It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
^ Back to Top
The MI6 Community is unofficial and in no way associated or linked with EON Productions, MGM, Sony Pictures, Activision or Ian Fleming Publications. Any views expressed on this website are of the individual members and do not necessarily reflect those of the Community owners. Any video or images displayed in topics on MI6 Community are embedded by users from third party sites and as such MI6 Community and its owners take no responsibility for this material.
James Bond News • James Bond Articles • James Bond Magazine
Comments
Not sure exactly when, but it would've been during one of the early 1970s theatrical rereleases here in the U.S.
My opinion of DN has gone up. It didn't have the gadgets, big stunts or epic feel, so I didn't appreciate it when I was younger. It's gone up in the last 20 years or so just on the grit and I like to imagine how different it the film was upon release in a world of westerns and nothing nearly like it as far as action/adventure films went.
2) Do you think it looks dated? If so, is that bothersome or part of its charm? (This certainly applies for most older films; they are a product of their time)
The look itself isn't dated and the cinematography is excellent. Some of the acting, dialogue, attitudes and clothes would add to any dated feel and it's undeniable but doesn't take away from my enjoyment and appreciation. The most dated factor would have to be Monty Norman's score, Bond theme aside and Underneath the Mango Tree aside. Makes me appreciate John Barry that much more.
3) What stands out in this film for you?
The overall atmosphere. It's a mystery, action/adventure and spy film in one with sci-fi thrown in. I appreciate that Dr. No himself isn't revealed until near the end but you feel his influence and fear it has. It's also fun watching Bond piece things together like a detective.
Connery.
So many great scenes - casino introduction, meeting with M, killing of Dent, Honey's introduction, Dent's "meeting" with No and on and on.
(And let me say those Japanese posters for the early Bond films were fantastic.)
I will add further wrap-up thoughts of my own in a little while. I especially want to mention the editing, as I think the book Some Kind of Hero brings up a good point, one easily not noticed.
Just to note: I did check the earlier pages again in this Originals thread, and SirHenry did not start adding tons of additional trivia, background info (from several sources) until For Your Eyes Only. So once we hit that one in this Bondathon, you will be getting those from me. Of course I will include his original review for all the films.
Also a big thank you to @BT3366 for answering the questions I put here for us to share our memories and thoughts on Dr. No.
My opinion of Dr. No went up over the years, too, though I really enjoyed on first view. Lucky you for seeing it on the big screen - I never have. Also you make a good point about it being different from most films at that time. I really credit EON for working to bring Fleming, and that atmosphere, into this first Bond film. They certainly did not have to, but they gave it their all and it paid off. I agree that leaving Dr. No to be revealed later in the film was smart. Many memorable scenes from this first film, too. Dated? I agree, not really. For me, just the outfits at times (as is so many films from that time - men with hats, everybody smoking) ... but it was a serious film and I don't feel it is too dated, not in any way that takes away from the story.
@CommanderRoss yes, that ventilation run was torturous. I think the film could easily have been more graphic on what Dr. No set up for Honey. In the novel it was swiftly dealt with as she knew about crabs from her lifelong experience and he didn't. She felt they wouldn't hurt her and that's the way it went. I felt the tarantula scene was done well in the film and the novel.
In Some Kind of Hero it explains that: Sean Connery was terrified of spiders and a plate of glass was placed between him and the arachnid for the scene involving a tarantula crawling up Bond's body. However, reflections could be seen in the glass and Broccoli requested Simmons allow a real tarantula to walk across him.
(Of course, that is Bob Simmons, stunt man for Bond in this film.)
Regarding Honey's torture, this info-packed book says: Andress, too, was subject to exotic creatures. In the novel, part of Dr. No's experiment in torture is to tie up Honey and observe her being devoured by migrating crabs. A version of it was filmed in the studio, but Andress recalled, "It was cut from the film because the crabs were too frozen - they had been flown in and they had to be de-iced. Terence suggested hot steam - they ended up half cooked so everybody took a crab home for dinner." (The story of the crabs in the film was new info for me).
Glad you all are enjoying the info. I'll be posting all kinds of posters as we go along, @mattjoes (colorful one from Spain above). Cheers, everybody!
Please feel free to answer my questions re Dr. No and also think of anything in particular you'd like me to check in this fine book, Some Kind Of Hero. I only put a small portion of what they say about a film. It's quite a thick book. B-)
And you may find this interesting - art of the title sequences, through all the Bond films (thru Skyfall). https://www.artofthetitle.com/feature/james-bond-50-years-of-main-title-design/
BONDAGE (Oct. 26, 1962)
Sir, — Since James Bond has had the honour of being mentioned in three separate departments of your issue of October 12, and since Bond is at present away in Magnetogorsk, I hope you will allow me to comment on his behalf.
“Spectator's Notebook”: Queequeg asks what happened to the crabs in the film Dr. No. Alas, they went the way of the giant squid, despite urgent representations from me and from one of the producers. The black crabs had not started “running” in Jamaica last February when the Jamaican scenes were being shot, but on my return to London in March I received an excited invitation to visit Pinewood and inspect a consignment of spider crabs obtained from Guernsey. A large tank was unveiled. All the crabs were dead. I asked if they bad been preserved in sea water and was told that, since none was available, they had been put in fresh water with plenty of salt added! After that the crab faction gave up.
Letters: Mr. Snell suggests that my serial biography of James Bond is “a barrier to international understanding.” He seems not to have noticed that since Thunderball the international organization “SPECTRE” has taken over as enemy Number One from SMERSH, the murder apparat of the then MWD, dissolved, as I wrote in Thunderball, by Khrushchev. As the recently concluded spy trial in Karlsruhe, involving the liquidation of two Ukrainians by a Soviet assassin with a cyanide gas pistol, shows, the machinery of cold-blooded murder by the, now, KGB is again in business and I cannot promise that Bond may not be called upon in the line of duty to involve himself with these new ambassadors for “international understanding” sent out into the world by Moscow.
Cinema: Mr. Ian Cameron, with a fastidious stamp of his grey suede winkle-pickers, scrunches the Dr. No film, while describing James Bond as “every intellectual’s favourite fascist.” James Bond's politics are, in fact, slightly left of centre.
IAN FLEMING
c/o Jonathan Cape Ltd.
@Revelator thanks for that! Lovely how Fleming reacted, making Bond more alive. Also, except for his simpathies for the Cuban revolt, I think this is the only other time Bond's politics are mentioned.
Eric Clapton was to be on the soundtrack to LICENCE TO KILL. Had he been on it, Clapton would have been the second best guitarist involved in a Bond film.
If there were a Mt. Rushmore of guitarists, Ernest Ranglin would be all four faces. He's that important and great. Is he famous? No. But to anybody who has played guitar, the name Ernest Ranglin fills one with awe.
I have always loved Jamaican reggae and ska. Ranglin's guitar playing is the father of that music. No Ranglin, the world does not have reggae and ska. He more or less created an entire genre of music. I have also loved Bond films. Many, many years back guitar players on the internet started to give clues that Ranglin was all over the DR. NO soundtrack. Turns out it was true. The guitar all over the DR. NO soundtrack is the legendary Ernest Ranglin. Astonishing work. But not just in the reggae genre. Just listen to the ragged and raw playing on the "Jamaica Rock" track and remember this is 1962...before The Beatles broke. This is wild abandon...something no guitarist was doing back then. It is Hendrix, before Hendrix. Guitar players weren't doing this. This is too wild even for Bo Diddley.
Of all the things to find out about Bond films, the fact that Ranglin was the guitarist on the DR. NO soundtrack is simply mindblowing. What??? Ranglin played on a Bond film??? Like finding out your kid's basketball coach is Michael Jordan. Stunning that the Bond films utilized Ernest Ranglin. Probably the greatest artist involved in all the Bond films. And that includes John Barry, Judi Dench, Freddie Young, Sean Connery, Ken Adam, Paul McCartney....nope, Ranglin towers above them all.
Thanks, @Revelator - great to read Ian Fleming's words, and I especially enjoyed learning that Bond's politics were "slightly left of centre".
Also, pleased to have posted about Ernie Ranglin. That was certainly new info for me, and I'm glad you found our thread, @Chula.
Wrapping up Dr. No today. My final musings on the film are:
I'll get to posting on this film, the 2nd in the film series, later this week.
Sorry for delay with From Russia With Love. It will be next week. B-)
"Can you hear me now? Can you hear me now?" Yes, the news is everywhere. Some spoilers are harder to avoid than others...
Yes, indeed. Now that my phone is even attacking me unasked with this 'news' which I choose not to believe, there sure isn't a way around it. On the plus side: was there ever so much attention to a new Bond film? The days of Bindmania are long gone and with mothern communications technology such eras will never return, but perhaps this is the modern day incarnation of it.
One of the big complaints about LTK is it looking cheap and all that, but there seemed to be a good deal of nice sets such as the casino, Sanchez' estate and the Isthmus bank. I was reminded of QoS sometimes as well.
LTK is a special film for me as it's on of the early dates my future wife and I went on. We've seen each successive film together and she's great about tolerating my Bond obsession all these years.
Thanks for sharing your personal story, @BT3366. I hope others share stories here, too. We won't all agree on films, but it's good to chat here. Sharing personal stories from our time as fans is basically the heart of this thread.
From Russia With Love will be Sunday; I think I'm on track for that. B-)
As for Bond 25, at least you'll see the trailer. That's a good introduction, sure, and hopefully won't give too much away.
I used to fly gliders and we did have a 'maverick' in the club. Extremely talented but also irratic and prone to skip the (safety) rules. I've always had more respect to the iceman's of this world. Perhaps a tad less talented, but very consistent and professional. Anyway, as said in aviation TG is an absolute classic, so 2 is a must - go to film.
And don't forget, without top gun, no hot shots!
Ah, but there you have missed out something. I think Hot Shots is probably the only parody film that's genuinly funny even though it's so much over the top. At least the first one is. I've seldom seen a film with so many jokes, especially also in the background, that still kept the right tone and atmosphere. Who knew baking eggs could actually be sexy?
If he's in the film, I'd be more than happy. Didn't see him in the trailer and as seaid, missed out on all the 'news' around it. We'll see.
So I sincerely hope he is in it more than a cameo.
Hot Shots I would like to see. I enjoyed Airplane. But I don't think many films in the '80s that I missed are something I need to catch up on. ;)
Ah good, love it!
Yes, it's worth it:
There's indeed not much else to look back to...