James Bond Films

The film franchise centered on the iconic secret agent character James Bond transformed the action-adventure genre and became a staple of pop culture. From its debut in the 1960s, the long-running series established new directions in filmmaking while also reflecting prevailing trends in cinema and in society at large. The Bond films gave rise to many spinoffs and related media, as well as many imitators on screen and television.

Origins and Early Films

Author Ian Fleming introduced the character James Bond, a suave secret agent also known as 007, in his novel Casino Royale (1953). Fleming based the character in part on several people he knew through his former career as a British naval intelligence officer. Fleming's glamorous take on espionage fiction quickly gained a strong following, and he would go on to write eleven more novels and two short story collections featuring Bond. A book was released in the series every year through 1966 (with the last two published after Fleming's death in 1964). Bond stories were also published in magazines, including Playboy in 1960, boosting the character's popularity. Interest was further stirred in 1961, when Life magazine printed a list of President John F. Kennedy’s favorite books that included Fleming’s From Russia, with Love (1957). This short mention helped all the Bond novels published to that point climb up the best-seller lists.

The growing popularity of the Bond books drove the effort to bring the character to the big screen. Casino Royale had already been adapted into a live television drama starring Barry Nelson as an Americanized version of Bond in 1954, but that production met with little notice. In 1961 producer Harry Saltzman obtained the film rights to all of Fleming's other Bond works, including any future installments. Saltzman then teamed with Albert R. Broccoli to form Eon Productions, the company that would oversee the Bond film franchise. For various reasons the producers did not follow the same order as the book series, and the films would tend to be relatively loose adaptations of Fleming's works.

The first of Eon's James Bond films was Dr. No (1962), starring Scottish actor Sean Connery as Bond. It established many elements that would become iconic parts of the franchise, such as composer John Barry’s signature musical theme, exotic locales, romances with alluring female costars (often known as "Bond girls"), dastardly villains (often linked to the evil organization SPECTRE), technological gadgetry, tongue-in-cheek humor, and the famous introductory catchphrase "Bond . . . James Bond." The film was a major commercial success, launching what would endure as one of the highest-grossing film series of all time.

The second Bond film, From Russia with Love (1963), further developed the pattern that subsequent efforts would follow. For example, it was the first entry to feature a theme song sung by a noted pop star, and it reinforced the emphasis on innovative action sequences making use of new techniques and advances in stunt work and cinematography. The Bond phenomenon then hit full stride with the film Goldfinger (1964). It broke box-office records in the first three weeks of its release, and many theaters screened the film twenty-four hours a day to meet public demand. Goldfinger also won the franchise its first Academy Award, for best sound effects. Eon followed up with Thunderball (1965), in which Bond once again squares off against a top SPECTRE operative. It, too, earned an Oscar, for best special visual effects.

The plots of the early Bond films often reflect Cold War intrigues, highlighting futuristic technology and global threats. Bond is characterized as the ultimate sophisticated action hero, licensed to kill and unflappable even when facing seemingly insurmountable odds. He always saves the day, making use of advanced weaponry and gimmicky spy gear but above all bravery and ingenuity. The early films also establish supporting characters who would become iconic in their own right, such as intelligence chief "M" (originally played by Bernard Lee); M's secretary, Miss Moneypenny (originally played by Lois Maxwell); and eccentric quartermaster "Q" (long portrayed by Desmond Llewelyn). Notably, though, the films feature very little plot carryover between installments, allowing each entry to work as a standalone piece.

Connery continued to portray Bond in You Only Live Twice (1967), which sees 007 more directly confront his nemesis, SPECTRE leader Ernst Stavro Blofeld. The focus on Blofeld continued with On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969), but George Lazenby took over the part of Bond after Connery stepped down from the role. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is also notable as one of the most faithful adaptations of Fleming's original material, and for deepening Bond's characterization by showing his more vulnerable side. Connery then resumed the role again in Diamonds Are Forever (1971). These three entries saw the franchise further amplify its signature elements into an increasingly fantastic milieu.

Initial Impact

The popularity of the early Bond films in the 1960s was both supported and augmented by American interest in virtually all things British, from the British invasion rock bands such as the Beatles and Rolling Stones and the fashion trends set by “swinging London’s” Carnaby Street and designer Mary Quant. Merchandising sales for the films were rivaled only by the Beatles. Bond-related memorabilia, including soundtracks, toys, games, bubblegum cards, books, and toiletries, established a new level of tie-in promotions for films. The Bond novels were adapted into a long-running British comic strip, and title songs such as Shirley Bassey’s “Goldfinger,” Tom Jones’s “Thunderball,” and Nancy Sinatra’s “You Only Live Twice” became major recording hits, deepening the films’ penetration of the public consciousness. Appearances as iconic "Bond girls" helped bring actors such as Ursula Andress, Shirley Eaton, Honor Blackman, and Jill St. John to wide recognition and lent the franchise a glamorous, sensual appeal.

The film and television industry capitalized on the Bond bonanza with an array of similar spy-themed works. These included film series starring James Coburn as secret agent Derek Flint (Our Man Flint, 1965; In Like Flint, 1967), Dean Martin as agent Matt Helm (The Silencers, 1966; Murderer’s Row, 1966; The Ambushers, 1968; The Wrecking Crew, 1968), and Michael Caine as Harry Palmer (The Ipcress File, 1965; Funeral in Berlin, 1966; and Billion Dollar Brain, 1967). Television shows such as The Man from UNCLE, I Spy, Get Smart, The Avengers, The Wild Wild West, and Secret Agent brought Bond-like adventures into the living room and spun off popular catalogs of tie-in merchandise with sales rivaling those of Bond collectibles. At the spy-craze’s zenith, Sean Connery and The Man from UNCLE stars Robert Vaughn and David McCallum described themselves as being more like rock stars than actors because of the often-frenzied responses of young fans.

While a degree of self-aware humor was long part of the Eon Bond films, many imitators delved even more directly into comedy. Indeed, the franchise's signature elements quickly became so iconic that they were parodied and otherwise referenced throughout the media landscape. Due to legal complications, one such spoof even featured the Bond character himself. As the rights to Casino Royale remained separate from the rest of Fleming's works, the novel was adapted in 1967 as a broad farce produced by Jerry Bresler and Charles K. Feldman, employing five directors and multiple actors playing versions of "James Bond," including Peter Sellers, David Niven, Ursula Andress, and Woody Allen. Parodies of Bond would remain popular over the decades, as seen with the Austin Powers series (1997–2002), indicating the deep cultural impact of the material.

Later Films

After Connery left the franchise again following Diamonds Are Forever, actor Roger Moore, who had been catapulted into stardom in his role as the somewhat Bond-like antihero Simon Templar on the British television show The Saint, ultimately took over the role of Bond. In order to distinguish Moore's portrayal from both Templar and Connery's Bond, the filmmakers emphasized the comic side of Bond. As such, the next seven 007 films—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)—frequently verge into self-parody and overt campiness. They also often reflected popular cinematic trends of the time, such as blaxploitation in Live and Let Die and outer-space sci-fi in Moonraker, in an effort to remain relevant with audiences.

Albert Broccoli became the sole producer at Eon Productions in 1975 after Harry Saltzman sold his share in the company; Michael G. Wilson then joined as co-producer of the Bond films in 1984. Meanwhile, because of a long legal dispute over the film rights to Fleming's Thunderball (1961), a new adaptation of that novel was released in 1983 as Never Say Never Again. It features Connery playing Bond one more time. However, as Eon was not involved in the release, it is not considered part of the main Bond series.

When Moore retired after A View to a Kill, Timothy Dalton took up the role for the next two films in the series, The Living Daylights (1987) and Licence to Kill (1989). He became known for trying to portray a darker, edgier Bond than his predecessor—more in keeping with the way he felt the character was written. This also fit with the popularity of gritty, violent action films in the 1980s, again showing how the Bond franchise adapted to changing tastes while maintaining its signature style. Dalton's turn as Bond met with mixed reviews, and though the films were still profitable they showed a downturn at the box office. This decline, along with legal issues behind the scenes, contributed to a lengthy delay in developing the next installment. Eventually, Albert Broccoli turned his role as producer of the franchise to his daughter Barbara Broccoli, alongside Wilson.

After six years without a new Bond film, Pierce Brosnan accepted the pressure of putting a new spin on the iconic spy in the seventeenth Eon installment, GoldenEye (1995). It proved to be a significant commercial and critical hit, helping to carry the series into the post–Cold War era. GoldenEye updated the franchise in several ways, including through the use of computer-generated imagery (CGI). It also took a more progressive approach to gender roles in some ways, subtly acknowledging the franchise's history of sexist stereotypes and influentially casting Judi Dench as M. Brosnan would go on to reprise the role in Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), The World Is Not Enough (1999), and Die Another Day (2002). By the latter entry, however, many critics were again suggesting that the series was faltering, relying too heavily on special effects and product placement. Competition from a new wave of grittier, more realistic action films such as The Bourne Identity (2002) also drew notice.

These criticisms, as well as further business issues involving Eon and distributor MGM, led to a major shift in the Bond films. The producers finally obtained the rights to Fleming's first Bond novel, and decided to use the opportunity to fully reboot the series. British actor Daniel Craig was cast as the new Bond, a decision that initially proved controversial with some fans because he did not fit the usual physical image of 007 as tall and dark-haired. Nevertheless, the resulting film, Casino Royale (2006), was widely hailed by critics and audiences alike as a highly successful revitalization of the franchise. Craig's Bond was viewed as more raw and real, rather than fantastically suave, and reviewers appreciated that the filmmakers dispensed with the campy humor and excessive gadgetry that had come to characterize the previous installments. Critics also praised Eva Green's turn as a smarter and wittier deviation from the previous typical "Bond girl" archetype.

Craig continued to star as Bond in Quantum of Solace (2008), Skyfall (2012), Spectre (2015), and No Time to Die (2021). Unlike most previous Bond installments, there is a clear through line across the plots of these films, which contributes to greater character development. There are also numerous references and callbacks to earlier entries and iconic aspects of the franchise, such as Bond's signature "shaken, not stirred" martini and Aston Martin cars. The series continued to be lucrative at the box office, with Skyfall setting a new individual record for the franchise at over $1.1 billion grossed worldwide. Skyfall also won two Academy Awards, for best original song with "Skyfall" performed by Adele and best sound editing, while the theme songs for Spectre ("Writing's On the Wall," performed by Sam Smith) and No Time to Die ("No Time to Die," performed by Billie Eilish) also captured Oscars for best song. Critical response also remained largely positive, despite mixed reviews for Quantum of Solace and Spectre and some controversy over the ultimate conclusion to Craig's run.

As with previous instances of recasting the iconic role of Bond, the search for Craig's successor drew much media interest. There was also additional scrutiny due to widespread speculation that an actor of color might portray Bond for the first time or that the part might be reworked as female. Such discussion was heightened by the fact that Lashana Lynch, a Black British actor, played a female agent who took over the 007 designation in No Time to Die. The idea of changing Bond's race or gender generated strong debate among critics and fans. Proponents argued that it could offer interesting new perspectives while also helping to address the franchise's long history of problematic, stereotypical depictions. Opponents, meanwhile, suggested that deviating too far from Fleming's conception of the character and previous on-screen depictions would risk compromising the spirit of the series. Observers noted that there was also some overtly racist and sexist backlash to the idea; for example, actor Idris Elba, considered a potential frontrunner for the role by many, revealed that he lost interest in the part due to racist commentary.

Bibliography

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