SirHenryLeeChaChing's For Original Fans - Favorite Moments In NTTD (spoilers)

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  • OHMSS69 wrote:
    OHMSS is rarely shown on network TV, during Bond festivals it is usually overlooked ( I was glad to hear it was being screened at Cannes as part of the 50 anniversary) Cubby and Saltzman choose to promote the Moore and Connery films and just left this superb film out there like a bastard at a family reunion.

    Now that the film has attained a cult status, do you think any other Bond films might attain this status?
    My vote would go to LTK. a great movie, unjustly underrated by some purists.
    Your thoughts or nominations?

    Good topic to talk about until I get Dr. No going, just gathering my factoids etc together. Hopefully in a day or two.

    Believe it or not, in July in Bethlehem PA the Frank Banko Theater will be showing OHMSS on the big screen. Wish I could go but I guess I'll have to settle for having seen Goldfinger there on Father's Day with my boy. Glad to see OHMSS getting that respect. Unfortunately, neither Dalton film is being shown.

    Agreed big time about LTK not getting it's proper respect. It dared to be different and show Bond's darkest side. One of the greatest casts of villains including Robert Davi and a future Oscar winner in Benicio Del Toro. I think it definitely has built a cult following over the years as well. A top 5 film to me, I like it better than OHMSS.

    The other film I can see this happening with later on is Quantum Of Solace. Not nearly as good as LTK or OHMSS, but I do think it is underrated by critics and fans alike.


  • edited June 2012 Posts: 2,341
    Good point re QoS.

    About four years ago following the film festival, they did a screening of overlooked Bonds: Casino Royale (1967), FRWL and OHMSS. Of course the only one I went and saw was OHMSS. I had not seen it on the big screen in over thirty years. That soundtrack, it sounded so good. However I noticed after the film started, it had not been remastered. Another way to stick it to an underrated and great film.

    Back in 2009 it was screened over three days at an art house. Of course I attended. I met a young lady there who had read the book but had never ever seen the film.

    LTK is also underrated. It dared to be different and it delivers on all levels. I just don't get the hate that it seems to get among some fans. Cubby was taking a big chance with such a dark and moody piciture. It plays to Dalton's strengths and deserves more respect.

    One final note: when Draco tells Bond, "she needs a man to dominate her.." this line brought jeers and laughs from the audience. :)) :)) :)) I don't recall that happening back in 1969 during its initial release.
  • edited July 2012 Posts: 3,494
    OK fellow aging agents, as promised, we are about to undertake a series of 22 "official missions". Your task, should you choose to accept, is to evaluate each official Bond release in chronological order.

    On the old Forum, the staff used to do a monthly review with various categories and asked for ratings between 1-10 on each. That exercise was open to everyone, this one I would kindly ask be limited to original fans who have joined in or to those who fit the criteria, which is having seen the first 7 entries first on the big screen when either Sean Connery or George Lazenby were the actors of record. I enjoyed that exercise and thank in advance whoever created it (sorry I don't remember who) for allowing me to borrow the format.

    The point system here will be along the lines of movie ratings, 1 to 5 stars. Here are the categories and instructions-


    BOND- Rate the performance and character impression of the actor in the role and give a 1-5 score. Female posters may consider sex appeal as well.

    WOMEN- Rate their character, acting ability, and overall sex appeal.


    VILLAINS- Rate their character, acting ability, and general effectiveness. This includes henchmen.


    HUMOR-


    ACTION-


    SADISM- Rate the violence quotient here


    MUSIC-


    LOCATIONS-


    GADGETS-


    SUPPORTING CAST- This category will be for your view of M, Q, Moneypenny, and Felix Leiter should he appear. Plus any other good man or woman helping Bond on his mission.


    OVERALL SCORE AND RECOLLECTIONS- Add your overall scores from the above categories and please share your memories of first seeing the film on the big screen, even if you have done so before earlier in the thread. I'll keep track of everyone's scores and eventually we will create a "top 22" list.


    I'll lead off the proper reviews with my own of Dr.No on Friday evening, first I'd like to hear any and all suggestions on my proposal so the general format is acceptable to all. After that, I'll post one weekly and hopefully try to finish before SkyFall is released on October 26th.



  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    Posts: 12,459
    Well, my first Bond film in the theater was DAF, so I can't join. Shame; well maybe next round.

  • Believe it or not, in July in Bethlehem PA the Frank Banko Theater will be showing OHMSS on the big screen. Wish I could go but I guess I'll have to settle for having seen Goldfinger there on Father's Day with my boy. Glad to see OHMSS getting that respect. Unfortunately, neither Dalton film is being shown.

    The rep theatre at the end of my street used to show OHMSS as one of its Christmas-themed films every Xmas (along with Die Hard). Sadly, it's changed owners and now just shows documentaries...so many great Bond films were shown there, in 35mm prints to boot! The clarity compared to 2K digital projection is amazing.
  • Well, my first Bond film in the theater was DAF, so I can't join. Shame; well maybe next round.

    4Ever, you are an original so it doesn't matter what film you saw first. I first saw Thunderball in 1968. Please feel free to join in for our review of Dr. No.
  • Posts: 2,341
    Well, my first Bond film in the theater was DAF, so I can't join. Shame; well maybe next round.

    4Ever, you are an original so it doesn't matter what film you saw first. I first saw Thunderball in 1968. Please feel free to join in for our review of Dr. No.

    I second that. Any fan who came on board prior to the beginning of the Moore era (1973)

    I first saw DN on a double bill with GF in 1966...
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    Posts: 12,459
    Ok, thanks! (My time zone is way off from yours, hence I may seem to have delayed replies). I will weigh in as we go along. :)
  • edited July 2012 Posts: 3,494
    Dr.No (1962)-


    "The name's Bond. James Bond"


    Based on the 1958 novel by Ian Fleming, the 6th in his James Bond series, the debut of the cinematic series finds newly appointed 00 James Bond of MI6 sent to Jamaica to investigate the disappearance of SIS section chief John Strangways, and the murder of his secretary. Strangways had been working with the CIA on a case that involved American missile launches being sent off course by an unknown force. Bond's subsequent search for answers leads him to the mysterious Dr. Julius No, a member of an equally mysterious worldwide criminal organization called SPECTRE, who is using nuclear power to operate a radio beam that is causing the problems.

    Filming began in Jamaica on January 16th, 1962 and was completed after just 58 days in England on March 30th. Canadian film and theatre film producer Herschel "Harry" Saltzman held the rights to the novels, and elected to form a partnership with American film producer Albert "Cubby" Broccoli to make the novels into movies rather than sell the rights outright to Broccoli. For the all important role of James Bond, the candidates considered were Cary Grant, future Bond Roger Moore, David Niven, Patrick McGoohan, Richard Johnson, and Richard Todd. Eventually, the producers settled on a relative unknown in 30 year old Scottish actor Sean Connery after seeing him in the 1959 film "Darby O'Gill And The Little People". The film, which was budgeted for $1 million dollars (an extra $100,000 was later added to allow for the explosive climax) would go on to gross $59.6 million worldwide and lead to plans for a second installment of the series.


    THE CAST-

    - Sean Connery as James Bond
    - Ursula Andress as Honey Ryder (spoken voice by Nikki van der Zyl, singing voice by Diana Coupland)
    - Joseph Wiseman as Dr. Julius No
    - Jack Lord as Felix Leiter
    - Bernard Lee as M
    - Anthony Dawson as Professor R. J. Dent
    - John Kitzmiller as Quarrel
    - Zena Marshall as Miss Taro
    - Eunice Gayson as Sylvia Trench
    - Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny
    - Peter Burton as Major Boothroyd
    - Timothy Moxon as John Strangways
    - Reggie Carter as Mr. Jones
    - Marguerite LeWars as Dr. No's photographer "Freelance"


    Remember, points given are on a 1 (worst) to 5 (best) ratings scale for each category. No zeroes please. Add each individual score and divide by 10 for your overall rating, and don't forget to recollect your first impressions of the film, including when and where you first saw it.


    BOND- From the first uttering of his immortal introduction, Connery is on his game and commands the screen as he would come to do. I can't find any reason not to give him top marks in the role, with a firm nod of course to the tutelage of director Terence Young. 5/5


    WOMEN- Pretty much a no-brainer here. The aggressively sexy Sylvia Trench, the treacherous yet delicious Miss Taro, and of course who can forget the impact of Ursula Andress emerging from the water as Honey Ryder? An iconic moment and a memorable cast. 5/5


    VILLAINS- Considering his screen time is on the limited side, Joseph Wiseman scores big with his portrayal of Dr. Julius No, and has a solid cast behind him in Anthony Dawson as Professor Dent, Miss Taro, Jamaican actor Reggie Carter, and then reigning Miss Jamaica Marguerite Lewars. I would have said yes to more of Dr.No, but the suspense of seeing him overrides that. 5/5


    HUMOR- Not as much one-liners as would come later, but again we have director Terence Young helped to create the sense of humor Connery would portray in the role, which was also practical considering the censorship of the time. 3/5


    ACTION- Not a whole lot of it to be honest, at least in comparison to what was to come. Bond spends more of his time investigating than fighting and the movie never gets too over the top. About average for a movie of it's time. 3/5


    SADISM- Key moments here include the incineration of Quarrel Sr, Bond's beating by No's henchmen, Bond knifing another, No's planned demise for Honey, and of course the good doctor dissolving into radioactive waste. 4/5


    MUSIC- Other than the Bond theme and John Barry's orchestration of said theme, Monty Norman's soundtrack is sub par in comparison to other composers of the time. 2/5


    LOCATIONS- Considering only Jamaica and England were used, not a lot to see and the movie at time shows it's budget limitations. What there was is very nice and Ken Adam creates some fine sets to augment the location of various scenes. 2/5


    GADGETS- Well, there aren't any to add to anything. Bond uses practical items aside from a Geiger counter. 1/5


    SUPPORTING CAST- Bernard Lee makes a solid debut as M, flexing his muscles when necessary to establish he is Bond's boss. Lois Maxwell is fine for her bit, and this isn't Desmond Llewellyn as Major Boothroyd. What makes the cast even more memorable is Jack Lord as Felix Leiter and John Kitzmiller as Quarrel Sr. Both do excellent jobs in their character portrayals and Lord remains my favorite Leiter from the early days. 4/5


    OVERALL SCORE AND RECOLLECTIONS- I was just 10 weeks old when principal filming began in January 1962, so I have no recollections of it's release and first saw the film in 1969. As far as the film, it scores 34 out of 50 points for me, and a solid score of 3.4 out of 5 stars.
  • DB5DB5
    Posts: 408
    I first saw "Dr. No" as part of a double feature with "From Russia With Love" at a drive-in in the summer of 1965 (both films had been re-released following the success of "Goldfinger" and the anticipated release of "Thunderball" that December. I was nine years old. I saw it again on the big screen about 20 years ago at an art cinema in New York (ironically, again as part of a double feature with "From Russia With Love"). In addition to the cast members you mentioned, the woman who played Strangways' secretary actually owned the house in Jamaica that the producers were using for the film.

    I pretty much agree with everything that's been said. "Goldfinger" was the first Bond film I had seen, so for me "Dr. No" was something of a letdown (no car with gadgets, no henchman with killer bowler hat, no really memorable theme song other than "The James Bond Theme"). The women are OK, but I don't think they hold a candle to either Shirley Eaton (Jill Masterson) or Margaret Nolan (Dink). But we'll get to "Goldfinger" soon enough. I'd say 3 out of 5 stars.
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    edited July 2012 Posts: 12,459
    I do remember my first impressions of this movie. And I enjoyed Dr. No all the more because I had read the book first.

    I really liked the film, including the intro. I thought Sean had such a strong presence; he really was Bond for me. I was happy with the locale and Ursula playing Honey.
    Basically, I remember liking it even though it was so different from the films that came after; much more subdued and not so action packed. I thought Dr. No was really well played, too.

    I saw this after Diamonds Are Forever (both ends of the Connery spectrum, not including NSNA). I didn't lose enjoyment of Dr. No because it was not the more bombastic, thrilling, scenery enthralling entertainment that the films became. I still think it was a great start to the series. And you've got to give Sean all due credit here; I cannot think of another actor who could have made this work so well.
    For me 3.5 out of 5 stars.
    My individual stars would be close to yours, SirHenry.
  • edited July 2012 Posts: 2,341
    Bond 5 For his first time out, Connery hit the field running
    Women 4 The ladies are all hot. From Ursula to Freelance. a good beginning
    Villains 5 Despite little screen time Wiseman gets high marks. he set a standard for what was to come.
    Humor 3 I remember the audience laughing at the scene where Quarrel says, "We ain't getting nothing out of this gal, want me to break her arm?" Bond's one liners ? I never thought the films should be about all humor just to lighten the tension (and this is a tense film)
    Action 4 A good beginning. The car chases, the climax was well handled considering what they had to work with. At the time I was so blown away.
    Sadism 4 The first two homicides are brutal and done very realistic. Quarrel's heroic and firery demise....Freelance smashing that flashbulb against Quarrel's face. Very nasty stuff
    Music 2 aside from the opening titles, the soundtrack falls rather flat.
    locations 4 Jamaica is well utilized and they took advantage of all the locations. One had a feeling of actually being there...
    Gadgets 1 Bond has none but the villain has a few gadgets up his sleeve: the dragon was cool but the decontamination room was kinda stupid. Kinda ho hum.
    Supporting Cast 5 This movie is well cast! All the characters really come to life.

    Overall I rate Dr No 37 out of 50
  • Posts: 5,634
    If we can do that for the entire 1962-71 period and make evaluations..

    Bond - 8 - This is mainly due to Connery, Lazenby did OK, but Bond was at his peak from 1962-63

    Women -8 - Star attractions would include Andress, Volpe, St John, other names such as Bianchi, Auger, Rigg are worth a mention, but not such on a grand scale

    Villains - 6 - Only Dr No stands out for me, not the best decade and a year for adversaries

    Humor - 4 - Early releases were great with a minimum on this, Connery got into early Moore mode with his last hurrah

    Action - 6 - Again, not the best, but remember they didnt have the budgets available at the time for anything too extravagant. One or two very good sequences though

    Music - 6 - Nancy Sinatra, Barry OHMSS, stands out. Nothing too great other than that

    Locations - 9 - Speaks for itself, some very good location filming done

    Gadgets - 4 Not too many to mention, as expected from the early releases, FRWL stands out above all else with the Connery case and it's contents

    Supporting Cast - 7 - some interesting characters and actors and actresses that can do a job, but not the best or worst we ever saw

    Overall period ranking - 7, maybe an 8 being generous


    Goodnight

    I-)
  • Posts: 278
    Samuel001 wrote:
    4. As for Pierce, I thought he had an excellent debut and solid second outing, but there has always been something missing in his portrayal that just made think he was OK, but not great.

    Yes, I agree wholeheartidly with this. Whilst he was Bond I always looked forward to his films and actually enjoyed them, but there was something missing. TND I thought was terrific but now I just view it as another action film.
    I judge Bonds on repeated viewings and I'd say that the Brosnan films are probaby the ones I view the least.
  • Lancaster007Lancaster007 Shrublands Health Clinic, England
    Posts: 1,874
    OHMSS69 wrote:
    OHMSS is rarely shown on network TV, during Bond festivals it is usually overlooked ( I was glad to hear it was being screened at Cannes as part of the 50 anniversary) Cubby and Salzman choose to promote the Moore and Connery films and just left this supreb film out there like a bastard at a family reunion.

    Now that the film has attained a cult status, do you think any other Bond films might attain this status?
    My vote would go to LTK. a great movie, unjustly underrated by some purists.
    Your thoughts or nominations?

    OHMSS69 - you echo my thoughts. Two great films, Lazenby's effort being my No. 2 Bond film. And I can't wait to see these on blu-ray come the end of September. Never tire of seeing either of these films. Oh if Lazenby had made DAF and the producers had kept the more realistic tone what a film that could have been! Have you read The Making of On Her Majesty's Secret Service by Charles Helfenstein? I am currently reading it and recommend it highly.
  • Posts: 2,341
    Lancaster007
    OHMSS is my favorite Bond flick. I do not understand the hate that some younger fans give this movie. I was glad to see that after 1990 the movie began to get the love and appreciation it deserved. it has been revisited as one of the all time classic Bond adventures. It is highly polished, and I can't wait to see it on blu ray this fall. The snow scenes are beautifully photographed, the action is top notch, the subplot of Bond's falling in love and the downbeat ending makes it the classic it has become.
    I just wish some of the fans in this room would look at it with an open mind and understand that it is a damned good movie.
  • OHMSS69 wrote:
    Lancaster007
    OHMSS is my favorite Bond flick. I do not understand the hate that some younger fans give this movie. I was glad to see that after 1990 the movie began to get the love and appreciation it deserved. it has been revisited as one of the all time classic Bond adventures. It is highly polished, and I can't wait to see it on blu ray this fall. The snow scenes are beautifully photographed, the action is top notch, the subplot of Bond's falling in love and the downbeat ending makes it the classic it has become.
    I just wish some of the fans in this room would look at it with an open mind and understand that it is a damned good movie.

    I hear you there but people have their opinions, and if they are closed minded about it there's not much you can do. For myself, I love the movie (#6 in my personal rankings), but I think aside from the action that Lazenby is terrible. I've been as open minded about it as humanly possible for 40+ years and it wasn't until the last 15 or so that I came to realize how incredible the rest of the film truly is, but my opinion of George likely never will.

    As we've spoken of, it's nice to see more people having more appreciation for the Dalton era and LTK as the years have gone by, and someday we'll see more people enjoying all the good things QOS has to offer if one is willing to embrace them.



  • Ok aging agents, this weekend will launch our reviews of From Russia With Love. If anyone who wanted to hasn't reviewed Dr. No yet, you have time. As more reviews come in, I'll adjust the points given.

    So far, Dr. No comes in at a solid 3.4 on a 1-5 scale.

  • edited September 2012 Posts: 3,494
    FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE (1963)-


    "Let his death be an unpleasant and particularly humiliating one"


    The year was 1963. The Cold War and tensions between the free Western democracies and the Eastern communist countries were heightened greatly by the October 1962 showdown between the United States and the Soviet Union over the latter placing missiles in Cuba. So when then U.S president John F. Kennedy named a Fleming novel as one of his top 10 favorites of all time in TIME magazine, Harry Saltzman and Cubby Broccoli decided their followup to Dr. No would be the very same book mentioned by Kennedy, the timely and apropos "From Russia With Love". In this second adventure, James Bond is sent to Turkey to bring back to England both a Russian cipher clerk named Tatiana Romanova and the reward she is offering- a decoding machine called a "Lektor" that Soviet intelligence uses to send coded messages. Unbeknownst to Bond and MI6, who think this is some sort of trap being set up by the Soviet version of MI6 called "SMERSH", the real players behind the plot are SPECTRE, who intend to exact revenge on Bond over his killing of their operative Dr. No, plus turn a tidy profit by extorting the Soviets for the machine's return.


    Based on the 1957 novel, the 5th in the Ian Fleming series, principal filming began on April 1st, 1963 in Turkey. Other locations used were England, Scotland, Italy, Spain, and Switzerland. Due to the success of the first entry, United Artists doubled the budget to $2 million dollars, plus approved an additional $100,000 to Sean Connery on top of his salary. Unforeseen problems such as the terminal illness of key supporting actor Pedro Armandariz Sr forced some last minute rescripting, and later accidents to both director Terence Young and co-star Daniela Bianchi caused the film to fall behind schedule and go over budget. Filming wrapped on August 23rd, just 6 weeks before it's debut in London on October 10, 1963. Key additions to the cast and series were Desmond Llewellyn taking the role of "Major Boothroyd/Q", Eunice Gayson reprising her role from Dr. No as Sylvia Trench, and John Barry making his first of many contributions to the series as the composer. The film would go on to gross $78 million during it's theatrical releases and is still hailed to this day as one of, if not the finest movie in the series. In addition, the movie creates more iconic moments in film history such as the infamous fight aboard the Orient Express and the battle between two Gypsy girls, and Connery is on record stating this was his personal favorite and the one he most enjoyed filming.


    THE CAST-

    - Sean Connery as James Bond
    - Daniela Bianchi as Tatiana Romanova (voiced by Barbara Jefford)
    - Pedro Armendáriz as Ali Kerim Bey
    - Lotte Lenya as Rosa Klebb
    - Robert Shaw as Red Grant
    - Bernard Lee as M
    - Walter Gotell as Morzeny
    - Vladek Sheybal as Kronsteen
    - "?" (anonymous credit for Anthony Dawson (body) and Eric Pohlmann (voice) as SPECTRE #1 (Ernst Stavro Blofeld)
    - Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny
    - Desmond Llewelyn as Major Boothroyd
    - Eunice Gayson as Sylvia Trench
    - Francis de Wolff as Vavra
    - Fred Haggerty as Krilencu
    - Aliza Gur as Vida
    - Martine Beswick as Zora
    - Nadja Regin as Kerim Bey's girlfriend.
    - George Pastell as The Orient Express Conductor


    BOND- Once again under the direction of Terence Young, Connery delivers yet another outstanding performance to follow his debut a year earlier. This time, he delivers a much more physical rendition of the character while continuing to reinforce and grow his characterization. He has always said this was his personal favorite in the series, and his inspired performance shows how much he enjoyed playing Bond again- 5/5


    WOMEN- Italian actress and 1960 Miss Universe runnerup Daniela Bianchi has the role of leading lady Tatiana Romanova. Having started in films 5 years earlier does show, as Ms. Bianchi delivers a memorable, convincing, and erotically charged performance despite having to be dubbed. She is joined by Miss Israel 1960 Aliza Gur and Jamaican actress Martine Beswick as the catfighting gypsy girls, Eunice Gayson reprising Bond's occasional flame Sylvia Trench, and Serbian actress Nadja Regin as Kerim Bey's oversexed girlfriend. Top marks for all- 5/5


    VILLAINS- Another fantastic cast starts with Austrian singer/actress Lotte Lenya as Soviet Colonel Rosa Klebb, a high ranking member of SMERSH who has recently defected to SPECTRE. Her performance as a sadistic, immoral, and aggressive lesbian is one of the most memorable in cinematic history, in particular while she watches Bond and Romanova having sex from behind a special mirror, languidly smoking a cigarette like she was sitting in a porn theater watching the newest release. She gave me the creeps as a child and she is just awesome. Equally awesome is English legend Robert Shaw as SPECTRE assassin and psychopath Donald "Red" Grant, who is tasked with murdering Bond and Romanova. Rounding out the cast is Polish actor Vladek Sheybal as chessmaster and SPECTRE chief planning officer Kronsteen, and finally Fred Haggerty as Krilencu, a Bulgarian killer working for the Russians. They don't come any better than this crew for violence and general thuggery- 5/5


    HUMOR- Most of it comes between Bond and Kerim Bey but it serves to underscore their growing closeness as friends as well as colleagues, more than getting laughs from the audience- 3/5


    ACTION- The movie concentrates on espionage and the dynamic of Bond's affair with Romanova to the point that the action is more or less given in doses until near the end. The fight between Bond and Grant aboard the Orient Express is cinematic legend, as is the gypsy camp scenes between the girls and Krilencu's invasion, and moves the score above average as a result- 4/5


    SADISM- Despite the above, the threat of violence is ever present, and the villains are very sadistic in their love of violence and killing- 5/5


    MUSIC- Although the theme song was normal for the time, Matt Monro's rendition of the theme song is a little too "lounge lizardish" for my taste. It's also John Barry's first effort in the series, and while you can hear the building blocks of his future compositions within the soundtrack, I find the overall score to be solid but average compared with what was to come- 3/5


    LOCATIONS- Other than Istanbul, most of what was shot was in England, including the train scenes. Other locations visited were used more briefly. They don't really wow me like they would in the future- 3/5


    GADGETS- Here we get the introduction of the gadgets, which include a briefcase that literally saves Bond's life, Grant's "garrot watch" that Bond uses as well, and of course Klebb's poisonous shoe. We'd get lots more in the future, but what is used is very effective within the story- 4/5


    SUPPORTING CAST- Desmond Llewellyn is indroduced as "Q/Major Boothroyd", but his performance is rather subdued and strictly business with no hint of his relationship with Bond. Bernard Lee is solid again as M, and the playful interaction between Bond and Moneypenny gets established. What makes the movie rise to great heights is very much a result of Pedro Armendariz as Kerim Bey, head of Section T (for Turkey). Bond and Bey quickly develop both admiration and respect for the other, and the palpable chemistry between Connery and Armendariz makes their friendship very believable and enjoyable for the viewer. When you watch the film, you would never know that Armendariz was terminally ill and in great pain and it's a crime that the man was never awarded an Oscar posthumously because he certainly gave a performance worthy of one. The appearance of Eunice Gayson reprising her role as Sylvia Trench adds to the bridge the movie builds back to Dr.No, there isn't anyone that doesn't do their job well, and it doesn't get any better than the casting done for this one- 5/5



    OVERALL SCORE AND RECOLLECTIONS- As before, I was just too young (almost 2) to see the movie during it's theatrical releases until I first viewed it in 1969, but this and the next installment were often spoken of in impressive tones between my parents (it was also my father's personal favorite) and my paternal grandparents as long as I could remember. My late wife was also deeply impressed with the movie and it's diversity and it also became one of her favorites as well. It was a movie I was psyched to see, and I do remember feeling when first seeing it that it was a little slow like Dr. No, but from the time the movie was over I definitely understood why my family loved it. It scores highly in many categories for an overall score of 42 out of 50 points, or an average of 4.2 out of 5 stars.

  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE (1963)-


    "Let his death be an unpleasant and particularly humiliating one"


    The year was 1963. The Cold War and tensions between the free Western democracies and the Eastern communist countries were heightened greatly by the October 1962 showdown between the United States and the Soviet Union over the latter placing missiles in Cuba. So when then U.S president John F. Kennedy named a Fleming novel as one of his top 10 favorites of all time in TIME magazine, Harry Saltzman and Cubby Broccoli decided their followup to Dr. No would be the very same book mentioned by Kennedy, the timely and apropos "From Russia With Love". In this second adventure, James Bond is sent to Turkey to bring back to England both a Russian cipher clerk named Tatiana Romanova and the reward she is offering- a decoding machine called a "Lektor" that Soviet intelligence uses to send coded messages. Unbeknownst to Bond and MI6, who think this is some sort of trap being set up by the Soviet version of MI6 called "SMERSH", the real players behind the plot are SPECTRE, who intend to exact revenge on Bond over his killing of their operative Dr. No, plus turn a tidy profit by extorting the Soviets for the machine's return.


    Based on the 1957 novel, the 5th in the Ian Fleming series, principal filming began on April 1st, 1963 in Turkey. Other locations used were England, Scotland, Italy, Spain, and Switzerland. Due to the success of the first entry, United Artists doubled the budget to $2 million dollars, plus approved an additional $100,000 to Sean Connery on top of his salary. Unforeseen problems such as the terminal illness of key supporting actor Pedro Armandariz Sr forced some last minute rescripting, and later accidents to both director Terence Young and co-star Daniela Bianchi caused the film to fall behind schedule and go over budget. Filming wrapped on August 23rd, just 6 weeks before it's debut in London on October 10, 1963. Key additions to the cast and series were Desmond Llewellyn taking the role of "Major Boothroyd/Q", Eunice Gayson reprising her role from Dr. No as Sylvia Trench, and John Barry making his first of many contributions to the series as the composer. The film would go on to gross $78 million during it's theatrical releases and is still hailed to this day as one of, if not the finest movie in the series. In addition, the movie creates more iconic moments in film history such as the infamous fight aboard the Orient Express and the battle between two Gypsy girls, and Connery is on record stating this was his personal favorite and the one he most enjoyed filming.


    THE CAST-

    - Sean Connery as James Bond
    - Daniela Bianchi as Tatiana Romanova (voiced by Barbara Jefford)
    - Pedro Armendáriz as Ali Kerim Bey
    - Lotte Lenya as Rosa Klebb
    - Robert Shaw as Red Grant
    - Bernard Lee as M
    - Walter Gotell as Morzeny
    - Vladek Sheybal as Kronsteen
    - "?" (anonymous credit for Anthony Dawson (body) and Eric Pohlmann (voice) as SPECTRE #1 (Ernst Stavro Blofeld)
    - Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny
    - Desmond Llewelyn as Major Boothroyd
    - Eunice Gayson as Sylvia Trench
    - Francis de Wolff as Vavra
    - Fred Haggerty as Krilencu
    - Aliza Gur as Vida
    - Martine Beswick as Zora
    - Nadja Regin as Kerim Bey's girlfriend.
    - George Pastell as The Orient Express Conductor


    BOND- Once again under the direction of Terence Young, Connery delivers yet another outstanding performance to follow his debut a year earlier. This time, he delivers a much more physical rendition of the character while continuing to reinforce and grow his characterization. He has always said this was his personal favorite in the series, and his inspired performance shows how much he enjoyed playing Bond again- 5/5


    WOMEN- Italian actress and 1960 Miss Universe runnerup Daniela Bianchi has the role of leading lady Tatiana Romanova. Having started in films 5 years earlier does show, as Ms. Bianchi delivers a memorable, convincing, and erotically charged performance despite having to be dubbed. She is joined by Miss Israel 1960 Aliza Gur and Jamaican actress Martine Beswick as the catfighting gypsy girls, Eunice Gayson reprising Bond's occasional flame Sylvia Trench, and Serbian actress Nadja Regin as Kerim Bey's oversexed girlfriend. Top marks for all- 5/5


    VILLAINS- Another fantastic cast starts with Austrian singer/actress Lotte Lenya as Soviet Colonel Rosa Klebb, a high ranking member of SMERSH who has recently defected to SPECTRE. Her performance as a sadistic, immoral, and aggressive lesbian is one of the most meomrable in cinematic history, in particular while she watches Bond and Romanova having sex from behind a special mirror,languidly smoking a cigarette like she was sitting in a porn theater watching the newest release. She gave me the creeps as a child and she is just awesome. Equally awesome is English legend Robert Shaw as SPECTRE assassin and psychopath Donald "Red" Grant, who is tasked with murdering Bond and Romanova. Rounding out the cast is Polish actor Vladek Sheybal as chessmaster and SPECTRE chief planning officer Kronsteen, and finally Fred Haggerty as Krilencu, a Bulgarian killer working for the Russians. They don't come any better than this crew for violence and general thuggery- 5/5


    HUMOR- Most of it comes between Bond and Kerim Bey but it serves to underscore their growing closeness as friends as well as colleagues, more than getting laughs from the audience- 3/5


    ACTION- The movie concentrates on espionage and the dynamic of Bond's affair with Romanova to the point that the action is more or less given in doses until near the end. The fight between Bond and Grant aboard the Orient Express is cinematic legend, as is the gypsy camp scenes between the girls and Krilencu's invasion, and moves the score above average as a result- 4/5


    SADISM- Despite the above, the threat of violence is ever present, and the villains are very sadistic in their love of violence and killing- 5/5


    MUSIC- Although the theme song was normal for the time, Matt Monro's rendition of the theme song is a little too "lounge lizardish" for my taste. It's also John Barry's first effort in the series, and while you can hear the building blocks of his future compositions within the soundtrack, I find the overall score to be solid but average compared with what was to come- 3/5


    LOCATIONS- Other than Istanbul, most of what was shot was in England, including the train scenes. Other locations visited were used more briefly. They don't really wow me like they would in the future- 3/5


    GADGETS- Here we get the introduction of the gadgets, which include a briefcase that literally saves Bond's life, Grant's "garrot watch" that Bond uses as well, and of course Klebb's poisonous shoe. We'd get lots more in the future, but what is used is very effective within the story- 4/5


    SUPPORTING CAST- Desmond Llewellyn is indroduced as "Q/Major Boothroyd", but his performance is rather subdued and strictly business with no hint of his relationship with Bond. Bernard Lee is solid again as M, and the playful interaction between Bond and Moneypenny gets established. What makes the movie rise to great heights is very much as result of Pedro Armendariz as Kerim Bey, head of Section T (for Turkey). Bond and Bey quickly develop both admiration and respect for the other, and the palpable chemistry between Connery and Armendariz makes their friendship very believable and enjoyable for the viewer. When you watch the film, you would never know that Armendariz was terminally ill and in great pain and it's a crime that the man was never awarded an Oscar posthumously because he certainly gave a performance worthy of one. The appearance of Eunice Gayson reprising her role as Sylvia Trench adds to the bridge the movie builds back to Dr.No, there isn't anyone that doesn't do their job well, and it doesn't get any better than the casting done for this one- 5/5



    OVERALL SCORE AND RECOLLECTIONS- As before, I was just too young (almost 2) to see the movie during it's theatrical releases until I first viewed it in 1969, but this and the next installment were often spoken of in impressive tones between my parents (it was also my father's personal favorite) and my paternal grandparents as long as I could remember. My late wife was also deeply impressed with the movie and it's diversity and it also became one of her favorites as well. It was a movie I was psyched to see, and I do remember feeling when first seeing it that it was a little slow like Dr. No, but from the time the movie was over I definitely understood why my family loved it. It scores highly in many categories for an overall score of 42 out of 50 points, or an average of 4.2 out of 5 stars.

    This should go here as well:
    http://www.mi6community.com/index.php?p=/discussion/3462/from-russia-with-love-1963#Item_1
  • edited July 2012 Posts: 3,494
    Not worried about that, this thread is specifically for the originals and contains specific criteria.
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    It's still a review...
  • Are we having a bad day today?
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    Posts: 12,459
    How I love this movie! I will get my review in later today.
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    Are we having a bad day today?
    No...why? It just doesn't make sense to have a ton of reviews in one thread when there is a thread set up to collect reviews for every individual film.
  • edited July 2012 Posts: 3,494
    It makes sense when the point of these reviews is for the views of originals only. I want to get a gauge of how we've all seen the movies over the years so we can then debate the results and have a collective ranking. It's all good. I got this.

    4Ever, can't wait for your thoughts as well as those of our fellow originals.
  • KerimKerim Istanbul Not Constantinople
    edited August 2012 Posts: 2,629
    I'll start with Dr No and go down the line.

    Dr. No (High Hopes)

    BOND- SC needed to establish the Bond role, and he succeeded. For the most part, SC stayed true to Fleming's Bond and set the standard for future Bond portrayals. Sean would have better performances to follow, but establishing "Bond, James Bond" and other attributes of Bond's foundation were established in DN. (4)

    WOMEN- Again, a good start in establishing what would be the future of Bond women to follow. Ursula's memorable rising from the sea established the blueprints for future Bond women. Too bad the Sylvia Trench character didn't get at least GF in. I thought she would have been perfect as Bond's caddy. Zena Marshall was solid as the first femme fatale. (5)

    VILLAINS- I really wish Joseph Wiseman got more screen time, but he did the most with what he had. Dr. No was genually intimidating. I always thought the Dent character was slightly overated. If you think about it, Dent was a bit of a bunglar. The three blind mice, the driver and the photographer are there, but nothing really special. (4)

    HUMOR-Not a whole lot in the humor department, nor was there any intention of it. I think the funniest line was when the driver took cyanide, Bond drove up to the building and tells the guard "see to it he doesn't go anywhere". (3)

    ACTION-Minimal compared to what would follow. The car chase up the mountain and the climax were well done. (3)

    SADISM-DN established a cinematic first with Strangways secretary being the first woman to be killed and show blood. Quarrels being burned to death by "the dragon" was rather sadistic as was Dr No dissolving in the radiologic pool. (4)

    MUSIC-Established the Bond theme we would all know and love. Good call on using Jamacian music throughout the film. (4)

    LOCATIONS-Limited to Jamaica, but a fair job in seeing the off the main trail parts of Kingston (3).

    GADGETS-Minimal was better in this case. This allowed Bond to rely on his wits rather than silly gadgets that would follow. (3)

    SUPPORTING CAST-We saw Bernard Lee and Lois Maxwell lay their respective characters foundations. Jack Lord was the second best Felix. Quarrels would have been a better character if he was less subserviant. Peter Burton gave us the Walther PPK. (5)

    OVERALL SCORE AND RECOLLECTIONS- Overall score of 38. Dr No did what it needed to do. Establish the James Bond character and personality, the memorable theme, "Bond, James Bond" line, the Bond women's contribution, MI6 and most importantly, brought Fleming's literary works to life. Better films would follow, but the foundation was laid.

    Note: Edited to round up scores.
  • Posts: 2,341
    From Russia With Love
    I always liked that title.

    Bond: Sean Connery once again delivers -5
    Women: Daniella Bianchi is hot and very good despite her voice being dubbed. 5
    Villains : No larger than life, egomaniacal villian here just underlings but they do a great job. Rosa Klebb is lesbian evil bitch. Red Grant a quiet and sadistic killer. Kronsteen is just slimy. This gallery of rogues are classic. 5
    Sadism The murders, the fight on the train. I give it a solid 4
    Music Not bad but nothing to write home about. 2.5
    Locations: Instanbul is well utilized. 3
    Gadget: No too fancy and the way I like them. Minimal and belivaible(sorry for the spelling too lazy to reach for the dictionary) 4
    Supporting Cast ; whatever 4
    Overall score A solid 4


  • Posts: 3,333
    Stop being a gatecrasher, OBrady. This section is clearly set up for the older fan, hence the topic heading. And was it necessary to duplicate SirHenry's post in all it's entirety?

    The reviews here are clearly from an older perspective and would be lost amongst the ones written by the younger fans. If they could be bothered to write one, that is.

    Good stuff, OHMSS69, SirHenryLeeChaChing and Kerim. I'm enjoying your input. =D>
  • edited July 2012 Posts: 3,494
    @ Bondsum- I'm sure that O'Brady meant well, he's a sharp kid, I just don't think he understood the concept of original fans only. I am positive he gets it now.

    I definitely don't want teenagers on this thread diluting results, especially those who haven't realized the entertainment value of the classics in particular. They can't get into some of them, which I can understand because they are so different and move a lot slower than the more recent "slam bang" type of eras when they were first exposed to Bond.

    In the future, I kindly ask all the originals who are reviewing to round off your scores to full points rather than half, and please update your results in your post or PM me with the changes you settled on. I will include everyone's results even if they came in later such as Kerim's. Anyone I invited who has not participated yet is always welcome, and if you were not invited by an oversight on my part and fit the criteria, please let me know.

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