"Dr. No", released in 1962, has the honor of being the first (if not necessarily the best) in a profitable series of films based on Ian Fleming's novels about British Secret Service Agent, James Bond; Sean Connery, as the numero uno 007, would go on to play Bond six more times. The only noticeable absentee is Desmond Llewelyn as "Q", who replaced Peter Burton in the very next Bond movie ("From Russia With Love"), and would remain with the series through "The World is Not Enough", which was released in 1999 just prior to his death.
In the first installment, the audience is introduced to all-things-Bond, including 007's uncanny ability to sleep with every pretty face that crosses the camera (three in "Dr. No", but who's counting?). Inevitably, the last one to bed is "The Bond Girl", who at first appears hard to get, but eventually succumbs to Bond's charms. In this case, the dubious honor goes to Ursula Andress as the aptly named Honey Ryder; who is relatively bright, quite sexy and, of course, scantily clad as she is first seen emerging from the water carrying an armful of seashells. Also, an introduction to Miss Moneypenny (Lois Maxwell) carries Bond's signature cat and mouse game of harmless flirtation.
Bond's bag full of tricks, as delivered by Major Boothroyd (he was referred to as "Q" in later films), is a great deal less snazzy then they are now. His only "toy" is a new, powerful and precise handgun; as Boothroyd replaces his outdated weapon with the new one, Bond is reminded that he has a license to "kill", not "injure". The simplicity of this early Bond movie is also a reminder of how much current technology (ie, special effects) plays a role in molding the later films. When James uses a piece of hair from his head (remember when he still had hair?), or fingerprint powder on his briefcase, it still seems utter brilliance, capable of evoking giddy pleasure from the film viewer.
"Dr. No's" plot is short and sweet, and ridiculously uncomplicated (although heavy British and Jamaican accents may be difficult at times). The story begins with the mysterious death of Strangways (Tim Moxon), a British Secret Service Agent stationed in Jamaica. Immediately following Strangways's death, another operative, a female radio operator, is also murdered. When Bond arrives on the island to investigate Strangways's disappearance, attempts begin on his life as he gets closer to the truth, and informed locals seem willing to die rather than divulge their secrets.
With the assistance of CIA Agent Felix Leiter (Jack Lord) and a local resident (John Kitzmiller as Quarrel), Bond's trails ultimately lead him to Crab Key Island, the double-top-secret-probation headquarters of Dr. No (Joseph Wiseman), a vengeful scientist with plans for retaliation against the United States. After a taunting from Bond, he boastfully admits membership in the criminal organization known as S.P.E.C.T.R.E. (Special Executive for Counterintelligence, Terrorism, Revenge, Extortion), and outlines his plans for world domination, which include altering the flight paths of Cape Canaveral's nuclear rocket launches so they will boomerang back to the US.
With Honey Rider in tow, Bond must find a way to disable Dr. No's plans, save the planet, and get the girl (without breaking a sweat).
As in any Bond film, it's not the wrap that counts (c'mon now, ANYONE can guess the end of ANY Bond movie), but how James gets there. "Dr. No" may be shy on plot and short on special effects, but with a little ingenuity and a lot of charisma, Sean Connery begins a reign that no other Bond actor has been able to match. If for nothing else, see it as a primer from which Mr. Connery's Bond later developed into an even more suave and finished hero.
DR. NO (1962) ***
Genre: Action
Rating: PG
Running time: 110 minutes
Directed by Terance Young ("From Russia With Love", "Thunderball", "The Valachi Papers"). Written by Richard Maibaum, based on the novel by Ian Fleming.
Starring Sean Connery (James Bond), Ursula Andress (Honey Ryder), Joseph Wiseman (Dr. No), Jack Lord (Felix Leiter), Bernard Lee (M), Anthony Dawson (Professor Dent), Zena Marshall (Miss Taro), Peter Burton (Major Boothroyd "Q") and Lois Maxwell (Miss Moneypenny).
AND...JUST FOR FUN.......
Being anointed a "Bond Girl" can be a dubious honor indeed. Certainly it didn’t guarantee a successful film career. Below are all 19 James Bond films, in chronological order, with our hero (007) and his Girl Friday ("Never Say Never Again" (1983), starring Sean Connery, was not considered part of the Bond franchise. Therefore, it is not included below).
Dr. No (1962) Sean Connery/ Ursula Andress (Honey Ryder)
From Russia With Love (1963) Sean Connery/ Daniela Bianchi (Tatiana Romanova)
Goldfinger (1964) Sean Connery/Honor Blackman (Pussy Galore)
Thunderball (1965) Sean Connery/Claudine Auger (Domino)
You Only Live Twice (1967) Sean Connery/Mie Hama (Kissy Suzuki)
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) George Lazenby/Diana Rigg (Tracy Vicenzo)
Diamonds are Forever (1971) Sean Connery/Jill St. John (Tiffany Case)
Live and Let Die (1973) Roger Moore/Jane Seymour (Solitaire)
The Man With the Golden Gun (1974) Roger Moore/Britt Ekland (Mary Goodnight)
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) Roger Moore/Barbara Bach (Maj. Anya Amasova)
Moonraker (1979) Roger Moore/Lois Chiles (Dr. Holly Goodhead)
For Your Eyes Only (1981) Roger Moore/Carolyn Bouquet (Melina Havlock)
Octopussy (1983) Roger Moore/Maude Adams (Octopussy)
A View to a Kill (1985) Roger Moore/Tanya Roberts (Stacy Sutton)
The Living Daylights (1987) Timothy Dalton/Maryam d’Abo (Kara Milovy)
License to Kill (1989) Timothy Dalton/Carey Lowell (Pam Bouvier) and Talisa Soto (Lupe Lamora)
Golden Eye (1995) Pierce Brosnan/Izabella Scorupco (Natalya Simonova)
Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) Pierce Brosnan/Michelle Yeoh (Wai Lin) and Teri Hatcher (Paris Carver)
The World is Not Enough (1999) Pierce Brosnan/Sophie Marceau (Electra King) and Denise Richards (Christmas Jones)
His name is Bond, James Bond. And here, in his explosive film debut, Ian Fleming s immortal action hero blazes through one of his most spectacular adv...More at Buy.com
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