James Bond: 50 Years in the Movies
He’s suave, debonair and almost always incredibly cool, no matter who plays him. In 2012 fans of the 007 film franchise celebrated Global James Bond Day on October 5, the 50th anniversary of the 1962 release of Dr No.
A feature documentary, Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007, released the same day in the UK to coincide with the celebrations. A North American exhibition, Designing 007: Fifty Years of Bond Style also opens at the TIFF Bell Lighthouse and runs from October 26, 2012 to January 20, 2013.
While actor Daniel Craig, known as the blond Bond, currently wears the 007 suit in the 2006 Casino Royale, the 2008 Quantum of Solace and Skyfall, he is only one of many performers to play Ian Fleming’s title character. In 1954, Barry Nelson starred in an hour-long television adaptation of the novel Casino Royale. He was followed by Bob Holness who gave voice to the character in a South African radio adaptation of Moonraker.
Scottish actor Sean Connery brought Bond to the big screen in the 1962 film Dr. No. He reprised his role as the confident, charming spy in From Russia with Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball and You Only Live Twice. In 1971 he returned to the role in Diamonds Are Forever. His final appearance as Bond was in the 1983 movie Never Say Never Again.
Meanwhile Roger Moore played Bond in a 7-minute sketch on the comedy show Mainly Millicent and David Niven starred as the retired 007 Agent in a 1967 James Bond spoof.
Australian male model George Lazenby was offered the part of Bond in the film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service in 1969. For the 1973 film Live and Let Die, Roger Moore appeared as James Bond. He continued his role in six other movies including The Man with the Golden Gun, The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker, For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy and A View to Kill. Timothy Dalton then took over as Bond in the 1987 movie The Living Daylights and the 1989 film License to Kill.
After a lengthy break, the Bond franchise rebounded with Pierce Brosnan playing the lead character in Goldeneye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World is Not Enough and Die Another Day.
