Mr. Broccoli's Irving Thalberg Acceptance speech

Mr. Broccoli's Irving Thalberg Acceptance speech

                        1981 Cubby Broccoli receiving the Irving Thalberg Award from Roger Moore

Click below to see the video of Cubby's acceptance speech: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-Z2-d_zDZQ

 A Man, a producer, a pioneer... Cubby Broccoli

Filming Dr. No 1962

In 1950 he moved to London and after a while with Producer Harry Saltzman, he started  one of the luckiest, long lasting and successful collaboration in the production of James Bond Movies.

They created the EON Production (Everything or Nothing Production), and in 1962 Harry and Cubby produced the first Bond movie, Dr. No, starring Sean Connery (despite the fact that Ian Fleming was not convinced about the unknown Sean Connery playing that role).

Cubby's involvement in the Bond series continued until his death in 1996 in Beverly Hills. His daughter Barbara and his stepson Michael G. Wilson, have since produced the James Bond films and the success will continue... 

 Daniel Craig in Skyfall

Source: blockbuster.co.uk

'Skyfall' has scored the second best ever opening weekend at the UK box office.
The 23rd James Bond movie - starring Daniel Craig as the suave spy - took an impressive £20.1 million from Friday (26.10.12) to Sunday (29.10.12), becoming the biggest ever 007 opening weekend.
Sony executive Rory Bruer said of the takings: ''This picture has such an incredible DNA and to be so loved by critics and audiences alike will push it be one of the biggest, if not biggest, Bond pics.''
Producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli added: ''We are absolutely overwhelmed with the reaction to 'Skyfall' this weekend. It is particularly thrilling as the UK is home to James Bond and it being the 50th anniversary year.'' 

 Cubby Broccoli, Sean Connery, Ian Fleming and Harry Saltzman

Cubby's star @ Hollywood Walk of Fame 6910 Hollywood Blvd.

 

 Cubby, Harry and actor Roger Moore

 Enjoy this video: 

"Albert R. Broccoli- Bond and Beyond: Opening Night"

http://www.bfi.org.uk/live/video/10

"Albert R “Cubby” Broccoli, the legendary James Bond producer. The man behind the most iconic film series of all times has inspired every generation with his dazzling work." (Source: bfi.org.uk)

Q or the nicest character of the James Bond Series

Q or the nicest character of the James Bond Series

The pre-Craig era 

 Pierce Brosnan and Desmond Llewelyn as Q

For sure the new generation of James Bond followers with Daniel Craig as Agent Double-o-Seven, cannot remember Q, but if you jump into past James Bond's movies, you cannot forget that funny character.
Peter Burton was the first actor of the Eon Production era playing Q in Dr. No 1962, but the most remarkable actor playing that role in seventeen movie from 1963 to 1999 was Desmond Llewelyn. He worked with five different actors, and except "Live and let die" 1973, he played his role in every Eon Prduction's Bond movie. Starting from "From Russia with Love" the second 007 movie with Sean Connery, he ended his career with Pierce Brosnan's third movie "The World is not enough" in 1999. In 2002 actor John Cleese substituted Desmond Llewelyn who died in December 1999. Desmond Llewelyn remains the actor who played the same role in Bond series for the longest period of time.

Q famous quotes:  "pay attention, 007" "I never joke about my work, 007"

Craig era and Skyfall

                                                  Daniel Craig and Ben Whishaw as Q

Daniel Craig has never had the Q character helping him in the past two movies "Casino Royale" and "Quantum of Solace", but now in the new movie Skyfall he's gonna deserve it. Not only Q is coming back after 10 years, but Ben Whishaw (born 1980) is going to be the youngest Q ever. Since technology has changed a lot we need young and fresh mind... up to date with technology! We just hope he doesn't lose his Britishness... we'll see

Stay Tuned

Bond on the Hollywood Blvd... yes or not

Bond on the Hollywood Blvd... yes or not 

Eon Production with "Cubby" Broccoli

From 1962 for 50 years the Eon Production, a film production company started by Albert "Cubby" Broccoli, produced 23 James Bond Movies with 6 different Actors, from Sean Connery to Daniel Craig, but we cannot forget George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan. Of those six actors, Pierce Brosnan and Roger Moore are the only actors to have received stars on the Walk of Fame on Hollywood Boulevard. Sir Sean Connery does not have his own star, but... WE ARE WAITING!!! 

                                             Roger Moore

                                            Pierce Brosnan

Moore's star sits in front of 7007 Hollywood Blvd, and Pierce Brosnan's is in 7083 Hollywood Blvd.

Sir Sean Connery has his own Footprints at Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. 

                                        Sir Sean Connery

   Sir Sean Connery Footprints at Chinese Theatre Hollywood

Non-Eon films The very first James

David Niven adapted the role of James Bond into a parody, and he played 007 in the original Casino Royale in 1967. He has two stars, the one for Motion Picture in the south side of the 6300 block of Hollywood Boulevard, and the other for Television on the west side of the 1600 block of Vine Street. 

The very first James

 Mr. Berry Nelson, not only was the first actor playing Agent 007 in a movie in Casino Royale, he is also one of the two non-English actors playing the role of James Bond. He has his star for Television achievement at 6259 Hollywood Blvd. 

James on the Radio Outsiders

In 1956, Bob Holness provided the voice for James Bond in a South African radio adaption of the Ian Fleming novel Moonraker. (Source: 007james.com)

Outsiders

Christopher Cazenove played James Bond in Omnibus: The British Hero, a documentary and literary review style show on the BBC. He acted out several scenes from Ian Fleming's novels, Goldfinger, where James Bond is nearly killed with a chainsaw (as opposed to the laser in the film Goldfinger). (Source: 007james.com)

 Stay tuned for more on 007... 

James Bond ringing at the Academy’s Doorbell…

James Bond ringing at the Academy’s Doorbell…

                                                    The famous Gunbarrel sequence...

It was the 37^th Academy Awards edition, it was the year of My Fair Lady and Mary Poppins, but also Dr. Strangelove, Becket and Zorba the Greek. We have to go back to 1965 to have the very first Academy Awards nomination in a James Bond Movie. Well we have to say that James Bond’s adventure had started only three years before, in 1962 with Dr. No, but it was just with Goldfinger that James started to ring at the Academy’s Doorbell. 

One of the main characteristics of all 007 movies has always been the music… that well known motif, that musical fragment or succession of notes that we’ve learned to love that introduces the action, shooting and murders. Since 1962 many different arrangements of the same theme have been used... and when you hear that you know what’s going on!!! 

Despite the two libel actions against John Barry that actually re-arranged the Theme and gave the birth to that lucky Theme, Monty Norman is recognized as the father of The James Bond Theme.

 The Best Sound Editing Award was established in 1963 and the next year Norman Wanstall won for Goldfinger, becoming the first James Bond Movie winning an Oscar. From that day on, James received a total of nine nominations, winning only in 1965 for Best Visual Effects with John Stears in Thunderball. Sean Connery remained the one and only Mr. Bond having his movies winning Oscars. 

                                                                              Sean Connery in Goldfinger

The other Nominations are:

Diamonds are Forever, 1971, nominated for the Best Sound (Gordon K. McCallum, John W. Mitchell, Al Overton). Diamonds are Forever was the return and last appearance of Sean Connery as James Bond after the non-breakthrough performance of George Lazenby.  

Live and Let Die, 1973, nominated for Best Music, Song (Paul and Linda McCartney for "Live and Let Die"). Live and Let Die the first to star Roger Moore as Agent 007.

The Spy who Loved Me, 1977, nominated for  Best Art Direction - Set Decoration (Ken Adam, Peter Lamont, Hugh Scaife), Best Music, Original Score (Marvin Hamlisch), Best Music, Song (Marvin Hamlisch for music, and Carole Bayer Sager for lyrics for "Nobody Does it Better"). The Spy who Loved Me remains the James Bond Movie with more nominations but no Awards. 

Moonraker, 1979, nominated for Best Effects, Visual Effects (Derek Meddings, Paul Wilson, John Evans). 

For your Eyes Only, 1981, nominated for Best Music, Song (Bill Conti for music, and Mick Leeson and Sheena Easton  for lyrics for "For Your Eyes Only").  Moonraker and For your Eyes Only are the fourth and the fifth movie to star Roger Moore. 

                                                 Roger Moore in The Spy who loved me

Roger Moore is also the actor that played Bond for the longest period (twelve year) and six movies:  Live and Let Die (1973), The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), Moonraker (1979), For Your Eyes Only (1981), Octopussy (1983) and A View to a Kill (1985).

Maybe the 2013 could be the return of Mr. Bond ringing Academy’s Doorbell with Dame Judy Dench or Daniel Craig (don't really believe that), as Producer Barbara Broccoli said: 

 

Daniel Craig in Skyfall 

"This year it might be different. Producers believe Dame Judi Dench's performance as M in Skyfall, the 23rd Bond adventure, is worthy of an Oscar and are campaigning for her to be nominated.
Skyfall is Dench's seventh outing as the formidable MI6 chief but the latest film puts her at the heart of the action for the first time.
The 77-year-old actress is much admired by the academy. She has been nominated for six films and won the best supporting actress Oscar in 1999 for her eight-minute cameo in Shakespeare In Love.
Barbara Broccoli, who took over production of the Bond films from her late father, Albert "Cubby" Broccoli, expressed her frustration about the franchise being overlooked.
"Over the years they have made ground-breaking contributions to cinema. I am surprised that there haven't been acting nominations, if not for Bond then for the support," she said.
Broccoli said she "wouldn't be surprised if Judi were nominated for this one".
A nomination for Daniel Craig as Bond should not be out of the question either, according to Broccoli, who described him as "that extraordinary combination of movie star and great actor". (©The Daily Telegraph | 24 october, 2012 00:12)