Ian Fleming's first and only television sale was this half-hour adaptation, starring Barry Nelson as an American version of the spy. This wouldn't work today of course, but no one in 1954 had heard the name before. Fleming said he copied the name from a coffee-table bird book by James Bond, and based the agent himself on a spy he knew while working in London during World War 2.
Dr. No (1962)
An Eurasian villain (Joseph Wiseman) plots to destroy the manned-space program with a fatal launch pad disaster by remote control. Sean Connery introduced as James Bond
Cast includes Ursula Andress (as the first Bond girl) and Jack Lord (later star of Hawaii 5-0)
From Russia With Love (1963)
From Russia With Love (1963) John F. Kennedy loved the James Bond novels and had read them all by the time this one came out in theaters, about intrigue in the Russian Embassy and aboard the famous Orient Express. Lotte Lenya plays the kind of sinister spy that will have you checking the closet before going to sleep.
Goldfinger (1964)
After two fairly gritty 007 adventures, this one has the first larger-than-life villain, with a grand scheme: to disable Fort Knox with five ordinary civilian planes spraying knock-out gas, then nuke the gold to destroy the American economy and increase the value of his own gold supplies. It also has a master henchman whose flung hat can take the head off of a marble statue (or British agent). And then there is the laser beam, "Do you expect me to talk?" No, Mr. Bond, "I expect you to die!" The themesong sounded something like this
Thunderball (1965)
A little slower-paced but still entertaining. Bad guy Adolfo Celi threatens Miami with atom bombs retrieved from a sunken U.S. fighter plane. Underwater battle later copied for outer-space battle in "Moonraker," and entire movie was remade by Sean Connery (who also starred) as "Never Say Never Again." A U.S. plane really did go down in the sea with an H-bomb onboard. It was never retrieved, though in 2004, the government began a study to see if it would be possible to find it due to fears the radioactive material in the old bomb might start leaking. The bomb itself is thought to be harmless since the detonater wasn't set.
Licensed To Kill (1965)
This fairly well done James Bond copy stars Tom Adams as a British secret agent thwarting Russians who are after a scientist's anti-gravity invention. No relation to later James Bond film "License To Kill," this one was retitled "Second Best Secret Agent In The Whole Wide World" for it's brief run in American theaters.
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The Poppy Is Also A Flower (1966)
Written by Ian Fleming for United Nations Television, considered one of the most laughingly-bad anti-drug films since Reefer Madness.
Cast includes Yul Brynner, Trini Lopez, Trevor Howard, Eli Wallach, Angie Dickinson, Stephen Boyd, E.G. Marshall.
Surprisingly, Fleming also wrote a well-researched non-fiction book, "The Diamond Smugglers," dramatizing real crimes and smugglers, that has never been made into a movie.
What's Up, Tiger Lily? (1966)
Not a James Bond film, though the two female Japanese agents in this one later appeared together in a James Bond movie, as well as this all-Japanese spy film introduced in U.S. version by Woody Allen. Review and Drive-in Totals
Somewhat uneven spoof of the genre, loosely based on Ian Fleming's novel, has David Niven brought out of retirement when the bad guy (eventually revealed as his nephew Jimmy, played by Woody Allen) kidnaps the world's leaders and replaces them with androids. Peter Sellers of Pink Panther fame has an extended cameo as a "fake" James Bond, and director John Huston has a voice cameo. A high point is Orson Wells as Le Chiffre, the villainous owner of the Casino; he would have been just as good if this hadn’t been a comedy. A number of big stars have cameos, but it is over two hours and seems longer. Although the Casino Royale themesong isn't bad.
You Only Live Twice (1967)
Sean Connery's final Bond film (he said at the time) has bad guy Donald Pleasence of Halloween using remote controlled rockets launched from a hollow volcano in Japan to capture U.S. and Russian manned spacecraft in hopes of touching off World War 3. Two actresses that appeared together in “What’s Up Tiger Lily” are also in this one. Great finale in which ninja soldiers repel down into the hollow volcano to help Bond with the bad guys. Pleasence later had a similar motive as the bad guy in Telefon. Movie title is a pun on Fritz Lang’s 1937 movie “You Only Live Once” (Henry Fonda, Ward Bond and Margaret Hamilton).
Operation Double 007 (1967)
Sean Connery’s brother Neal Connery starred in this attempt to spinoff a new movie series. James Bond’s psychologist brother (Neal) is pressed into service when “M” and Miss Moneypenny (Bernard Lee, Lois Maxwell) have no other agents available: an Italian-based bad guy (Adolfo Celi of “Thunderball”) threatens the world with a weapon that zaps all machines within its radius useless. The film flopped in England and was never wide-released in U.S. theaters. AKA “Operation Kid Brother,” this one’s so bad it was used for 1993 Mystery Science Theater 3000 episode #508
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)
Ian Fleming was laid up in hospital for a while after a minor heart attack and a friend(?) brought him Peter Rabbit Tales by Beatrix Potter to read. He was so disgusted by the “drivel” that he began writing his own (and only) children’s story right then and there in his hospital bed. The result was this one about a family that finds and fixes up a scrapped flying, gadget-filled car, and take on an evil villain in a mythical kingdom that has outlawed children (the royal rat-catcher is charged with hunting them down, and those that get away live down in the sewers). Stars Dick Van Dyke and a mostly British cast. Benny Hill is in it somewhere. Best dark fantasy disguised as a kid movie since “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” Willy Wonka review & host segments from MonsterVision
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)
George Lazenby took over as Bond in a movie that’s reasonably true to the novels. Instead of bed-hoping, he falls for a Contessa played by Diana Rigg and marries her. The action is first-rate, with Telly Savalas as villain Blofeld. But there’s a basic problem when the costars are better known than the star of the movie.
Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
Sean Connery returned for this one, in which bad guy Blofeld has stolen diamonds from a reclusive Las Vegas billionaire (Jimmy Dean the sausage king), and put them into orbit, where they’re being used to focus a death-ray at Washington, D.C.
Live & Let Die (1973)
Roger Moore, previously TV’s The Saint and James Garner’s British cousin in episodes of “Maverick,” takes over in one of the best of the movies as Bond, James Bond. Bond goes after a flamboyant drug lord (Yaphet Kotto in his first big starring role) operating out of a high-tech island near New Orleans and keeping the locals in line with a fake voodoo cult. He keeps tabs on any potential threats with his own personal psychic (Jane Seymour, in her first major movie role). Title song sung by Paul McCartney and Wings was a big hit on the music charts. David Hedison of TV’s Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea plays Bond’s long-time CIA friend and local contact. Think of it as James Bond meets Serpent and the Rainbow
Man With The Golden Gun (1974)
Made virtually back-to-back with “Live & Let Die,” in this one Bond goes after the world’s most-wanted assassin (Christopher Lee), who has his own island protected by Red China (in return for the occasional favor). And he has bigger plans – in addition to a handgun covered with gold that shoots golden bullets, he has built a laser weapon powered by focusing solar rays – which he demonstrates by using it to destroy Bond’s airplane on the beach. Herve Villechaize plays Lee’s deadly assistant villain, almost three decades before the current comedy version of “Mini-Me.” Britt Ekland and Maud Adams are this one’s Bond girls.
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
After his first two Bond films, Roger Moore made five unmemorable movies before returning to Bond for this one (I’d name them, but the only one I’ve even heard of was 1976’s “Shout At The Devil.” After this Bond film he made “The Wild Geese,” a WW2 adventure). Carly Simon sings Marvin Hamlisch’s title song after Bond shoots his way out of a sticky situation on a mountain top and skis off into space – popping a parachute. In so doing, he kills the agent/husband of Russia’s top spy, who vows vengeance. But before she can look for her hubby’s killer, she’s sent to Cairo for a summit meeting with James Bond, with whom she’s teamed because someone’s stealing US, Russian & British submarines, armed with enough nuclear missiles to end civilization. Turns out, a millionaire eco-terrorist (Curt Jurgens) plans to destroy humanity so he can rule the world from his undersea city. The Russian agent (Barbara Bach) falls for Bond, then discovers that he’s her husband’s killer. Curt also has a nasty side-kick (Richard Kiel of Mystery Science Theater 3000’s Eegah!), a 7’ 2” killer who’s teeth have been replaced by stainless-steel “jaws.”
Moonraker (1979)
Moonraker (1979) Loosely based on Ian Fleming’s 1950s novel about the first launch of a new missile. In this version, the Space Shuttle “Enterprise” was being test flown after launching from the back of a 747, so the opening sequence has bad guys stealing one right off the plane mid-flight (killing the 747 pilot with rocket blast). It seems that the bad guy, who has hired “Jaws” from the last movie as his henchman, has a secret fleet of space shuttles to build a city in space, from which he plans to wipe out the population of Earth with bio-weapons. The multi-launch sequence of space shuttles (before a single one had gone into space in real life) won an Academy Award for special effects, and the space battle between bad guys in space suits and U S Marines launched into space on a US space shuttle, bears more than a little resemblance to the undersea battle in “Thunderball.”
Ffolks (1980)
Though not a Bond film, in this one Roger Moore plays a “retired” British agent, hired for one more mission – a terrorist (Anthony Perkins of Psycho fame) has planted bombs on offshore oil rigs and threatens the world oil supply by blowing them up one by one until his monetary demands are met, starting with one in the North Sea off Britain to show he means business. Relatively little action but as Bond would say, the bad guy gets the point at the end.
For Your Eyes Only (1981)
Surprisingly low-key Bond film has no super villain and no big-name guest-stars. A British high-tech spy ship sinks, and the Russians want to salvage it because it sank too quick to destroy the sensitive stuff aboard. Fans consider this one a return to the gritty 1960s James Bond movies. John Glen’s first film as director; he was 2nd-Unit director on previous Bond films. He would go on to direct the next four Roger Moore & Timothy Dalton Bond films, then “Aces: Iron Eagle 3” Aces, Iron Eagle 3 review & host segments from MonsterVision. Also in 1981, Roger Moore appeared in Cannonball Run as a man who thinks he’s Roger Moore. For Your Eyes Only themesong
Octopussy (1983)
Maud Adams (from 1974) plays a different role this time – a villainess with a pet octopus (thus the title). But it turns out she’s being used by the real villain - Louis Jourdan (the villain in Swamp Thing), who plans to blow up a NATO base in Europe by hiding a nuclear bomb in a traveling circus. Lots of action, but darn – someone forgot to write a script that makes sense. Film was rushed to completion to be in theaters before “Never Say Never Again.” Smart move...
Never Say Never Again (1983)
Sean Connery had remake rights to “Thunderball” and the result was this updated, high-tech version of the story with Klaus Maria Brandauer and Barbara Carrera as the villains. The title came from Connery’s previous claim that he would never play Bond again. Additional cast Kim Basinger, Bernie Casey, Alec McCowen, Edward Fox, and Max Von Sydow of “Needful Things.” Needful Things review & host segments from MonsterVision
Timothy Dalton was brought in to play a more realistic, gritty James Bond, forgetting that people watch Bond films for escapism not realism. But it was different enough to attract an audience and spawn a sequel. A fake Russian-defector plot leads to international arms and opium smugglers. Additional cast: John Rhys-Davies, Walter Gotell, Maryam D’Abo, Jeroen Krabbe, Robert Brown, Art Malik, Geoffrey Keen, Andreas Wisniewski, and Joe Don Baker of Mystery Science Theater 3000’s Mitchell
License To Kill (1989)
Dalton’s second Bond film did so poorly at the box office, it took over half a decade to get another Bond film into theaters. The story itself is OK – drug lords try to kill Bond’s CIA friend (again played by David Hedison of “Live & Let Die”), and when Bond’s not allowed to go after them officially, he quits and goes after them on his own. Additional cast: Carey Lowell, Robert Davi, Frank McRae, Talisa Soto, Anthony Zerbe, Everett McGill, Wayne Newton, Benicio Del Toro, Priscilla Barnes. Director John Glen’s final Bond film. His next movie was “Christopher Columbus: The Discovery” (1992), in which Marlon Brando was laughingly bad and Tom Selleck won a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actor.
Licence To Kill review by MonsterVision's Joe Bob Briggs, which has his favorite slimy villain (Robert Davi). There was also a 1964 movie “License To Kill” in which agent Nick Carter (Eddie Constantine) takes on Oriental spies and a secret weapon guided missile. Come to think of it, this is more of a vengeance-plot, like in Snake Eater
Goldeneye (1995)
When NBC found out in 1986 that Pierce Brosnan was being considered for the role of James Bond, they renewed his ratings-challenged TV-series “Remington Steele” and held him to his contract. I don’t think NBC is on Brosnan’s Christmas card list. In this movie, it’s Bond (Brosnan) vs. the Russian mafia, who are planning to use an old Cold War secret weapon still in orbit code-named “Goldeneye” to sabotage global financial markets. Famke Janssen is the Bond girl and Tina Turner sings the somewhat dreary title track – where’s the high-energy Tina Turner of Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome? Joe Don Baker is back, and Minnie Driver is in it somewhere, probably shoplifting something. Additional cast: Sean Bean, Izabela Scorupco, Robbie Coltrane, Judi Dench, Tcheky Karyo, Gottfried John, Alan Cumming, Michael Kitchen, Serena Gordon, Samantha Bond (no relation). Directed by Martin Campbell of 1994’s sci-fi film “No Escape.”
Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
Brosnan said that fans wanted more of the traditional Bond humor, so the 18th official Bond film is about a media mogul villain (obviously yet another swipe at Bill Gates of Microsoft and Rupert Murdoch of Fox), who wants to start World War 3 to increase ratings for his newspapers and websites. Would you make that much money if your customers are glowing? Brosnan’s movie the previous year was Tim Burton’s Mars Attacks! as the thoughtful scientist. His next film after this one was Dante’s Peak as a thoughtful scientist.
Additional cast: Jonathan Pryce (who?), martial artist Michelle Yeoh, Teri Hatcher of TNT’s “Lois & Clark,” Judi Dench, Colin Salmon, Samantha Bond, Joe Don Baker, Ricky Jay, Vincent Schiavelli, Geoffrey Palmer. Title song nominated for a Golden Globe, and MTV Movie Awards for Best Action Sequence and Best Fight Scene.
The World Is Not Enough (1999)
For this one Brosnan is a little darker and harder-edged, though there isn’t a lot of energy from any of the several villains. The plot has something to do with the daughter of a murdered oil tycoon who’s also a friend of M, a villain with a bullet in his brain that makes him impervious to pain (Robert Carlyle), and wants to go nuclear and blow stuff up; a nuclear weapons expert who looks like a Baywatch cast member (Denise Richards) and ends up serving under James Bond; and lots of general action. John Cleese is introduced as Desmond Llewelyn’s assistant in the gadget lab in this one, then Llewelyn (the last remaining cast member from the 1960s) died after making the movie. Cleese has agreed to reprise the role in future Bond films as the lab’s mother hen, giving Bond his new toys and sarcastically asking him to be careful with them, knowing Bond will probably return them in pieces, if at all. Additional cast: Sophie Marceau, Judi Dench, Robbie Coltrane, Samantha Bond, Michael Kitchen, Colin Salmon, Maria Grazia Cucinotta, David Calder, Serena Scott Thomas, Ulrich Thomsen, Goldie. Richards was awarded the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actress. By the way, in addition to being in the cast of the wacky Monty Python, Cleese’s previous non-comedy roles have included an artist who sees the Tardis appear on the sidewalk in an episode of Doctor Who, and guest villain in an episode of The Avengers British spy tv-series. Both John Cleese and Sean Connery had extended cameos in the movie Time Bandits (1981)
Die Another Day (2002)
The 21st James Bond film is also the first of the 21st century; starts out strong then fizzles into Tom Cruise-Mission Impossible territory with a plot where it's Bond against his own people. He's spent the last 14 months as a prisoner in North Korea, so naturally it's assumed by the rather callous new M (Judi Dench) that he's no longer loyal and his double-0 license to kill is revoked. He teams up with American spy Halle Berry (of the recent Tim Burton remake Planet Of The Apes) to find the spy who he thinks set him up with the North Koreans (Rick Yune). Toby Stephens plays a gazillionaire villain who's got a killer satallite (didn't they already do that in Diamonds Are Forever?) and Madonna (Truth or Dare, Dick Tracy), who co-wrote/performs the title song, has an uncredited cameo as a fencing coach. The special effects are great, and the sword fight (yes sword fight) between Bond and the villain ranks right up there with Errol Flynn, but you might as well watch this one with the sound turned off other than the one funny exchange between superspy Bond (Pierce Brosnan) and gadgetmaster Q (John Cleese)
The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003)
If Wild Wild West was Men In Black in the 1870s, than this is James Bond in 1898, and that's not a bad thing. A gang robs the Bank Of England using a motorized vehicle on treads with a canon on the front. English Bobbies have never seen anything like it and all but one is killed. Next, the gang attacks the German airship factory, blowing up several. Their next target is an entire Italian city, in an attempt to start a world war. A government man who calls himself "M" finds retired agent Allan Quartermain (Sean Connery) and convinces him to create the League to battle the gang. Sean contacts Captain Nemo, the immortal Dorian Gray, the Invisible Man, Dr. Jekyll and Hyde, Tom Sawyer, and a woman who turns out to be a vampira. As for the master villain, he turns out to be a famous villain of the 1890s. The game is afoot. No sequel yet, but since Allan Quartermain dies in the movie, the producers would like to get Roger Moore for the next one.
This video/computer game features the actual voices of Bond (Pierce Brosnan) and other actors in lines said just for the game, which has a unique storyline not based on any of the Bond movies. In fact, Richard Keil gets to make a return appearance as villain Jaws (Moonraker, The Spy Who Loved Me), and of course with John Cleese as Q. Full voice cast
Casino Royale (2006)
Most of the Bond films have not been based on the original books, but someone must have noticed that no "serious" Bond film had ever been made based on Casino Royale, in which French gangster Le Chiffre uses the profits from his casino to fund criminal activity, but he made the mistake of misappropriating their funds. Now, Le Chiffre plans to recoup the loss at a gambling tournament and James Bond is sent to make sure he doesn't win. This is the first Bond movie based on a published Bond novel title since 1987; filmed in Prague and South Africa
Newcomer Daniel Craig plays James Bond, only the second Englishman to do so (Roger Moore was the other). The announcement was made on October 14th, 2005, Moore's birthday. Craig's previous films included Road To Perdition (as Paul Newman's sinister son). His favorite Bond film is "Goldfinger." Q does not appear in the original novel, so any such scene would have to have been created for the movie, released in November. It is set in the present, allowing any sequels to also be current. Directed by Martin Campbell (GoldenEye), it's a prequel to all the other 007 films, with Bond becoming a "00" agent at the start of the movie. Then he gets an Aston Martin and decides how he likes his martini. Attention purists: the centerpiece card game has been changed from baccarat to Texas hold 'em poker. Those Texans will take over yet. Casino Royale book & 1967 movie trivia
Other movies released in 2006 include Pirates Of The Caribbean 2
James Bond News
www.CommanderBond.net
Ian Fleming/James Bond broadcasts previously in 2007, titles in alphabetical order:
Casino Royale (1967, David Niven as James Bond vs. bad guy Orson Welles)
Sun Sept 2 07:20A on Action
Thu Sep 6 05:20P & 2:45A on Movie Plex
Mon Sep 10 05:20A on Mystery
Diamonds Are Forever (1971, Connery)
Sat June 2 02:20P on Mystery
Die Another Day (2002, Brosnan)
Mon Sep 10 09:00P on Spike (TNN)
Dr. No (1962, Connery)
Jun 18, 2006 on American Movie Classics
Mon July 30 09:00A on Spike (TNN)
For Your Eyes Only (1981, Moore)
Sat June 23 10:00P on Encore
Mon Sept 17 01:00A on Spike (TNN)
From Russia with Love (1963, Connery)
Fri Aug 31 09:00A on Spike (TNN)
Goldfinger (1964, Connery)
Sat, Nov 3, 9:00 AM Goldfinger on Spike (TNN)
GoldenEye (1995, Brosnan)
Nov 4, 2006 on USA Network
May 3, 2007 on MyNetwork TV (previously UPN)
Sun Jun 10 08:00P & 10:30P on BBC America
Mon Aug 27 09:00A on Spike (TNN)
Licence to Kill (1989, Dalton)
Fri Jun 29 08:50A & 4:30P on Movie Plex
Live and Let Die (1973, Moore)
Sat, Oct 6, 9:00A on Spike (TNN)
The Living Daylights (1987, Dalton)
Mon May 28 06:20A on Starz Edge
Sat, Oct 13, 9:00 AM on Spike (TNN)
The Man with the Golden Gun (1974, Moore vs. Christopher Lee)
Sat Jun 23 01:20P & 2:30A on Encore
Moonraker (Moore)
Fri Jun 29 11:15A on Action
Murder on the Orient Express (1974, Albert Finney as the detective, Connery as a suspect)
Fri Aug 31 10:30P EST on Turner Classic Movies
Never Say Never Again (1983, Connery)
Sat Jun 30 02:30A on Movie Plex
Octopussy (1983, Moore)
Sat, Oct 27, 9:00 AM on Spike (TNN)
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969, Countessa: Diana Rigg, Blofeld: Telly Savalas)
Tue Aug 28 09:00A on Spike (TNN)
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977, Moore)
Fri Jun 22 11:00P on Encore
Thunderball (1965, Connery)
Thu Aug 2 09:00A on Spike (TNN)
Tomorrow Never Dies (1997, Brosnan)
Thu May 24 07:30P on The Movie Channel
Mon July 2 07:00P & 4:45A on Showtime #2
Wed Jul 4 02:15P on Showtime
Sat Jul 7 02:15P & 10:00P on Showtime Extreme
Sun Jul 8 10:00P on Showtime Beyond
Wed Aug 1 09:10A & 6pm on Flix Movie Channel
A View to a Kill (1985, Moore vs. Christopher Walken and Grace Jones)
Thu May 24 08:00A on Encore Drama Channel
The World Is Not Enough (1999, Brosnan, Robbie Coltrane, Desmond Llewelyn, John Cleese)
Mon Sep 17 09:00P on Spike (TNN)
You Only Live Twice (1967, Connery and ninjas vs. Donald Pleasence)
Fri Aug 3 09:00A on Spike (TNN)
Others
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968, Dick Van Dyke)
Sun Dec 16 07:00A on Family Channel
The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003, Sean Connery as retired British agent)
Tue July 17 08:00P on FX Network
Biography: Sean Connery (60 min, 2007)
Sun Sep 2 01:00P on Biography Channel
Biography: Pierce Brosnan (60 min, 2004)
Sun Sep 2 12:00P & 4:00A on Biography Channel
Headliners & Legends: Sean Connery is profiled. (60 min, 2004)
Sun May 27 06:00A on MSNBC
John Cleese on violence in James Bond films
Fun facts: Dr. No was released in Japan with the title "No Need For Any Doctors."
Alice Cooper and his original band made the song "The Man With the Golden Gun" intended for the James Bond movie of the same name (1974), but the movie producers deemed Alice "too controversial" and went with another song of the same title sung by Lulu for the movie. The Alice version of "Man with the Golden Gun" appears on the band's 1974 album, "Muscle of Love." He later did the title song "He's Back: The Man Behind the Mask" for Friday The 13th sequel "Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives" (1986)
An Eurasian villain (Joseph Wiseman) plots to destroy the manned-space program with a fatal launch pad disaster by remote control. 
Not a James Bond film, though the two female Japanese agents in this one later appeared together in a James Bond movie, as well as this all-Japanese spy film introduced in U.S. version by 
Loosely based on Ian Fleming’s 1950s novel about the first launch of a new missile. In this version, the 
Surprisingly low-key Bond film has no super villain and no big-name guest-stars. A British high-tech spy ship sinks, and the Russians want to salvage it because it sank too quick to destroy the sensitive stuff aboard. Fans consider this one a return to the gritty 1960s James Bond movies. John Glen’s first film as director; he was 2nd-Unit director on previous Bond films. He would go on to direct the next four Roger Moore & Timothy Dalton Bond films, then “Aces: Iron Eagle 3”
When NBC found out in 1986 that 