Dr. No: The First James Bond Film

"Dr. No (1962) was the first entry in what would become the longest-running series cinema history. It established the formula of the James Bond films - outlandish plots, improbable heroism, bizarre villains, beautiful women, colorful locations, a style of tongue-in-cheek parodic humor - and laid the foundations of an unstoppable series of box-office attractions that is still going strong after 60 years. The cultural and economic influence of the James Bond films is widely acknowledged, but until now there has been no detailed study of how the series began. This book will locate Dr. No in the industrial and cultural contexts of the film industry in the 1960s, with a particular focus on the "Hollywood, UK" phenomenon of which it is a prominent example. It will also explore the process of adaptation of Ian Fleming's book from page to screen, as well as give a close reading of the film itself. Chapman will also document the production history of the film based on significant original archival research, dispelling some of the most persistent myths about the difficult production. Finally, the book will also consider both the contemporary reception of Dr. No and its cultural legacy in light of the newest films in the series, which have (for the most part) received the kind of positive critical attention that the first films in the series never got"--
When Dr. No premiered at the London Pavilion on October 5, 1962, no one predicted that it would launch the longest-running series in cinema history. It introduced the James Bond formula that has been a box-office fixture ever since: sensational plots, colorful locations, beautiful women, diabolical villains, thrilling action set pieces, and a tongue-in-cheek tone. An explosive cocktail of action, spectacle, and sex, Dr. No transformed popular cinema.James Chapman provides a lively and comprehensive study of Dr. No, marshaling a wealth of archival research to place the film in its historical moment. He demonstrates that, contrary to many fan myths, the film was the product of a carefully considered transnational production process. Chapman explores the British super-spy’s origins in Ian Fleming’s snobbery-with-violence thrillers, examining the process of adaptation from page to screen. He considers Dr. No in the contexts of the UK and Hollywood film industries as well as the film’s place in relation to the changing social and cultural landscape of the 1960s, particularly Cold War anxieties and the decline of the British Empire. The book also analyzes the film’s problematic politics of gender and race and considers its cultural legacy.This thorough and insightful account of Dr. No will appeal to film historians and Bond fans alike.
Dr. No introduced the James Bond formula that has been a box-office fixture ever since. An explosive cocktail of action, spectacle, and sex, the film transformed popular cinema. James Chapman provides a lively and comprehensive study of Dr. No, marshaling a wealth of archival research to place the film in its historical moment.