Jul
    Murray Bridge Town Hall
    Event Description
    Adelaide’s leading entertainer Greg Hart combines with his dynamic partner in crime, Trish Hart to bring you the big James Bond Themes. Thunderball, From Russia with Love, Skyfall, Goldfinger, Diamonds Are Forever, Live and Let Die and more. These two incredible performers will thrill and tantalise you with this very special show.
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    2023: Be Kind, Rewind - A Retro Adult Gaming Night at Sci-Port Discovery Center, Shreveport, Louisiana.
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    Be Kind, Rewind A Retro Adult Gaming Night -
    Sci-Port Discovery Center
    July 20, 2023 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm
    Sci-Port
    820 Clyde Fant PkwyShreveport LA 71101
    Description
    What’s the 411 for adult fun this summer?

    Well, it’s Throwback Thursday Night at Sci-Port Discovery Center as the staff rewinds the VCR tape back to the 1990s with a GamePort “for adults only” evening on July 20th from 7-10 P.M.

    Come and enjoy all of the game action inside this summer’s “GamePort” exhibit. Play the classic “Golden Eye” [sic] James Bond video game via a Nintendo Switch tournament on a giant screen, “get jiggy with it” as the DJ “spins records with classic 1990s tunes, and play a 1990’s-themed movie trivia game in the “high school” cafeteria and hang out with that popular “Science Guy”.
    Your $25 ticket ($45 a couple) includes all of the 90’s activities as well as a very retro cafeteria meal. Enjoy a nostalgic beverage, a slice of pizza, a scoop of popcorn, and a vintage-style candy bar. Spiked Icees will be available for purchase and a full cash bar will be on hand. Additional food items will also be available for purchase.

    Sci-Port will award prizes for the following categories:

    Golden Eye tournament winner
    Trivia Game winner
    Dress to Impress as “da bomb” or “fly” in your 90’s themed attire
    Who
    Kids & Families
    Cost
    $25 each or $45/couple
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    2023: MG Car Show includes a classic 1973 MGB from a 1974 Bond film at Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
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    MG Car Show
    See the complete article here:
    Event Description
    Join us and the Calgary MG Car Group for the North American MGB Register for their annual North American Car Show on July 20! Come celebrate the 100th anniversary of MG Cars, a small British vehicle with a rich history. You will even get a chance to see a classic 1979 [correction: 1973] MGB, which was featured in the James Bond movie, ‘The Man with the Golden Gun’.
    The car show will be set up on Celebration Field.
    Ticket Prices
    Included with admission to Heritage Park
    Event Date
    July 20
    Event Times
    10:00 am - 3:00 pm

    Location
    Heritage Park Historical Village
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    1973 MG B Roadster [ADO23]
    https://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_3122-MG-B-ADO23-1973.html

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  • Posts: 1,708
    (July 20 , 1973 : Bruce Lee dies age 32

    Linda has never told the truth about Bruce Lee's death and his drug abuse : Bruce and Andre Morgan smoked weed at Golden Harvest studios in the morning July 20th , Chow drove him to Bettys place at noon I believe , early evening he had head ache and went to bed , I get the impression Raymond Chow stalled and stalled the time until ambulance came. Bruce was gonna eat dinner with Chow & 007 Lazenby who was going to have a role in Game of Death. Ambulance people supposedly found cocaine in Bruce's pocket. Linda lied to get insurance money , she never mentioned Bruce' drug abuse. 3 months earlier Bob Baker (Bruce' drug supplier & bodyguard) was seriously worried with Bruce' drug abuse but Linda wrote back that Bruce was fine. Even more disturbing is the possibility that Bruce & Linda were dealing drugs , why else would she ask Bob about getting a scale in one of the letters ? (Tom Bleeker wrote about Lee and drugs already back in '96 but people laughed at him , seems he was right after all)
  • RichardTheBruceRichardTheBruce I'm motivated by my Duty.
    Posts: 13,779
    July 21st

    1973: United Artists release the Live and Let Die soundtrack.
    1975: Goldfinger re-released in Spain.
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    1977: 鐵金剛勇破 海底城 (Tiě jīngāng yǒng pò hǎidǐ chéng; Iron King Underwater City) released in Hong Kong. 1978: Lewis Gilbert in The San Bernardino Sun says the next Bond film will have Bond and Drax but little else from Moonraker.
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    THE SUN-TELEGRAM
    Can James Bond beat the Brazilian
    bureaucracy ?
    https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SBS19780721.1.51&e=
    Fri., July 21, 1978
    By EDGAR MILLER Associated Press
    RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil

    Much of James Bond's next muItimillion dollar spy movie will take place in Brazil if nature and the Brazilian government decide to cooperate. One of the main scenes in Brazil, says English director Lewis Gilbert, would be at Iguazu Falls on the Brazil-Paraguay border. But a severe drought in southern Brazil has left the normally spectacular falls a barren cliff with only a tiny stream of water. Gilbert, whose last James Bond movie, "The Spy Who Loved Me," grossed, he claims, more than $100 million, says filming of the Brazilian part of "Moonraker" will begin In January and that by that time, he hopes summer rains will have filled the Parana River with water again. The other problem the production company is facing is Brazilian bureaucracy. The scripts of all movies filmed in Brazil must be approved in advance by the government. So far, the "Moonraker" script is languishing on some bureaucrat's desk in Brasilia. "I don't think we'll have any real problem with the Brazilians," Gilbert says. '"This is the most fantastic advertising that Brazil could have." He said that Brazilian authorities apparently are concerned that foreign movie producers might show the seamier side of Brazilian life. "But they don't have to worry because we only show the beautiful part," Gilbert says. "James Bond is a creature of luxury and he doesn't hang around in favelas." Favelas are Brazilian slums.

    Gilbert says tourism in Egypt jumped tremendously after "The Spy Who Loved Me," much of which was filmed there. Other scenes from "Moonraker" will be filmed in Paris, Venice, San Francisco and Guatemala. The movie will have little in common with the Ian Fleming novel of the same name, Gilbert says, except for Bond, to be played by Roger Moore, beautiful girls and the villain, Hugo Drax. As for plot, Gilbert would only say it will deal with space, noting the whole concept of space has changed since Fleming wrote the book. Carnival scenes from Rio's famous pre-Lenten celebration were filmed earlier this year. "We'll use them for backdrops and re-create our own carnival for Bond," Gilbert says. The famous Bond escapades are a "top secret" but Gilbert promises they will "top anything up to now." Cost of the production will be considerably more than the $15 million the previous Bond movie cost, Gilbert says. It will be Gilbert's third Bond movie and his 31st film.

    1988: Licence to Kill films OO7 attacking Q.
    1989: 007 ja lupa tappaa (007 and Permission to Kill; or Swedish: 007 och rätten att döda, 007 and the Right to Kill) released in Finland.
    2012: BBC Radio 4 airs its third Bond radio drama: From Russia With Love. Toby Stephens returns.
    2018: Macario “Mac” Gómez Quibus dies at age 92--Olesa de Montserrat, Spain.
    (Born 8 March 1926--Reus, Spain.)
    2021: Dynamite Entertainment releases James Bond Agent of Spectre #5.
    Luca Casalanguida, artist. Christos Gage, writer.
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    JAMES BOND: AGENT OF SPECTRE #5
    https://www.dynamite.com/htmlfiles/viewProduct.html?CAT=DF-James_Bond_Agent_of_Spectre
    Cover A: Luca Casalanguida
    Writer: Christos Gage
    Artist: Luca Casalanguida
    Genre: Action/Adventure
    Publication Date: July 2021
    Format: Comic Book
    Page Count: 32
    ON SALE DATE: 7/21/2021
    The SPECTRE Civil War reaches its explosive conclusion! Who will come out on top, the established Ernst Stavro Blofeld or the upstart Titania Jones? Either way, will James Bond -- and the world -- survive? Can 007 use this war to bring SPECTRE down from within...or will he end up just one more casualty?
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    2023: An Evening With James Bond at Kufstein, Austria.
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    An Evening
    With James
    Bond
    -
    Kufstein,
    Austria
    Friday, July 21, 2023
    7:30pm – 10:00pm

    CT10
    UK
    An open air James Bond concert with Innviertler Symphonie Orchester conducted by Nicholas Milton.
    Sonderkonzert - An evening with James Bond
    Freitag, 21. Juli 2023

    Ein Streifzug durch die Popgeschichte mit den berühmtesten James-Bond-Titelsongs von 1963 bis heute (Adele – Skyfall, Billy Eilish – No time to die…).
    Und da man schließlich nur zweimal lebt, begibt sich Nicholas Milton, der Mann mit dem goldenen Taktstock einen Abend lang in den Geheimdienst Ihrer Majestät, um im Angesicht des Todes musikalisch dem Spion mit der Lizenz zum Töten nachzuspüren. Am Ende bleibt zumindest ein Quantum Trost und gestorben wird in jedem Fall an einem anderen Tag.

    Konzert mit dem ISO unter der Leitung von Nicholas Milton.

    19.30 Uhr, Stadtsaal Kufstein
    Eintritt frei
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    2023: The Halle Plays James Bond at Sheffield City Hall, Barkers Pool, Sheffield, England.
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    The Music of James Bond
    Fri 21 Jul, 7.00PM
    Sheffield City Hall
    The Hallé in Sheffield: The Music of James Bond
    Includes the themes and music from
    No Time to Die; Dr. No; You Only Live Twice; Goldeneye; Live and Let Die; Quantum of Solace; The World Is Not Enough; Goldfinger; View To A Kill; Die Another Day; Thunderball; Skyfall; For Your Eyes Only; The Spy Who Loved Me; Moonraker; The Living Daylights; Diamonds Are Forever; Spectre and Licence To Kill
    Runtime
    100 minutes
    Ticket Information
    £22.50, £27.95 & £30.50
    Smooth as a vodka martini, elegant as a tuxedo and cool as a cucumber sandwich, Stephen Bell celebrates the ultimate British hero – James Bond. Immerse yourself in the spine-tingling sounds that give musical voice to the films, in punchy title sequences and haunting songs.

    The name’s Bond and this concert is licensed to thrill! Britain’s iconic agent may forever be associated with vodka martinis, gleaming Aston Martins, state-of-the-art gadgetry and glamorous femme fatales, but it’s impossible to imagine him without the heroic swagger of the music that has driven 007’s movies for over 50 years. This concert brings together the finest Bond themes and songs from Dr No and Goldfinger to Live and Let Die and Skyfall, performed as only a great orchestra can, and with two brilliant singers to both shake and stir you.
    Featuring
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    Stephen Bell
    Associate Conductor, Hallé Pops
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    Alison Jiear
    Vocalist
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    Matthew Ford
    Vocalist

    2023: Black-tie optional affair presented alongside Bond in Motion exhibit at the Saratoga Automobile Museum, Saratoga Springs, New York.
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    21st Anniversary Celebration
    See the complete article here:
    21 • 21st Anniversary Celebration
    Friday, July 21, 2023
    7:00 PM 11:00 PM
    Saratoga Automobile Museum (map)
    Join us as we celebrate the Museum’s 21st Anniversary with a night filled with music, food, and of course, Blackjack!

    This black-tie optional affair is presented alongside our current “Bond in Motionp/b]” exhibit, featuring official screen-used vehicles from the 007 franchise.
    Now accepting sponsors for this event. Contact Megan H. at [email protected] to learn more.
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  • RichardTheBruceRichardTheBruce I'm motivated by my Duty.
    Posts: 13,779
    July 22nd

    1940: The British Special Operations Executive (SOE) begins work that lasts until 15 January 1946, preceding MI6.
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    The real "James Bond Girls"

    Before MI6 replaced it after WW II, the Special Operations Executive (SOE) operated 22 July 1940 – 15 January 1946 at 64 Baker.

    Vera Atkins was the French Section head 1941-45 in charge of sending secret agents to the French Resistance.

    37 of her agents were women. 14 died while in captivity. Several moms who were secret agent women were captured from betrayal and tortured.

    The military status of women in WW II was never immediately recognized and Vera fought hard to ensure those executed at concentration camps were given Killed In Action status and memorialized. Three women would receive the George Cross: Odette Sansom, Violette Szabo, and Noor Inayat Khan. The latter two were executed.

    Secret agent women often were wireless operators transmitting messages back to London from various underground networks in France. Some saw gun battles and hand-to-hand combat. Most parachuted into France. Some boated. A few had landing fields.

    They all were trained in weaponry and spy gadgetry. Below is a mini-camera spies often carried.

    They also had silencers, a pen that could shoot one bullet, coins with daggers, pencils with spikes, fake train fog alert devices with explosives, silk maps with escape routes, compass maps, kid-sized portable motorcycles, piano wire garrote and other accessories along with their radio.

    They had to move often to maintain secrecy from safe house to safe house.
    SOE inspired M in James Bond films. French Section head Vera Atkins is widely believed to be Moneypenny in Ian Fleming's James Bond books. She managed 400 secret agents.
    But "James Bond girls" are a far cry from the real thing.

    Many of Vera Atkins' secret agent women maintained their secrecy while enduring torture for weeks and months, and 12 were executed at concentration camps.

    Two women Noor Inayat Khan and Odette Sansom were the Gestapo's most wanted. They had leading roles like James Bond. Secret agent women included moms who had kids. Survival rates were barely 1 in 2.

    Now THAT would make an interesting James Bond film.
    Vera May Atkins, CBE
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    1955: Willem Defoe is born--Appleton, Wisconsin.

    1967: The Casino Royale soundtrack charts.

    1974: Claudio Santamaria is born--Rome, Italy.
    1974: The Man with the Golden Gun films OO7 and Goodnight escaping explosions on Scaramanga's island.

    1981: The Los Angeles Times reveals the story of a found kinescope--the 1954 Casino Royale.
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    How “Casino Royale” (Climax!) Was Recovered
    Posted on February 6, 2009 by Robert Jay

    On Thursday, October 21st, 1954, Climax! presented an hour-long adaptation of Ian Fleming’s novel Casino Royale, introducing his suave secret agent, James Bond. Barry Nelson starred as “Jimmy” Bond with Peter Lorre as the villain, Le Chiffre. Thus, Nelson became the very first actor to portray James Bond, eight years before Sean Connery played Bond on the big screen in Dr. No. The episode was soon forgotten and for many decades it was believed lost.

    In July 1981, however, it was announced that that film buff Jim Schoenberger had discovered a print of the episode in a collection of films he inherited from his uncle [1]. According to The Los Angeles Times, Schoenberger initially thought the two reels were a portion of the 1967 spoof Casino Royale:

    Since I didn’t care for that movie anyway, I prepared to cut it and use it for leader. But what came on but William Lundigan (the host of “Climax”). I was paralyzed by this. It was like coming across the Holy Grail” [2].

    Schoenberger took the kinescope to the Playboy Club to be shown during a “Tribute to James Bond Luncheon” and later allowed it to be shown at the Strand Theater in San Diego for a limited engagement in August of 1981 [3]. It was shown on TBS on Sunday, November 29th, 1992 as part of a thirtieth anniversary celebration of the franchise [4].

    Climax!‘s “Casino Royale” has been released on VHS and DVD and is included as an extra in a 2002 DVD edition of Casino Royale (1967). However, it seems that the only complete version available is a VHS released by Spy Glass in 1997. All other versions are apparently missing the last minute or so.
    Sources:
    1 Boyer, Peter J. “Film Clips.” Los Angeles Times. 22 Jul. 1981: G1.
    2 Ibid.
    3 Parker, Paula. “James Bond Lives Again in Obscure 1954 TV Version.” Los Angeles Times. 22 Augl. 1981: C3.
    4 Dreher, Rod. “Bonding: 007 Fans Get 13 Features on TBS.” Washington Post. 29 Nov. 1992: D3.
    1989: 鐵金剛勇戰 殺人狂魔 (Tiě jīngāng yǒng zhàn shārén kuáng mó; Iron King Fighting Murderer) released in Taiwan.
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    2011: Linda Christian dies at age 87--Palm Desert, California.
    (Born 13 November 1923--Tampico, Mexico.)
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    Linda Christian obituary
    B-movie actor who could lay claim to having been the first Bond
    girl
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    Linda Christian’s first ambition was to become a doctor,
    but her outstanding beauty led her into the movies.
    Photograph: Bob Landry/Time & Life Pictures
    The phrase "famous for being famous" could have been invented for Linda Christian, who has died aged 87. Her celebrity came from her marriages to the handsome film stars Tyrone Power and Edmund Purdom, and her liaisons with various wealthy playboys and bullfighters, rather than her somewhat limited acting ability.

    Christian's extravagant, cosmopolitan lifestyle derived from her stunning beauty – she was dubbed "The Anatomic Bomb" by Life magazine – and her ability to speak fluent French, German, Dutch, Spanish, Italian and English. She was born Blanca Rosa Welter in Tampico, Mexico, the daughter of a Dutch executive at Shell, and his Mexican-born wife of Spanish, German and French descent. As the family moved around a great deal, living in South America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, she gained a taste for globetrotting.

    Christian's early ambition was to become a doctor, but after winning a beauty contest and meeting Errol Flynn in Acapulco, she was persuaded to try her luck in films in the US. She was soon cast as a Goldwyn Girl in the actor Danny Kaye's first feature film, Up in Arms (1944), and as a cigarette girl in Club Havana (1945), directed by Edgar G Ulmer. Then, with her name changed to Linda Christian, she signed a contract with MGM, which gave her a small decorative role in the musical Holiday in Mexico (1946), shot in Hollywood, and an exotic one in Green Dolphin Street (1947), as Lana Turner's Maori maid.

    At the time, Turner was having an affair with Power. Rumour has it that Christian overheard Turner say when Power was going to be in Rome. Christian decided to fly to Rome, stay at the same hotel and wangle a meeting with the dashing star. A romance led to Christian and Power getting married in January 1949 at a church in Rome while an estimated 8,000 screaming fans lined the street outside.

    Prior to the marriage, the only substantial role MGM had given Christian was as an island girl rescued by Tarzan from the clutches of an evil high priest in Tarzan and the Mermaids (1948), the 12th and final time Johnny Weissmuller played the Ape Man. Christian, wearing a skimpy two-piece costume, is referred to as a mermaid because she swims a lot.

    After marrying Power, Christian started to get a few leading roles in B-pictures such as Slaves of Babylon (1953), co-starring Richard Conte. More gratifying was her sitting for a portrait by the great Mexican artist Diego Rivera. The painting, reproduced on the cover of her autobiography, Linda (1962), and for which she was once offered $2m, is now in a private collection.
    In 1954, Christian played Valerie Mathis, James Bond's former lover now working for the French secret service, in a CBS television version of Ian Fleming's Casino Royale, therefore allowing her to lay claim to being the first Bond girl. At this time, the movie fan magazines were full of photos of Power and Christian as a blissfully married couple with two daughters, while the gossip columns intimated that both husband and wife had strayed. In 1954, Christian played Purdom's snooty fiancee in the MGM musical Athena. Christian had been at the same school as Purdom's wife, the former ballerina Anita Phillips, and the Powers and the Purdoms became good friends, even going on holidays together. But soon sexual jealousy broke up the once cosy foursome. In 1956, Christian divorced Power, charging mental cruelty.
    After the divorce, there was no shortage of millionaires to help keep Christian in the manner to which she was accustomed. Once she was called to testify at a Los Angeles court because she refused to return jewels given to her by the socialite Robert H Schlesinger, whose cheque for $100,000, as partial payment for the jewels, had bounced. Christian was also involved with the racing driver Alfonso de Portago, with whom she was photographed a short while before he died in a crash at the 1957 Mille Miglia car race, in which several spectators were also killed. That year, she and the Brazilian mining millionaire Francisco "Baby" Pignatari went on an around-the-world tour together. In 1962 she married Purdom. They divorced the following year.

    Christian continued to appear in routine films such as The Devil's Hand (1962), as a seductive high priestess of voodoo, opposite her real-life sister Ariadna Welter. In Francesco Rosi's semi-documentary The Moment of Truth (1965), she played herself as an American in Barcelona who attracts a matador (the bullfighter Miguel Mateo Miguelín). During the filming, she fell for the bullfighter Luis Dominguín, the former lover of Ava Gardner.

    In 1968, Christian retired to Rome. She returned to cinema almost 20 years later, at the age of 64, in a couple of dreadful Italian thrillers.

    She is survived by her daughters, Taryn and Romina Power.

    • Linda Christian (Blanca Rosa Welter), actor, born 13 November 1923; died 22 July 2011
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    Linda Christian (I) (1923–2011)
    https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0160046/

    Filmography
    Actress (36 credits)

    1988 Cambiamento d'aria (TV Movie) - Linda Christian
    1987 Amore inquieto di Maria - Helen
    1987 Delitti - The Narrator

    1968 L'oro del mondo - Mother of Lorena
    1967 The World's Gold - Laura - mother of Lorena
    1966 How to Seduce a Playboy - Lucy's Mother
    1966 Murder in Amsterdam - Ellen Martens
    1965 The Boy and the Ball and the Hole in the Wall - Madre de Martha
    1965 The Moment of Truth - Linda, American woman
    1964 Contest Girl - Rose of England Judge (uncredited)
    1964 Full Hearts and Empty Pockets - Minelli
    1963 The V.I.P.s - Miriam Marshall
    1963 The Dick Powell Theatre (TV Series) - Susan Lane
    - Last of the Private Eyes (1963) ... Susan Lane
    1963 The Lloyd Bridges Show (TV Series) - Taina Haagen
    - The Waltz of the Two Commuters (1963) ... Taina Haagen
    1963 The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (TV Series) - Eva Ashley
    - An Out for Oscar (1963) ... Eva Ashley
    1962 Passport for a Corpse - Eva
    1961 The Devil's Hand - Bianca Milan
    1960 Das große Wunschkonzert - Vilma Cortini
    1960 Appuntamento a Ischia - Mercedes Barock

    1959 Meet Peter Voss - Grace McNaughty
    1959 Rebel Flight to Cuba - Gräfin Colmar
    1959 The House of the Seven Hawks - Elsa
    1956 ITV Television Playhouse (TV Series) - - A Piece of Cake (1956)
    1956 Thunderstorm - Maria Ramon
    1954 Athena - Beth Hallson
    1954 Climax! (TV Series) - Valerie Mathis
    - Casino Royale (1954) ... Valerie Mathis

    1953 Slaves of Babylon - Princess Panthea
    1952 The Happy Time - Mignonette Chappuis
    1952 Battle Zone - Jeanne
    1951 Show Boat - Chorus Girl (uncredited)

    1948 Tarzan and the Mermaids - Mara
    1947 Green Dolphin Street - Hine-Moa
    1946 Holiday in Mexico - Angel (uncredited)
    1945 Club Havana - Cigarette Girl (uncredited)
    1944 Up in Arms - Goldwyn Girl (uncredited)
    1943 The Rock of Souls (as Linda Welter)
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    Valerie Mathis and CIA Agent Jimmy Bond
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    Diego Rivera painting.
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    2015: A new Spectre trailer comes available.
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    SPECTRE THE BEST JAMES BOND
    TRAILER EVER
    by James Murphy | 22 July 2015
    SPECTRE TRAILER ANALYSIS
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    Well, it’s here. ‘Finally’ as Christoph (‘honestly not Blofeld at all’) Waltz’s baddie might say. The trailer for SPECTRE.

    The film is released in October. It is Produced by EON PRODUCTIONS; Distributed by SONY PICTURES /MGM and is Directed by Academy Award winner SAM MENDES. It stars DANIEL CRAIG as JAMES BOND. Recently wrapped on principal photography; the film is now in the post-production /editing stages.

    MEANTIME: WATCH THE TRAILER. IT IS AMAZING!

    The piece speaks for itself. So sit back, relax, sip that Martini and BEHOLD the BRILLIANT trailer
    for
    SPECTRE!
    But we cannot resist a few leading comments. In depth ANALYSIS. For Screen and Country, you understand.

    This is CLASSIC Bond
    Instantly. ALL the aesthetics of a Sean Connery/Roger Moore era feast, fused with the fidelity to the Ian Fleming novels and emotional maturity of the Timothy Dalton films. All built directly, it seems, on the continuity within the last three films, via neat dash of ret-con: rewarding fans whilst keeping things relatively self-contained.

    There’s EVEN a HINT of the theme to ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE. Now, that COULD just be trailer score. But I’ll bet Thomas Newman will FINALLY be the Bond composer to re-work THAT tune in a film, alongside the traditional Bond theme.

    DANIEL CRAIG looks perfect: calculating, cool, commanding. Decent haircut. Worked out but not hulking. Brooding still but newly buoyant, smiling stride in step. He helps set a timeless tone whilst avoiding pastiche.
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    The WOMEN
    Strong. Beautiful. Complex. Everything they should be in the modern Bond film, whilst retaining a glamour and femininity that ensures 007 never feels redundant. There is a real spark between Daniel Craig and Monica Bellucci. Lea Seydoux is divine.
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    GADGETS
    The car is a proper Aston Martin, with ACTUAL defence measures. That’s right. No more nods and winks with tagged on machine guns in a vintage model or mere glove compartments containing medical devices. This is a proper James Bond car that can do impossible things whilst keeping one wheel in reality (they stop short of invisibility). Notice also: a Q BRANCH scene! IE gadgets being built in the background!
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    STUNTS /ACTION
    Truly SPECT(RE)ACULAR. The rooftop action across Mexico City feels exotic and urgent. Snow-based scenes in Austria have adventurous, atmospherics. Killings look brutal yet quick, thereby retaining the punchy realism, whilst keeping it all 12A/ PG-13.
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    LOCATIONS
    London is prominent. Cf: IAN FLEMING’S MOONRAKER. It IS an exotic location: if in doubt, just VISIT the place! We also get: Austrian snow; Mexican sun; remarkable Rome and a romantic train ride. Short of going underwater or into space (again), it’s difficult to think of anywhere else this movie could possibly take you.
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    VILLAINS
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    There is a pervasive sense of menace. You FEEL Bond is hopelessly outnumbered. The organisation: SPECTRE, of the title, is the main nemesis here. But also a shadowy figurehead, played by Christoph Waltz.

    Waltz is BORN to play this part. The official character name is Oberhauser. HE IS NOT BLOFELD. But LOOK at his SUIT! THEN tell yourself it’s not Blofeld, Bond’s arch-nemesis. Yep. Told you so.

    Like all good villains, this ‘not Blofeld’ has an imposing henchman (Mr. Hinx, played by Dave Bautista, who impressed us all in GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY). Also featuring: Jasper Christensen’s Mr. White; previously a ‘big bad’ himself in CASINO ROYALE and QUANTUM OF SOLACE).
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    PLOT /TONE/PREDICTIONS/LAST WORDS
    A BRILLIANT trailer: shows glimpses of everything yet gives away ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! One is left satisfied and oddly NOT seeking any further information until the release in October. Yet still very curious and hyped.

    What little DO we know in terms of substantial plot points? This time it’s personal. AGAIN. Bond is clearly in trouble at Mi6. AGAIN. And his past is under scrutiny. AGAIN. That’s not a complaint: those beats simply ‘work’ in the Craig era and it seems they are being brought full circle into the bigger picture of traditional Bond fantasy.

    We don’t know what the ‘macguffin’ is here (in SKYFALL it was a missing list of agents and then the life of Judi Dench’s M). But it seems that Lea Seydoux’s Madeline Swann holds the key to the plot that Bond must decode. He must locate and protect her in order to take down the evil organisation known as SPECTRE. So begins a personal and dangerous quest, linked to Bond’s previous ‘pain’.
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    Quibbles? THAT WHITE TUXEDO! Fix it in post-production. NOW! Looks awful on Craig and if they needed a nod to old school Bond costumes: why not put him in his Royal Navy Commander’s uniform?
    But on the whole: PERFECT. Ms. Broccoli and Mr. Mendes appear to have topped SKYFALL. A BEAUTIFUL, BRILLIANT, BLOCKBUSTING BOND. And that’s just the TRAILER!
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    2017: Funko announces its licence for James Bond.
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    2021 Update:
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    2021: Return performances by the British Army of The Sword and the Crown, with the highlight of a James Bond suite. Buckingham Palace.
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    Army brings back public ceremonial with military
    musical spectacular
    16 July 2021

    London’s top free tourist attraction, Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, has not taken place since March 2020, and the world-renowned military bands of the Household Division have only been able to perform in private. For the longest period since the second world war, state ceremonial and public duties have been absent from London, due to the COVID 19 Pandemic.
    Army brings back public ceremonial with military musical spectacular
    Now, celebrating the lifting of lockdown, and the easing of restrictions, the British Army is poised to bring back ceremonial splendour to the heart of the capital, starting with a magnificent public concert on Horse Guards Parade.

    Titled ‘The Sword & The Crown’, this musical spectacular, available to the public, will star the Foot Guards in their red tunics and bearskin caps and showcase some of the most talented military musicians in the British Army. It is hoped this unique event, staged outdoors over three nights next week, will bring a much-needed lift to the country’s spirits after a challenging year and a half, endured bravely by all.

    Prepare to welcome back the Bands of the Grenadier, Coldstream, Scots, Irish & Welsh Guards with the Corps of Drums of the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards. They will perform as a massed band on Horse Guards Parade for the first time since The Queen’s Birthday Parade in June 2019.

    The Massed Bands of the Household Division will also be joined by the Band of the Honourable Artillery Company, the Band of the Royal Yeomanry, The Pipes & Drums of the London Scottish Regiment, the Corps of Drums of The Honourable Artillery Company and the Combined Universities’ Officer Training Corps Pipes and Drums.

    Over the past 18 months, amongst uncertainty and unpredictability, the Bands and infantry units have demonstrated their professionalism, combined with a sense of flexibility and enthusiasm, to play an integral part supporting Operation Rescript, the military response to COVID-19. Now they are back centre stage, doing what they do best.

    The concert will combine immaculate drill, dramatic scores, light effects, fireworks and unbridled emotion. The evening’s musical narrative will focus on ‘Global Britain’, heralded by ‘Fanfare for a Great Occasion’. As the United Kingdom prepares to take its place in the world post COVID, the ‘Union’ narrative will strike a patriotic chord with beautiful traditional songs and airs from the massed Pipes and Drums. The music will then travel farther afield in ‘Rangers Alert’, a new composition highlighting the UK Government’s environmental support against the illegal wildlife trade in Zambia.
    Amidst the wide-ranging styles of music performed will be cinematic favourites including an entire suite devoted to 007, James Bond. The British Army has a cameo role in the new Bond film which premieres later this year.
    As part of a rousing finale, ‘I Vow to Thee, My Country’, perhaps one of the most loved hymns and anthems in the repertoire of great British music, will match video and imagery projections of troops in action from the COVID Support Force to overseas commitments to the support the Household Division gives to Her Majesty The Queen.

    VIPs will join the public for each performance with Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab taking the salute on Wednesday and HRH The Princess Royal as Guest of Honour on Thursday.

    The soldiers privileged to perform on parade not only represent the musical talent of the British Army but also the breadth of roles the military provides. In the last sixteen months the British Army has been focused on supporting the National Health Service in the fight against COVID-19 and a large number of those on parade will have been involved in that fight.

    Four musicians are not joining the bands on parade as their duties continue at The Royal Hospital Chelsea. They are providing ongoing support to the Chelsea Pensioners, administering daily onsite lateral flow device tests to help keep them and staff safe. One musician reflected on this being one of her most rewarding times in the Army. She said, ‘Both the staff and In-Pensioners were extremely welcoming, and I found it hugely rewarding to see the direct impact my work was having. It’s an honour to be able to help protect them as part of my service’.

    We have all learnt to adapt recently to changing rules and regulations, and the British Army is no different, especially when it comes to State Ceremonial events. It is a real joy for the Army to welcome an audience back to Horse Guards.
    The outdoors concert will be repeated over three evenings on 20, 21 and 22 July, against one of the most beautiful backdrops in London. Tickets are available to purchase online at www.householddivision.eventbrite.co.uk, in person at Horse Guards Parade or the Guards Museum, Birdcage Walk London.
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    Queen's Guard playing James Bond Theme (2013)

    2023: An Evening with James Bond at Ried im Innkreis, Austria.
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    An Evening with James Bond 2023
    See the complete article here:

    22 Jul 2023 Add To Calendar ( Ongoing )
    MESSE RIED GmbH, Ried im Innkreis, AustriaGet Directions

    Timings
    09:00 AM-06:00 PM (expected)
    Not Verified

    Event Type
    Workshop
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    2023: Shaken, Not Stirred at The Martini Bar, The Ocean Club, A Four Seasons Resort, Bahamas.
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    Shaken, Not
    Stirred at The
    Martini Bar
    28 Jul, 2023
    The Ocean Club, A Four Seasons Resort
    Añadir al calendario

    A nod to its glamorous and star-studded legacy, The Martini Bar at The Ocean Club, A Four Seasons Resort, Bahamas has launched a new and decadent mixology and culinary experience.
    The Martini Bar is known best as the backdrop for the 2006 remake of the Casino Royale film where James Bond can be seen sipping his famous Vesper Martini. This limited seat Living Room Bar transports guests into the scenes of their very own movie.

    Whether sipping on a classic Vesper Martini or indulging in the new ultra-luxe Caviar Martini, it’s an unforgettable experience. While cocktails are the heart of The Martini Bar signature experience, new unique culinary creations are presented with suggested Martini pairings.
    The Martini Bar and Lounge is open every Friday and Saturday from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm. Reservations can be made by calling the Resort at +1-242-363-2501.
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  • RichardTheBruceRichardTheBruce I'm motivated by my Duty.
    Posts: 13,779
    July 23rd

    1921: Robert James Brown is born--Swanage, Dorset, England.
    (He dies 11 November 2003 at age 82--Swanage, Dorset, England.)
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    Robert Brown (British actor)
    See the complete article here:
    British_actor_Robert_Brown.jpg
    Born Robert James Brown, 23 July 1921, Swanage, Dorset, England
    Died 11 November 2003 (aged 82), Swanage, Dorset, England
    Years active 1949–1991
    Spouse(s) Rita Becker (m. 1955–2003; his death)
    Children 2
    Robert James Brown (23 July 1921 – 11 November 2003) was an English actor, best known for his portrayal of M in the James Bond films from 1983 to 1989, succeeding Bernard Lee, who died in 1981.

    Brown made his first appearance as M in Octopussy in 1983.
    Brown was born and died in Swanage, Dorset. Before appearing in the Bond films, he had a long career as a bit-part actor in films and television. He had a starring role in the 1950s television series Ivanhoe where he played Gurth, the faithful companion of Ivanhoe, played by Roger Moore. He had previously made an uncredited appearance as a castle guard in the unrelated 1952 film Ivanhoe. He had an uncredited appearance as the galley-master in Ben-Hur (1959) and as factory worker Bert Harker in the BBC's 1960s soap opera The Newcomers. In One Million Years B.C. (1966), he played grunting caveman Akhoba, brutal head of the barbaric "Rock tribe".
    Brown first started in the James Bond franchise in the film The Spy Who Loved Me as Admiral Hargreaves, appearing alongside Lee. After Lee's sudden death in January 1981, Broccoli and the other producers, decided to leave M out of For Your Eyes Only out of respect for Lee and assigned his lines to M's Chief of Staff Bill Tanner. In 1983, Brown was hired to portray M on the recommendation of Bond actor Roger Moore, his Ivanhoe co-star and the father of Brown's goddaughter Deborah. It is unclear if Brown was the same M as Lee's character, or a different M, perhaps a promoted Hargreaves. Brown was succeeded in 1995 by Judi Dench in GoldenEye.
    Filmography
    Altogether, Robert Brown starred in five James Bond films.

    The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) – Admiral Hargreaves (possibly the same character as M he played in subsequent films)
    Octopussy (1983) – M
    A View to a Kill (1985) – M
    The Living Daylights (1987) – M
    Licence to Kill (1989) – M


    Other films:
    The Third Man (1949) – Policeman in sewer (coincidentally Bernard Lee is also in this film) (uncredited)

    Out of True (1951) – Dr. Dale
    The Dark Man (1951) – Policeman at Hospital (uncredited)
    Cloudburst (1951) – Carter
    Death of an Angel (1952) – Jim Pollard (uncredited)
    Derby Day (1952) – Foster – Berkeley's Butler (uncredited)
    Ivanhoe (1952) – Castle Guard (uncredited)
    Time Gentlemen, Please! (1952) – Bill Jordan
    The Gambler and the Lady (1952) – John – Waiter at Max's Dive (uncredited)
    Noose for a Lady (1953) – Jonas Rigg
    The Large Rope (1954) – Mick Jordan
    Passage Home (1955) – Shane
    The Dark Avenger (1955) – First French Knight
    Helen of Troy (1956) – Polydorus
    Lost (1956) – Farmer with Shotgun (uncredited)
    The Man Who Never Was (1956) – French (uncredited)
    A Hill in Korea (1956) – Private O'Brien
    Kill Me Tomorrow (1957) – Steve Ryan
    The Steel Bayonet (1957) – Company Sergeant Major Gill
    The Abominable Snowman (1957) – Ed Shelley
    Campbell's Kingdom (1957) – Ben Creasy
    Passport to Shame (1958) – Mike
    Shake Hands with the Devil (1959) – First Sergeant 'Black & Tans'
    Ben-Hur (1959) – Rowing Overseer (uncredited)

    Sink the Bismarck! (1960) – unnamed officer aboard HMS King George V (uncredited)
    The Challenge (1960) – Bob Crowther
    Sands of the Desert (1960) – 1st Tourist
    A Story of David (1961) – Jashobeam
    The 300 Spartans (1962) – Pentheus
    Live Now, Pay Later (1962) – (unconfirmed)
    Billy Budd (1962) – Arnold Talbot
    Mystery Submarine (1963) – Coxswain Drage
    Dr. Syn, Alias the Scarecrow (1963) – Sam Farley
    The Masque of the Red Death (1964) – Guard
    Clash by Night (1963) – Mawsley
    Operation Crossbow (1965) – Air Commodore
    One Million Years B.C. (1966) – Akhoba
    Un hombre solo (1969)
    Tintin and the Temple of the Sun (1969) – Tarragon (English version, voice, uncredited)

    Private Road (1971) – Mr Halpern
    Fun and Games (1971) – Ralph
    Wreck Raisers (1972) – Cox'n
    Demons of the Mind (1972) – Fischinger
    Mohammad, Messenger of God (1976) – Otba
    Jesus of Nazareth (1977) – Pharisee
    Warlords of Atlantis (1978) – Briggs
    The Passage (1979) – Major

    Lion of the Desert (1981) – Al Fadeel
    Jugando con la muerte (1982) – 2nd bodyguard
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    1963: Lotte Lenya finishes filming with the scene riding in a taxi next to Red Grant.
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    1977: Title song "Nobody Does It Better" charts in the US, eventually reaches #2.

    1980: Roger Moore signs a one-picture contract to do For Your Eyes Only.
    1983: Octopussy released in Sweden.
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    1987: The Living Daylights released in Colombia.
    1987: The New York Museum of Modern Art end its 007 exhibition (started 5 June) and a total fourteen screenings of Bond films. Producer Broccoli previously presented 35mm prints of each with the promise of future films.

    1998: John Richard Hopkins dies at age 67--Woodland Hills, California.
    (Born 27 January 1931--London, England.)
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    John Hopkins (writer)
    See the complete article here:
    For other people named John Hopkins, see John Hopkins (disambiguation).
    John Hopkins
    Born John Richard Hopkins, 27 January 1931, London, England, UK
    Died 23 July 1998 (aged 67), Woodland Hills, California, US
    Nationality British
    Other names John R. Hopkins
    Occupation Writer
    Years active 1957–1995
    Spouse(s) Prudence Balchin (1954–69, div.)
    Shirley Knight (1969–1998)
    Children 1
    John Richard Hopkins (sometimes credited as John R. Hopkins; 27 January 1931 – 23 July 1998) was an English film, stage, and television writer.

    Biography
    Born in southwest London, Hopkins was educated at Raynes Park County Grammar School, did National Service in the Army from 1950-1951. He read English Literature at St Catharine's College, Cambridge and joined BBC Television as a studio manager on graduation.

    Hopkins began his writing career in radio, writing episodes of the BBC serial Mrs Dale's Diary for eighteen months. An attempt to become a trainee television director at the commercial television franchise holder Granada Television was unsuccessful. The company did accept his first play, Break Up (1958), about the end of the marriage of a young couple, although it was only shown in the Granada region. He established himself as a writer beginning when his then father-in-law Nigel Balchin asked him to try to adapt his novels for television, Adaptations of both The Small Back Room (for Sunday Night Theatre) and Mine Own Executioner were broadcast in April and August 1959 respectively.[2][3] Hopkins then adapted Margery Allingham's novels about the private detective Albert Campion into Campion featuring two six-part serials, Dancers in Mourning (1959) and Death of a Ghost (1960). Hopkins followed with a series based on Rosamund Lehmann's The Weather in the Streets (1961). He wrote his own thriller series, A Chance of Thunder in 1961.

    Hopkins wrote over fifty episodes of the BBC police drama Z-Cars, remaining with the series for 2​1⁄2, serving as the series' script editor for a time. One episode featured Judi Dench in the role of a delinquent. This character inspired Hopkins to write what is probably his best remembered work for the small screen, the four-part play sequence Talking to a Stranger (1966) directed by Christopher Morahan, with whom he had developed a rapport while working with him on Z-Cars. Starring Dench, and Michael Bryant, as the adult children of characters played by Maurice Denham, and Margery Mason, Talking to a Stranger was transmitted as part of BBC2's Theatre 625 anthology series. The plays told the story of one bleak weekend from the viewpoints of the four individuals. It won the British Directors' Guild Writers' Award and an Emmy in 1968 after the sequence was shown on American televison. Critic George Melly described in The Observer as "[t]he first authentic masterpiece written directly for television". Two Wednesday Plays from this period by Hopkins were Fable from January 1965 and Horror of Darkness broadcast the following March. The former imagines an inverted South African apartheid in Britain[6] (which was postponed by the BBC in case it affected a by-election), while the latter is a rare exploration of homosexuality in the 1960s. Hour of Darkness featured Glenda Jackson and Nicol Williamson in the lead roles.
    Hopkins made his feature film debut with the screenplay he co-wrote with director Roy Ward Baker Two Left Feet (1963), a lightweight comedy-drama with Michael Crawford. He received co-screenwriter credit with Richard Maibaum for the fourth James Bond film James Bond movie Thunderball (1965). He co-wrote the screenplay for Leslie Thomas' boys-in-uniform comedy The Virgin Soldiers (1969) and worked on the screenplay for the film adaptation of Man of La Mancha (1972), although he was removed from this project by United Artists when the studio discovered his draft omitted most of the songs from the musical. His screenplay for Murder by Decree (1979) places Sherlock Holmes against Jack the Ripper. The film was directed by Bob Clark and featured Christopher Plummer as Holmes and James Mason as Watson.
    Hopkins wrote his first stage play, This Story of Yours, in 1968. Though it had poor reviews when it was staged at the Royal Court. One audience member who was impressed by the play was Sean Connery who chose it as a personal film project which became The Offence (1973). Connery not only produced the film under a deal with United Artists when he returned to the role of James Bond role, but also acted in the film version, directed by Sidney Lumet. Hopkins' plays for the stage included Next of Kin, which was produced at London's National Theatre in 1974 with Harold Pinter directing.

    His play, Find Your Way Home (1970) was produced in London and then on Broadway where it won a "Best Actor" Tony Award for Michael Moriarty.

    Hopkins adapted Dostoevsky's The Gambler (1973) for television, it starred Edith Evans and Philip Madoc, and he wrote the two-part television screenplay, Divorce His; Divorce Hers (1973), which starred Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. His later television work also includes the Play for Today A Story to Frighten the Children (1976), and the serial adaptation of John le Carré's novel Smiley's People (1982), starring Alec Guinness, both for the BBC; and the Cold War espionage thriller Codename: Kyril (1988) for ITV. Hopkins' six-play cycle, Fathers and Families (1977), again directed by Christopher Morahan, was unsuccessful.

    Hopkins died at his home in Woodland Hills, California, United States, in July 1998, following an accident in which he slipped, hit his head and fell unconscious into his swimming pool, where he drowned.

    Private life
    In 1954, Hopkins married Prudence Anne Balchin, a daughter of author Nigel Balchin. They divorced in 1969.

    In 1969, he married the American actress Shirley Knight; the couple had one daughter, Sophie. His stepdaughter from his marriage to Knight is actress Kaitlin Hopkins, whom he raised.
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    John Hopkins (I) (1931–1998)
    Writer | Script and Continuity Department | Director
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    2019: Dr Monica Germanà comments on Lashana Lynch as the new 007.
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    France Info: Dr Monica Germanà
    comments on the new 007 agent
    in next James Bond film
    Dr Monica Germanà, Senior Lecturer in English Language and Creative Writing, was interviewed by the French outlet France Info on British actress Lashana Lynch being set to play the new 007 agent in next James Bond film.
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    Dr Monica Germanà
    It was recently announced that British actress Lashana Lynch was set to become the new 007 agent in the upcoming ‘Bond 25’ film.

    In her interview with Television France, Dr Germanà, whose new book Bond Girls: Body Fashion and Gender is due to be launched in October, said: “It is a very good news, as the Bond franchise has had dubious politics with regards to race and gender and it has been in the spotlight for a long time, though not always in a fair way. Bond Girls from the past have shown that they have their own strengths and their own missions regardless of their colour. There have been many Bond girls of colour who have been significant characters in the films.”

    Commenting on Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s contribution to the forthcoming James Bond film, Dr Germanà said: “Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who has been called in to help with the script, has strong feminist credentials. She has written in the past very strong female characters. We don’t need James Bond to change but we want the films to show that they can create something different with women.

    “We don’t want James Bond to suddenly become a philanthropist or a feminist because it is not that character. We want interesting female characters that challenge sexism and conservative views.”

    Listen to the full interview here.
    https://www.facebook.com/franceinfovideo/videos/vb.266677330042439/446625836190623/?type=2&theater
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    2020: A couple images of No Time To Die with Bond in Jamaica come available via Instagram.
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    Bond returns to Jamaica in new images from 'No Time to Die'
    Tom Beasley | 23 July 2020·2-min read
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    Daniel Craig as James Bond in Jamaica during 'No Time to Die'. (Credit: Instagram/007)
    The James Bond franchise returned to the idyllic environment of Jamaica for No Time to Die — and new images provide a glimpse of the sun-baked setting.

    A pair of pictures shared via the official 007 Instagram account showcase Daniel Craig soaking in the sun in his final outing as Ian Fleming’s super-spy.

    The first Bond movie, Dr No, shot most of its story in Jamaica, within touching distance of Fleming’s Goldeneye estate.

    Bond production returned to Jamaica for Roger Moore’s 1973 outing Live and Let Die, with the island doubling for the fictional Caribbean nation of San Monique.

    No Time to Die filmed on the island last year as part of a globe-trotting production that also visited Matera in Italy as well as, of course, Pinewood Studios in the UK.

    No Time to Die will see Daniel Craig say goodbye to the role of James Bond, having played the character since 2006’s Casino Royale marked a soft reboot of the franchise.

    Cary Joji Fukunaga directed the movie, replacing original filmmaker Danny Boyle, who left the project due to creative differences.

    The plot sees 007 retired from active service after the events of Spectre, until a request from his CIA buddy Felix Leiter pulls him back into the world of espionage.

    Rami Malek is set to play the mysterious villain Safin, with Christoph Waltz returning to portray Bond’s archenemy Ernst Stavro Blofeld.

    Other new additions to the cast include Captain Marvel star Lashana Lynch and Knives Out standout Ana de Armas.
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    Lashana Lynch and Daniel Craig in a still from 'No Time To Die'. (Credit: Eon/Universal)
    No Time to Die was delayed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, with its original April release pushed to November.

    Fukunaga pledged not to alter the movie during the delay, insisting he was “mentally finished” with the film before COVID-19 scuppered the release plans.

    He said: “You could just fiddle and tweak and it doesn’t necessarily get better.”

    No Time to Die is currently set to arrive in UK cinemas from 12 November, though it has been rumoured that there may be a further delay. [Later delayed]
    2021: Fleming bibliographer Jon Gilbert at The Transatlantic Book Fair of America hosts an online discussion of Ian Fleming and James Bond. Rebecca Baumann and Ajay Chowdhury join Mr. Gilbert on the panel.
    Free registration. 12:00 pm EST.
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    007: The Transatlantic Appeal of Ian Fleming's James Bond
    Join us at the Transatlantic Book Fair for a James Bond panel hosted by Ian Fleming bibliographer and bookseller Jon Gilbert!
    Date & Time
    Fri Jul 23 2021 at 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
    (Eastern Daylight Time)
    About this Event
    The irrepressible James Bond is returning to the big screen soon in the film “No Time to Die.” Join us at the Transatlantic Book Fair for a panel, hosted by Fleming bibliographer and bookseller Jon Gilbert, who will be discussing Ian Fleming and his iconic character, James Bond.

    Besides building major Fleming collections around the world, Mr. Gilbert produced a mammoth comprehensive and authoritative bibliography of Ian Fleming in 2012. On the interest in Fleming books Gilbert wrote in an article “…they are popular and collectible. James Bond merchandise and memorabilia is a whole industry in itself and its strength continues to be felt in the world of rare books. As each new film or book is released interest rises in the literature of Bond’s creator, as seen in the prices achieved at auction…”
    Panelists include Ajay Chowdhury, author and expert on Bond films and Rebecca Bauman from the Lilly Library, which houses a major Fleming collection.

    PANELISTS:
    Jon Gilbert is an English bibliophile, historian and the official bibliographer of Ian Fleming, creator of the fictional character James Bond. He is also an authority on J.K. Rowling first editions. He was educated at Caterham School and Roehampton Institute London. According to Fleming-family publisher Queen Anne Press, Gilbert is perhaps the foremost expert on the works of Ian Fleming and the literary history of James Bond. Through Adrian Harrington booksellers, he has become an internationally renowned dealer in rare Fleming material, and is a member of the Ian Fleming Foundation. Ian Fleming: The Bibliography, which was published in October 2012, is the result of both a career immersed in the writings of Ian Fleming, and four years intensive research following Fleming’s centenary year in 2008. The book was the winner of the 16th ILAB Breslauer Prize for Bibliography, awarded in 2014.
    Rebecca Baumann is the Head of Public Services at the Lilly Library, the rare book and manuscript library of Indiana University. In their time at the Lilly Library, they have taught over 700 one-shot instructional sessions for undergraduates, graduate students, and community groups. They are also an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Information and Library Science at IU, teaching three courses in the Rare Book and Manuscript Specialization: The Book 1450 to the Present, Rare Book Librarianship, and Rare Book Curatorship. Their research interests center on the history of pulp and paperback publishing and popular genres including horror, science fiction, and romance. Publications include Frankenstein 200: The Birth, Life, and Resurrection of Mary Shelley’s Monster (IU Press, 2018) and “Speculative F***books: The Brief Life of Essex House” (in Dangerous Visions and New Worlds: Radical Science Fiction, 1950 to 1985, PM Press, 2021).
    Ajay Chowdhury was born in London and read Law at university there and in The Netherlands. For over two decades, Ajay has consulted on various motion picture, music, publishing, television and theatrical projects. Ajay has been involved with British and European feature film production in various capacities. He was the associate producer on two feature films, ‘Lost Dogs’ (2005) and ‘Flirting With Flamenco’ (2006). Ajay has been an Advisory Board member on Tongues On Fire Film Festival. In 2015, he co-wrote the internationally bestselling, ground-breaking Some Kind of Hero: The Remarkable Story of the James Bond Films with Matthew Field, published by The History Press. The book was updated in paperback to cover The Road To Bond 25 and published in August 2018. As the spokesperson for The James Bond International Fan Club, Ajay is frequently called upon by worldwide media to comment on all things relating to Ian Fleming's James Bond 007 www.007.info

    You may also like the following events from Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America (ABAA):
    • This Saturday, 24th July, 12:00 pm, From the Printed Page to the Runway in Online

    Also check out other Entertainment Events in Online, Arts Events in Online, Literary Art Events in Online.
    007 The Transatlantic Appeal of Ian Fleming's James Bond (1:23:53)

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    2023: London 007 James Bond Bus Tour at London, England.
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    London 007 James Bond Bus Tour
    From
    $47.57 /person
    Sightseeing Tours
    Highly rated
    See all 11 photos
    About the activity
    Discover the London of James Bond on a fascinating tour visiting film locations, real spy stories, and places familiar to the author - Ian Fleming. Discuss some of the classic James Bond London settings and take part in trivia about the actors.
    Free cancellation
    Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
    COVID-19 precautions
    Special health and safety measures apply.

    All areas that customers touch are frequently cleaned
    The number of visitors is limited to reduce crowds

    You are required to bring and wear a mask

    Instant confirmation & Mobile tickets
    Receive your ticket right away. Use your phone or print your voucher.

    Live guiding
    English
    Start time - Still available today
    9:30 AM
    Duration
    3 hours
    Includes

    Professional guide
    Transport by mini coach

    Gratuities (optional)
    Highlights & Description
    Highlights

    Stand on the spot where the traffic wardens were splashed in "The World is Not Enough"
    Try to spot a real spy at the Mi6 HQ
    See the different Whitehall buildings that have stood in for the offices of the James Bond London HQ - Universal Exports in various movies
    See the St Petersburg Square James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) visits in "Goldeneye"
    See film locations from Bond 25, "No Time to Die"

    Description
    Dive into the excitingly dangerous world of 007, and other secret agents, on a James Bond tour of London!

    Visit movie locations and sites linked with Ian Fleming and 007, including locations from the latest Bond film, No Time to Die.. Travel by mini coach, and visit over 12 James Bond film locations.

    See where fiction becomes reality as you are taken into a world of actual spy locations associated with the real world of espionage. Learn about how films were made, get an insight into the secret world of spies, discuss some of the classic James Bond London settings and novels, plus trivia about the actors.
    Reviews & Ratings
    9.0
    Excellent
    20+ booked
    Review info
    Based on 21 reviews an average 9.0 out of 10 reviewer were satisfied.
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  • RichardTheBruceRichardTheBruce I'm motivated by my Duty.
    Posts: 13,779
    July 24th

    1947: David Meyer is born--Watford, Hertfordshire, England.
    1947: Anthony "Tony" Meyer is born--Watford, Hertfordshire, England.

    1971: Diamonds Are Forever films OO7 helping Marie get something off her chest.
    1980: Peter Sellers dies at age 54--Middlesex Hospital, London, England.
    (Born: 8 September 1925--Portsmouth, England.)
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    Peter Sellers Dies at 54
    by Roger Ebert | July 24, 1980

    Peter Sellers is dead at 54, a victim of the heart disease that first struck him in 1964 and continued to haunt him during his most productive years as an international star.

    His death in London at 6:28 p.m. Chicago time Wednesday came after a massive heart attack. At his bedside were his fourth wife, Lynne Frederick; his second wife, Britt Ekland, and their daughter Victoria, who is 15. But Mr. Sellers never regained consciousness after the attack that struck him Tuesday in his suite at London's Dorchester Hotel.

    "Mr. Sellers' death was entirely due to natural causes," a spokesman for Middlesex Hospital said. "His heart just faded away. His condition deteriorated very rapidly."

    An emergency team of 10 specialists was at his bedside when he died, but they were helpless.

    Mr. Sellers was in London to work on the screenplay of "Romance of the Pink Panther," which was to have been his sixth film in the role of the bumbling Inspector Clouseau, his most famous comic creation. He was still basking in the acclaim for his starring role in last year's "Being There," which won him an Academy Award nomination.

    His latest film, "The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu," opens in Chicago on Aug. 8. In it, as in so many of his films, Mr. Sellers plays six different roles. That was one of his trademarks after such early successes as "The Mouse That Roared" (1959), in which he played the entire population of the mythical Duchy of Grand Fenwick, and "Dr. Strangelove" (1964), in which he played three roles.

    His multiple roles were masks, Mr. Sellers liked to claim, describing himself as basically a character actor: "As far as I'm aware, I have no personality of my own whatsoever. I have no character to offer the public. When I look at myself I just see a person who strangely lacks what I consider to be the ingredients for a personality. If you asked me to play myself, I wouldn't know what to do." But as the characters he played in more than 50 major movies, Mr. Sellers became one of the busiest and most popular movie stars of the 1960s and '70s. His widest audiences came for the Inspector Clouseau pictures, which began with "The Pink Panther" in 1963 and continued through "Revenge of the Pink Panther" in 1978.

    His best-known roles in more ambitious films were as in "I'm All Right, Jack" (1959), "Lolita" (1962), "Waltz of the Toreadors" (1964), "Dr. Strangelove" (1964), "The Party" (1968) and "Being There."

    I remember him talking about the inspirations for some of his famous roles at a press conference at the Hawaiian premiere of "Revenge of the Pink Panther." Inspector Clouseau's famous accent, he recalled, wasn't there in the original "Pink Panther," but came later: "I developed it in 'A Shot in the Dark' [1964]. It came from this brilliant concierge in a hotel I used to stay at in Paris. He was a master of dealing with American tourists. He'd talk to them in a strange accent that wasn't French but sounded French to an English-speaker."

    In Stanley Kubrick's "Dr. Strangelove," Mr. Sellers said, he created Strangelove's most famous characteristic - a mechanical hand with an automatic Nazi salute - during the process of filming.

    "The right hand was not originally supposed to be a Nazi hand," he said. "Then Stanley Kubrick put the black glove on my hand and suddenly we got this inspiration that Strangelove was schizo, split right down the middle, his left half American, his right half Nazi. If you know what to look for when you see the movie, you could see some of the actors breaking up the first time my hand goes out of control . . ." If Mr. Sellers was correct in saying that he had no personality of his own to portray, then perhaps his performance in "Being There" was his most autobiographical. He played Chauncey, a strange, middle-aged man raised entirely in isolation, with television as his only source of information on how to behave. The character's utter simplicity and transparency led statesmen to imagine they had discovered great depths in him. It was a virtuoso performance, made all the more difficult because Mr. Sellers had to sustain a single note throughout the movie.

    Peter Sellers was born Sept. 8, 1925, in Southsea, England, the son of British vaudeville performers, and was literally raised in the wings. He appeared with his parents as a child, won a talent contest at 13, joined the Royal Air Force at 17 and worked as an entertainer. In the 1950s he became famous as the star of England's radio "Goon Show," memories of which were recreated in Richard Lester's famous 1960 short subject, "The Running, Jumping and Standing Still Film."

    He moved into British film comedies and was a star by the late 1950s. Mr. Sellers often described himself as a "hopeless romantic" who was constantly falling in love. He married for the first time in 1951, to Australian actress Anne Howe, and they had two children, Michael and Sarah Jane. But in 1960 that marriage broke up as Mr. Sellers fell in love with Sophia Loren while they were filming "The Millionairess" together. Loren turned down his proposal of marriage.

    In 1964, shortly after the triumphs as Inspector Clouseau, he married Swedish actress Britt Ekland after an 11-day courtship. Shortly afterward, he suffered his first major heart attack. His marriage to Ekland lasted until 1969 and produced his daughter, Victoria.

    In 1970, Mr. Sellers married Miranda Quarry, daughter of a British lord. They were divorced in 1974. He and Liza Minnelli announced they would be married, but the romance cooled and he married actress Lynne Frederick in 1977. Mr. Sellers had his second major heart attack, and was fitted with a pacemaker in 1977. In May of this year, he collapsed in Dublin while making a commercial, but recovered to visit the Cannes Film Festival, where he looked unwell.

    Filmmaker Blake Edwards, who directed the Clouseau movies, said Wednesday, "One lived with the realization that Peter could go at any time. But he was a very courageous man who refused to let his heart problems interfere with his personal life."

    Mr. Sellers gave evidence of that during the 1978 "Pink Panther" press conference. A reporter asked if he would mind answering a personal question.

    "Of course not," Mr. Sellers said.

    "I understand you've had some heart attacks . . ." the reporter began, before Mr. Sellers interrupted him with gallows humor: "Yes, but I plan to give them up. I'm down to two a day."
    PETER SELLERS
    The Official Website of Peter Sellers

    https://www.petersellers.com/about/filmography/

    Filmography
    1982
    – Trail of the Pink Panther

    1980
    -The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu

    1979
    -Being There
    -The Prisoner of Zenda

    1978
    –Revenge of the Pink Panther

    1978
    -Kingdom of Gifts (voice)

    1977
    -Best of British Film Comedy
    -To See Such Fun

    1976
    -Best of the Muppet Show
    -Murder by Death
    -The Pink Panther Strikes Again

    1974
    -The Great McGonagall
    -Soft Beds, Hard Battles
    -The Return of the Pink Panther

    1973
    – Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
    – The Blockhouse
    – Ghost in the Noonday Sun
    – The Optimists
    – Undercovers Hero

    1972
    -Does It Hurt?
    – Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

    1970
    -There’s a Girl in My Soup
    – A Day at the Beach
    – Hoffman
    – Simon Simon

    1969
    -The Magic Christian

    1968
    – I Love You, Alice B. Toklas!
    – The Party

    1967
    – The Bobo
    – Woman Times Seven
    Casino Royale
    – Alice in Wonderland
    – With Love, Sophia

    1966
    – After the Fox
    – Caccia alla volpe
    – The Wrong Box

    1965
    – What’s New, Pussycat

    1964
    – Dr. Strangelove
    -The World of Henry Orient
    – Carol for Another Christmas
    – The Pink Panther
    – A Shot in the Dark
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    Peter Sellers (I) (1925–1980)
    Actor | Soundtrack | Writer
    https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000634/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0
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    1981: A three-day James Bond Weekend begins in Century City, California.
    George Lazenby and Hervé Villechaize in attendance.
    1986: The New York Times prints Stephen Farber's piece, " 'Remington Steele' Gets Reprieve".
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    'REMINGTON STEELE' GETS REPRIEVE
    https://www.nytimes.com/1986/07/24/arts/remington-steele-gets-reprieve.html
    By STEPHEN FARBER and SPECIAL TO THE NEW YORK TIMESJULY 24, 1986
    July 24, 1986, Page 00024

    NBC has reinstated its romantic detective series ''Remington Steele'' just two months after canceling it.

    ''Usually a cancellation is the final word,'' said Michael Gleason, the executive producer and co-creator of the series. ''It is tough to make a network change its mind.''

    There was, however, a precedent to cite. Two years ago, CBS, responding to viewer protests, revived the defunct ''Cagney and Lacey,'' and the revamped series scored a resounding success. The producers of ''Remington Steele'' argued that their show also deserved another chance.

    NBC said it was swayed by the number of protests from fans of the series, which stars Pierce Brosnan and Stephanie Zimbalist as a pair of elegant, bantering sleuths. ''We got over 10,000 angry letters and phone calls since the cancellation,'' said Warren Littlefield, NBC's senior vice president in charge of series. ''There were even pickets outside our building. We're still getting 200 to 300 letters a day, and that's a very strong response. We rarely have that kind of interaction with the audience.''

    In addition, the show's ratings improved in summer reruns; the series had moved from the mid-40's during the main season to the top 20 in the last month. ''I attribute that rise to the fact that the loyal audience for the show had simply not had enough time to discover it in its new time period on Saturday night,'' said Tom Palmieri, vice president of operations at MTM Enterprises, the company that produces the show for NBC. Midseason

    ''Remington Steele'' had never been a smash in the ratings, but it had performed respectably during its first three seasons and, as in the case of another MTM series with mediocre ratings, ''St. Elsewhere,'' demographic surveys showed that it was watched by the 18- to 49-year-old audience that appeals to advertisers. But last season the show's ratings began to plummet.

    Mr. Littlefield attributed the decline to competition from ABC's successful new series ''Moonlighting,'' which also featured a pair of sophisticated, sparring detectives. Although ''Moonlighting'' was shown at 9 P.M. and ''Remington Steele'' at 10, he said, he felt the popularity of ''Moonlighting'' cut the number of viewers watching NBC on Tuesday nights. Earlier this year, the network moved ''Remington Steele'' from Tuesday to Saturday night, but its ratings did not improve. In May, NBC scuttled the series.

    ''Remington Steele'' has now been ordered as a midseason replacement series for next season. Six episodes will be shot and the network will then evaluate the ratings before deciding whether to order more.
    One last complication remains to be resolved. Exactly when the show goes on the air depends on whether Mr. Brosnan also stars in the next James Bond movie, ''The Living Daylights.'' He has been mentioned as the most likely successor to Roger Moore in the popular series, but United Artists has not yet named a new Bond. A studio spokesman said a casting announcement would be made shortly.

    Mr. Brosnan's contract with MTM runs two more years, but MTM and NBC have told the actor they will delay production to allow him to play Bond.

    Mr. Gleason pointed out that this would benefit the series as well as Mr. Brosnan. ''Obviously, it would enhance the show if we could promote it by saying we have James Bond as Remington Steele,'' Mr. Gleason said. ''Now we're waiting for UA to make their decision. They keep telling us they'll let us know tomorrow. This is like sweating out the renewals for the fall series all over again.''
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    1989: Hodder & Stoughton publish John Gardner's Bond novel Win, Lose or Die.
    WIN, LOSE
    OR DIE


    JOHN GARDNER'S eighth novel
    featuring Ian Fleming's James Bond.

    The London Gazette announcement was
    brief:
    'BOND, JAMES,
    Commander RNVR,
    Relieved of current liaison
    duties at the Foreign Office.
    Promoted to the substantive
    rank of Captain and returned
    to active service forthwith.'
    The return of James Bond to the Royal
    Navy marks the intriguing backdrop to
    John Gardner's thrilling new adventure
    featuring Ian Fleming's celebrated hero.

    Bond takes a refresher course and keeps
    up his flying hours by doing a conversion
    course on Sea Harriers. And eventually he
    learns that his mission is to serve in the
    Royal Navy's major aircraft carrier, HMS
    Invincible as minder to a phalanx of top
    brass British, American and -- in this era of
    glasnost -- Russian admirals, who are on
    board for a NATO exercise.

    But why? Can a thrilling hi-jack by
    airborne troops (using hang-gliders) on a
    Japanese tanker, some time before, be
    connected?
    As ever, John Gardner is adept at piling
    on the tension. Bond is never far from the
    action or from the beautiful Russian naval
    attaché with whom he joins forces. WIN,
    LOSE OR DIE
    shows James Bond -- and
    John Gardner -- on top form.

    JOHN GARDNER'S last book was a
    novelisation of the new James Bond film,
    Licence to Kill (Coronet 1989). His
    previous James Bond novel, Scorpius, was
    published by Hodder & Stoughton in
    1988.

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    2009: Titan Books re-releases the James Bond comic strip The Girl Machine.
    Yaroslav Horak, artist. Jim Lawrence, writer.
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    2010: The James Bond 007: Blood Stone intro reveals the Joss Stone song "I'll Take It All".



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    2015: Social Compassion in Legislation releases a public service announcement with spokesman Pierce Brosnan.
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    2017: An official announcement confirms details for BOND 25 and a US release date of 8 November 2019. [Later delayed.]
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    Daniel Craig 'returning as James
    Bond' for 2019 movie, reports confirm

    The New York Times has confirmed previous reports
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    Jack Shepherd | @JackJShepherd | Tuesday 25 July 2017 09:11

    Last night (24 July), Eon Productions and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer — the companies behind the James Bond franchise — announced their next 007 thriller would reach cinemas 8 November 2019. However, there was no announcement over who would be playing the iconic character.

    The New York Times has since confirmed recent reports that Daniel Craig will return, despite having previously said he would rather “slash his wrists” than play the character again.

    Two sources told the publication Craig’s contract was a done deal; separate sources told The Mirror earlier this year that Craig had “changed his mind” about playing Bond and that franchise producer Barbara Broccoli has “secured” the actor.

    It was previously reported that Craig was offered up to £120 million to return as the spy for two more films despite attention surrounding fellow candidates Tom Hiddleston, Idris Elba, James Norton and Poldark star Aidan Turner.

    Dunkirk’s Christopher Nolan has been one director in talks regarding the upcoming film following Sam Mendes departure, saying in a recent interview: “I’ve spoken to the producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson over the years. I deeply love the character, and I’m always excited to see what they do with it.

    “Maybe one day that would work out. You’d have to be needed, if you know what I mean. It has to need reinvention; it has to need you. And they’re getting along very well.”

    The producers are also rumoured to be “determined” to bring back Adele to record the theme tune after singing the lead track on Skyfall — the first 007 theme to win a Grammy and a Golden Globe award.

    The new film does not have a formal title yet. It will be written by Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, the duo who handled the scripts for Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Skyfall and Spectre.
    2018: Nick Taylor-Collins asks "Could Danny Boyle’s James Bond save Brexit Britain?"
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    Could Danny Boyle’s James Bond save
    Brexit Britain?
    Nick Taylor-Collins | July 24, 2018

    Much has been made of Danny Boyle’s appointment as director of Bond 25, the next outing for Daniel Craig’s 007, slated for a 2019 release. Both Bond and Boyle have longstanding interests in a thriving United Kingdom; the former being bound to serve the country as an elite spy, and the latter, as a director known for his creative portrayals of British culture.

    Since its gritty reboot in Casino Royale (2006), the Bond films have been praised, in part, for rejecting the gadgetry of previous films, instead prioritising depth of character and staging a vulnerable Bond prone to introspection. Coupled with greater awareness of real-life political issues in the films – big banks and money laundering, playing politics with natural resources in developing countries – Craig’s Bond has been asking himself why and for whom he serves.

    In his 25th movie outing, Bond will have an extra political issue to address: Brexit. Bond’s remit is to protect British society and interests from abroad. Given Britain’s changing politics, the spy will likely have a new set of international dynamics to negotiate.

    Boyle, too, will need to pay close attention to the political landscape. He will be directing a franchise film for the first time – one funded by Hollywood dollars that plays on the kitsch British pound – and will be selling the goods to the global movie market.

    But what will this mean for potential storylines? Look back to Sam Mendes’ Skyfall (2012) and you’ll see inspiration taken from the 7/7 bombings of London’s transport network. Skyfall dramatises a self-questioning Britain, no longer trustful of the international model of espionage. When M (Judi Dench) attends a parliamentary inquiry into the running of MI6, she explains to the chair:
    Our enemies are no longer known to us. They don’t exist on a map.
    They’re not nations. They’re individuals.
    Skyfall is all about saving the UK from its own, and rescuing it in the face of supranationalist political terrorism. It focuses on restoring unity to the UK’s nations, while rejecting internationalist politics. Towards the beginning of the film, during a psychometric test, Bond’s own trigger-word response to “country” is “England”. The UK, like Bond himself, is fractured.

    The only other represented part of the UK is Scotland, where Bond grew up. It represents a younger, more innocent Bond, before he fell into the world of spying and sin. When Bond finally kills cyberterrorist Raoul Silva in a bid to save the country (albeit at the cost of the Britannia-esque matriarch, M) he simultaneously prepares the way for Gareth Mallory (Ralph Fiennes) to assume his tenure as head of MI6, tasked with keeping the UK safe long into the future.

    This narrative of protecting the nation was cemented during the “opening ceremony” of London’s 2012 Olympics. Bond seemingly retrieved the Queen from Buckingham Palace and brought her to the Olympic stadium by helicopter, where she leapt out. Evoking Roger Moore’s scene in The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), a union jack flag adorned Her Majesty’s parachute.

    Fittingly, the director of the ceremony was Boyle. His “Isles of Wonder” was a vision of Britain that sought to bring together the country’s voices and histories as a harmonious whole in which the British nations are sutured together invisibly; borders largely erased and difference easily overcome. It was a Utopian vision of concord and camaraderie.

    Boyle’s vision of Britain hasn’t always been the most optimistic, however. His most feted film – 1996’s Trainspotting – thought about the UK in starkly different terms. Based on Irvine Welsh’s 1993 novel, Trainspotting documents the tribulations of a handful of Scottish addicts, whose tipples range from alcohol to violence to heroin. Set during Margaret Thatcher’s premiership, the Leith area of Edinburgh in the film is underfunded and forgotten by the neo-conservative society that Thatcher cultivated. Trainspotting’s Scotland is splintered off from the coherent UK.

    By the time Boyle’s Bond film is released, Britain will have exited the European Union. The new internationalist arrangement between the UK and its continental counterparts will potentially be a throwback to the pre-Thatcher UK, when nations were primary drivers in politics. Though there is no saving Trainspotting’s disintegrated UK, Boyle’s Bond offering will come up against the backdrop of a “saved” nation – at least in terms of its own national identity, that is.

    In the Bond films, Britain has long had a foil for solving international disputes, and a figure whose commercial appeal outweighs, on average, the current GDP of over 150 countries. But Boyle brings something new to the Bond universe, and his Trainspotting version of Britain where individualism thrives against a conception of a coherent UK is something Bond has rarely encountered. Now, however, the only question that remains is whether Bond will once again be able to save the Queen Olympics-style, as it were, and restore unity to a fractured Brexit Britain.

    This article was originally published on The Conversation

    Nick Taylor-Collins is a Lecturer in English Literature at Swansea University
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    2021: Comic-Con online panel "Dynamite: All the Big Reveals" features writers Rodney Barnes, Jimmy Palmotti and Fred Van Lente. And Red Sonja, James Bond, Elvira Meets Vincent Price. Saturday 5 to 6 p.m. EST.
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    Dynamite Announces Comic-Con@Home
    Panels

    Dynamite Entertainment has announced two exciting panels featuring heavy hitters like
    Vampirella and James Bond for this year's online Comic-Con@Home.
    By Shaun Corley Published 1 day ago

    Dynamite Entertainment has announced its slate of panels for this year’s Comic-Con@Home, the virtual version of the world-famous San Diego Comic-Con. These panels will give readers an up close and personal look at what is coming from the Dynamite in the months ahead. Fans will enjoy sneak peeks at various titles including Vampirella, James Bond and Elvira!

    The San Diego Comic-Con is one of the biggest pop culture conventions in the world, regularly attracting huge crowds; it has become a media event in its own right. It is also one of the oldest, having been around for more than 50 years. However, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Comic-Con has pivoted to an online experience, opting instead for virtual panels. While major movie studios like Marvel will not be taking place in the event, many comics publishers such as Dark Horse and DC Comics will present panels. And now, Dynamite Entertainment, publisher of Red Sonja, John Carter and Vampirella, among others, has announced two exciting panels for Comic-Con@Home, giving fans a sneak peek at the company’s future offerings.
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  • RichardTheBruceRichardTheBruce I'm motivated by my Duty.
    Posts: 13,779
    July 25th

    1963: Ian Fleming comments on death to Hilary Bray.
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    Ian Fleming, Andrew Lycett, 1995.
    Chapter 14 - Kent and Wiltshire
    Halfway through July, after four years of building, waiting and frustration,
    the Flemings finally moved into their new house at Sevenhampton. The
    first names in the visitors’ book were Raymond O’Neill and his wife
    Georgina. But even now the work was incomplete. The grounds were full
    of workmen who infuriated Ann by retreating into their huts whenever it
    rained. She tried to show an example by scurrying into the garden during
    cloudbursts and weeding ostentatiously. Ian’s spirits were hardly boosted
    by news of the death of another close friend, Hugo Putman, on July 25. In
    a note to Hilary Bray, he adopted unfamiliar shooting parlance: “Friends
    dwindle rapidly at our age, and Duff and Hugo were a bad left and right.”
    1964: A day after three typescripts of The Man with the Golden Gun are complete, Ian Fleming's secretary confirms to the typist one copy plus a list of corrections will go back to the author.
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    FLEMING, Ian The Man With the Golden Gun: Author's
    Corrected Typescript

    FLEMING, Ian
    The Man With the Golden Gun: Author's Corrected Typescript
    1964.
    182 numbered pages of typed foolscap, five further preliminary pages and a single sheet of suggested (later adopted) corrections by Kingsley Amis, all bound in a cloth folder. Authorial revisions in Fleming's hand to approximately 80 pages with further editorial revisions in green and black ink. Fleming's corrections are mainly quite significant, rewriting entire sentences, adding or removing paragraphs etc.

    The corrected typescript, used as the setting copy for Fleming's last Bond novel.
    Fleming wrote The Man with the Golden Gun at his Jamaican retreat, Goldeneye, in the early months of 1964, as was his custom. Fleming's original text was completed by April and, as had become routine in the preparation of his books, he had 'clean' copies typed up for editing. The text was sent in stages, and on 24 July, three typescripts extending to 182 pages, with initial sub editor corrections, were returned. The following day, Fleming's secretary wrote to the typist, "I've sent one typescript to Mr. Fleming and will do a list of your corrections for him." This is that typescript.

    Fleming made some (presumably light) revisions and sent the typescript to his friend and Cape reader, William Plomer, with the instructions that it was "unrevised" and not to show it to anyone else other than Michael Howard, director of Cape. Plomer wrote to Howard that he "much enjoyed the book as it is" but Fleming was unsatisfied with the novel as it stood and asked for the typescript to be returned to him, stating that he "would personally like to take it back to Jamaica and paint the lily next year". It would appear that Fleming began this process immediately as much of the more substantial alterations have the effect of tightening the prose. He revises some key moments, such as the description of Scaramanga's "golden gun" (p.26), but the most telling change is the addition of a paragraph to the very end of the novel, which gives a vivid insight into Fleming's troubled state of mind in his final weeks:

    "At the same time, he knew, deep down, that love from Mary Goodnight, or from any other woman, was not enough for him. It would be like taking 'a room with a view'. For James Bond, the same view would always pall."

    The visit to Jamaica was never to happen. Fleming's health, which had been poor for some time, went into rapid decline and he died on 12 August. This typescript therefore almost certainly contains Fleming's last ever work on James Bond. In Fleming's absence, Kingsley Amis, fellow Cape author and keen student of the Bond oeuvre, was brought in to tidy up the editing process, and this typescript, including Fleming's final changes, as well as Amis's suggestions, was then sent to the printer for publication.


    Stock ID: 35909
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    1966: You Only Live Twice moves cast and crew to Japan.

    1979: Eric Pohlmann dies at age 65--Bad Reichenhall, Bavaria, Germany.
    (Born 18 July 1913--Vienna, Austria-Hungary.)
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    Born - Erich Pollak, 18 July 1913, Vienna, Austria-Hungary
    Died - 25 July 1979 (aged 66), Bad Reichenhall, Upper Bavaria, Germany
    Years active - 1948–1979
    Spouse(s) - Liselotte Goettinger (1939–1968; her death; 2 children)
    Eric Pohlmann (German: Erich Pohlmann; 18 July 1913 – 25 July 1979) was an Austrian theatre, film and television character actor who worked mostly in Britain.
    Early life
    Born Erich Pollak in Vienna, Austria-Hungary, he was a classically trained actor who studied under the renowned director Max Reinhardt. He appeared at the Raimund Theater, and supplemented his income by working as an entertainer in a bar.

    In 1939, he followed his fiancée and later wife, Jewish actress Lieselotte Goettinger (best known in the UK for playing the concentration camp guard in the war films, Odette and Carve Her Name With Pride), into exile in London. There he took part in propaganda broadcasts against the Nazis on the BBC. In order to earn a living, the Pohlmanns temporarily took positions in the household of the Duke of Bedford, Lieselotte as a cook and Eric, as he was now known, as butler.

    Career
    After the war, he began a career on the London stage. Among other roles he played "Peachum" in Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill's The Threepenny Opera. From the end of the 1940s, Pohlmann was often present in film and television productions, taking supporting roles in various adventure and crime films, and appearing occasionally in comedies. His large frame and massive features typecast him in roles as master criminals and spies, or conversely as police officers or detectives, as well as other authority figures. He was frequently cast in "foreign" roles, portraying Turks, Italians, Arabs, Greeks or Orientals; he also played King George I, King George II in Disney's Rob Roy, the Highland Rogue and King George III twice.

    One of his earliest film appearances was in Carol Reed's classic The Third Man (1949). He also played supporting roles in such British films as They Who Dare (1954), Chance of a Lifetime (1950), Reach for the Sky (1956), and Expresso Bongo (1960). He also appeared in US productions, notably Moulin Rouge (1952), Mogambo (1953), Lust For Life (1956) and 55 Days at Peking (1963). Twice he appeared in films directed by Richard Thorpe and starring Robert Taylor - The Adventures of Quentin Durward (1955) and The House of the Seven Hawks (1959).

    He displayed his comedic talents in films like Gentlemen Marry Brunettes (1955) with Jane Russell, as a lecherous Arab sheikh in The Belles of St Trinian's (1954), as "The Fat Man" in Carry On Spying (1964) and in The Return of the Pink Panther (1975).
    Pohlmann (uncredited) also provided the voice of the unseen head of SPECTRE, Ernst Stavro Blofeld, in the James Bond films From Russia with Love (1963) and Thunderball (1965).
    In the 1960s and 1970s, Pohlmann regularly returned to his homeland to play numerous character roles in German and Austrian film and television productions. He had guest roles in the popular crime series Der Kommissar and Derrick, and also appeared in television plays for ORF and Bayerischer Rundfunk, often under the direction of Franz Josef Wild [de]. In addition to The Defence Counsel (1961) with Barbara Rütting and Carl Heinz Schroth, he appeared in Der Kleine Lord (1962) with Albrecht Schoenhals and Michael Ande, as well as The Dreyfus Affair (1968) with Karl Michael Vogler and Bernhard Wicki. In 1962, Pohlmann also appeared in The Puzzle of the Red Orchid starring Marisa Mell, Christopher Lee and Klaus Kinski, a German film adaptation of an Edgar Wallace novel.

    Pohlmann's greatest success in German TV drama came in 1970 with an adaptation of Wilkie Collins' novel The Woman In White, one of the most successful television productions of the year which gained over 9 million viewers. Under the direction of William Semmelroth, Pohlmann appeared in the role of the villainous Count Fosco, alongside Heidelinde Weis, Christoph Bantzer, Pinkas Braun and Helmut Käutner. The mini-series has a cult following to this day.

    Pohlmann was a regular on British television, taking the role of "Inspector Goron" in the 1952-1954 TV series Colonel March of Scotland Yard with Boris Karloff, and appearing as a guest star in such series as The Saint, The Champions, The Avengers, Danger Man, Department S, Jason King and Paul Temple.

    In 1978, he worked with the actor-director Maximilian Schell in an Austro/German film production of Ödön von Horváth's play Geschichten aus dem Wienerwald (Tales from the Vienna Woods). The film was shown at the 1979 London Film Festival. In that year, during final rehearsals for his second appearance at the Salzburg Festival, Pohlmann suffered a heart attack, and died the same day in a hotel in Bad Reichenhall. He was 66.

    In 2006, the Turner Classic Movies "31 Days of Oscar" festival was based on the theme of "360 Degrees of Oscar" (based on the game of "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon") in which TCM chooses an actor who has played a significant role in Oscar history, and builds its entire schedule around him. They chose Eric Pohlmann.

    He also appeared on stage (Henry Cecil's Settled Out Of Court is a production this editor remembers seeing him in).
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    Eric Pohlmann (1913–1979)
    Actor
    https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0688384/
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    2015: BBC Radio 4 airs its fifth James Bond radio drama, Diamonds Are Forever.
    Cast includes Toby Stephens, Stacy Keach. 2019: Variety reports Aston Martin showing off Bond cars.
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    Aston Martin shows off all its 007 cars in Bond 25
    There's a couple of plot pointers if you look hard enough
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    25 July 2019 | Thomas Shambler

    There's been a lot of nods and winks toward which cars James Bond will be
    throwing about in Bond 25 lately.


    The ones we've been teased with include the chop-top Land Rover, the Aston Martin V8 Vantage, the classic DB5, and an absolutely mad-looking Aston concept called the Valhalla.

    Now, all Bond's Aston Martins for the new film have been lined up for inspection:

    Let's do this school photo style. From left: Aston Martin V8 Vantage; stripped down DB5; normal DB5; Aston Martin V8 Vantage; DB5; DB5 with a pod on top, used by a stunt driver who does the actual driving while actors inside do the actual acting; and Aston Martin V8 Vantage.
    They're all huddled around the Aston Martin Valhalla, either consciously or unconsciously echoing that scene at the end of Hereditary in the treehouse where the nude cult members bow to Paimon. A spoiler? Maybe. Just maybe.

    Given that original DB5s go for north of a million quid these days, these are likely to be very, very faithfully recreated facsimiles. Then again, very, very faithfully recreated facsimiles can be pretty spicy too. Aston Martin's own recreations of the classic DB5 with Bond's gadgets and modifications will set you back £2.75 million, and there will only be 25 such 'continuation' models made.
    2019: Casino de Monte-Carlo launches its James Bond slot machines.
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    PRESS RELEASE
    Monaco, 26th July 2019


    James Bond slot machines at Casino de Monte-Carlo
    Thursday 25 July 2019
    PRESS RELEASE
    Monaco, 26th July 2019
    For the launch of the new "James Bond" slot machines in Salle Europe, Casino de Monte-Carlo is inviting My Monte-Carlo members with Gold status and above to an exceptional cocktail on Thursday 25 July at 7.00pm. Guests will be transported into the universe of the most famous spy ever, "Agent 007™". The luxury gaming temple is widening its offering by proposing a brand new entertainment experience. The universe of James Bond left its gloss on the image of Casino de Monte-Carlo in 1983 with the film Never Say Never Again, then in 1995 with the iconic Pierce Brosnan in GoldenEye at the Casino. Then, it left more than gloss and was instead a veritable incarnation.For this special evening, Casino de Monte-Carlo invites its loyal customers to discover this glamorous world where the vodka-Martini steals the day. Upon their arrival, guests can admire the display of collector Aston Martins at the entrance to Casino de Monte-Carlo. Then, they will enter Casino de Monte-Carlo and their immersion in the universe of the British spy will reach its peak. A stylish and surprising cocktail will be served in the Atrium of the Casino from 7.00pm to 8.30pm, before the machines are unveiled in Salle Europe. Musical entertainment, live music and dedicated scenery will plunge guests into the universe of the famous secret agent with its codes and unique aesthetics. Some will make the experience last well beyond the evening, with an Omega watch, 48 hours in an Aston Martin and many other surprises offered from an exceptional prize draw. These eight new immersive slot machines related to the different sagas of James Bond™ (Goldfinger, Thunderball, Casino Royale, etc.) join the offer of over 1,000 slot machines in Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer establishments.

    These new slot machines in the middle of Salle Europe, traditionally dedicated to table games, will appeal to players seeking thrills and distraction. There is only one step from the new James Bond™ slot machines to the craps table, which this new generation of customers will have fun taking. The offering is part of the metamorphosis of Casino de Monte-Carlo and the development of the "So Monte-Carlo" experience led by Pascal Camia, Chief Executive, Gaming, Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer, and his teams. "Creating unique events and new experiences for our players is part of our vision: to be and to remain the most beautiful and the most exclusive gaming destination in Europe. James Bond™ and Casino de Monte-Carlo are closely linked, therefore it seemed obvious to offer our customers this unique moment during which the spirit of the famous British spy will come alive for one night", explains Pascal Camia, Chief Executive, Gaming, Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer.

    The art of hospitality by My Monte-Carlo
    Offered as an exclusive preview to its members, the Dolce Vita event is part of the exclusive experiences provided within the framework of the My Monte-Carlo loyalty programme, which today has over 27,000 members. The programme is open free of charge to customers of the casinos and all of the establishments of Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer. Thanks to Loyalty Points earned, customers can benefit from numerous advantages to play (free entrance and valet parking for Casino de Monte-Carlo, access to private rooms, participation in exceptional evenings and tournaments, etc.), to stay in Monaco (upgrade and special welcome pack provided in the room, access to the well-being spaces of the Resort, early check-in and late check-out, transfer by limousine from Nice, etc.), but also to eat, go shopping and enjoy entertainment with the best seats proposed for events and shows.

    About Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer
    Since 1863, Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer has been offering a unique Art of Living, a one-of-a-kind resort with four casinos, including the prestigious Casino de Monte-Carlo, four hotels (Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo, Hôtel Hermitage Monte-Carlo, Monte-Carlo Beach, Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel& Resort), the Thermes Marins Monte-Carlo spa, dedicated to well-being and preventive health, 30 restaurants including five that together have seven Michelin Guide stars. A hub of night-life, the Group offers an incredible selection of events, including the Monte-Carlo Sporting Summer Festival and the Monte-Carlo Jazz Festival. At the end of 2018, Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer is completing four years of transformation works dedicated to Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo and to the creation of a new district around Place du Casino, One Monte-Carlo, with luxury accommodation, shops, restaurants and a conference centre. The vision of Groupe Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer for 2020is to make Monte-Carlo the most exclusive experience in Europe.

    Press contact:
    Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer
    T. 377 98 06 64 14 / [email protected]
    montecarlosbm.com @montecarlosbm #mymontecarlo
    An atmosphere of legendary place at Casino de Monte-Carlo

    2023: Film Fans with Max Alvarez (Virtual) focuses on Bond from the Rockville Centre Public Library, Rockville, New York.
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    Film Fans with Max Alvarez (Virtual)
    2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
    60 Years of Bond, James Bond
    In 1962, fictional MI6 agent James Bond 007 received his first screen assignment — Dr. No — and a relatively obscure Scottish actor named Sean Connery soared to international stardom. Even SPECTRE could not stop the 007 franchise from encircling the globe, despite Bond morphing into George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, and Daniel Craig.

    Join film historian Max Alvarez for this online multimedia event — unredacted and for your eyes only! — featuring selections from popular Bond adventures, including the secrets behind legendary 007 stunts and astonishing production design achievements.
    There are 97 spaces available.

    2023: Bond For A Day Experience at the Taj Hotel, St. James' Court, Lodon, England.
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    Bond For A Day Experience
    Live a day in the life of the most famous spy in the world, James Bond. Sip vodka martinis, master your shooting skills, and walk in the footsteps of his creator. Who knows, you may even get your own ‘00’ licence!

    Duration
    359 days
    Food & Drink
    About this event

    Start your day with a lunch at the Taj Hotel at St. James' court equipped with a martini, shaken not stirred of course, in true Bond style. Then, after an action-packed afternoon, take in the view as a true 007 with a second martini, you've earned it! Remember Bond always start with a martini and ends with a martini, soft drinks and mocktinis (mocktail martinis) are available for those who are not into the full martinis swing!
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    You are going behind the scenes of the world’s most successful movie franchise and playing the leading role! This incredible experience makes the dreams of every James Bond fan come true, including a splash of original Floris and his preferred tipple of a Vesper at one of Ian Fleming’s favorite London hotel bars.
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    As you immerse yourself into the cloak and dagger world of espionage, you’ll pick up some handy counter-surveillance skills too. It wouldn’t be a day in the life of Bond without a visit to Q, so you’ll also have a session booked at our select London gun club for some target practice using the preferred 007 weapons, such as the Walther PPK.
    During this exhilarating day, you will learn the real stories behind the world of 007 as we take you through the London scenes where Bond was born and immortalized in celluloid. This experience is perfect for adventurers and thrill-seekers, and makes a unique gift for fans of James Bond.

    Entry Notes:
    Wear weather appropriate clothing and comfortable shoes for the walking element of the tour.

    TRAVEL PACKAGE
    Tickets
    from

    $288.61

    2023: James Bond Summer Film Series screens Goldfinger at the IMAX Theater, Indiana State Museum, Indianapolis, Indiana.
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    James Bond Summer Film Series
    Dates and Times for this Past Event

    Monday, Aug 22, 2022 6pm
    Monday, Aug 15, 2022 6pm
    Monday, Aug 8, 2022 6pm
    Monday, Aug 1, 2022 6pm
    Monday, Jul 25, 2022 6pm

    Location
    IMAX Theater
    Indiana State Museum
    Details
    Because THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH (or in this case…only one James Bond film is not enough), the Downtown Indianapolis IMAX is hosting a six-week James Bond Summer Film Series featuring one film from each Bond actor. The series commemorates the 60th anniversary of the first film of the franchise and is FOR YOUR EYES ONLY (and 350 or so of your fellow Bond fans). The series film schedule is:
    • GOLDFINGER on July 25 with Sean Connery
    • ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE on August 1 with George Lazenby
    • THE SPY WHO LOVED ME on August 8 with Roger Moore
    • THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS on August 15 with Timothy Dalton
    • GOLDENEYE on August 22 with Pierce Brosnan
    • CASINO ROYALE on August 29 with Daniel Craig

    The film series will include Cardinal Spirits specialty martinis (shaken…not stirred) for purchase and an Aston Martin sportscar in the theater lobby during the opening film of the series.
    The downtown IMAX theatergoers enjoy validated parking in the White River State Park parking garage. To view the ever-updating list of films, visit www.imaxindy.com.
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    2023: Classic Tuesdays screens From Russia With Love at the Bedford Playhouse, Clive Davis Arts Center, Bedford, New York.
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    Classic
    Tuesdays: From
    Russia With Love
    PG
    Run Time: 115 min.
    July 25, 2023 at 7pm
    Main Theater

    Starring: Sean Connery, Pedro Armendáriz, Lotte Lenya, Robert Shaw, Daniela Bianchi
    Director: Terence Young
    Screenplay: Richard Maibaum
    SPECTRE has hatched a plan to steal a decoder that will access Russian state secrets and irrevocably unbalance the world order. It is up to 007 (Sean Connery) to seize the device, but he must confront enemies that include Red Grant (Robert Shaw) and former KGB agent Rosa Klebb (Lotte Lenya). Even as Bond romances a Soviet defector (Daniela Bianchi), he realizes he is being lured into a deadly trap and will need all of his abilities to triumph over the forces that seek to destroy him.
    “A thrilling espionage adventure chock full of iconic characters, set pieces and one-liners.”
    – Neil Smith, BBC
    “Standing at the pinnacle of the series, From Russia with Love shows how good a Bond film can be when all the ingredients mesh.”
    – James Berardinelli, ReelViews


  • RichardTheBruceRichardTheBruce I'm motivated by my Duty.
    Posts: 13,779
    July 26th

    1930: Mary Barbara Jefford OBE is born--Plymstock, Plymouth, Devon, England.
    (She dies 12 September 2020 at age 90--London, England.)
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    Meet The Bond Girl You Didn’t See
    Oct 7, 2021 Steve Palace
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    Barbara Jefford and Milo O'Shea in their early courting scene from the film 'Ulysses', 1967.
    (Photo Credit: Continental/Getty Images)
    The words “Bond Girl” aren’t that welcome in today’s society. However, when it comes to Barbara Jefford, there’s a more interesting backstory than most.

    For starters, you never saw her. She provided the voices for some classic female characters in 007’s macho universe. Read on to find out about this respected actress, who became a small but important part of James Bond’s cinematic history.

    Which Bond Girls did Barbara Jefford play?
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    Daniela Bianchi as Tatiana Romanova, Molly Peters as Patricia Fearing, Caroline Munro as Naomi.
    (Photo Credit: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer & United Artists & MovieStillsDB)
    Jefford lent her vocal talents to From Russia With Love’s Tatiana Romanova. She was a Soviet agent and seducer who encountered Sean Connery’s 007 in the 1963 movie.

    Romanova was portrayed onscreen by Daniela Bianchi. As stated in producer Albert “Cubby” Broccoli’s autobiography, Bond creator Ian Fleming based the character on real-life figure Anna Kutusova. Jefford went uncredited for her performance.

    A couple of years later, she could be heard again. This time she played physiotherapist Patricia Fearing in another Connery outing, Thunderball. Molly Peters appeared in front of the camera.

    Finally, she dubbed scream queen Caroline Munro as the villainous pilot Naomi in 1977’s The Spy Who Loved Me. Roger Moore had taken over as Bond by that stage – the move quite literally raised eyebrows.

    Who is Barbara Jefford?
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    Michael Redgrave and Barbara Jefford in Tiger at the Gates
    (Bettmann Archive/Getty Images)
    Mary Barbara Jefford came from Devon, England. Born in Plymstock in 1930, her father Percival Francis Jefford was a bank manager, according to a 1967 interview piece by Dave Lanning. Her mother was Elizabeth Mary Ellen.

    Training as an actress at the legendary RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art), she achieved success early. Her first stage performance was in her late teens, playing Viola in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night.

    Soon she was working with such acclaimed figures as Peter Brook and Sir John Gielgud.

    License to act
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    Barbara Jefford and Maurice Roeves smiling near tree branch in a scene from the film ‘Ulysses’, 1967.
    (Photo Credit: Continental Distributing/Getty Images)
    James Bond turned out to be a minor but noteworthy part of Jefford’s career on stage and screen. Her most well-known movie role was as Molly Bloom in the film version of James Joyce’s Ulysses (1967).

    The stage was arguably where Jefford was most at home. She performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company, among other hallowed institutions. Lanning described her as “one of Britain’s leading Shakespearian actresses.”

    Her highlights playing the Bard include Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra (a role she inhabited three times), Desdemona in Othello, and Volumnia in Coriolanus. She worked with some of the greatest male stars of the age – Richard Burton, Albert Finney, and Derek Jacobi.

    In addition to Shakespeare, Jefford also had a fondness for Oscar Wilde. “These immortal words seem to flow,” she told Lanning, in reference to the text of Lady Windermere’s Fan. “They are certainly easier to remember. They have a rhythm.”

    She appeared in the ITV Playhouse adaptation of the play as Mrs. Erlynne. Jennie Linden took the title role, with Ian Ogilvy as Lord Windermere.

    Later life
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    Barbara Jefford poses during a photo call held on January 12, 2005 at her home in London, England.
    (Photo Credit: Cambridge Jones/Getty Images)
    Barbara Jefford kept working throughout her life, though was more selective as she entered old age. “When you get to 77 it’s kind of limited as to what you can do,” she said in an Oxford Mail interview from 2007. “You’ve got to be believable, haven’t you?”

    Jefford passed away in 2020, aged 90. She left behind her second husband – and fellow actor – John Turner.
    There was another brush with the world of James Bond. In 2000, her performance as Volumnia saw Jefford play mother to title character Coriolanus. Starring as her son was Ralph Fiennes, who years later took up the mantle of 007’s boss “M.”

    Fiennes talked about Jefford to The Guardian following her death. Mentioning the change between the person and the performer, he said: “she really shook the air as she spoke.” Fiennes “felt the room change when she was acting.” He added: “Her vocal technique was almost alarming in its brilliance.”
    Barbara Jefford’s vocals entertained Bond fans and lovers of great acting all over the world.
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    Barbara Jefford (1930–2020)
    Actress
    https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0420266/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0
    Barbara Jefford (1930 - 2020) (1:54)

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    1939: The Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve appoints Ian Fleming as Lieutenant-Commander. Special Branch.
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    1967: Casino Royale released in Mexico.

    1971: Diamonds Are Forever films the lift fight between Bond and Peter Franks.
    1979: Moonraker released in Australia.
    Daybill
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    1987: The LA Times reports Timothy Dalton says he was first approached for the Bond role in the early 1970s.
    1987: In The Washington Post Hal Hinson's "007" assesses Bond past and present and The Living Daylights.
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    007
    By Hal Hinson | July 26, 1987

    In the books, his favorite car is a 1933 4 1/2-liter Bentley. In the movies, though, his car is the specially equipped Aston Martin DB he was issued in "Goldfinger." (He's driven others, like the Lotus Espirit that converted into a submarine in "The Spy Who Loved Me," but none stick in the imagination like the Aston Martin does.) Regardless of the company, at night his gun, a .32-caliber Walther PPK 7.65, is always under his pillow. In the novels, he is sometimes fond of pajamas; in the movies, he sleeps in the nude.

    His clothes are custom-made Saville Row cuts -- dapper but conservative. He abhors tea, which he calls mud and blames for the downfall of the Empire, and, in its place, prefers coffee. Black. His taste in wines runs to clarets and champagne, of which a 1953 Dom Perignon is his favorite, provided, of course, that it's served at the proper temperature of 38 degrees Fahrenheit. He drinks bourbon, doubles usually, on the rocks, and enjoys a good brandy, preferably a Hennessy Three Star (though in the movies he would never settle for anything below the order of an XO). His favorite drink, though, as everyone the whole world over seems to know, is a vodka martini. Medium dry. Shaken, not stirred.

    His name is Bond. James Bond. And it comes at you like a karate chop. It was borrowed by Bond's creator, Ian Fleming, from the famed British ornithologist, author of Birds of the West Indies, one of the volumes he most liked to keep on his breakfast table. When Fleming first fashioned his spy hero, he saw him as an attractive but ordinary man, and he wanted for him "the simpliest, dullest, plainest-sounding name I could find."

    Today, Fleming's lethal secret agent, born of Swiss and Scottish parents, both of whom died on a mountain-climbing accident in the Aiguilles Rouges above Chamonix when he was 11, has become one of pop culture's most resilient icons, and, after some 34 years, 12 novels, two collections of stories and 15 movies, anything but ordinary. This year, in fact, another milestone is reached in the Bond chronology as the movie hero celebrates his 25th birthday with the unveiling this Friday of a new 007, Timothy Dalton, in the latest in the series, "The Living Daylights."

    Darkly, cruelly handsome, his gun held rakishly against his cheek, James Bond is the most enduring sexual hero of the postwar era. He's our top gun, the playboy of the western world, Mr. Infinite Potency.

    There's no way Fleming could have predicted the longevity and significance of his spy hero when he sat down after breakfast at Goldeneye, his home in Jamaica, one Tuesday morning in 1952 and scribbled the first lines of Casino Royale. From the start, he had little expectation of the book's success. His stated claim for writing it was to ease the panic of an impending marriage, and to a friend he said the work was "roughly the equivalent of digging a very large hole in the garden for the sake of the exercise."

    It took him only seven weeks to polish it off, and his evaluation of his efforts on it and his other work is self-deflating to the point of near-obliteration. "My books tremble on the brink of corn," he once said. "I have a rule of never looking back. Otherwise I'd wonder, 'How could I write such piffle.' " Instead of swaddling himself in the regal damask of literature, as many pulp writers have done, his goal was modesty itself: to get "intelligent, uninhibited adolescents of all ages, in trains, aeroplanes, and beds, to turn over the page."

    Not everyone took him at his own estimation. The British novelist Kingsley Amis, in his book-length mash note, placed him foursquare in the company of Jules Verne, Rider Haggard and Conan Doyle. On the other hand, Malcolm Muggeridge tagged him an "Etonian Mickey Spillane," which was a nice way of saying he thought that as a writer, Fleming's knuckles dragged the ground. Check out this blast on Bond: "In so far as we can focus onto so shadowy and unreal a character, he is utterly despicable. . .Fleming's squalid aspirations and dream fantasies happened to coincide with a whole generation's. . . One wishes we had better dreams."

    Dreams indeed, for that's the stuff Bond is made of. For all his rumblings, though, Muggeridge has a point. That Agent 007 is an adolescent construct, the sludge of infantile longings and repressed fantasies, is undeniable. But, as Amis puts it, why should we let a little something like that spoil our fun?

    When "Dr. No" premiered in 1962 and we caught our first cinematic glimpse of Sean Connery as 007, lighting up a custom-made Moreland at a baccarat table at Cercle's in London, the Bond era on screen began. Before his screen debut, Bond had been an immensely popular figure, his popularity boosted by the fact that he counted then-CIA director Allen Dulles and John F. Kennedy among his fans.

    But the movies jacked him up into a higher orbit. More than any other figure, real or imagined, in American popular life -- more than Cary Grant or Bogart or Gable or Brando -- Bond represents the modern sexual ideal. Man at his best. The consummate Hefner male.

    That he's British in no way diminishes his status as an American fantasy archetype. He transcends country. Self-possessed and confident, Bond is unalienated from his own sexuality. He's a man. Pure and simple. Sizing up a potential conquest, he's straightforward and unapologetic about his attraction -- and his attractiveness. Yet, for most women, there's nothing degrading about his attention. It's not strictly an esthetic appreciation that he indulges (he's not a museum-goer in wondrous awe before an Ingres or a Vela'zquez); there's desire mixed in with it, but the desire and the appreciation combine in such a way that saves it from being prurient or leering. On a daydream level, at least, his frankness is a turn-on.

    To put it bluntly, Bond is a man who knows what he wants, and this quality alone -- the absence of ambiguity in his nature, the assurance about who and what he is -- is what makes him, in the confused modern age, a kind of superhero.

    But how exactly does the modern audience feel about James Bond and how have those feelings changed? Amis presents it this way: "We don't want to have Bond to dinner or go golfing with Bond or talk to Bond. We want to be Bond." And for most of Bond's tenure as a cultural icon, this has been the assumption: that men want to be him, and women want to have him.

    But as notions of masculinity, of sex, and the relations between men and women have changed, Bond has changed too. In some respects, his transmutations as an mythic figure over the years -- from Connery to Moore and now Dalton -- are as reliable a barometer of those changes as any in the culture. Political changes, too, linger in the background. (That a James Bond figure would take part in an actual war, as Dalton does when he goes to Afghanistan in "The Living Daylights," is unprecedented.) But although geopolitics provide texture and atmosphere in the Bond films, primarily they function (surreally) as part of the content; sex is an aspect of style. And in the world of Bond, style is everything.

    Indisputably, Bond is more of a fantasy ideal for men than women. But even for men, there are limitations to the appeal of a figure like Bond. The code he lives by is the code of the professional, and there's a single-mindedness, an almost monastic rigor to his personality -- it's this part of Oliver North that kept prompting the Bond comparisons -- that makes us feel that his might be a tough standard to live up to.

    The style that Connery created for Bond in the six 007 pictures he made was debonair but gritty -- it was a realistic style for an essentially imagined, highly improbable universe, and what he accomplished was to turn the fantastic into flesh and blood.

    Connery's films in the series span a period from "Dr. No" in 1962 to "Diamonds Are Forever" in 1971. (In between "You Only Live Twice" in 1967 and "Diamonds Are Forever," George Lazenby -- who laid no stylistic claim to the character and, therefore, doesn't really count -- starred in "On Her Majesty's Secret Service.") Of those films only the first three -- "Dr. No," "From Russia With Love" and "Goldfinger" -- could be considered vintage.

    Connery's virtue is that he carried over the rough edges of Fleming's Bond into the movies. Connery had the perfect mixture of musky sexuality and self-mockery to put across a character who, even at the time he was first brought to the screen, was a bit of anachronism. Connery gave the character gravity. But he gave him wit as well. (It was supposedly Connery's wife who initially urged her husband to turn down the part unless the script was rewritten to include more humor.) And sometimes the combination of brass-knuckled toughness and comedy would create unnerving gallowsy dissonances.

    Connery's Bond could be brutally cynical, snapping off one-liners over the not even cool bodies of his victims. (Sample: "Do you mind if my friend sits here? She's just dead.") But he could be moved too. In "Goldfinger," the death of Jill Masterson, whom he discovers covered with gold paint, really rocks him, and the emotion of that moment carries throughout the rest of the film. There's not really another moment quite like it in the series, not even the death of Bond's wife (Diana Rigg) in the Lazenby film.

    When Moore took over the character in 1973 in "Live and Let Die" -- he relinquished his claim to the character after "A View to a Kill" in 1986 -- those rough edges in Bond's personality were smoothed over and, on the pop-mythic level, at least, something essential was lost.

    There was a loss in terms of entertainment, too. But perhaps that's the way it had to be. When Moore took over the role, the culture probably wouldn't have supported, or tolerated, a more realistic, full-service Bond. The Bond films, even those with Connery, had always danced along a campy, comic-book edge. With Moore, that line was crossed. He spent his days in Her Majesty's Secret Service sending up the figure that Connery had created, turning Bond into an action gigolo/clown. As Moore played it, the notion of Bond's potency was a smirky joke, as preposterous as Superman's ability to fly.

    But Bond's sexual prowess -- his ability to wink and slay legions, to convert the wayward with a single bedding -- was always cause for behind-the-hand snickering. It was a laugh in "Casino Royale" (which featured Woody Allen as little Jimmy Bond begging not to be shot because he "has a low threshold of death"), and again in the Cyril Connolly spoof, "Bond Strikes Camp." So it's not really that Bond became a joke in the '70s; he had always been a joke. But with the Moore films, he became a vastly different kind of joke.

    The difference is all in the contrast between Connery and Moore. And the comparison, essentially, is between the talents of a tragedian and a farceur. As Connery played him, Bond could be an impossible pedant in matters of taste -- and usually was -- without seeming foppish or affected. He allowed the situation to carry the comedy, and always worked to find the plausible thread in the material. On the other hand, Moore's Bond saw matters of style as a game, a way of putting people on. Moore took a commedia dell'arte approach to Bond, and it worked only once -- when he had a script to support him -- in "The Spy Who Loved Me."

    The picture, which also in the partnership between Moore and the Soviet agent, played by Barbara Bach, marks the first sign of detente between the superpowers, is smartly directed and plays as a full-fledged satire. And as such, it's one of the best films of the series. But, in a sense, too, it was something of a dead end. As the comic Bond flourished, increasingly surrounding himself with gadgets and toys, the more grounded, realistic Bond revealed himself to be more and more out of step. By the time Connery reappeared in "Never Say Never Again," he was a kind of a Robinson Crusoe figure, stranded out of his time.

    The most fascinating thing about the switch from Connery to Moore is that, though it was merely a practical matter -- Connery had lost interest in the character -- it seemed almost a cultural neccessity. As Agent 007, Connery defined a certain style of masculinity for the '60s. But perhaps it was a conception that couldn't outlive the decade.

    As a pop culture myth, the Bond of the 60's, it seemed, had to die, or else undergo a transformation -- in this case, a sort of willful emasculation.

    Surprisingly enough, the new Bond, Timothy Dalton, appears to be a return to the more substantial, back-to-the-basics approach Connery took. But context is everything, and there are substantial differences in the worlds they inhabit.

    With "The Living Daylights," the days of promiscuity for 007 are over. The new Bond is the safe-sex Bond. (The British have tagged him "No No Seven.") Discreet. Responsible. And a little dull. And the circumstances seem to weigh on the new man as well.

    "The Living Daylights," which is set in Gibraltar, Czechoslovakia, Tangier and Afghanistan, is fundamentally Bond's long courtship of a young cellist (Maryam d'Abo) with whom he fell in love at first sight. With the exception of the precredit sequence, in which Bond unexpectedly drops in on a frustrated young tourist and the scant possibility of contact is dangled, Bond keeps his mind on business.

    One has a hard time imagining Connery's Bond fitting in with the new program. Unlike previous films, there are very few of those admiring, marvelously constructed, Bond girls, even in smaller parts on the sidelines -- no Plenty O'Tooles, Tiffany Case, Pussy Galores or Honey Ryders. Only the new Miss Moneypenny (the aptly named Caroline Bliss) brings reminders of the days when every receptionist and desk clerk presented an opportunity.

    The heroine herself has a strikingly different look. A cross between Nastassja Kinski and Lauren Hutton, she's built less according to the Hefner blueprint than usual. She's less of sexpot and more of a serious artist -- she plays the cello -- and, unlike past Bond women, she takes her own sweet time falling for our hero.

    What all this signifies is hard to pin down, but the background forces seem pretty clear. Dalton's Bond is undeniably an attempt to give the character relevance and keep him in step with the times. But, in a sense, it's one step forward and two steps back.

    "The Living Daylights" is like "From Russia With Love," but without sex. And a Bond film without sex seems something of an absurdity. If in taking over the role, Moore took flight from reality and lost something essential in the character, to lose Bond's sexuality is certainly a loss of equal weight.

    Bond defined himself by his pleasures, by sex, and in the films, his interaction with women provided an outlet for his personality, a chance to put his wit and style on display.

    Without sex, Bond becomes just another secret agent -- another bland action hero. Also, deemphasizing Bond's sexual athletics strips him of one of his most important roles. Seen from a Bond's-eye view, the currency of nations is sex. And Bond is the ultimate weapon.

    If Secord and Hakim represent the privatization of foreign policy, Bond stands for its sexualization. And between East and West, James Bond is a living symbol of the "style gap." As a result, his sexual prowess is not merely a matter of show. At the end of "The Spy Who Loved Me," Bond -- Moore -- is discovered in midembrace with Barbara Bach by his superiors, who demand to know what he thinks he's doing. "Keeping the British end up, sir," he answers wryly, turning back to his work. And nobody does it better.

    In "From Russia With Love," the plot turns on the fact that a pretty young Red has fallen in love with a file photo of 007 and is ready to defect, sell state secrets even, just for the chance to meet him. Underlying all this is the half-facetious assumption that if James Bond could sleep with every woman in the Soviet Union the war would be won. In other words, keep your ICBMs, your Hawks and your TOWs, bring down the nuclear curtain, somewhere tonight James Bond is making the world safe for democracy.

    If we look at the Bond pictures in Cold War terms, as allegorical East-West confrontations, we see that the western style -- which, try as they might, the Russians cannot manufacture in their laboratories -- is the difference.

    The Bond films are all about the sexual style of the West, with Bond as its purest expression. What the films suggest is that matters of style -- in clothes, in cars, in food and in women -- are a guide to character. That's why all that Bond stuff -- the cars, the watches, the clothes, the girls -- was so important.

    Underlying the innumerable scenes in which either Blofeld or Goldfinger or Stromberg tries to show off to Bond the extensiveness of his wine cellar or gloatingly presents him with a properly prepared martini is the notion that the enemy is hopelessly square. Don't worry, the movies tell us, these schlubs can't take over the world, no matter how many missiles they have. Look at those slacks. How can the baddies prevail if they don't know how outre' their little Mao suit jackets are?

    Admittedly, the notion of style in the Bond films is itself laughable. The Bond '60s aren't the truly stylish '60s of Jean Shrimpton or or Warhol or the Beatles; they're the Nancy Sinatra '60s. The beanbag chair, white go-go boots '60s. The faux-hip '60s. And since then we've continued to see the faux-hip designs applied to each subsequent decade. But what the style of the Bond films stands for, however gauche, is wit and sensual pleasures -- to sum it up crassly, the rewards of capitalism. Bond's enemies at SPECTRE were sexless ascetics: To have 007 join them -- even in the name of responsibility -- seems like a betrayal. Responsibility is for mortals. And who wants a mortal Bond.

    2004: Peugot cease and desist their contentious pronunciation of the 1007 mini-MPV.
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    The name's not Bond
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    Autocar News | 26 July 2004
    Peugeot has been forced to change the pronunciation of its new 1007 mini-MPV (above) at the last minute. The owners of the James Bond trademark disputed Peugeot's 'one-double-oh-seven' pronunciation, claiming it was too close to the secret agent's codename.
    It's embarrassing for Peugeot, which had to explain the pronunciation in numerous press releases. Now it will be called 'one thousand and seven' instead.
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    2006: Producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson announce Chris Cornell to perform the title song "You Know My Name", written by Cornell and David Arnold.

    2012: Madonna performs her "Die Another Day"/"Beautiful Killer" mashup during the MDNA Tour, Paris, France.
    2012: Bruce Feirstein through PrimaGames talks 007 Legends.
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    The Man Behind Many James Bond Missions
    Talks 007 Legends
    Published July 26, 2012, 2:54 p.m. about 007 Legends
    by Mojo Media

    Bruce Feirstein has written three James Bond movies and worked on five games over the years. The screenwriter has been collaborating with Activision and developer Eurocom lately on 007 Legends. The new shooter celebrates the 50th Anniversary of James Bond by sending players on updated missions based on six Bond movies, including Moonraker, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and the upcoming Skyfall.

    “Bond came onto the scene in 1962 with the first movie, Dr. No, and in November Skyfall will be coming out,” said Feirstein. “What Activision decided to do is create one game with Bond’s most iconic moments and somehow link them all together with an overarching story. Players will get to play through Bond’s most interesting missions.”

    Launching on October 16, 2012, 007 Legends equips players with state-of-the-art spy gadgets, an arsenal of weapons and sleek vehicles as they jet off to exotic locations and utilize Bond’s quick wits, class and style to take down notorious villains and their brutal henchmen while performing impressive stunts. Gamers will be taking on villains like Ernst Stavro Blofeld and Sir Hugo Drax.

    “It’s funny the way Bond villains over all of these years have stayed the same in a way and have been timely,” said Feirstein. “That’s been part of the success of the series and it’s what we’re trying to do in the game. There is something ultimately about Bond that is very deep and archetypal, meaning that there’s something inside of us that we recognize in Bond. We connect with the story of what ultimately is Bond as a lone warrior who is sent out to avenge a vanquished nation.” Going with a first-person shooter perspective, which Activision used for its GoldenEye remake (also written by Feirstein), allows the player to become Bond. It also circumvents the fact that different actors played Bond in these six films.

    The structure of the Bond films, for the most part, has made the task of updating them for today’s gamers an easier task. “Part of the advantage of Bond, which I can say as an American, is that you’ll never see the Oval Office in a James Bond movie,” said Feirstein. “And with the exception of Thunderball, the Prime Minister is never seen. This makes it easier for fans from around the world to connect with the character. You can travel to the craziest place in the world like Cambodia, which I’ve done, and you’ll find someone who can relate to James Bond -- the lone warrior out to avenge the nation.”

    The last couple of Activision games had a big multiplayer focus. Although details on 007 Legends multiplayer haven’t been revealed yet, Feirstein believes this aspect of gaming is important for the virtual Bond franchise. “That moment when the father and son play together as a team together is the equivalent for someone like me with my father taking me to see the New York Yankees,” said Feirstein. “It’s a much larger experience than just the game."

    If you’re a father and your kid has left and gone to college, you can reconnect over your Xbox while also going back and reliving some of the great experiences from the Bond movies that you grew up with.” 007 Legends will ship for PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on October 26.
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    2020: Asahi Shimbun reports on Toyota manufacturing classic sports car replacement parts--includes the 2000GT.
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    Toyota to reproduce parts for 2000GT driven by 007
    See the complete article here:
    By DAIKI ISHIZUKA/ Staff Writer | July 26, 2020 at 08:00 JST
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    The Toyota 2000GT, for which Toyota Motor Corp. will reproduce and sell replacement parts
    (Provided by Toyota Motor Corp.)
    The fabled Toyota 2000GT sports car model that James Bond drove in his 1967 film "You Only Live Twice" has been given a new life by Toyota Motor Corp.

    Toyota announced July 6 it will reproduce and sell replacement parts for the rare 2000GT, last produced 50 years ago.

    The project is aimed at reproducing discontinued parts and helping owners to continue to drive the iconic sports car.

    Orders will be accepted from August.

    The 2000GT was a specialty sports car for the auto giant, with only 337 units produced between 1967 and 1970. Boasting a maximum speed of 220 kph, it set three world records.

    About 10 parts, including those for the transmission, will be offered for sale.

    Toyota decided to reproduce the parts in response to requests from owners who said it was getting difficult to replace broken parts 50 years after production ended.

    Sales will be restricted to 2000GT owners. Prices have yet to be determined.

    Toyota has been selling reproduction parts for fans of its classic cars.

    In May last year, the automaker announced it would reproduce parts for the A70 and A80 Supra, which were popular in the 1980s and 1990s.

    The latest offering is the second batch of the parts reproduction project.
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    Toyota will reproduce and sell replacement parts including gears for its 2000GT sports car.
    (Provided by Toyota Motor Corp.)
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    Only 337 units of the Toyota 2000GT were produced between 1967 and 1970.
    (Provided by Toyota Motor Corp.)


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    2022: Cinema Nova screens The Other Fellow at Melbourne, Australia.
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    MDFF: Other Fellow, The
    Bond, James Bonds. Can anyone ever live up to that name?

    An energetic exploration of male identity via the lives, personalities, and adventures of a diverse band of men, real men across the globe all sharing the same name – James Bond.
    • 1952. Jamaica. When author Ian Fleming needs a name for his suave, sophisticated secret agent, he steals one from an unaware birdwatcher and creates a pop-culture phenomenon about the ultimate fictional alpha male.
    • 2022. It is the year of 007’s sixtieth anniversary onscreen and Australian filmmaker Matthew Bauer is on a global mission to discover the lasting, contrasting and very personal impacts of sharing such an identity with James Bond.
    From a Swedish 007 super-fan with a Nazi past, a gay New York theatre director, an African American Bond accused of murder, and two resilient women caught up in it all, Bauer’s cinematic mission is an audacious, poignant, and insightful examination of masculinity, gender, and race in the very real shadows of a movie icon.
    Tuesday, 26th July
    18:30

    Legend Deluxe: In-Cinema dining session.
    Event: Special event screening, complimentary & discount tickets do not apply
    CC & AD: Closed Captions or Audio Description available for individual/personal use in those shows indicating a 'CC & AD' notation on a film's session time booking button. Please note that only selected sessions are capable of offering the Closed Captions or Audio Description option, please contact the cinema in the event of confusion to avoid disappointment.
    THE OTHER FELLOW Trailer - James Bond documentary in theatres & on demand (2:31)


  • RichardTheBruceRichardTheBruce I'm motivated by my Duty.
    Posts: 13,779
    July 27th

    1922: Adolfo Celi is born--Messina, Sicily, Italy.
    (He dies 19 February 1986 at age 63--Siena, Tuscany, Italy.)
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    Adolfo Celi Dies at 64; An Actor and Director
    AP FEB. 20, 1986

    Adolfo Celi, the Italian actor and director, died today, two days after suffering a heart attack. He was 64 years old.
    Mr. Celi, a Sicilian who began acting on the Italian screen in the 1940's and performed for 15 years in Brazil, was known for his comic roles, but was also frequently cast as a villain in films. He won international fame in the 1965 film of ''Thunderball'' as Emilio Largo, the black eye-patched adversary of James Bond.
    He had more than three dozen roles to his credit, including that of Giovanni de Medici in ''The Agony and the Ecstasy,'' the 1965 film biography of Michelangelo, and that of a Scottish colonel in ''King of Hearts'' (1966), which starred Alan Bates.

    His other film credits included ''That Man From Rio'' (1964); ''Von Ryan's Express'' (1965); ''Grand Prix'' (1966); ''The Alibi'' (1969), for which he was also co-director and co-author; a 1971 remake of ''Murders in the Rue Morgue,'' and a 1974 version of Agatha Christie's 'Ten Little Indians' titled ''And Then There Were None.'' In the past few years he had starred in several Italian-made movies, including the series ''Amici Miei'' (''My Friends'') and also directed stage productions.

    He suffered the heart attack a few hours before the premiere in this Tuscan city of ''I Misteri di Pietroburgo'' (''The St. Petersburg Mysteries''), which he directed and acted in.
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    Adolfo Celi (1922–1986)
    https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0148041/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0

    Filmography
    Actor (103 credits)

    -1987 International Airport (TV Series) - Il Caposcalo - 10 episodes
    1987 T.I.R. (TV Series) - Oreste
    - Aki elsönek érkezik (1987) ... Oreste
    1985 Il giocatore invisibile
    1985 All My Friends Part 3 - Professor Sassaroli
    1984 Cindy - Cinderella '80 - Prince Gherardeschi
    1982 L'occhio di Giuda (TV Mini-Series)
    - Episode #1.3 (1982)
    - Episode #1.2 (1982)
    - Episode #1.1 (1982)
    1982 All My Friends Part 2 - Professor Alfeo Sassaroli
    1982 Monsignor - Vinci
    1982 La sconosciuta (TV Mini-Series) - Taladis - 4 episodes
    1981 Madly in Love - Gustavo VI di San Tulipe
    1981 The Borgias (TV Mini-Series) - Rodrigo Borgia - 9 episodes
    1980 Carnapping - Head of police in Palermo
    1980 Café Express - Ispettore capo Ministero

    1979 L'altro Simenon (TV Series)
    1978 Le braghe del padrone - Eugenio - the president
    1978 Professor Kranz tedesco di Germania - Carcamano
    1978 Indagine su un delitto perfetto - Sir Harold Boyd
    1977 Man of Corleone
    1977 The Tiger Is Still Alive: Sandokan to the Rescue (TV Movie) - James Brooke
    1977 The Chosen - Dr. Kerouac
    1977 Pane, burro e marmellata - Aristide Bertelli
    1977 The Passengers - Boetani
    1977 Che notte quella notte! - Dottore
    1976 Merciless Man - Commissario Lo Gallo
    1976 The Big Operator - Rifai
    1976 The Next Man - Al Sharif
    1976 Febbre da cavallo - Judge
    1976 Goodnight, Ladies and Gentlemen - Commendatore Vladimiro Palese
    1976 L'affittacamere - Giudice Damiani
    1976 Confessions of a Frustrated Housewife - Antonio
    1976 Live Like a Cop, Die Like a Man - Captain
    1976 Pure as a Lily - L'onorevole
    1976 Sandokan (TV Mini-Series) - James Brooke - 6 episodes
    1975 L'amaro caso della baronessa di Carini (TV Mini-Series) - Don Mariano D'Agrò - 4 episodes
    1975 Amici miei - Professor Sassaroli
    1975 Libera, My Love - Felice Valente - Libera's father
    1974 Last Moments - Dr. Monforte
    1974 Ten Little Indians - The General
    1974 The Phantom of Liberty - Le docteur de Legendre / Doctor Pasolini
    1974 The Devil Is a Woman - Father Borelli
    1973 La villeggiatura - Commissioner Rizzuto
    1973 Le mataf - Me Desbordes
    1973 Hitler: The Last Ten Days - General Krebs
    1973 Pete, Pearl & the Pole - The Pole
    1972 Joe Petrosino (TV Mini-Series) - Joe Petrosino - 4 episodes
    1972 The Italian Connection - Don Vito Tressoldi
    1972 The Long Arm of the Godfather - Don Carmelo
    1972 Ragazza tutta nuda assassinata nel parco - Inspector Huber
    1972 Who Saw Her Die? - Serafian
    1972 Who Killed the Prosecutor and Why? - Inspector Vezzi
    1972 Eye in the Labyrinth - Frank
    1972 Brother Sun, Sister Moon - Consul
    1972 Il sospetto (TV Movie) - Dott. Fritz Emmemberger
    1971 Una chica casi decente - César Martín de Valdés 'Duque'
    1971 Murders in the Rue Morgue - Inspector Vidocq
    1971 They Have Changed Their Face - Giovanni Nosferatu
    1970 Finale di partita (TV Movie)
    1970 Brancaleone at the Crusades - Re Boemondo
    1970 The Cop - Le commissaire principal / Chief of police
    1970 Fragment of Fear - Signor Bardoni
    1970 The Night of the Assassin - Hermes

    1969 It Takes a Thief (TV Series) - Eric 'The Red' Redman / Eric Redman
    - The Second Time Around (1969) ... Eric 'The Red' Redman
    - The Great Casino Caper (1969) ... Eric Redman
    1969 In Search of Gregory - Max
    1969 Death Knocks Twice - Professor Max Spiegler
    1969 A Man for Emmanuelle - Sandri
    1969 Detective Belli - Avvocato Fontana
    1969 Midas Run - General Ferranti
    1969 The Archangel - Marco Tarocchi Roda
    1969 Alibi - Adolfo
    1968 Seven Times Seven - Warden
    1968 Fantabulous Inc. - Karl Maria van Beethoven
    1968 It's Your Move - Bayon / Guinet
    1968 Danger: Diabolik - Ralph Valmont
    1968 Death Sentence - Friar Baldwin
    1967 Dirty Heroes - Luc Rollman
    1967 Grand Slam - Mark Milford
    1967 Operation Kid Brother - Mr. Thai - 'Beta'
    1967 The Bobo - Francisco Carbonell
    1967 The Honey Pot - Inspector Rizzi
    1967 Master Stroke - Mr. Bernard
    1966 Grand Prix - Agostini Manetta
    1966 King of Hearts - Le Colonel Mac Bibenbrook (as Adolfo Celli)
    1966 Pleasant Nights - Bernardozzo
    1966 Target for Killing - Henry Perkins
    1966 Yankee - Grande Concho
    1966 El Greco - Don Miguel de las Cuevas
    1965 Thunderball - Largo
    1965 A Man Named John - Msgr. Radini Tedeschi
    1965 Slalom - Riccardo
    1965 The Agony and the Ecstasy - Cardinal Giovanni de' Medici (pope Leo X)
    1965 Von Ryan's Express - Battaglia
    1965 Crime on a Summer Morning - Van Willie
    1964 Beautiful Families - Professore Della Porta (segment "Amare è un po' morire")
    1964 Male Companion - Benvenuto
    1964 3 notti d'amore - Alberto (segment "La moglie bambina")
    1964 That Man from Rio - Mário de Castro
    1963 Sandokan the Great
    1952 Tico-Tico no Fubá (uncredited)
    1950 Caiçara - Genovês
    1948 Immigrants - Il professore
    1948 Guaglio - Don Pietro
    1947 Natale al campo 119 - John, il sergente americano
    1946 Un americano in vacanza - Tom

    Director (4 credits)

    1969 Alibi

    1957 Grande Teatro Tupi (TV Series) (1 episode)
    - Esta Noite é Nossa (1957)
    1952 Tico-Tico no Fubá
    1950 Caiçara

    Writer (2 credits)

    1969 Alibi (screenplay) / (story)

    1950 Caiçara (story and screenplay)

    Producer (1 credit)

    1952 Tico-Tico no Fubá (producer)

    Miscellaneous Crew (1 credit)

    1973 Lucky Luciano (voice dubbing: Charles Siragusa - uncredited)
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    1963: The Dr. No soundtrack enters US charts eventually reaching #82.
    1966: At a press conference in Japan Sean Connery comments--"Japanese women are just not sexy."
    1968: Maria Grazia Cucinotta is born--Messina, Sicily, Italy.

    1987: Cathleen McGuigan in Newsweek reviews The Living Daylights.
    The name's Dalton, Timothy Dalton, and in the film The Living Daylights he abandons the winks, the arched eyebrow and laid-back smile to get down to the dirty business of espionage.
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    1988: Licence to Kill films a barroom brawl at the Barrelhead Bar in Key West, Florida.
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    2007: Park Circus re-releases Goldfinger digital prints in the UK at 150 multiplex cinemas. It charts number 12 at the weekly box office.

    2012: BBC News reports on Olympic events.
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    How James Bond whisked the Queen to the Olympics
    See the complete article here:
    By Nicolas Brown | BBC Director of UK Drama Production
    Published | 27 July 2012

    In this year of extraordinary events there was a week in late March of unseasonal glorious sunshine, when we basked in its early arrival and dreamed we might be set fair for summer.

    That week, an extraordinary - surreal, even - event happened at Buckingham Palace when Her Majesty The Queen made herself available for a few short hours to appear in a film sequence alongside another British icon, James Bond, 007.
    Although not a drama in the conventional sense, "Happy and Glorious", as conceived by Danny Boyle, has a gentle narrative which sets up the Queen's arrival at the stadium for the opening ceremony.
    Her Majesty, Daniel Craig, our Brazilian schoolchildren (a nod to four years hence of course) and the corgis all played their parts impeccably and none of it would have happened without the extraordinary and tenacious Tracey Seaward who somehow fitted in co-executive producing these two films with her day job of producing the entire ceremony.

    That was the very first element shot of two films - "Happy and Glorious" and "Isles of Wonder" which opens the entire worldwide coverage - that BBC Drama Production have contributed to the ceremony and which started with a brief phone call back in February.

    Two short films for the Olympics? Directed by Danny Boyle? Sure, that didn't appear too tall an order and in fact sounded something of an alluring prospect. How difficult could it be?

    Bold and exciting
    The task had seemed surmountable as we sat in a small windowless room at Three Mills Studios in East London - then the base for the ceremonies team - and watched a computer generated/sketched visualisation of what Danny wanted to achieve.

    It was bold, ambitious and exciting - everything one would expect from him.

    On that day in March, watching footage of the helicopter rising from the Palace lawn into an azure blue sky (even whilst noting the still thin spring foliage that would have to be improved on in post-production to become convincing summer) the auguries still looked good.

    This was despite knowing that ahead lay the challenges of shooting aerial and marine sequences, complex coordination with action on the ground.

    All of this in the centre of a city that, not easy to film in at the best of times, was heading towards a period of unprecedented sensitivity and security. Everything was possible.

    Then came the weather. We all know about this summer - flooding, monsoon conditions, records broken, the jet stream that stubbornly refused to shift.

    Neither of the films is long, but they are largely exterior and each is made up of myriad elements that needed a huge amount of planning and resources, as well as weather, to get right for our expected audience of over one billion people.

    Permission to fly
    If you are having to secure permissions to fly along the Thames, through Tower Bridge with two helicopters (never done before) or clear the river of commercial traffic you need to do so with several weeks' notice.

    If you then find that over the dates you have picked the helicopter can't fly because of the low cloud or is grounded because of a bomb scare on Tottenham Court Road or the footage you do achieve is so utterly grey, damp and joyless as to be unusable, you have a big problem.
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    Daniel Craig with co-stars in the coming Bond film Skyfall
    We had several of those days, with an immovable date in the diary that was racing towards us.

    In the end we were lucky. Lucky that the cloud lifted and sun shone at the very end of the day at our second attempt at Tower Bridge (I will always remember producer Lisa Osborne sending me a sequence of stills through the day starting with a crew in wet weather gear, moving to a glimpse of blue sky and ending with glorious shots of two helicopters flying through the bridge as the sun began to set).

    Lucky that there was just enough sunshine around - on the third attempt - to capture the beauty of the Thames in its early meanderings.

    The look around the source itself, we have to confess, is the result of a lot generators, cabling and bulbs and lucky that there was a team who stuck with it through disappointment, frustration, the cold and the wet.

    The result is the delivery of what I think are films full of warmth, joy, affection, wit, surprise and excitement and sunshine and which I hope played their part in a memorable night.
    2012: BBC's film Happy & Glorious, directed by Danny Boyle, showcases Craig as Bond with the Queen to open the London 2012 Summer Olympics. Watched by an estimated nearly one billion viewers.
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    London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony: Isles of Wonder (2012)
    TV Special | 2012 | 5h 52min
    https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2305700/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
    The world's best all-round sporting event returns in 2012, this time in London, and England's capital has a lot in store.
    Directed by
    Danny Boyle
    Writing Credits (in alphabetical order)
    Danny Boyle, Frank Cottrell Boyce

    Cast (in credits order) includes
    Darius Alexander ... Pandemonium Drummer / Athlete Marshall
    Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
    Arctic Monkeys ... Themselves
    Rowan Atkinson ... Mr. Bean
    David Beckham ... Self
    Daniel Craig ... James Bond
    Prince Philip ... Self
    Queen Elizabeth II ... Self
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    2014: MGM-Danjaq denies ‘scaring off’ Bond competition.
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    NewsFilm News
    Studio deny dirty tricks after launching lawsuit against Universal
    James Bond studio denies ‘scaring off’ 007 competitors
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    By John Earls | 27th June 2014

    The distributors of the James Bond films have denied they’re trying to “scare off” competition from rival film-makers, after launching a lawsuit against Universal Studios for allegedly stealing their ideas with plans for a supposedly similar new movie.

    According to The Hollywood Reporter MGM-Danjaq are suing Universal claiming that its new movie Section 6 copies ideas from the Bond franchise. Universal had attempted to dismiss the lawsuit, claiming that MGM-Danjaq were attempting to scare away any Bond rivals. Universal also said that Section 6 was being revised and that the film hadn’t even officially been given the go-ahead.

    But, in a new brief filed in the US District Court in Los Angeles, MGM-Danjaq have reproduced scriptwriter Aaron Berg’s script for the film, highlighting areas they contend “directly infringes” the James Bond copyright.

    The brief claims Berg was paid $1 million (£590,000) for his script, stating: “It would be contrary to industry practice and make no sense to pay anything close to that amount” for a script unless it was likely to be used. Universal say they have given assurances that Section 6 won’t infringe MGM-Danjaq’s copyright. The hearing is due to take place on July 28.

    MGM, which also owns the rights to The Hobbit, has begun producing the 24th Bond film. It will again star Daniel Craig and be directed by Sam Mendes, who helmed 2012’s Skyfall. Penelope Cruz is rumoured to be playing Bond’s love interest, though her agents have so far denied this.

    2017: GQ proposes Bourne better than Bond.
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    Why Bourne is better than Bond
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    By Helen O Hara
    27 July 2016

    James Bond is a right-wing imperialist but Jason Bourne is a thorn to his masters’s foot. Isn’t that worth cheering?

    This week sees the return of Jason Bourne to cinemas, and thank goodness. After last year’s ridiculous, overblown Spectre, we need Matt Damon and director Paul Greengrass’ particular brand of spy story back in cinemas. Because while James Bond has been around a little longer, Jason Bourne’s cinematic outings have been better on average and far more politically daring.

    The fact is that Bourne is a superior character to Bond. He’s a better spy, for those of you who care about the thriller aspect to these films. Bourne wears carefully generic clothes, disappears in a crowd and lives under the radar for long periods with great success. He doesn’t, say, pause in Tangiers to pick up some designer duds before buying first-class train tickets to go visit his supervillain opponent, as Bond did in Spectre. He has multiple identities and uses them, rather than announcing himself publicly anyplace that sells a vodka martini. Bourne is capable of honest-to-goodness sneakiness.

    He’s also a better person. He’s a one-woman sort of guy, who settled down with Bourne Identity’s Marie (Franke Potente) and has remained apparently single since she was killed in action. Women are not disposable, as in Bond; even supporting characters like Julia Stiles’ analyst or Joan Allen’s CIA director keep cropping up in repeated films. Only Judi Dench’s M had the same distinction in the Bond series, and of course she died for her trouble. Bourne doesn’t quip over the bodies of his foes, like the sociopathic Bond. Most importantly, Bourne is tormented by his own dark past – and in The Bourne Supremacy (the best of the series) his entire drive is not towards his enemies, but towards a woman he wronged, and to whom he wishes to offer some sort of restitution. Now that’s a value worth celebrating.

    Fans love the fantasy element to Bond, what with the cars and the money and the girls and the gambling and the travel and the gadgets and the power – but the obsession with those things makes him a terrible human being. It’s no coincidence that the most lauded recent Bond movies were reinventions with more than a dash of Bourne: since Casino Royale, they’ve borrowed everything from Greengrass’ shaky-cam action style to Bourne stunt coordinator Dan Bradley to a sudden willingness to pause the action for moments of introspection. But even Daniel Craig’s Bond couldn’t keep it low-key for long, so soon he was back to normal, wearing suits that cost as much as your car and driving cars that cost as much as your house. Craig hasn’t had to contend with a double-taking pigeon yet like Roger Moore, but it’s only a matter of time in Bond’s boom-and-bust cycle between ridiculous overstatement and (temporary, always temporary) seriousness of purpose.

    Even when Bond is at his grittiest and Bourne at his silliest (cough cough Legacy – even if Damon didn’t appear) there will always be a gulf between the characters. Bond is obsessed with fitting in, with being a part of the system. He moves in corridors of power, he poses on rooftops in Whitehall and appears before Parliament. Paul Greengrass once described him as an “right-wing imperialist”, and no matter how the incarnations twist to show a more human side, that’s what he remains. Bourne, however, is a thorn to his masters’s foot and a bramble to his hand, more likely to uncover dirty tricks than carry them out anymore. And in these days of all days, isn’t that worth cheering?
    2017: GQ reports a shortlist of directors for BOND 25, specifically Denis Villeneuve, David MacKenzie, Yann Demange.
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    The Next James Bond Movie Now Has 3 Possible Directors
    Scott Melsow | 27 July 2017
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    And their renditions of Daniel Craig's last mission as
    007 could all look very different.
    We compare the three directors that have reportedly been
    shortlisted to carry this 007 over the finish line.


    Earlier this week, Sony announced that the next James Bond movie will arrive in theaters on November 8, 2019. It’s not much to go on—the announcement didn’t include the director, the title, or even the actor who will play 007. But it is a ticking clock—and as James Bond himself would tell you, you don't want to run out of time on one of those.

    Fortunately, details on the as-yet-untitled Bond 25 are already trickling in.

    Deadline reports that Craig will likely return to play Bond one more time. (The report also suggests that after the Daniel Craig era ends, the next 007 reboot might be spearheaded by Christopher Nolan or Edgar Wright, which is damn interesting.)

    For now, however, it looks like Bond 25 will be one last outing for Craig. And three directors have reportedly been shortlisted to carry this 007 over the finish line: Denis Villeneuve, David MacKenzie, and Yann Demange. Let’s take a look at each of them.

    Denis Villeneuve
    What you know him from: Prisoners, Sicario, Arrival
    https://youtu.be/3_T6vZ8HxbA

    Denis Villeneuve is turning out to be one of the most in-demand directors in Hollywood. Last year, Arrival scored Villeneuve his first Oscar nominations for both Best Director and Best Picture. In October, his Blade Runner 2049 will serve as a belated sequel to one of the most acclaimed sci-fi movies in history. And then there are the persistent reports about Villeneuve helming a new adaptation of Dune, which is based on one of the most acclaimed sci-fi novels in history.

    So it’s no surprise that Villeneuve is on a shortlist of directors who might be able to breathe some new life into Craig’s 007. The bigger question is when he’d find the time to do it.

    What his Bond 25 might look like: Foggy, morally ambiguous, kickass score. James Bond fights a giant spider.

    David MacKenzie
    What you know him from: Starred Up, Hell or High Water
    https://youtu.be/J2SsOOkdIrE

    Like Villeneuve, MacKenzie’s star rose just last year, when his Hell or High Water scored a dark-horse Best Picture nomination at the Oscars. And though MacKenzie’s directing credits stretch back for more than a decade, it’s the feature he did before Hell or High Water that might be the biggest litmus test for what his 007 could look like: Starred Up, a smart and brutal U.K. prison drama.

    What his Bond 25 might look like: Rural, physical, disproportionate number of mustaches.

    Yann Demange
    What you know him from: Dead Set, ’71
    https://youtu.be/Qyzj6gsg1Z8

    Yann Demange has the lowest profile of the directors rumored to be taking over the 007 franchise, but Variety reports that he’s currently the frontrunner for the job.

    The Paris-born Demange helmed every episode of Dead Set—a clever mashup of Big Brother and zombie horror, created by Charlie Brooker of Black Mirror fame—and ’71, a tense war thriller about a British soldier who ends up separated from the rest of his troop during a riot in Belfast.

    Unfortunately, ’71 is Demange’s only feature to date, so we don’t have a lot to go on—but next January sees the release of his crime drama White Boy Rick, which stars an ensemble cast that includes Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Bruce Dern.

    What his Bond 25 might look like: Tense, darkly lit, full of actual espionage

    --

    2022: News outlets report actress Jane Seymour says she'd play Solitaire again.
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    Jane Seymour ‘very open’ to reprising
    Solitaire from ‘Live and Let Die’
    July 27, 2022
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    Los Angeles, July 26 (IANS) Primetime Emmy and Golden Globe-winning television and film star Jane Seymour, while promoting her partnership with the free-to-play Solitaire app, said she’d be happy to reprise her role in the 1973 James Bond movie, “Live and Let Die”.

    “Of course, I’d do it,” Seymour told People.com. The character she played, incidentally, was named Solitaire, a psychic who’s also Bond’s love interest.

    “I’ve always been very open about saying that I’d be happy to just walk behind the scene and someone could go, ‘Is that Solitaire?’,” Seymour added.

    The actress was new to the industry when she played the Bond Girl character in the franchise’s eighth flick back in 1973, notes People.com.

    Also known as Simone Latrelle, Solitaire was a voodoo psychic medium and associate of Bond’s foe, Dr. Kananga, played by Yaphet Kotto. The high-profile role helped launch Seymour into the spotlight.

    The former “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman” star admits that she was so young she didn’t know what to expect. “I was 20 years old when I shot the James Bond film and I had no idea what was going on,” the mom of four said, according to People.com.

    More than half-a-century later, Seymour, who’s now also an entrepreneur and author, remains proud to be among an elite group of women who have played Bond Girls, from Ursula Andress to Teri Hatcher to Halle Berry.
    “I support everything to do with the Bond franchise,” Seymour said. “When they have books coming out about Bond Girls or podcasts or whatever it is, I always show up.”

    She added: “There’s this really interesting sorority of women who’ve been Bond Girls, which is fun in its own right.”
    Seymour spends her days out in California, with her family, and said that she is choosier with the roles she takes on — albeit with no plans of slowing down anytime soon.

    “I wouldn’t even know what retiring is because I don’t consider what I’m doing half of the time working,” Seymour said. “I love what I do.”

    –IANS
    dc/srb



  • RichardTheBruceRichardTheBruce I'm motivated by my Duty.
    Posts: 13,779
    July 28th

    1964: The Goldfinger production's last day for Honor Blackman includes publicity shots, dialogue recording.

    1977: The New York Times prints Janet Maslin's film review "'Spy Who Loved' A Bit Long on Bond".
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    'Spy Who Loved' A Bit Long on Bond
    See the complete article here:
    By Janet Maslin | July 28, 1977

    Credit...The New York Times Archives
    See the article in its original context

    DURING THE COURSE OF "The Spy Who Loved Me," James
    Bond vanquishes an amphibious building that looks like a giant
    spider, a 7 foot 2 inch villain with metal fangs, hundreds of hapless
    extras and one very beautiful broad, but he hardly ever comes to
    grips with his most insidious adversary, the James Bond
    formula.The same conventions that have provided 10 Bond movies
    with their patent pizazz also serve as a straitjacket, and these days
    a Bond film is interesting only insofar as it quietly subverts the
    series' old tricks. Happily, "The Spy Who Loved Me" has its share
    of self-mockery—not enough for a full-scale send-up, but enough to
    give shopworn old 007 a shot in the arm.The motivating sentiment
    behind the Bond movies has always been envy: the viewer, poor
    slob, is expected to covet Bond's women, admire his elaborate
    playthings and marvel at his ability to chase through the desert in
    evening clothes without getting dusty. Fifteen years ago, at the
    time of "Dr. No," this sort of thing was a great deal more effective
    than it is today, because the notion was new and the gadgets could
    be genuinely dazzling. But by now Bond fans have seen so many
    fast cars and floozies come and go that they may be almost as
    jaded as James himself.Almost, but not quite: Roger Moore is so
    enjoyably unflappable that you sometimes have to look closely to
    make sure he's still breathing. Presented with a fabulous new
    white Lotus, he drives off impatiently without even examining the
    car's special accessories (as it turns out, the Lotus can swim).
    Seduced by a conniving cutie, he looks desperately bored. Mr.
    Moore has the anonymous aplomb of a male model—appropriate,
    because the film is littered with trademark-bearing merchandise —
    and he seems incapable of bringing much individualized zest to the
    role. But his exaggerated composure amounts to a kind of
    backhanded liveliness. Though Mr. Moore doesn't compromise the
    character, he makes it amusingly clear that hedonism isn't all it's
    cracked up to be.The plot this time, which bears no resemblance to
    that of Ian Fleming's novel, features Curt Jurgens as a shipping
    magnate determined to destroy the world and Barbara Bach as a
    Rusian agent who grudgingly joins forces with Bond to pole-ax this
    scheme. Miss Bach is spectacular but a little dim, even by Bond
    standards; certainly she makes no sense as a master spy who is
    almost (but not quite) as ingenious as 007 himself.In all fairness,
    Miss Bach's is an impossible role: Beauty and brains needn't be
    incompatible, but maintaining the requisite level of pulchritude of a
    Bond heroine is such a full-time job that it precludes any other
    work more strenuous than, say, watching Bond sip his very dry
    martini (shaken, not stirred).The film moves along at a serviceable
    clip, but it seems half an hour too long, thanks to the obligatory
    shoot-'em-up conclusion, filmed on the largest sound-stage in the
    world, but nevertheless the dullest sequence here. Bond's final
    blowout, however lavishly produced, has long since gotten to be old
    hat, and besides, it's the attention to smaller details that has helped
    the series maintain its high gloss.The theme song, sung by Carly
    Simon, ranks with Paul McCartney's theme from "Live and Let
    Die
    " as one of the most delightful surprises the series has had to
    offer—even if it is accompanied by footage of a naked woman, in
    silhouette, doing silly calisthenics on the barrel of an enormous
    gun."The Spy Who Loved Me" has a PG ("Parental Guidance
    Suggested") rating even though Bond indulges in his favorite
    means of exercise a little more listlessly than usual. A number of
    extras are gunned down almost bloodlessly, and arch-villain Curt
    Jurgens feeds his secretary to a shark.

    007 Paraphernalia
    THE SPY WHO LOVED ME, directed by Lewis Gilbert;
    screenplay by Christopher Wood and Richard Malbaum; director
    of photography, Claude Renoir; film editor, John Glen; music by
    Marvin Hamlisch; produced by Albert R. Broccoll; released by
    United Artists. At Loews State I, Cine, Columbia I and other
    theaters. Running time: 125 minutes. This film is rated PG.James
    Bond . . . . . Roger Moore
    Mal. Anya Amasova . . . . . Barbara Bach
    Stromberg . . . . . Curt Jurgens
    Jaws . . . . . Richard Kiel
    Naomi . . . . . Caroline Munro
    General Gogil . . . . . Walter Gotell
    Minister of Defense . . . . . Geoffrey Keen
    "M" . . . . . Bernard Lee
    Captain Benson . . . . . George Baker
    A version of this article appears in print on July 28, 1977 of the National edition with the headline: 'Spy Who Loved' A Bit Long on Bond.
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    1978: 007 ja Kultasormi (007 and Goldfinger; or Swedish 007 och Guldfinger) re-released in Finland.
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    Swedish
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    1989: The Palm Beach Post prints "Bond Violence Gets Artistic 'Licence.'"
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    MOVIE NOTES
    Bond violence gets artistic 'Licence'
    See the complete article here:
    Lots of critics took shots at the latest James Bond picture, Licence to Kill, for its violence. We counted some 22 visibly dead on screen, some in pretty gruesome fashion. There is death by electric eel, shark and hungry maggots. One bad guy is decompressurized. Another is sent via conveyor belt to some sharp-edged machinery. There is an impaling and an incineration, along with your more traditional shootings, stranglings and falls from planes.

    So how did all this manage a PG-13? Richard Heffner, chairman of the MPAA ratings board, would only respond: "The rating reflects the majority opinion of the board . . . Our decisions aren't made by doing a body count." By the way, Heffner said, it has been an "established tradition" for United Artists to fly several MPAA board members first class to London to view and rate the Bond films. But this year, they saw Licence to Kill in the States.

    Meanwhile, Licence to Kill is out as a graphic novel. But don't look for Timothy Dalton as a new comic book character. The English star known before Bond for more dignified roles has refused to allow his likeness to be licensed in the just-out book from Eclipse Comics.
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    1989: The Christian Science Monitor reports on film smoking and product placement and Bond.
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    Tobacco's Cloudy Image on The Silver Screen
    See the complete article here:
    July 28, 1989 | By Carol Bergman Carol Bergman, a free-lance journalist specializing in media subjects, is a member of the Media Studies Faculty at The New School for Social Research in New York City.

    There is no greater promotional value - short of a direct endorsement - than having a major motion picture star use a product in a big budget film. - Robert H. Kovoloff, President, Associated Film Promotions.
    A NEW James Bond movie, "Licence to Kill,'' has just been released in the United States. Featured prominently in the film - in one instance clearly centered in the frame as a bomb that is about to explode - is a package of Lark cigarettes, manufactured and marketed in Japan but owned jointly by Philip Morris and The Liggett Group, two of the six American cigarette manufacturers. The producers have added a Surgeon General's warning to the end of the film but most of the audience has gone home by the time it rolls by.

    For the privilege of placing their product in the movie, to appear in clear association with the James Bond character, who lights up twice during the film and whose glamourous lover according to the script has gone back to smoking after five years, Philip Morris and The Liggett Group contributed to the production and promotional costs of "Licence to Kill'' with a precedent-setting sum of $350,000.

    Philip Morris and Liggett are also "tying-in'' the promotion of "Licence to Kill'' with the promotion of Lark cigarettes. Although Larks are not sold in this country, and the back-end promotion will be handled by a Japanese advertising agency, it cannot have escaped the companies' notice that "License to Kill'' will ultimately conclude its economic journey on American and many other nations' television, as well as on video-cassettes around the world.

    The continuing and pervasive presence of cigarettes and smoking in clear association with movie heroes and heroines insures that the image of the smoker will not atrophy. It is a deliberate corporate strategy. And because the advertising is embedded neatly in the movie without any statement except in small credits at the end of the film, the audience will remain unaware that it has been targeted by an ad agency. Whether such embedded cigarette advertising in motion pictures, many of which are ultimately screened on television which has its own set of regulations, is a violation of the 1970 broadcast ban and the Cigarette Advertising and Labeling act will be determined by the courts.

    "This can be one of the most insidious forms of advertising because people aren't informed that it is advertising,'' explains Charles Mitchell, staff attorney for Center for Science in the Public Interest, a consumer advocacy group that recently filed a petition concerning product placement in motion pictures that appear on television with the Federal Communications Commission."When a cigarette or alcoholic beverage company pays or gives some other kind of consideration to people making the film, that film is probably not going to show the terrible harm that cigarettes and alcohol can do to people.''

    The deal between Liggett, Philip Morris, and the producers of "Licence to Kill,'' came to light in January when Congressman Tom Luken (D) of Ohio, chairman of the House Subcommittee on Transportation and Hazardous Materials, wrote to cigarette manufacturers requesting disclosure of their Hollywood tie-ins.

    Philip Morris acknowledged its involvement with the new James Bond film and also eventually admitted paying $42,500 to have Marlboro cigarettes appear in "Superman II.'' In that film heroine Lois Lane smokes Marlboro cigarettes and, in the center of the movie, a battle between Superman and his evil compatriots takes place in a forest of Marlboro billboards and trucks. As Philip Morris has admitted, none of this happened by accident.

    "We've also heard allegations that not only do [cigarette manufacturers] do specific placement in the sense of a particular brand,'' says an aide to Congressman Luken, "they also pay to get general smoking scenes, particularly on television programs.''
    Although in many films cigarette smoking could be considered an integral part of character development or period ambience, it is equally true that in many instances cigarette smoking seems inappropriate, extraneous, or excessive. Sometimes, in fact, a brand name is not even visible in the film. What is glaringly apparent, however, is the extent to which smoking in general is evident.

    A watchdog group - Stop Teenage Addiction to Tobacco (STAT) - has been monitoring cigarette placement in movies for several years. A recent newsletter states: "We believe that when movie producers accept tobacco company money, part of the deal is that they include scenes in which smoking appears in a positive light. In almost every movie in which embedded cigarette advertising appears, one or more of the leading characters smoke in a highly glamorized fashion.'' Such glamorization appeals particularly to teenagers who comprise more than 40 percent of moviegoers. In a health conscious America, the greatest threat to cigarette manufacturers is loss of new smokers through attrition.

    STAT has compiled a list of movies containing cigarette product placement as well as a glamorized smoking ambience. The list is formidable and diverse. It includes such films as "Who Framed Roger Rabbit, "Crimes of the Heart,'' "Risky Business,'' "Crocodile Dundee,'' "Desperately Seeking Susan,'' and "Batteries Not Included.'' In "Batteries Not Included,'' for example, not only is there a Salem billboard prominently displayed, but the two main characters both smoke. "In one of the cutest scenes,'' states the STAT newsletter, ``an adorable little spaceship flicks a built-in cigarette lighter to fire-up the elderly gentleman's cigar.''

    Despite a preponderance of on-screen evidence to the contrary, only one of the five other cigarette manufacturers wrote back to Congressman Luken affirming past payments to film production companies. In his letter to Attorney General Richard Thornburgh requesting an investigation of possible criminal violation of the Federal Cigarette Advertising and Labeling Act, Luken cites the delayed response he received from Philip Morris, and a letter from the Liggett Group which confirmed that in 1983 it had paid $30,000 to have its Eve cigarette appear in "Supergirl.''

    But none of the other companies, as yet, have owned up.

    Facing investigation from Luken's committee, the Federal Communications Commission, and the US Attorney General, Hollywood producers, as well as the cigarette manufacturers, have closed ranks against prying reporters sniffing a story as big as the payola scandals of the early 1960s. When questioned about their dealings with the tobacco industry, two prominent product placement companies, Marvin Cohen & Associates and Wills & Evans Sponsorship Group, claimed that they also "don't do it.''

    "Quite frankly, any tobacco placement in films in the past few years have been very negligible,'' says Marvin Cohen, whose company is hired by the studios rather than the corporate clients. "It's rare that any tobacco is actually I.D'd [identified] on the screen. (A) It's a very small package, and (B) normally it occurs in a darkened room and the actor or actress' hand encompasses the package itself.''

    "Do you deal with the tobacco companies?'' a reporter asked Norm Marshall who is affiliated with the Wills & Evans Sponsorship Group. "No. Let me qualify that. One of our clients is Miller which is owned by Philip Morris. We do not deal with Philip Morris directly. I can tell you that there really aren't any [product placement companies] that do.''

    If the product placement companies aren't doing it and only two of the six cigarette manufacturers say they are doing it, what gives? Allegations abound. It has been suggested that in view of all the money "out there,'' producers are instructing writers to include smoking characters. Or that producers are encouraging directors to ask the characters to smoke. Or that set decorators and property masters, the people who deal with the day-to-day, hands-on business of getting props on the set and into the hands of unwitting actors, are cutting their own deals with cigarette manufacturers. Absolutely anything is possible in the city of dreams where blockbuster film production is a very expensive proposition.
    Nonetheless, $350,000 is a goodly sum to add to the production and promotion budget of a movie by any standards, even those of the product placement companies who have been in the business for a long time and state that $30,000-$50,000 is the usual range paid. The high price paid for the Lark placement and back-end promotion in "Licence to Kill'' is indicative of the mood of the cigarette manufacturers as they seek new and imaginative means of capturing the next generation of would-be smokers. It is this teen market which may further elude them if a print media ad ban is accomplished within the next few years. Product placement in motion pictures is good insurance against such an eventuality.
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    Timothy Dalton James Bond 007 Lark Cigarette Advert.


    1991: The New York Times prints " 'Casino Royale' Is an LP Bond With a Gilt Edge" by Richard Panek.
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    'Casino Royale' Is an LP Bond With a Gilt Edge
    By Richard Panek | July 28, 1991

    As vinyl verges on extinction, one album has emerged as the prime specimen of the species. Of all the millions of recordings released in the 114 years since Thomas Edison asked, "What hath God wrought?" this album has come closest to achieving the potential of a vanishing medium. It represents "the paradigm," says one audiophile, "the paramount, if you will."

    It is . . . the original soundtrack of the 1967 movie "Casino Royale."

    This unlikely choice -- a jaunty Burt Bacharach score for a James Bond spoof -- makes sense only if one disregards traditional criteria for liking an album. Collectors of "Casino Royale" aren't necessarily interested in the music. "Some people enjoy it," says one rare-record dealer, shrugging. "Some people can't stand it."

    What interests audiophiles is the quality of sound. They swap stories about the legendary recording session in London, spend hundreds of dollars for a pristine copy if and when they can find one, and then, like oenophiles who wouldn't dream of opening a 1945 Lafite-Rothschild, often refuse to listen to it. So volatile is the market for this LP that any nugget of news that enhances its considerable mystique can affect the price -- and some significant new information, about the deteriorating condition of the master tape, indicates that the price is about to rise dramatically.

    The "Casino Royale" movie is memorable mostly as an artifact of its era. The producer, Charles K. Feldman, who had bought the rights to Ian Fleming's first James Bond novel before the movie series became a hit, conceived of "Casino Royale" as the film that would out-Bond Bond. He threw $12 million, five credited directors and a host of uncredited screenwriters at the material. He assembled a cast that included Peter Sellers, David Niven and Woody Allen -- but not Sean Connery -- as only three of the movie's various James Bonds. And he hired the hottest movie composer of the time, Mr. Bacharach, who in turn enlisted Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass to play the title cut.

    The soundtrack, like everything else about the movie, was over the top. "The legend is that the original master tape had 'mad' levels on it," says Harry Pearson, editor and publisher of the audiophile bible Absolute Sound and, by general consensus, the person most responsible for creating the "Casino Royale" cult.

    Mr. Pearson explains that a sound engineer usually adjusts recording levels so that when musicians are playing their loudest, the meters on the console reach zero. "Once the meters pass zero, it means that you're saturating the tape and running the risk of distortion," he says. "On 'Casino,' they used a supposedly very fancy grade of tape, and the engineers really pushed it, so the meters were typically running deep into the red -- plus one, plus two, plus three, plus four." As a result, he says, the record has an "extremely wide dynamic range" -- higher highs and lower lows.

    "They weren't afraid to push the medium to the limits of the recording process," Mr. Pearson adds. "It can lead to disaster, but in the case of 'Casino,' it doesn't. There's no saturation, no distortion. The record is as clean as a whistle."

    For this reason, ever since the album's release, audiophiles have valued "Casino Royale" as a test for stereo equipment. "The better your system gets," says Mr. Pearson, "the more you get out of that album."

    "The Look of Love" provides several such tests. Dusty Springfield recorded her vocal in a "tiny isolation booth, so on a really good system, you can hear her voice emerging from what sounds like a little hole in space," Mr. Pearson says. "She's not part of of the general orchestral acoustic, and once your system gets to a certain point, you can hear that."

    The song also features a sudden saxophone dip and rise that, on less sophisticated equipment, sounds like two or three distinct instruments, and a serrated gourd called a guirot, whose every notch will sound, under ideal conditions, Mr. Pearson says, "like a tooth on a comb. A normal sound system simply can't reproduce this series of very quick transients" -- stiff sound waves -- "at a very soft level. Just cannot do it."

    Mr. Pearson founded the Absolute Sound in 1973 when he was still an environmental reporter for Newsday, and he tries to apply objective reporting to the subjective experience of listening to music. "Whenever we get a piece of equipment that we think is setting new records," he says, "out comes 'Casino.' "

    Mr. Pearson has often cited the record in the Absolute Sound, which has a circulation of 35,000. It is these references that have contributed to the soundtrack's cult status. Other albums are rarer than "Casino Royale," with prices as high as $10,000, and even Mr. Pearson has to admit that "there are better-sounding records. But I don't think there's one quite as useful overall."

    Today a pristine copy of "Casino Royale" can fetch upwards of $400. "I've seen scratched-up copies go for $100 to $125," says Ron Saja, manager of Footlight Records, a Manhattan rare-record store that specializes in movie and stage recordings. Footlight has sold "Casino Royale" for as much as $195, though the current price would be $150 -- if the shop had one in stock. "Amazing," Mr. Bacharach said when he heard how valuable "Casino Royale" has become, in an interview with the Absolute Sound several years ago. "I don't even have a copy."

    Collectors, however, take pride in buying copies for a song. Frank Doris, technical director for the Absolute Sound, remembers finding his first "Casino" in a bin at a record convention. "Eighteen dollars!" he shouted, losing his collector's cool. To which the unwitting dealer replied, "And not a penny less!"

    Those who appreciate the music of "Casino Royale" but don't have the luck or the cash to buy the album can take solace from the recent release of the soundtrack on compact disk (Varese Sarabande VSD-5265). Tom Null, the label's executive vice-president and supervisor of the CD release, has his own "Casino Royale" story: used-record store, five years ago, two bucks. Even so, Mr. Null says, Varese Sarabande didn't send out advance copies of the CD for review "because the preconceived, closed minds of audiophiles made it a foregone lost battle. I knew they're going to say" -- here he slows his voice to an academic drone and repeats a frequent criticism of compact disks in general -- 'The digital transfer added a brightness to the treble.' "

    The problem, he says, was with the master tape -- the one audiophiles have spun legends around for decades. Mr. Null knows all the legends, too, and he says he was as surprised as anyone when he played the tape and heard "a certain brightness."

    "Vinyl masked and rounded off the brightness," he says. So for the CD transfer he had to choose between being faithful to the master tape and risking the wrath of audiophiles, or masking the treble and misrepresenting the music.

    "I said, 'Better to be faithful,' " he says. Mr. Null calls the CD "a tiny bit too bright," but he says the sound is "exactly as the producers mixed it onto the tape."

    Whatever its merits, the CD release has sparked a new "Casino Royale" legend only now starting to make the rounds -- that Varese Sarabande inadvertently destroyed the master tape during the transfer. Mr. Null has heard that rumor, too, and he attributes it to a loss of iron oxide that is inevitable when rewinding analog tapes, especially at high speeds. "It might have been done better" using a slower, more expensive process, he says, but he adds, "The significance would have been if there had been a way to avoid it."

    In any event, he continues, the master tape had suffered damage even before Varese Sarabande licensed it -- a similar loss of iron oxide, apparently during an earlier transfer for a foreign pressing. Mr. Null says he located and listened to a copy of that record, and the damage was already evident -- barely audible, but unmistakable.

    For audiophiles, this effectively ends speculation about a reissue of the LP. Mr. Pearson, for one, had once fantasized about reissuing "Casino Royale" on vinyl as a benefit for the Absolute Sound.

    "As soon as this gets around," says Mr. Doris, technical director of the Absolute Sound, "you know what's going to happen to the price of the records."

    Mr. Pearson laughs at first, but then he sobers.

    "The vinyl they used in those days is pretty good, so copies, with a little bit of care -- a record-cleaning machine, a properly tracking stylus -- should last. I mean, longer than the average thing.

    "But now," he says, "once they're gone, they're gone."

    Correction: Aug. 11, 1991
    An article in the Arts and Leisure section on July 28 about the soundtrack recording of "Casino Royale" misstated the first words recorded by Thomas A. Edison for a phonograph. They were, "Mary had a little lamb." The question "What hath God wrought?" was the first message tapped out by Samuel F. B. Morse on the telegraph.
    A version of this article appears in print on July 28, 1991
    , Section 2, Page 15 of the National edition with the headline: 'Casino Royale' Is an LP Bond With a Gilt Edge. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe
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    2007: Female First reports Chris Cornell almost turned down the Bond theme opportunity.
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    Chris Cornell: 'i Almost Turned Down Bond Theme'.
    28 July 2006
    Chris Cornell: 'i Almost Turned Down Bond Theme'.... Chris Cornell almost turned down the chance to record the new James Bond film's theme song, because he disliked Pierce Brosnan's recent 007 movies. The Audioslave frontman's You Know My Name has been selected for the soundtrack of Casino Royale. But Cornell only agreed to compose the track once he had watched a rough edit of the upcoming Daniel Craig-starring movie.

    He tells VH1, "I wasn't really sure about doing a Bond theme, because I wasn't really a big fan of the last several movies.

    "And then I heard that there was going to be a new guy - Daniel Craig - who was going to play Bond. And he's so different. I have seen him in several movies, and I was kind of intrigued.

    "So I went to Prague (in Czech Republic), where they were shooting the movie, and they showed me a rough edit of it. I was just completely blown away by it, because it's unlike any Bond film ever, really.

    "Craig is an actor's actor, and there's emotional content to the movie. He's not like the swaggering, winking sort of super-agent guy. He's like a human being in this movie, and it's going to completely readjust the way people think of the character".

    2012: William F. Milliken, Jr. dies at age 101--Williamsville, New York.
    (Born 18 April 1911--Old Town, Maine.)
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    Milliken won renown as an engineer and pilot
    T. Rees Shapiro / The Washington Post | Aug 3, 2012 Updated Jan 31, 2020

    William F. Milliken Jr., a renowned aeronautical engineer, pilot and road racer who helped dream up a car-flying James Bond movie stunt, died July 28 at his home in Williamsville, N.Y. He was 101.

    As an engineer for Boeing during World War II, Milliken conducted perilous high-altitude flight tests aboard the B-17 bomber and also helped develop the B-29, later used to drop the atomic bombs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Later, he became one of the world’s foremost researchers on vehicle dynamics, the study of improving how a car handles on the road by using advanced mathematical calculations.

    He wrote a book on vehicle dynamics that is considered the bible of Formula 1 race car design, and he was a consulting engineer to General Motors, Rolls-Royce, Ford, Bridgestone and Goodyear.
    One of his successes in high-speed car driving was his role helping to design a stunt for the 1974 James Bond film starring Roger Moore, The Man With the Golden Gun.

    For many years, Milliken worked as a senior engineer at the Cornell Aeronautical Laboratory in Buffalo, N.Y. In the late 1960s, some of the more imaginative scientists under his purview began running computer experiments on how to flip a car in midair using ramps.

    The researchers, using complex mathematical calculations, proved it was possible and invited a test driver to try it out. The resulting barrel-roll move was employed by Moore’s 007 secret agent during a car chase scene filmed in Thailand in a single take.
    Simanaitas Says
    MILLIKEN M-1 TAKES TO THE (VIRTUAL) AIR
    BILL MILLIKEN built and flew his own airplane. Maybe that’s not so remarkable, but he was a college student at the time and the year was 1933.
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    William F. Milliken interview at EAA 2006 - Part 1 - Meeting Charles Lindbergh


    William F. Milliken interview at EAA 2006 - Part 2 - First airplane


    2023: Shaken, Not Stirred at The Martini Bar, The Ocean Club, A Four Seasons Resort, The Bahamas.
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    Shaken, Not
    Stirred at The
    Martini Bar
    28 Jul, 2023
    The Ocean Club, A Four Seasons Resort
    Añadir al calendario

    A nod to its glamorous and star-studded legacy, The Martini Bar at The Ocean Club, A Four Seasons Resort, Bahamas has launched a new and decadent mixology and culinary experience.
    The Martini Bar is known best as the backdrop for the 2006 remake of the Casino Royale film where James Bond can be seen sipping his famous Vesper Martini. This limited seat Living Room Bar transports guests into the scenes of their very own movie.
    Whether sipping on a classic Vesper Martini or indulging in the new ultra-luxe Caviar Martini, it’s an unforgettable experience. While cocktails are the heart of The Martini Bar signature experience, new unique culinary creations are presented with suggested Martini pairings.

    The Martini Bar and Lounge is open every Friday and Saturday from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm. Reservations can be made by calling the Resort at +1-242-363-2501.
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  • RichardTheBruceRichardTheBruce I'm motivated by my Duty.
    Posts: 13,779
    July 29th

    1953: Ian Fleming responds to publisher Jonathan Cape's comments on American publisher Macmillan.
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    'Yes, the royalties accepted from Macmillans were very modest
    but then they have given me a present of $750 which is
    rather more, I guess, than I shall recoup on the English
    edition. If it is a success in America you will be surprised
    how tough I shall be over "Live and Let Die"!'

    1965: El regreso del agente 007 (The Return of Agent 007) released in Mexico.
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    1966: Sean Connery photographed on location in Tokyo during You Only Live Twice filming.
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    1967: Official statement says Sean Connery is leaving the OO7 role.

    1982: Harold Sakata (Tosh Togo) dies at age 62--Honolulu, Hawaii.
    (Born 1 July 1920--Holualoa, Hawaii.)
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    Archives | 1982
    HAROLD T. SAKATA
    AP JULY 31, 1982
    Harold T. Sakata, an actor best known for his sinister characterization of the killer bodyguard Oddjob in the James Bond movie ''Goldfinger,'' died Thursday. He was 62 years old.[/b]
    Mr. Sakata, who won an Olympic silver medal in London in 1948 for weightlifting, was a top-card professional wrestler under the name Tosh Togo before achieving fame as an actor.

    The eldest of 10 children born on Hawaii Island, Mr. Sakata worked in the plantation fields and as a stevedore when he was young. He never finished high school.
    In the early 1960's, the producer Harry Saltzman and the director Guy Hamilton discovered Mr. Sakata when they saw him wrestling on television in London.
    Mr. Sakata also appeared in a series of cold-remedy commercials for national television, in the television series ''Sarge,'' and as a guest on such shows as ''Hawaii Five-O'' and ''Police Woman.''
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    Harold Sakata (1920–1982)
    Actor
    https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0757138/?ref_=nv_sr_1?ref_=nv_sr_1

    Filmography
    Actor (32 credits)

    1982 Invaders of the Lost Gold - Tobachi
    1982 Ninja Strikes Back - Sakata
    1981 The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo (TV Series) - Ku Long
    - The Roller Disco Karate Kaper (1981) ... Ku Long

    1979 Highcliffe Manor (TV Series) - Cheng
    - Stark Terror (1979) ... Cheng
    - Sex & Violence (1979) ... Cheng
    - The Blacke Death (1979) ... Cheng
    1979 The Billion Dollar Threat (TV Movie) - Oriental Man
    1978 Goin' Coconuts - Ito
    1978 Death Dimension - The Pig (as Harold 'Odd Job' Sakata)
    1978 The Amazing Spider-Man (TV Series) - Matsu
    - Escort to Danger (1978) ... Matsu
    1978 The Rockford Files (TV Series) - John Doe
    - The Competitive Edge (1978) ... John Doe
    1978 Police Woman (TV Series) - Lee's Killer
    - The Human Rights of Tiki Kim (1978) ... Lee's Killer
    1977 Quincy M.E. (TV Series) - Master Sensei Tobi
    - Touch of Death (1977) ... Master Sensei Tobi
    1977 Record City - Gucci
    1977 The Happy Hooker Goes to Washington - Wong (as Harold Odd Job Sakata)
    1976 Broken House
    1976 Mako: The Jaws of Death - Pete (as Harold 'Odd Job' Sakata)
    1976 The Blue Knight (TV Series) - Car smasher
    - Everybody Needs a Little Attention (1976) ... Car smasher
    1974 The Wrestler - Odd Job
    1974 Impulse - Karate Pete
    1972 Hawaii Five-O (TV Series) - Shibata Hood
    - I'm a Family Crook - Don't Shoot! (1972) ... Shibata Hood
    1971-1972 Sarge (TV Series) - Takichi / Kenji Takichi / Kenji (9 episodes)
    1971 Jamison's Kids (TV Movie)
    1971 Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (TV Series) - Guest Performer
    - Episode #5.4 (1971) ... Guest Performer (uncredited)
    1970 The Phynx - Oddjob (as Harold 'Oddjob' Sakata)
    1967 The Jerry Lewis Show (TV Series) - Assassin
    - Episode #1.1 (1967) ... Assassin
    1967 Gilligan's Island (TV Series) - Ramoo
    - The Hunter (1967) ... Ramoo
    1966 Dimension 5 - Big Buddha
    1966 Seventeenth Heaven (uncredited)
    1966 The Poppy Is Also a Flower - Martin
    1966 Balearic Caper - Direttore del museo
    1966 4 Schlüssel - Odd Job (uncredited)
    1965 Kraft Suspense Theatre (TV Series) - Ching
    - Jungle of Fear (1965) ... Ching
    1964 Goldfinger - Oddjob (as Harold Sakata {Tosh Togo})

    Thanks (1 credit)

    1978 Flying High (TV Series) (thanks - 1 episode)
    - A Hairy Yak Plays Musical Chairs Eagerly (1978) ... (thanks)

    Self (2 credits)

    1971 Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (TV Series) - Himself
    - Episode #5.7 (1971) ... Himself (uncredited)
    1969-1971 The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (TV Series) - Himself / Himself - Guest
    - Episode dated 16 February 1971 (1971) ... Himself
    - Episode dated 7 March 1969 (1969) ... Himself - Guest

    Archive footage (21 credits)

    2015 No Small Parts (TV Series documentary) - Himself
    - James Bond Henchmen Part 1: Harold Sakata (2015) ... Himself
    2015 Heineken's the Chase (Short) - Oddjob
    2012 Top Gear (TV Series) - Odd Job
    - 50 Years of Bond Cars (2012) ... Odd Job (uncredited)
    2012 Everything or Nothing (Documentary) - Odd Job (uncredited)

    2006 Wetten, dass..? (TV Series) - Oddjob
    - Wetten, dass..? aus Düsseldorf (2006) ... Oddjob
    2002 Happy Anniversary Mr. Bond (TV Movie documentary) - Oddjob
    2002 Best Ever Bond (TV Movie documentary) - Himself (uncredited)
    2002 Bond Girls Are Forever (TV Movie documentary) - Oddjob (uncredited)
    2000 Harry Saltzman: Showman (Video documentary short) - Himself

    1999 And the Word Was Bond (TV Movie documentary) - Himself
    1997 The Secrets of 007: The James Bond Files (TV Movie documentary) - Oddjob (uncredited)
    1995 Behind the Scenes with 'Goldfinger' (Video documentary short) - Himself / Oddjob
    1995 The Goldfinger Phenomenon (Video documentary short) - Himself

    1983 Bonds Are Forever (Video documentary) - Oddjob / Himself
    1983 James Bond: The First 21 Years (TV Movie documentary) - Oddjob
    1982 The 54th Annual Academy Awards (TV Special) - Oddjob (For Your Eyes Only musical segment)

    1967 Welcome to Japan, Mr. Bond (TV Movie) - Oddjob
    1965 Telescope (TV Series documentary) - Himself
    - Licensed to Make a Killing (1965) ... Himself
    1965 The Incredible World of James Bond (TV Movie documentary) - Himself
    1965 Take Thirty (TV Series) - Himself
    - Sean Connery on Being Bond (1965) ... Himself
    1964 Goldfinger Original Promotional Featurette (Video short) - Oddjob / Himself

    Personal Details
    Other Works: TV commercial for Vicks Formula 44 (1964)
    Publicity Listings: 1 Portrayal | 4 Articles | See more »
    Alternate Names: Harold 'Odd Job' Sakata | Harold 'Oddjob' Sakata | Harold Odd Job Sakata | Tosh Togo | Harold Sakata {Tosh Togo}
    Height: 5' 10" (1.78 m)
    Trivia (6)
    Won a silver medal in light-heavyweight weight-lifting at the 1948 summer Olympics. He pursued a successful career as a professional wrestler before moving into acting.

    Weighed 284 lbs at the time of Goldfinger (1964).

    Sakata apparently liked his role in the movie Goldfinger (1964) so much that he took "Oddjob" as an informal middle name.

    In the rehearsals at the Golf Club where he is to throw his hat at the statue, with the head subsequently falling off, after three attempts the special effects crew could not "arrange" the head to fall off correctly. On the fourth take he told the special effects team to just stand still - then he threw his iron-brimmed hat at the statues neck and successful severed the head at the neck on the "first" attempt - to the amazement of all!.

    Father: Tamotsu Sakata.

    As a professional wrestler. he was one of the great heels in the ring. On screen he is best remembered for playing "Oddjob" in "Goldfinger" (1964) which is regarded as one of the great villains of the movies. Out of the ring, or off camera, he is remembered as being charming and friendly.
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    1983: David Niven dies at age 73--Château-d'Œx, Switzerland.
    (Born 1 March 1910--Belgravia, London, England.)
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    Actor David Niven's Dashing Life Ends at 73
    https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/archives/la-me-david-niven-19830730-snap-story.html
    By Michael Seiler and Times Staff Writer | Jul 30, 1983 | 12:00 AM
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    Cary Grant, Loretta Young and David Niven in "The Bishop's Wife." (File photo)
    David Niven, whose clipped accent and thin mustache made him the personification of the British gentleman in more than 90 films spread over nearly half a century, died Friday in his mountain chalet in Chateau D'Oex, Switzerland.

    Niven was 73 and moved to the Swiss Alps three weeks ago from his home in southern France.

    "My uncle died peacefully and without pain," said his nephew Michael Wrangdah. "His last gesture a few minutes before he died had been to give the thumbs-up sign."

    The Oscar-winning actor died after a months-long battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a debilitating nerve and muscle disorder commonly called Lou Gehrig's disease.

    He had lost some of his power of speech and the use of his left hand, his wife told newsmen last March.

    To generations of English-speaking peoples he was more than a first-rate film actor. Niven authored several books, including two well-received autobiographical memoirs, "The Moon's a Balloon" and "Bring on the Empty Horses," which confirmed Niven's reputation as a raconteur.

    More than that, the books attested to the fact that Niven—a man of considerable charm, wit and sophistication—had an extraordinary life, filled with such entertainment industry giants as Darryl F. Zanuck, Errol Flynn and Humphrey Bogart, and political figures such as Winston Churchill and John F. Kennedy.

    James David Graham Niven was born March 1, 1910, in Kirriemuir, Scotland, the son of an army reserve lieutenant who was to die five years later during the World War I Gallipoli campaign.

    Niven's widowed, financially strapped mother moved to England and young David bounced around from school to school. He was, quite possibly, "a thoroughly poisonous little boy," Niven said later in explaining his expulsion from one school. He finally ended up at Sandhurst, Britain's equivalent of West Point.

    Young Niven's military career was relatively brief and undistinguished. He served three years as a lieutenant in a Scottish infantry regiment, two of them on the hot, dusty island of Malta where he did little more than polish his skills in rugby and polo—on horses borrowed from other officers because young Niven had little money of his own.

    Niven disliked the army—he had gone to Sandhurst for lack of anything more promising to do—and the future of a junior officer in the peacetime army seemed dim.

    The frustrations came to a head when Niven insulted a general and, rather than face court martial, resigned his commission in 1932.

    Niven sailed off to Canada to visit friends, then went on to New York City where other friends, capitalizing on the end of Prohibition, hired him as a wholesale liquor salesman. But Niven flopped at that, and was little more successful at his next try—promoting a sort of rodeo-equestrian show in Atlantic City.

    The unemployed but always-charming Niven drifted west to California, helped, as always, by a large circle of friends and acquaintances. He saw his first movie studio—Fox—when members of Loretta Young's family sneaked him past the guards under a rug on the floor of her limousine.

    He was suitably impressed—"I just gaped and gaped and wondered if I could ever be a part of it," Niven wrote much later in The Moon's a Balloon. Encouraged by his friends, Niven signed on at Central Casting on Western Avenue.

    They listed him, back in 1935, as "English type, No. 2008. Niven, David."

    Niven was on his way—slowly.

    A chance meeting with old military friends on a British cruiser in Santa Barbara Bay led to a hangover and an introduction to director Frank Lloyd, who later signed him as an extra in the original "Mutiny on the Bounty"—Niven's first film appearance.

    Lloyd passed him on to another leading director of the period, Edmund Goulding, who had Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer do a screen test, which got Niven nowhere. Another screen test of sorts—an appearance at Paramount before an imperially silent Mae West—was also in vain. (Nearly 40 years later, however, Miss West recanted and told a reporter that "Niven has charm where other men only have cologne.")

    Third Man Out
    Yet another screen test ended in failure when newcomers Fred MacMurray and Ray Milland both got contracts with Paramount after appearing opposite Claudette Colbert. But Niven, the third man tried out that day, got nothing.

    There were occasional jobs as a $2.50-a-day extra—the first one was as a spray-painted "Mexican" in a low-budget cowboy flick—but for a while it looked as if Niven wasn't going to make it, despite his charm and growing circle of friends.

    Nothing seemed to work. Not even luck.

    One day Niven found himself playing polo against a team headed by powerful studio boss Zanuck. Niven, who was, of course, hopeful of impressing the film magnate, was instead chagrined when his borrowed mount bit Zanuck on the buttocks.

    And then the immigration authorities intervened, pointing out that Niven's visitor's permit had long since expired. Niven was forced to take off for the Mexican border, hiring out as a gun bearer for rich U.S. tourists hunting in the hills around the then small, dusty border town of Mexicali.

    At last, Niven got lucky when the legendary Samuel Goldwyn viewed his initial screen test, liked what he saw, and signed Niven to a 7-year contract starting at $100 a week.

    "I won't put you in a Goldwyn picture until you've learned your job," Goldwyn told Niven. "Now you have a base. Go out and tell the studios you're under contract to Goldwyn, do anything they offer you, get experience, work hard, and in a year or so, if you're any good, I'll give you a role."

    Fluffed His Only Line
    Niven did just that—but in his own inimitable style. Goldwyn sent him to Gilmore Brown's workshop at the Pasadena Playhouse, then Los Angeles' premier showcase theater. Niven was given a one-line part in a play and, with a celebrity audience on hand for his opening night, managed to drink a bit too much backstage in an effort to calm his nerves. He made a shambles of what little he had to do. Brown banished him from the theater, but Niven's career prospered anyway.

    Most of the parts were small at first. In Howard Hawks' production of "The Barbary Coast" (1935), Niven played a Cockney sailor who was tossed out of a San Francisco brothel into a muddy street. He was signed the next year to play a bit part in the Jeanette MacDonald-Nelson Eddy opus "Rose-Marie," but after filming his brief scene he left the studio, only to find out months later that his part had been re-shot with another actor.

    The roles quickly got more meaty. Niven played an officer and friend of Flynn in "The Charge of the Light Brigade" (1936), Capt. Clyde Lockert in "Dodsworth" (1936) and Fritz von Tarlenheim in "The Prisoner of Zenda" (1937). In 1938, Niven appeared in the classic "The Dawn Patrol" and the following year gained co-star status for the first time in "Bachelor Mother" with Ginger Rogers. Later in 1939, he played opposite Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon as the devoted but unloved Edgar Linton, Miss Oberon's husband in "Wuthering Heights."

    Despite the early frustrations, only four years after arriving in Hollywood, the one-time British officer had become a genuine star, critically well received and an actor of increasing capability. Life outside the studios also was happy. Niven dated Hollywood's most beautiful women, shared a beach house (called "Cirrhosis by the Sea") and caroused with Flynn, and was a friend of the industry's most talented stars and directors—people like Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Fred Astaire, Ronald Colman and William Wyler. And he was a frequent guest of William Randolph Hearst at San Simeon.

    But then World War II intervened.
    Though he had long ago resigned his commission and probably would not have been drafted into service, Niven left Los Angeles soon after Hitler invaded Poland in 1939, and after several false starts managed to return to England and gain a commission in an infantry regiment. He was assigned to a training battalion and, he claimed much later, out of infinite boredom volunteered for the newly formed commando units.

    Niven, never at a loss for friends throughout his life, made a new one in Churchill, who occasionally invited him to his estate on weekends. On first meeting him, Churchill growled, "Young man, you did a very find thing to give up a most promising career to fight for your country."

    But the, according to Niven's account, the soon-to-be prime minister added, "Mark you, had you not done so, it would have been despicable."

    Niven saw action in Europe after the Normandy invasion and married an English girl, Primula Rollo, who was to bear him two sons. Niven rose from the rank of captain to lieutenant colonel during the war, and took time off to do a film overseas—"The Way Ahead" (1944), a glorification of the British infantryman.

    The film, a government-backed propaganda effort, was directed by Carol Reed and written by Eric Ambler and Peter Ustinov. Ustinov, then a private in the army, doubled as Niven's orderly when they moved into London's Ritz Hotel to work on the movie.
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    David Niven, left, and Kim Hunter in "Stairway to Heaven. (File photo)
    Niven did another film in England—"Stairway to the Stars" (1946)—and then returned to Hollywood, "thinking I was God's gift to the movies," he told an interviewer 20 years later. "I went to Sam Goldwyn, said I was being underpaid, and asked how soon I could get out of my contract. 'The minute you reach the street,' he told me."

    It was a difficult time for Niven. His wife died in an accident at the age of 25 and his Broadway debut in 1951 as Gloria Swanson's lover in the unsuccessful "Nina" was a failure.

    "I took a good look at myself," he said later, "still wandering vaguely about with a cup of tea in one hand and a duchess in the other. I was fast approaching that nervous no-man's land where actors feel down the backs of their necks the hot, sticky breath of leading men in their early 20s, while in front they see a solid phalanx of well-established character actors blocking their path. That is no place to hang around very long with a cup of fast-cooling tea and an aging duchess."

    Later in the 1950s, life picked up for Niven when he married a young Swedish model, Hjordis Tersmeden. They were to adopt two girls. And then—with Dick Powell and Charles Boyer—he started the hugely successful television firm, Four Star Productions.

    There was no fourth star, by the way, because, according to Niven, most of Hollywood was frightened by the power of the film studio bosses. But the production company was an incredible success. "Four Star Playhouse" begat "Zane Grey Theater" which in turn spawned "The Rifleman," which spun off "Wanted Dead or Alive," starring an unknown named Steve McQueen.

    It went on that way through the late 1950s and early 1960s—Four Star in one year had 14 TV series on the air, including two of Niven's own—"The David Niven Show" and "The Rogues." And Niven was suddenly one of the richest men in Hollywood. He decided to take his money and his family to Europe—permanently.

    Niven explained the move in "The Moon's a Balloon." Taxes were eating him up, he said; the smog, the freeways and nasty gossip columnists were all bothering him. But, more fundamentally, "Hollywood had completely changed. The old camaraderie of pioneers in a one-generation business still controlled by the people who created it was gone . . . the scent of fear was attacking to smog-filled lungs of the professional film makers, already resigned to the fact that their audience was brainwashed by television. . . . The pipe dream was gone—the lovely joke was over. . . . It was time to go."

    Niven and his family moved to a chalet in Switzerland and, later, a villa overlooking the sea at Cap-Ferrat on the French Riviera, where he was to live a luxurious existence to his death.

    It was an expensive life style—skiing the best slopes, tiger-hunting in India and entertaining his next-door neighbors, Princess Grace and Prince Ranier of Monaco—and Niven managed it by working a good deal of the time on films, both good and bad.

    He turned down the role of Humbert Humbert in "Lolita" because he feared it would tarnish his gentlemanly image, but he had a long list of successes.
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    Shirley MacLaine, David Niven and Cantinflas in "Around the World in 80 Days."
    (File photo)
    There was "The Bishop's Wife" (1947), "The Moon Is Blue" (1953), "Around the World in 80 Days" (1956), "Bonjour Tristesse" (1958), "Separate Tables" (1958), "Please Don't Eat the Daisies" (1960), "The Guns of Navarone" (1961) and "The Pink Panther" (1963), to name some of the better ones.

    Niven liked to say his career was composed of playing officers, dukes and crooks, but he won an Academy Award as best actor in one of them, "Separate Tables," in which he portrayed a retired British officer.

    "I always thank Deborah Kerr and Wendy Hiller," he told an interviewer in 1978. "They won the Oscar for me. They had to cry in the picture, which they did so beautifully that when I spoke, the camera panned to them sobbing . . . and I got the award."

    He liked to refer to himself as "a displaced Cary Grant," and he was like that almost to the end—witty, classy, charming.

    Like the time a few years ago when an interviewer asked him this old stock question: What is your philosophy of life?

    "Life to me, I guess, is a sort of super Grand National Steeplechase, with all sorts of hurdles to jump over and places to fall down," Niven replied. "The trick is not to worry about winning, but to get around the course as best you can without doing any damage to the other riders and certainly not to the other horses."

    Or, in another interview, in 1978, when he acknowledged that the ranks of his friends were thinning rapidly:

    "We have to face it," Niven said. "An awful lot of my age group has been called up already. So many chums have gone, Cooper, Gable, Bogart. To say nothing of men of my own vintage—Errol Flynn and Ty Power. But there's no way they're going to get me off. I just won't go. I'll kick and scream and make a terrible fuss."

    [email protected]
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    David Niven (I) (1910–1983)
    https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000057/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0

    Filmography
    Actor (113 credits)

    1983 Curse of the Pink Panther - Sir Charles Litton
    1983 Better Late Than Never - Nick Cartland
    1982 Trail of the Pink Panther - Sir Charles Litton
    1980 The Sea Wolves - Colonel W. H. Grice
    1980 Rough Cut - Chief Insp. Cyril Willis

    1979 A Man Called Intrepid (TV Mini-Series) - Sir William Stephenson
    1979 A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square - Ivan
    1979 Escape to Athena - Professor Blake
    1978 Death on the Nile - Colonel Race
    1977 Candleshoe - Priory
    1976 Murder by Death - Dick Charleston
    1976 No Deposit, No Return - J.W. Osborne
    1975 The Remarkable Rocket (Short) - Narrator (voice)
    1975 Paper Tiger - 'Major' Bradbury
    1974 The Canterville Ghost (TV Movie) - The Ghost - Sir Simon de Canterville
    1974 Old Dracula - Count Dracula
    1972 King, Queen, Knave - Charles Dreyer
    1971 The Statue - Alex Bolt

    1969 The Brain - Colonel Carol Matthews
    1969 The Extraordinary Seaman - Lt. Commander Finchhaven, R.N.
    1968 Before Winter Comes - Major Burnside
    1968 The Impossible Years - Jonathan Kingsley
    1968 Prudence and the Pill - Gerald Hardcastle
    1967 Eye of the Devil - Philippe de Montfaucon
    1967 Casino Royale - Sir James Bond
    1966 Where the Spies Are - Dr. Jason Love
    1965 Lady L - Dicky, Lord Lendale
    1964-1965 The Rogues (TV Series) - Alec Fleming - 30 episodes
    1964 Bedtime Story - Lawrence Jameson
    1963 The Pink Panther - Sir Charles Lytton
    1963 Burke's Law (TV Series) - Harvey Cleeve
    - Who Killed Billy Jo? (1963) ... Harvey Cleeve (as David Niven the World's Greatest Juggler)
    1963 55 Days at Peking - Sir Arthur Robertson
    1962 Conquered City - Maj. Peter Whitfield
    1962 Guns of Darkness - Tom Jordan
    1962 The Road to Hong Kong - Lama Who Remembers Lady Chatterley's Lover (uncredited)
    1961 The Best of Enemies - Maj. Richardson
    1961 The Guns of Navarone - Cpl. John Anthony Miller
    1960 Please Don't Eat the Daisies - Laurence Mackay
    1960 The DuPont Show with June Allyson (TV Series) - Marcus Dodds
    - The Trench Coat (1960) ... Marcus Dodds
    -
    1959 Happy Anniversary - Chris Walters
    1959 Ask Any Girl - Miles Doughton
    1957-1959 Zane Grey Theater (TV Series) - Cameo / Milo Brant / Allen Raikes
    - Checkmate (1959) ... Cameo (uncredited)
    - The Accuser (1958) ... Milo Brant
    - Village of Fear (1957) ... Allen Raikes
    1958 Separate Tables - Major Angus Pollock
    1958 Frances Farmer Presents (TV Series) - B.G. Bruno
    - Happy Go Lovely (1958) ... B.G. Bruno
    1957-1958 Goodyear Theatre (TV Series) - Charles Enright / 'Jeffrey Collins' / Paul Evans / ...
    - Decision by Terror (1958) ... Charles Enright
    - Taps for Jeffrey (1958) ... 'Jeffrey Collins'
    - Episode #1.11 (1957) ... Paul Evans
    - The Tinhorn (1957) ... Jeff Carleton
    - Danger by Night (1957) ... Alan Kevin
    1957-1958 Alcoa Theatre (TV Series) - 6 episodes
    1958 Bonjour Tristesse - Raymond
    1957 The Return of Phileas Fogg (Short) - Phileas Fogg
    1957 My Man Godfrey - Godfrey Smith
    1957 Mr. Adams and Eve (TV Series)
    - Taming of the Shrew (1957)
    1957 The Little Hut - Henry Brittingham-Brett
    1957 Oh, Men! Oh, Women! - Dr. Alan Coles
    1956 Around the World in 80 Days - Phileas Fogg
    1956 The Silken Affair - Roger Tweakham
    1952-1956 Four Star Playhouse (TV Series) - 33 episodes
    1956 The Birds and the Bees - Colonel Patrick Henry Harris
    1956 The Star and the Story (TV Series) - Johnny
    - The Thin Line (1956) ... Johnny
    1955 The King's Thief - James - Duke of Brampton
    1954 Court Martial - Carrington
    1954 Tonight's the Night - Jasper O'Leary
    1954 The Love Lottery - Rex Allerton
    1953 The Moon Is Blue - David Slater
    1952-1953 Hollywood Opening Night (TV Series)
    - Uncle Fred Flits By (1953)
    - Sword Play (1952)
    1952 Robert Montgomery Presents (TV Series) - Sheffield
    - The Sheffield Story (1952) ... Sheffield
    1952 Celanese Theatre (TV Series) - Alan Squier
    - The Petrified Forest (1952) ... Alan Squier
    1952 Chesterfield Presents (TV Series)
    - A Moment of Memory (1952)
    1952 Betty Crocker Star Matinee (TV Series)
    - The Willow and I (1952)
    1951 The Lady Says No - Bill Shelby
    1951 Island Rescue - Maj. Valentine Moreland
    1951 Schlitz Playhouse (TV Series)
    - Not a Chance (1951)
    1951 Soldiers Three - Capt. Pindenny
    1951 Happy Go Lovely - B.G. Bruno
    1950 The Fighting Pimpernel - Sir Percy Blakeney / The Scarlet Pimpernel
    1950 Nash Airflyte Theatre (TV Series) - Arthur Carstairs
    - Portrait of Lydia (1950) ... Arthur Carstairs
    1950 The Toast of New Orleans - Jacques Riboudeaux

    1949 A Kiss for Corliss - Kenneth Marquis
    1949 A Kiss in the Dark - Eric Phillips
    1948 Enchantment - General Sir Roland Dane
    1948 Bonnie Prince Charlie - Prince Charles Edward Stuart
    1947 The Bishop's Wife - Henry Brougham
    1947 The Other Love - Dr. Anthony Stanton
    1946 Magnificent Doll - Aaron Burr
    1946 The Perfect Marriage - Dale Williams
    1946 A Matter of Life and Death - Peter Carter
    1944 The Way Ahead - Lt. Jim Perry
    1942 Spitfire - Geoffrey Crisp

    1939 Raffles - Raffles
    1939 Eternally Yours - Tony aka The Great Arturo
    1939 The Real Glory - Lieut. Terence McCool
    1939 Bachelor Mother - David Merlin
    1939 Wuthering Heights - Edgar
    1938 The Dawn Patrol - Scott
    1938 Three Blind Mice - Steve Harrington
    1938 Four Men and a Prayer - Christopher Leigh
    1938 Bluebeard's Eighth Wife - Albert De Regnier
    1937 Dinner at the Ritz - Paul de Brack
    1937 The Prisoner of Zenda - Fritz von Tarlenheim
    1937 We Have Our Moments - Joe Gilling
    1936 Beloved Enemy - Gerald Preston
    1936 The Charge of the Light Brigade - Capt. Randall
    1936 Thank You, Jeeves! - Bertie Wooster
    1936 Dodsworth - Captain Lockert
    1936 Palm Springs - George Britell
    1936 Rose-Marie - Teddy (as David Nivens)
    1935 Splendor - Clancey Lorrimore
    1935 Mutiny on the Bounty - Able-Bodied Seaman (uncredited)
    1935 A Feather in Her Hat - Leo Cartwright
    1935 Barbary Coast - Cockney Sailor Thrown Out of Saloon (uncredited)
    1935 Without Regret - Bill Gage
    1935 Hop-a-Long Cassidy - Mexican Bandit (uncredited)
    1934 Cleopatra - Slave (uncredited)
    1933 Eyes of Fate - Man at Race Course (uncredited)
    1932 There Goes the Bride - Bit Role (uncredited)

    Producer (2 credits)

    1957 Zane Grey Theater (TV Series) (producer - 1 episode)
    - Village of Fear (1957) ... (producer - uncredited)
    1952-1956 Four Star Playhouse (TV Series) (producer - 28 episodes)

    Soundtrack (3 credits)

    1956 Around the World in 80 Days (performer: "Have Courage to Say No" - uncredited)

    1949 Inside U.S.A. with Chevrolet (TV Series) (performer - 1 episode)
    - David Niven (1949) ... (performer: "Way Up North")
    -
    1938 The Dawn Patrol (performer: "Plum and Apple" - uncredited)

    Director (1 credit)

    1958-1960 Zane Grey Theater (TV Series) (2 episodes)
    - Wayfarers (1960)
    - The Vaunted (1958)
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    On the set of The Sea Wolves.
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    1986: Timothy Dalton signs a contract.
    1987: Dah Smrti (Breath of Death) released in Belgrade, Yugoslavia.
    NEW JAMES BOND -- MORE DANGEROUS THAN EVER!
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    https://twitter.com/007collector
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    2008: Announcement reveals Jack White & Alicia Keys to collaborate on title song "Another Way to Die"--a duet.
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    Alicia Keys, Jack White
    Team For Bond Theme
    By Ann Donahue | 7/29/2008

    Alicia Keys and the White Stripes' Jack White will record the theme song to "Quantum of Solace," the 22nd James Bond film, which hits U.S. theaters Nov. 7. The song, "Another Way To Die," will be the first duet in Bond soundtrack history. White wrote and produced the song, and also will play drums. The soundtrack to the movie will be released Oct. 28.

    The score for the film will be composed by David Arnold.

    "Quantum of Solace," starring Daniel Craig, will be directed by Marc Forster from a screenplay by Neal Purvis & Robert Wade and Paul Haggis.

    Amy Winehouse and Leona Lewis had previously been rumored as the vocalists for the latest Bond theme.
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    2011: Daniel Craig confirms a plan to use India locations for BOND 23 and pre-titles train action.

  • RichardTheBruceRichardTheBruce I'm motivated by my Duty.
    Posts: 13,779
    2020: Dynamite Entertainment releases James Bond: Origin: Volume 1
    (Parker Signed Edition Hardcover).
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    JAMES BOND ORIGIN HC VOL 01 PARKER SGN ED
    DYNAMITE
    MAR191187
    (W) Jeff Parker (A) Bob Q (CA) John Cassaday
    Signed by writer Jeff Parker!
    At last, the definitive account of James Bond's exploits during World War II!

    MARCH, 1941: Seventeen-year-old James Bond is a restless student in Scotland, an orphan, eager to strike out and make his mark on the world. But a visit by an old family friend coincides with THE CLYDEBANK BLITZ, the most devastating German attack on Scotland during the War. James will fight through hell to survive, coming out the other side determined to make a difference. He'll find his calling in a new British government service, secret in nature...
    In Shops: Jul 29, 2020
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    2020: Drug and Device Law does a rundown of Bond-related tobacco.
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    FDA Cigar/Pipe Warnings Go Up in
    Smoke
    Home » FDA Cigar/Pipe Warnings Go Up in Smoke
    By Stephen McConnell on July 29, 2020 | Posted in Administrative Law

    We light up a cigar maybe once a month. Of course, they’re no damned good for us. If we had any doubts, the headache and swamp-breath the next day would remove them. Still, a spirit of convivial dissipation tells us to smoke’em if we’ve got’em. No need to warn us off cigars, or the inevitable accompaniments of brown liquor, rich food, and bad behavior. That would be futile.

    The current issue of Cigar Aficianado has Sean Connery as James Bond on the cover. Connery, though our favorite incarnation of 007, is an odd choice, because Connery’s Bond smoked cigarettes (think of the introduction of “Bond, James Bond” in the casino scene in Dr. No), not cigars. In fact, Bond turns down an offer of a cigar in Goldfinger. Cigars are associated with plutocrats. (There is a reason why Pink Floyd’s song about corruption in the music biz is titled, “Have a Cigar.”) Several Bond villains smoked cigars (e.g., Largo in Thunderball, Sanchez in License to Kill, and Onatopp in Goldeneye). The only Bond who had a cigar habit was Roger Moore. He used one as a weapon, along with an aerosol shave cream can, to dispatch a snake. Moore supposedly had a deal that the producers would furnish an endless supply of Montecristos on Bond sets. By contrast, Moore’s successors seldom smoked. True, Pierce Brosnan lit up a cigar in Die Another Day. Bond was in Cuba, and a good spy finds ways to fit in. Word has it that Daniel Craig was originally going to smoke a cigar in Casino Royale, but the powers that be fretted over the possible effect on young impressionables. That is a foreshadowing of today’s case, the arrival of which, we promise, is imminent.

    The fact remains that Bond, as written by Ian Fleming, smoked cigarettes. Lots of them. That is because Ian Fleming smoked cigarettes. Lots and lots of them. Most accounts peg Fleming’s intake at four to five packs per day. Fleming knew his tobacco usage was deleterious to his health. So was his diet of scrambled eggs and martinis. Fleming said that he was not going to waste his days trying to prolong them. He died at age 56. (While his consumption habits seem an obvious culprit for his early demise, Fleming’s friends laid much of the blame on his immense stress from being sued over the authorship of Thunderball. Lawyers, like tobacco, should come with health warnings.

    So much for our pretitle sequence. The point of today’s blog (which we are NOT calling “Live and Let Die,” or “Die Another Day,” or even the probably-never-ever-coming out “No Time To Die”), is that we should not assume that health warnings make any difference.
    The D.C. Circuit opinion in Cigar Ass’n is worth celebrating. We might even break out an old Romeo y Julieta. At least let’s break out an old cigar joke. A cigar smoker bought several hundred expensive cigars and had them insured against fire. After he’d smoked them all, he filed a claim, pointing out that the cigars had been destroyed by fire. The insurance company refused to pay, and the man sued. A judge ruled that because the insurance company had agreed to insure against fire, it was legally responsible. The insurer paid the claim and and when the man accepted the money, the insurer had him arrested for arson.
    2020: Upper Deck releases Legendary: James Bond Expansion (for the Legendary 007), adding On Her Majesty's Secret Service and Licence to Kill.
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    ADD TWO MORE CLASSIC 'BOND' FILMS TO GAMES
    OF 'LEGENDARY 007'

    'Legendary: James Bond Expansion' by Upper Deck
    Posted by Jeffrey Dohm-Sanchez on July 27, 2020 @ 8:52 am CT

    Upper Deck will release Legendary: James Bond Expansion, for the Legendary 007, on July 29.
    This first expansion to Legendary 007 adds two classic Bond films to the mix: On Her Majesty's Secret Service and Licence to Kill. This set adds new missions and villains from these movies, and pits players up against their nefarious schemes. Players must defeat the evil masterminds and complete their mission before the danger level gets out of control. This expansion requires the core set to play.
    Legendary: James Bond Expansion will retail for $39.99.

    Legendary 007 was unveiled last year around Gen Con (see " 'Legendary: 007' Has A License To Kill" https://icv2.com/articles/news/view/43745/legendary-007-has-a-license-to-kill).
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    2021: James Bond's Aston Martin goes to Rocket League.
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    James Bond Is Coming To Rocket League
    (Or His Car Is, Anyway)

    License to beep
    by Kate Gray 6

    Rocket League is a game about cars playing football. But are people inside the cars? Apparently not — the cars, like the audience, are filled with sentient eggs, according to actual Rocket League lore — but we like to think that James Bond can be the eggception. Er, exception.

    007's iconic Aston Martin DB5 first appeared in Goldfinger in 1964, and has since become known as Jamie B's favourite spymobile, appearing again in movies like GoldenEye, The World Is Not Enough, Casino Royale, Skyfall (in which it was blown up by the bad guys), and Spectre. It's also been immortalised in LEGO, and the GoldenEye DB5 currently lives in the London Film Museum, as the second most famous car in the UK, after Brum.
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    Rocket League x James Bond
    Now, the car that none of us at Nintendo Life could ever hope to afford even if we pooled all our money together is appearing in Rocket League alongside other well-known automobiles like the '89 Batmobile, K.I.T.T., and the Jurassic Jeep Wrangler.

    The Aston Martin DB5 will be available from the 29th of July to the 4th of August, as part of a bundle that also includes the wheels, a "one-of-a-kind" engine audio, the signature Silver Birch paintjob, and a Reel Life decal. These items can only be equipped on the DB5. It costs 1100 credits, and will only be available for a limited time, although apparently "James Bond will return" with more classic cars later in the year.

    James Bond's DB5 has been through a lot, but we're still a bit nervous to play football with it. What if we dent it? Are footballs soft enough that they won't scratch the paintwork? Please don't send hitmen after us, Mr Bond.

    Please note that some external links on this page are affiliate links, which means if you click them and make a purchase we may receive a small percentage of the sale. Please read our FTC Disclosure for more information.

    [source rocketleague.com]
    007's Aston Martin arrives in Rocket League

    2023: James Bond Patinoire Olympique de Limoges at Limoges, France.
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    James Bond Symphonique
    James Bond Symphonique est un événement exceptionnel qui rend hommage aux musiques des films James Bond.
    Ajouter au calendrier

    Horaires : De 21h00 à 22h30
    Adresse : Patinoire Olympique de Limoges

    Une équipe de musiciens talentueux vous transportent dans l’univers du célèbre agent secret, avec le mandoliniste Vincent Beer Demander, le trompettiste Romain Leleu, un chœur et un orchestre dirigé par Arnaud Cappelli.

    La musique de la saga est ré-écrite par Vincent Beer Demander et les titres les plus emblématiques de la saga vous seront proposé pour une expérience musicale unique.

    Vincent Beer-Demander • mandoline, composition & direction musicale
    Romain Leleu • trompette
    Arnaud Cappelli • direction musicale
    Lynda Bisch • coordination choeur
    Choeur & orchestre du Festival 1001 Notes
    PROGRAMME
    Générique de James Bond thème – orchestre (transcription par Vincent Beer-Demander)
    Flower of Scotland »- choeur & orchestre (transcription par Vincent Beer-Demander )
    Prière pour Andrew et Monique – guitare solo
    La Parisienne (Valse) – guitare & orchestre
    My name is bond (chanson polyglotte) – choeur
    Marche du Spectre – trompette et orchestre
    Sérénade pour Moneypenny – mandoline & guitare
    Blues for Félix – choeur, trompette, guitare & Mandoloncelle
    Caviar de la Mer noire – mandoline et orchestre
    Caisse à savon (Polka) Trompette, mandoline et orchestre
    Tiramisu du panier – mandoline, trompette, guitare et orchestre
    Générique de James Bond thème – orchestre et choeur
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    2023: Casino Royale themed Casino Night at Rolla, Missouri.
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    Casino Royale themed Casino Night coming to Rolla
    July 29
    Rolla Area Chamber of Commerce Jun 19, 2023
    The 6th Annual Casino Night, presented by American Family Insurance – Tony Froehlich Agency, will be taking place July 29 at Signature Event Center. This year’s theme is 007 Casino Royale! Inspired by the iconic James Bond films, this exclusive event promises an evening filled with glamour, intrigue and thrilling casino games.

    Step into the world of sophistication as the night kicks off with a tempting array of heavy appetizers, a whiskey and rum tasting (courtesy of Truman Reserve) and our exclusive cigar bar by Leatherwood.
    Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres will be served at 7 p.m., games will be from 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., and prizes and refreshments from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. will close out the event.

    At the heart of the 007 Casino Night lies an array of thrilling casino games that will captivate both seasoned players and novices alike. Every attendee will receive $10,000 in play money, compliments of Town & Country Bank, to challenge their luck at classic favorites like blackjack, roulette, craps, and poker and then have a chance for our selection of prestigious prizes and the end of the night.

    Tickets:
    $60/person
    $95/couple
    Group Discounts available for groups of 6 or more

    Register online on the Rolla Area Chamber of Commerce’s website on the events page.

    2023: The Byrd Theater screens Casino Royale at Richmond, Virginia.
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    Casino Royale
    Saturday, July 29, 2023 , 7:00pm

    Location
    The Byrd Theatre
    2908 W Cary St
    Richmond, VA
    (804) 353-9911

    Price
    $8.00
    Description
    Daniel Craig's first outing as James Bond also stars Eva Green and Mads Mikkelsen.
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    2023: Metrograph screens Casino Royale at 7 Ludlow Street, New York City, New York.
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    Casino Royale
    Saturday July 29
    3:00pm
    Director: Martin Campbell
    2006 / 144min / DCP
    Daniel Craig’s first outing as MI6 agent James Bond—adapting the first Bond novel by Ian Fleming—sent 007 on a mission to stop Mads Mikkelsen’s high-rolling terrorist financier, and also revitalized the franchise with its earthbound, error-prone, vulnerable take on Bond and its abundance of stunning action set pieces taking place in Prague, the Bahamas and, in the film’s unforgettably bleak climax, on the shores of Italy’s Lake Como.
    “I consider Daniel Craig to be the most effective and appealing of the six actors who have played 007, and that includes even Sean Connery.”
    —Andrew Sarris, The New York Observer
    7 Ludlow Street, New York City

    Box Office opens 30 minutes before the first showtime each day.

    Please read our Visiting Guidelines regarding COVID safety before visiting.

    Metrograph is located in the heart of what was a major hub for early-twentieth-century
    movie-going: the city’s historic Lower East Side.

    Closest subway stops:

    F train to East Broadway

    B and D trains to Grand Street


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    2023: July Movies at 6 PM screens Octopussy at an unidentifiable Armed Forces Retirement Home location.
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    Octopussy
    Sat July 29 - James Bond: Octopussy
    A fake Fabergé egg, and a fellow Agent's death, lead James Bond to uncover an international jewel-smuggling operation, headed by the mysterious Octopussy, being used to disguise a nuclear attack on N.A.T.O. forces.
    Roger Moore, Maud Adams, Louis Jourdan, 131min, 1983, PG
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  • RichardTheBruceRichardTheBruce I'm motivated by my Duty.
    Posts: 13,779
    July 30th

    1945: Maud Russell writes about Ian Fleming in her diary.
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    Spies, affairs and James Bond... The
    secret diary of Ian Fleming's wartime
    mistress
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/life/spies-affairs-james-bond-secret-diary-ian-flemings-wartime-mistress/
    Monday 30 July, 1945

    I. has refused the new job. He feels he must break away.
    So Jamaica is on again. I am sure he is right not to let himself
    grow old, unhealthy and apoplectic sitting for ever in London
    on mysterious committees and having no leisure, no freedom,
    no unbuttoning.

    1964: Bons baisers de Russie (Good Kisses From Russia) released in France.
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    1987: The Living Daylights released in Luxembourg.
    1989: 007 Vendetta privata (007 Private Vendetta) released in Italy.

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    1997: Tomorrow Never Dies films Wai Lin's capture by Carver’s men.

    2006: Another fire at Pinewood Studios.
    2014: Guernsey Post releases a set of stamps and other limited edition items that celebrate Ian Fleming. 2017: Media falsely report James Bond to fight blind super-villain in Croatia in BOND 25.
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    James Bond to fight blind super-villain in
    Croatia in next movie?
    India Blooms News Service | | 30 Jul 2017, 06:52 pm

    Los Angeles, July 30 (IBNS): The upcoming James Bond movie will see the detective fight against a blind super-villain in Croatia, media reports said.

    The 25th instalment of the spy thriller has been tentatively titled "Shatterhand", reports said.

    Fans are eagerly waiting to see who will play the role of James Bond in the movie.

    Actor Daniel Craig has been portraying the character in the last few movies.

    "It is based on the 1999 thriller Never Dream Of Dying by US author Raymond Benson, who also wrote Bond books Tomorrow Never Dies, Die Another Day and The World is Not Enough," mirror.co.uk reported.

    A source told the website: “Bond scriptwriters feel it could be the perfect follow-up to Spectre . They are hoping to film in Croatia next year.”

    Recently, it was announced that the much-awaited next movie of detective James Bond will hit the silverscreen in 2019.

    The official Twitter page of James Bond had confirmed the date when the movie will release in the US.

    It will hit the US silver screen on Nov 8, 2019.
    "James Bond will return to US cinemas on November 8, 2019 with a traditional earlier release in the UK and the rest of the world," read the tweet posted by the official page of the detective.
    Image: Santabanta.com

    2019: Abigail Gardner and Ros Jennings in Aging and Popular Music in Europe propose a reclamation of Fleming material through Shirley Bassey and Kanye West.
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    Aging and Popular Music in Europe, Abigail Gardner and Ros Jennings, 2019.
    Chapter 7 - ‘Shine on you crazy diamond/s’
    Abstract: This chapter is concerned with Shirley Bassey and Kanye West’s coverage of the song ‘Diamonds Are Forever’ from the perspective of age, inheritance and post-colonial hauntings of race and identity. It presents a new generic Time Space of age that is related to hip-hop and the recycling of older materials. West headlined the iconic Pyramid Stage at the Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Arts in the summer of 2015. By using Bassey’s voice, and referring to her influence on him and her presence within the contemporary song, West thus pulls into his version, the universality and the non-place that Daub and Kronengold argue for. Bassey’s vocal and performative emphasis of the song narrates an erotic desire for wealth in the form of diamonds. In West’s use of Bassey’s vocal performance in ‘Diamonds from Sierra Leone – Remix’ and ‘Diamonds from Sierra Leone’, West is ‘restorying’ Ian Fleming, giving voice to those Black characters demeaned in the original.
    Kanye West - Diamonds From Sierra Leone
    2019: Iggy Pop shares new single "James Bond" from his album Free, to be released in September.
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    Iggy Pop Shares New Single “James Bond”
    30 July 2019
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    Iggy Pop has unwound a drastically different track from his coming album, Free. James Bond tells a story: ‘I don’t know what she’s up to exactly, but the tables seem to be turning, and she’s taking over. Well, why not? I’ll try anything once.’

    “I’ve never had more fun singing a lyric. Faith’s reading is so loaded, and Leron’s production and trumpet along with the band swings like crazy,” says Iggy.

    “Iggy Pop’s ‘Free’ is brief, atmospheric and elusive. Amid sustained electronic tones from the guitarist Noveller and ghostly overdubbed Miles Davis-tinged trumpet lines from Leron Thomas, Pop’s voice appears only a few times, intoning, ‘I wanna be free.’ As the title song and opening track of an album due in September, it could lead anywhere.”
    Iggy Pop
    Free
    Tracklisting:
    1. Free
    2. Loves Missing
    3. Sonali
    4. James Bond
    5. Dirty Sanchez
    6. Glow In The Dark
    7. Page
    8. We Are The People
    9. Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night
    10. The Dawn
    Iggy Pop - James Bond (Official video)

    2021: Happy Inceptiversary--the Inception Fandom vs. Bond Fandom annual battle finishes. 2021: Audio drama The City of the Dead comes more widely available, following its 27 July release.
    Soundcloud.ico
    007: The City of the Dead
    See the complete article here:

    007: The City of the Dead Trailer


    Something Evil Comes This Way


    2023: James Bond London Locations Tour by Black Taxi at London, England.
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    Private tour
    James Bond London Locations Tour by Black Taxi
    4.6 / 5
    22 reviews
    Become James Bond for the day on a driving tour of London locations featured in dozens of Bond movies, including “Skyfall.” Traveling by iconic London taxi, visit real locations frequented by spies, discover secret bunkers, and more.
    About this activity
    Free cancellation
    Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund

    Reserve now & pay later
    Keep your travel plans flexible — book your spot and pay nothing today.
    Covid-19 precautions
    Special health and safety measures are in place. Check your activity voucher once you book for full details.
    Duration 3 hours
    Check availability to see starting times.
    Live tour guide
    English
    Wheelchair accessible
    Private group

    Experience
    Highlights

    Become 007 for the day on a tour of the London locations of James Bond
    See the homes of the real MI5 and MI6
    Discover which building doubled for St. Petersburg
    Stand outside locations, such a Blades Fencing Club, Le Circle Casino, Hotel Europe, and more
    Full description
    Step into the well polished shoes of the legendary secret agent 007 (James Bond) on this 3-hour driving tour of London locations used in various Bond movies, from “For Your Eyes Only” to “Skyfall.”

    You will be shaken, but not stirred, as you go to the house where Ian Fleming lived, and see the offices of the real MI6 and MI5, as well as places where genuine spies met and worked - perhaps they still do...

    Learn where Bond gets his shirts made, where he buys his cigarettes, and where he would buy his suits and hats. Go to a Bentley and Aston Martin showroom to admire cars like the ones that have featured in Bond movies. And see the bar where “a dry martini, shaken not stirred” was spoken for the very first time.
    Includes
    Private tour in an iconic London taxi
    Registered guide (Blue Badge, City of London, or City of Westminster)
    Commentary by your guide
    Photo stops at all the major attractions
    Complimentary water
    Pick-up from your central London hotel
    Drop off at your Central London hotel

    Any entry fees
    Lunch
    Guide gratuity
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    2023: Metrograph screens Casino Royale at 7 Ludlow Street, New York City, New York.
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    Casino Royale
    Saturday July 30
    2:15pm
    Director: Martin Campbell
    2006 / 144min / DCP
    Daniel Craig’s first outing as MI6 agent James Bond—adapting the first Bond novel by Ian Fleming—sent 007 on a mission to stop Mads Mikkelsen’s high-rolling terrorist financier, and also revitalized the franchise with its earthbound, error-prone, vulnerable take on Bond and its abundance of stunning action set pieces taking place in Prague, the Bahamas and, in the film’s unforgettably bleak climax, on the shores of Italy’s Lake Como.
    “I consider Daniel Craig to be the most effective and appealing of the six actors who have played 007, and that includes even Sean Connery.”
    —Andrew Sarris, The New York Observer
    7 Ludlow Street, New York City

    Box Office opens 30 minutes before the first showtime each day.

    Please read our Visiting Guidelines regarding COVID safety before visiting.

    Metrograph is located in the heart of what was a major hub for early-twentieth-century
    movie-going: the city’s historic Lower East Side.

    Closest subway stops:

    F train to East Broadway

    B and D trains to Grand Street


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