**YOU ARE NOW ENTERING SPOILER TOWN**
HL’s Hot Take: I was surprised upon re-watching how bland it is. Kind of like they were getting their feet wet to see if people would go for Bond as a character. Very few effects and a single shooting location, but it set them up for more later. Also easy to see where several gags in Austin Powers were born, including the threads for Dr. Evil and the Fembots. I think the critical response is inflated since it broke ground for 007. Admittedly, my lens is of someone that grew up on blockbuster mega-effects judging what was cutting edge in the early 60s. Not a bad flick, but many have exceeded it since.
Plot: Disrupt a NASA shuttle launch with a powerful radio beam to incite war between the West and the Soviets.
Foiled by: Bond easily escaping his electrified cell with his shoes, dressing like a henchman and turning a big wheel before the countdown is over. Capped off by fighting Dr. No into a vat of radioactive waste.
Intriguing Setting(s): Jamaica
Bond: Sean Connery
Villain(s): Dr. Julius No, member of SPECTRE
Bond Girl(s):
- Honey Ryder (Ursula Andress) – the original and still unforgettable
- Sylvia Trench (Eunice Gayson) – in just a button-up shirt putting golf balls when Bond arrives to his hotel room
- Miss Taro (Zena Marshall) – mostly sleeps with him to keep 007 occupied until another assassin can get there
Head Librarian Rank: 15/24
Critical Rank: 4/24
TRIVIA SECTION!
Odds & Ends: Mostly chosen as the first film because it would be the easiest to shoot: straightforward plot, single location, possible on a limited budget in case the franchise didn’t take off. Also, Thunderball was intended to be the first but an on-going legal batter with the co-author led production to another title.
6 Degrees Cameos: Ursula Andress made waves as Honey Ryder, but she got another shot at Bond glory in the 1967 spoof Casino Royale as Vesper Lynd. That film is an old school 6 Degrees wet dream: Orson Welles, David Niven, Peter Sellers, Woody Allen, Deborah Kerr, William Holden and even John Huston!
Gadgets: none yet
Cars: 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible
Awards: Andress shared a Best Newcomer Golden Globe with Tippi Hendren (The Birds) and Elke Sommer (The Prize)
Release Order: 1/25 (1962)