Now... meet the most extraordinary gentleman spy in all fiction... JAMES BOND, agent 007.
The first James Bond film adventure!
Dr. No was the first of UA's Bond Films. Priemered on October of 1962 by Albert R (Cubby)Broccoli and Harry Saltzman on about $1 millon dollars budget. It starred Sean Connery as Bond, Ursula Andress as Honey Rider, and Joseph Wiseman as Dr. No. Bernard Lee and Lois Maxwell where the head of MI6, M and his seceretary Moneypenny. The Script was co-written by Richard Maibaum.
Dr. No is the most low-key of all the Bond flims, but for it's time, it's plot was perhaps the most fantstic than most detective or spy dramas. Directed by Terence Young.
Bond's mission takes him to the steamy island of Jamaica, where mysterious energy waves are interfering
with U.S. missile launches. As he unravels the astonishing truth, 007 must fight deadly assassins, sexy
femmes fatales and even a poisonous tarantula. With the help of crack CIA agent Felix Leiter (Jack Lord)
and the beautiful Honey Rider(Ursula Andress), he searches for the headquarters of Dr. No, a fanatical scientist who is
implementing an evil plan of world domination. Only James Bond, with his combination of wit, charm and skill, can confront
the madman and save the human race from a horrible fate.
With breathtaking chases, amazing stunts and a bold, nerve-shattering climax, this outrageously entertaining
adventure pushes the envelope for non-stop thrills and magnificently sets the standard for the most popular
movie series of all time.
Trivia
Thunderball (1965) was originally going to be the first 007 movie,
but legal wrangles with its co-author led to Dr. No (1962) being
chosen instead.
Author Ian Fleming wanted his cousin Christopher Lee to play Dr. No.
Max Von Sydow was also offered the title role.
The budget was only $1,000,000, but when costs overran by $100,000 United
Artists wanted to pull the plug, fearing they would never recoup their
outlay.
Fleming originally asked Noel Coward to play the part of Dr. No, Coward
replied in a telegram "Dr. No? No! No! No!".
The Japanese office of United Artists originally interpreted the title
as "Dr.? No!" and produced posters with a translation that meant "We don't
want a doctor". The mistake was discovered at the last moment.
Roger Moore was author Ian Fleming's original choice for Bond, but he
was committed to The Saint.
Other actors considered for the lead role included: Cary Grant, David
Niven, Trevor Howard, and Rex Harrison.
Sean Connery was chosen for the part of 007 after Albert R. Broccoli's
wife saw him in Darby O'Gill and the Little People (1959).
After the film's release in Italy, the Vatican issued a special communique
expressing its disapproval at the film's moral standpoint.
Connery is morbidly afraid of spiders. The shot of the spider in his
bed was originally done with a sheet of glass between him and the spider,
but when this didn't look realistic enough, the scene was re-shot with
stuntman Bob Simmons.
A painting of the Duke of Wellington, stolen in 1960 and never recovered,
can be seen on the wall of Dr. No's headquarters.
All female voices heard in this film, with the exception of Lois Maxwell
as Miss Moneypenny, are dubbed by the same, uncredited, English actress.
The rights to the famous theme song were bought from Monty Norman for
a ridiculously low sum of money, and subsequently appeared in many later
Bond films.
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