Dr. No (1963)

Dr. No (1963)

1963’s Dr. No is the first of many James Bond films to come. This particular version is the cheapest one of the series and perhaps one of the more fun ones. The plot is very James Bond-like which means the series generally run on Cold War tropes-but I like the sense of adventure in the movie. We were also introduced to Sean Connery, a relatively unknown actor then. People consider himself one of the greatest James Bond to date, and I completely understand why. What fascinates me about this movie is what it took to bring this movie to the cinema screens.

The author of the James Bond books, Ian Fleming wrote his first Bond book in 1952. He believed that his character was more suited to TV or movie screens than on page. Many film producers agreed, but had a hard time bringing the now iconic character to the silver screen. Two producers, Albert Broccoli and Harry Saltzman were key to making this work. Saltzman was able to purchase the rights, but he had no money to produce any movies. Broccoli wanted to buy the rights, but Saltzman refused to sell them. They decided on a partnership. Many studios passed on making these movies, but United Artists were impressed with their dedication to the source material. It was likewise difficult to choose a director, but Terence Young was eventually chosen. Now comes the biggest test. Who will play James Bond? There was David Niven, future Bond Roger Moore, but both actors were unavailable. After a meeting with the producers, they were impressed with Sean Connery.

This film introduced many trademarks that would be associated with James Bond films: The legendary James Bond theme composed by Monty Norman and James Barry, that gun barrel sequence, the notion of henchmen and allies, the initial briefings with Bond’s handler, M, legendary close calls, Bond girls, and of course everyone’s favorite quote, “The name’s Bond….James Bond.” I am very familiar with the newer James Bond movies, so I had a sense of familiarity when viewing the movie and seeing when/where these trademarks were used for the first time.

The movie opens up in Jamaica where a British agent was secretly assassinated by a trio of assassins known as the Three Blind Mice. In London, England’s best agent James Bond (Sean Connery) is pulled aside by his handler, M (Bernard Lee) where he is told to fly to Jamaica to investigate the murder and also why the Americans believe their rockets are experiencing interference from Jamaica. Bond lands in Jamaica where there are multiple attempts on his life. With assistance from CIA Agent Felix Leiter (Jack Lord) and seashell collector Honey Rider (Ursula Andress), Bond comes to realize that wicked scientist Dr. No (Joseph Wiseman) may be behind the murder and world domination.

Who better to play the sophisticated and suave Bond than Sean Connery? From 1963 to 1971, Connery was the ultimate James Bond. It pains me to admit that this is the only Connery performance of Bond I have seen to date. However, what a first impression he left! I truly believe that if anyone other than Connery played Bond in the first movie, the movie would not have worked. He has such charisma and he really knows how to play cool! That said, I need to see the other Bond movies with him in it before I can kick Daniel Craig off the top perch. The other actors in the movies are not entirely well-known, but they were adequate. One of the trademarks of Bond movies I did not mention before are villains with overcooked plots…and that tends to mean over-the-top acting. Joseph Wiseman definitely fits that mold! Ursula Andress is from Sweden and she became well-known overseas thanks to her iconic scene of leaving the water in her bikini. Apparently that scene led the way to the two-piece bathing suit becoming socially acceptable.

Dr. No is the one that started it all. This film became a huge hit all over the world, especially in Great Britain. Of course, that success would follow to the United States as 25 films and counting was produced. As for the movie itself, it was cheesy fun. Sometimes the plot/acting would go over-the-top, but that is what an early James Bond film does. Charm, sex, coolness, Sean Connery…the film has it all!

My Grade: B